APG-L Archives

Archiver > APG > 2008-11 > 1228083226


From: Claire Keenan Agthe <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Blackberry, iphone, ???
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:13:46 -0500
References: <AC31F7E88AEC4C3F87AACF3123C7D100@KATHY>
In-Reply-To: <AC31F7E88AEC4C3F87AACF3123C7D100@KATHY>


Hi Kathy,

Be sure to check to see which smartphone-type device can sync with
your computer. I neglected to do this the last time I changed
phones, and wound up with no way to get my calendar and address book
from my computer to my phone. I just switched phones recently again,
and this time sync support was a top priority. ;-)

Pocket Genealogist is for Windows Mobile devices, so is not meant to
work on either a Blackberry (RIM) or iPhone (Mac). Again, what
smartphone / PDA is best will depend on what computer operating
software you use and what genealogy program. For instance, TMG
recommends GedStar PRO for Palm devices (though Palm has announced it
is cutting support for the Palm O/S, so this is a moribund PDA O/S)
and Pocket Genealogist for Windows Mobile devices; nothing is
recommended for RIM or Mac O/Ses. There may be something out there,
but you'd have to dig around to find it. And there's no telling how
well it really interfaces -- you'd have to look for reviews and hope
they're impartial / knowledgeable. See what you can find out re the
genie software you use (do you need GEDCOM support?) and what, if
anything, they recommend for PDA/smartphone interfaces.

Handango used to be THE source for Blackberry add-ons, but they no
longer show any genealogy products in their listing.

The Apple App Store has (or had? I'm not finding them but maybe I'm
just having a bad day?) quite a few genealogy applications.

What else you want to be able to do with your PDA / smartphone is
relevant, too -- note taking at archives? time tracking? web
browsing? You'd have to look around for regular features, as well as
shareware, freeware, 3rd party apps, etc., to figure out what's the
best match for you. Give Google a workout, and see what you see.

I know it's not an answer to your question, but I hope it helps you
think about the issues to keep in mind.

Regards,

Claire

Claire Keenan Agthe
Bloodlines Genealogical Research Service
7231 Town Court South
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648-4729

http://www.bloodlines.biz





On Nov 30, 2008, at 1:49 PM, Kathy Hinckley wrote:

> I'm thinking of upgrading from a traditional cell phone to a
> blackberry or
> iphone. My Sprint contract has expired, so I can change to any
> type of
> service, so it is a good time to make a major change.
>
> I'd appreciate any feedback on favorite models and why. And which
> models
> allow Pocket Genealogist or similiar program?
>
> Kathy
>
> Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG
> Certified Genealogist & Private Investigator
> Family Detective, LLC
> PO Box 350877
> Westminster, CO 80035-0877
> (303) 422-9371
> FAX: (303) 456-8825
> <http://www.familydetective.com/>; http://www.familydetective.com
>
>
>





This thread: