Handhelds

All About Handhelds

Our software runs on small handheld computers or smartphones that fit easily in a pocket or radio harness (our software will run on laptop & desktop computers, too). Once you have a device that is with you all the time, it opens up many new possibilities. You can use it during short food stops or breaks, on the road, on the fireline, at camp, etc. The software is very useful during operations, as a new training tool, or as a refresher.

Our essential tools and reference material for emergency responders literally replace a stack of books, and in some cases a laptop computer, so you can always have the information you need, whereever you are.

The handheld device is also very useful as an ordinary datebook, to-do list, address book, calculator, you-name-it and thousands of applications are available for it such as cell phones, digital cameras, GPS mapping, internet and email access, MP3 players, and lots more.

Palm OS & Pocket PC (Windows Mobile)

There are two major classes of handheld devices: Palm OS and Pocket PC devices (the latter is also called "Windows Mobile"). They may look alike, but any particular software program will only run on one or the other. We recommend that you decide what you want to do with your handheld, and what software you want to use, BEFORE you purchase a handheld. You don't want to purchase the wrong one, and find that you can't run the software you need.

Here are some generally accepted Pros and Cons of each platform:

Palm OS
(Treo 600, Treo 650, Treo 700p, Zire, Tungsten, etc.)

Lower end, less expensive models available under $100
Simple, easy-to-use interface
Basic features
Pro models come with Office compatibility
The company "Palm" makes both Palm OS and Windows Mobile Treos

Windows Mobile (Pocket PC)
(HP iPAQ models, Dell Axim, Treo 700w, Treo 750)

Prices start higher ($250+) but usually include wireless features
Similar to Windows interface with same complexity
More bells and whistles; more wireless options
Office compatibility, with limits
Phone models have limited screen space, and may not have a touch screen (touch screen is required to run our software)

Windows Mobile Smartphone vs Pocket PC Phone Edition

This can be very confusing, but not all Windows Mobile based phones are the same. If the phone uses the "smartphone" label, it does NOT have a touch screen and is designed for one-handed operation. Pocket Mobility software does NOT run on these types of phones as they are too limited. If the phone uses the "Pocket PC Phone Edition" label, it is a fully capable handheld complete with a touch screen for easy operation. Our software does run on these phones.

Windows Mobile for Pocket PC ("Classic") - Handheld devices with a stylus and touch screen. Our software will run on these.
Windows Mobile for Pocket PC Phone Edition ("Professional") - Same as above; includes cell phone features.
Windows Mobile for Smartphone ("Standard") - Quite different from "phone edition", these devices do NOT have a touch screen and stylus, have more limited Office compatibility, and our software does not currently run on these devices.

With the new Windows Mobile version 6, the terms "Classic", "Standard", and "Professional" are used.

Getting Started

Many of our customers purchase a handheld device for the first time just to run our software. And you don't have to know anything about computers. If you like, we can purchase the hardware for you, set it up, and install our software. Then you can get an entire system with one purchase.

Click here for handheld device specs & options

Demo For Your PC

If you don't have a PDA yet, you can download the trial software for your Windows PC. You can see all the features, and the PDA version will be very similar.

Go to downloads page