Mobile Minute goes back to school - using Windows Mobile on Campus
It's back to school time, and you know what that means. You've got a good excuse to try out some new software for your PDA. Windows Mobile devices include some great tools for students, including a basic calculator, calendar, and mobile versions of Word and Excel. But if you want to get the most out of your PDA on campus, you'll probably want to check out some more advanced tools for text entry, note taking, and organization.
Let's start by taking a look at some applications designed with students in mind.
The Dog Ate It
Windows Mobile PDAs and phones include a basic calendar for jotting down appointments. But it's not much use if you need to view a week's worth of information at a glance. For day to day use, we're big fans of Pocket Informant. But for students, The Dog Ate It offers a great calendar with a few extra features.
First of all, you can enter a list of classes and times and they'll automatically be added to your calendar. For each class you can specify your instructor's name, contact info, and required textbooks.
The Dog Ate It also lets you keep track of your grades and homework assignments. There's a free trial available, but a full version will cost you $15. There's also a desktop version of the software which can be synchronized with your PDA.
4.0Student
Looking for a little more bang for your buck? Or at least an opportunity to spend a few more bucks? Handmark's 4.0Student will set you back $30, but the price includes one year of access to fourostudent.net. There's also a free trial download available so you can try out the program for 15 days before making up your mind.The application lets you enter a list of courses, manage your homework, and track your grades.
While The Dog Ate It's strength is in its calendar, 4.0Student's strongest point is its homework management system. You can set up a series of classes and enter homework for each class along with the time that it's due. Your assignments are then arranged into a handy checklist.
You can also use 4.0Student's online features to enter your coursework online and synchronize it with your PDA. Why you'd want to do this when the whole point of having a PDA is that you can carry it everywhere you go is beyond us.
There's also a Palm OS version available.
CourseProCoursePro is the cheapest of the course organizers we've seen, weighing in at just $10. But it also has the most convoluted setup process.
You'll need to install a Java virtual machine on your device to run CoursePro, and while one is supposed to be included in the ZIP file you download, we couldn't get it to work. Luckily, there's another download link on the same page for the SuperWaba virtual machine. So we would recommend downloading SuperWaba and CoursePro separately. Install Superwaba first, and then CoursePro.
As for features, CoursePro includes all the usual suspects. You can create a list of courses, view them in calendar or list mode, and create assignments for each class.
CoursePro is designed to run on PocketPC 2000/2002, and Windows Mobile 2003 devices. We haven't tested it on a Windows Mobile 5.0 or 6 device. There's free trial available with a limited feature set if you want to try before you buy.
Calculators
That built in calculator not doing it for you? Windows Mobile guru Werner Ruotsalainen has put together an extensive review of several Texas Instruments scientific calculator emulators.Of course, these are emulators, as opposed to native calculators. That means you'll need to have a valid ROM from a working calculator to use the emulators. We'll assume if you have the ROM you've legitimately obtained it from a calculator that you paid good money for.
Of course, if you don't need all the functions of a TI-89, you can check out a variety of other Windows Mobile calculators that offer some features missing from the basic calculator that came with your device.
Flash Cards
Need help memorizing equations, formulas, history, or verb conjugations? HandyMed's HandyCards is available in Windows Mobile and Palm OS varieties. The application will set you back about $20. For that kind of money you could buy a lot of index cards and magic markers, but we always prefer doing things the geeky way.
Password managersWhether you're headed off to college, high school, or wizarding school, odds are you're going to have a lot of passwords to remember. It doesn't matter whether you're trying to remember a locker combination, computer login, security code for your dorm, or password to get tell the portrait guarding your house tower. The basic truth is you'll forget your password when you need it most.
There are a variety of Windows Mobile programs designed to keep credit card and other private information secure on your PDA. These applications can also come in handy if you're trying to remember combinations for your gym locker, bike lock, and hallway locker.
One of the biggest name in password management is Illium's eWallet, which runs $20. If you've only got a few passwords to remember, but a really bad memory, Illium also offers a freeware version, although it appears to be unavailable at the moment.
While not as pretty as eWallet, a few developers have also come out with useful free password managers, including Pmmax CryptoCard and Martini Creations Passman.
Each application encrypts your private data and lets you protect it with a password. Of course, that means if you're really bad at remembering passwords, you might just be out of luck.
Taking notes in class
Paper is so 20th century. You can use your PDA to take notes during class. We wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but you could do it.
Probably the easiest way to speed up your text entry is to pick up a keyboard for your Windows Mobile device. iGo makes decent Bluetooth and infrared keyboards for most models of PDA. Palm also has a universal IR keyboard that works great on most devices with an infrared port. And you can pick the Palm keyboards up dirt cheap on eBay.
But there are also a slew of programs that let you type faster using a stylus. Tengo Free is probably our favorite, but if you're used to tapping out text on your cellphone with your thumbs, you might want to take a look at some of the full screen keyboards as well.
Conclusion
Why lug a laptop and a filofax around campus when you can do so much with your PDA or Smartphone? As an added bonus, you can listen to music or podcasts on your PDA as you walk from class to class.
If you're a student who uses your PDA at school, what are some of your favorite applications? And while our list deals primarily with Windows Mobile utilities, we know there are some great Palm and Symbian applications as well. Let us know what you use in the comments.
