With PDAs gaining popularity, will laptops be left on the desktop?

(This article originally ran in Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs, CO, another Dolan Media publication).

The personal digital assistant is gaining momentum as businesses move from the big screens of computers to the mini-screens of hand- held devices.

A study by Canalys, a high-tech market research company, revealed that global shipments of PDAs or what the company refers to as smart mobile devices - hand-held and smart phones - was up 105 percent in second quarter 2005 compared to the same quarter last year.

Nokia's share was up 55 percent after shipping 6.7 million smart phones. Palm Inc. hand-held shipments increased more than 200 percent.

Many companies are turning to PDAs for increased mobility and efficiency. About a year ago, the facilities group at Intel Corp. undertook a project to streamline operations and purchased PDAs for 31 field technicians.

We interfaced the Dell PDAs with MAXIMO, our maintenance database, said Dan Robbins, a facilities supervisor. This allowed us to keep technicians in the field rather than them having to come back to their desktops in the office.

The technicians mark equipment readings through their PDAs during their daily rounds, he said. And when a reading is out of range or abnormal, the PDA prompts the tech, and he or she can write a work order from the field.

It's much more efficient, Robbins said. And it has definitely increased productivity.

Robbins said that before the technicians can send or receive e- mail, they have to dock their PDAs. However, he said wireless PDAs will be used with the next generation of users.

Based on this project, Robbins said Intel will look for ways in which PDAs can be advantageous to other divisions.

The advantage to some companies is cost related.

According to a CNET News article by Mike Kanellos, corporate laptops cost about $1,000 to $1,500 compared to a $700 desktop or a $300 to $500 hand-held device.

Less wear and tear is another advantage to the PDA. Kanellos reported that Roger Kay, the president of Endpoint Technologies Associates, said, The notebooks get beat up a lot.

Kay also said that the desktop outweighs the laptop as the best PC experience for certain kinds of users - the power users.

But those users, he said, also desire mobility.

Mobility is the reason Eric Mitchell, a senior account executive for DocuVault, is tied to his BlackBerry, one of the brand name PDAs that has organizing features and wireless capability for e-mail, phone and Internet.

There is a permanent BlackBerry tattooed to my foot, Mitchell said. Typically, I am not in the office. I am on the road talking to new customers. I don't even give out my office number anymore - I give out my BlackBerry number. I don't have a 'BlackBerry thumb' like some people, . . . and I still use my laptop.

But Mitchell said there are people who live and die by their PDAs, much like they did with their organizers.

When I was in the Army, we used the Franklin planner, he said. They sent me to a three-day training seminar, . . . and there were people whose identity was all wrapped up in the planner.

Mitchell said he doesn't let the BlackBerry rule his life.

I turn on the BlackBerry at 6 [a.m.] and turn it off at 10 [p.m.], he said.

I am not a workaholic, but I believe in customer service. Communication is important in today's world, and the PDA is a great business tool.

Despite the popularity of the PDA, laptops are here to stay, said Keith Kresslin, Intel's director of mobile platforms marketing, in the CNET article. I could see hand-helds for a subset of users. But for the vast majority, . . . the notebook is . . . it.

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