About This Article

This article will show you exactly how I use my PDA for trips abroad and how handy it can be. I spent some time each day writing on specific events that I used the TH55 to assist me in my trip. This will give you an idea how you may want to use your PDA when you are abroad.

The TH55 is an excellent media tool but it's also indispensable as a working pad for mobile professionals or even travelers. Most of this article was typed on the TH55 using Wordsmith.

However, as Wordsmith does not fully support certain features (such as CTRL+cursor and CTRL+Shift) of the Sony KB100 keyboard, I was forced to write part of the article in the memo pad before transferring it over to Wordsmith.

It's hard to navigate this article within Wordsmith and the only workaround was to use the built-in Memo Pad. Coincidently, that broke the old 4K Palm OS barrier. I was then forced to port it over to the PC so that I could edit and complete the article.

To do that, I copied the entire text from Wordsmith into Documents To Go which supports the native Microsoft Word format. I know this sounds a little complicated as I could have typed everything in Docs To Go. However, Wordsmith has a more pleasant interface and it supports font smoothing, which makes the text really nice to look at on a small device.

Pre-Departure

For two months before my departure, I used the TH55 mainly to keep track of travel information, weather as well as news. I also kept track of all traveling-related expenses using a software called Expenditure Diary. For travel-specific applications, I depended on Worldmate Pro to enter my flight details. Also, I used Packing List to ensure that I had already packed the stuffs I want.

I must say that Worldmate Pro is a really useful tool for frequent travelers. I find the currency converter and weather information indispensable. I can easily get the latest updates wherever there is an Internet connection.

I also compiled useful travel information in the form of e-books readable by Mobipocket Reader. The compiled information included WiFi hotspots, traveling tips and listings. The e-books were easily created using the free compiler by Mobimate. Another useful traveling companion is Avantgo. I can easily synchronize web pages using the Custom Channel feature.

There are many methods of storing information but in the end, it's just a matter of preference. To avoid confusion, I stuck to only a few software to store my data.

For example, I copied most of the online version of Frommer’s guide to Beijing into a HTML file and converted it into an ebook. I wouldn’t know when I’d require the information but I suppose it will probably come in handy during my trip.

I also find RescoViewer to be very useful for viewing large images such as detailed maps. I can easily pan around the map to find what I'm looking for. I also uploaded huge city maps, metro lines guide as well as Chinese text images that might come in handy when I need to tell the taxi driver where I'm headed for.