Thanks to PJ Arts for this great piece on how he uses his Palm device. "G'day, Sammy. Thanks for making it so, by declining to relinquish your personal vision for Palm Addict. Your stewardship is really the root of PA's reader loyalty, and is made ever so evident by your refusing to let an 'outsider' put a price on it. You have my personal 'Bravo!', although I suspect your accountant is scratching his head/grinding his teeth in dismay ("...but Sammy! What about all those luvly tax breaks you would get?").
I have noticed a trend in published posts on PA (and other Palm blogs) over the past few months: an increasing focus by the writers towards the tactical aspects of Addiction, as opposed to the strategic POV that had epitomized PA for a long time. For example, at this time last year, the posts were about the overall (positive) effect that our Palms had on our lives (e.g daily living, vacations, hobbies, work, etc.). Now they tend to focus on only 1 or two aspects/apps/functions of the devices (on today's PA, the majority of posts are about updated/new apps, eBooks, websites, contests, specific devices, etc.). So, I'd like to steer the conversation back to the Lifestyle Palm by telling you about this past weekend
Saturday:
• Ks Datebook alarm goes off reminding me to take my son to Swimming Class at the YMCA
• While at the 'Y', I get a call on my Treo 650 from my father-in-law. He is calling me on his Treo 600, from the Amtrak Auto-Train (Florida-Virginia), letting me know that he, my mother-in-law, and her 2 parents will be home 3 hours earlier then expected. He needs me to turn on the heat in the house, and get some provisions for all of them.
• My mother-in-law dictates a shopping list to him, and he sends it to me via SnapperMail
• My wife calls me from home, to let me know that SHE has just emailed me a grocery list
• My son is doing his first 'real' dives, so I take a few pix w/the Treo, and use Snappermail to send them to my wife, and her Dad (on the train)
• Dad send me an email, to let me know he got the pix, and is showing them to the rest of the gang on Resco Viewer
• I take my son, and we get the groceries for all...using the Snappermails as lists
• While at the supermarket, I use Blazer to see if Suncoast Movies has "The Spongebob Squarepants Movie" in-stock. They do, and I order it online, for pickup.
• On the way home, we drop off the groceries and turn up the heat at my in-law's house; then we stop at Suncoast, and bring 'Spongebob' home for the kids (OK, my wife and I love the little square dude, too!)
• My father-in-law calls me 3 hours later, telling me that he just found out he has to go to Chicago on business, and is leaving tomorrow. He needs restaurant recommendations near his hotel. I whip out the Treo, load up Vindigo, and send him off a list of winners
• An hour later, my mother-in-law calls me. Her parents (90 & 92 years old, gawdblessem) have just told her that their TV doesn't work. Apparently once you've been married for 70 years, you don't have as much to talk about as you used to...so, this is an emergency. Mom needs me to help find a TV that will fit in their cabinet.
• As it turns out, I have a newer, better version of their Philips TV, but the case is exactly the same. So, I call them on my Treo, to let them know that I will give it to them, and bring it over to them the following (Sunday) morning.
• I look at this as a sign from God that it is time to upgrade my TV (are you listening, Mel Gibson?), and use Blazer to check recommendations on CNET and Consumer Reports.
• I then use Blazer to see what's on-sale at Circuit City, Wal-Mart and Best Buy. As it turns out, Best Buy has a recommended TV at a very good price. Eureka!
• My wife tells me that we are going to a furniture store to look at sofas for the kid's playroom (USED to be the family room. thank you very much). She doesn't know the address
• I use Dir Assistant on my Treo to look it up. DA saves it to my Contacts, and then dials it for me. We're on our way.
• The Mrs. finds her dream couch for the playroom (blue denim?). However, she wants to consult the Fashion Police...uh, I mean my mother-in-law. So, out comes the Treo...I take a few pix...I Snappermail them to Mom. Wife & Mom confer. El Exigente approves...the people rejoice (for those youngsters in the office, Google Savarin coffee commercials from the 1960's - 70's)
• The couch can be delivered this week. I use Ks Datebook to find a date that I can be home for delivery. The deal is done.
Sunday:
• Go to Best Buy...buy my new TV. While there, I check the time of the St. Pat's parade in the grandparents' town (killer traffic). Now I know when to go over with the other TV
• Get home, swap TVs (Yea!, no adjustments needed!!!). My wife asks me to get her eTix for 'Robots', so she can take my son that afternoon. Out comes the Treo, up goes Blazer and we Fandango 2 tix for wife & son.
• Nothing more on the 'Palm' front...Wife & son went to see 'Robots' (said it was great!), Mom came over and watched my baby girl, I went to the grandparents and replaced their fried TV.
That's actually pretty typical for me. If it isn't personal, then I am doing the same kind of stuff for work. It doesn't matter that it's a Treo...I'm not pushing the device...in fact, quite the contrary. My point is that the real fun of being a Palm Addict is the overall form each of our personal Addiction takes. THAT is what I love to read about. I hope that more of my fellow Addicts will share these kinds of stories, and fewer rants about p1, PalmSource, etc. We are all fellows in a most special obsession, and have a most special place to share it with each other.
That's it...I'm off the bloody soapbox!"
- Sammy (Manchester, UK)
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