The Gimp: an open source alternative Photoshop. Free and capable of doing 95% of what Photoshop can do, yet free. The down side to open source programs is the GUI (graphical user interface) is not as sophisticated as the more expensive alternatives.

Firefox: an open source alternative to Intenet Explorer. Free, and according to many, better than Internet Explorer.

Thunderbird: an open source alternative to Outlook. Free, and according to many, better than Outlook.

The Academic Superstore: a site where students/instructors can buy expensive programs (such as Photoshop and Microsoft Office) for cheap.

Just How “Handy” is Your Handheld?

           With the convergence of cellular phones, PDA’s, and cameras into one device, many self proclaimed prophets are prophesying the doom of the handheld. While it is true some people may opt out of buying a PDA and a cell phone separately, choosing the illusory convenience of one device, the market for PDA’s will remain strong. The reason can be summarized in the PDA’s purpose. For some, the PDA is little more than a glorified personal planner, complete with calendar, phone numbers, and a calculator. These people would be equally well served with two devices or one, although the convenience of one device may disappear, the first time they try talking on the phone and accessing/inputting info into their electronic date book at the same time. The strength of the PDA lies not in its ability to organize our lives, you can buy a paper planner claiming to do the same thing for much less, but rather in its ability to store and access megabytes of information while cradled in the palm of our hand. PDA’s are about information. More novels and reference tomes can be stored on the expansion card of one handheld, than a person could carry in a hefty expedition sized backpack.

           Nowhere is the PDA’s purpose more self evident than in its applications in the field of medicine. In years past, internists would roam the wards with 50 lb white coats, their pockets laden with handy “pocket” references. The handiness of those reference books was evaluated based on their usefulness, their ability to make information rapidly accessible, and refresh forgotten memories.  In short, something is handy when it is useful; cost effectiveness is always a plus too. Now, the coats are lighter, the backs healthier, as all that “need to know” information has been digitized and stored in an electronic handheld devices weighing ounces. Handy indeed.

            So, if the primary purpose of the PDA is to enhance the rapid access of obscure factoids, then what features in the PDA facilitate this information transfer?  My biggest concern is screen real estate. The larger the screen resolution and definition, the more information you can scan at a glance. Less scrolling. Currently the Sony PDA lines have the largest screen resolution of all Palm OS devices, and even the vast majority of most Pocket PC devices. As of writing this commentary, there are four Pocket PC devices which have “super” VGA resolution. The amount of screen real estate these devices offer is astounding. And it is precisely this issue, screen real estate, which brings us back to why convergence is not the answer to our technophile lusts. PDA-phone combos all have limited screen resolution, their ability to convey large amounts of information severely hobbled by their meager screen real estate.