Questions... Lots of Questions!

musicman5150 · 10-14-03, 04:25 PM

I have had an Axim for about a year but I haven't had time to really get into it and use it. I'm a graphic designer and I run my own business so I need to be able to keep track of alot of projects and goings on... This is where I hope our wonderful Axim community can come to my rescue.

1. I have been using Franklin Coveys PlanPlus software as I've always had a Frankling Planner. But it is no where near powerful enough for what I need. I need a scheduler that is much more comprehensive. Something with a better alarm system and something that can keep me updated on birthdays, holidays, etc... I'm also a very visual person so lots of colorful icons tend to be good cues for me. And I can't understand why the address book is so limited. I want an address book that lets me keep track of my best friends birthday and has places to store his wife and kids names along with his and all their birthdays. Can someone tell me the best scheduler and address book out there for the Axim?

2. I also need a program to track my projects for me. Something that allows me to enter multiple graphics projects and track details, deadlines, etc... I would prefer a project manager built into the scheduler but I may be asking too much.

3. Can anyone tell me why my battery indicator seems so awful? I didn't use my Axim for about 3 days and in that time my battery must have run down just sitting there as I didn't have access to my charger and it was already half empty. The problem is it started eating at my backup until it was at 35%. Then I charged the main back up and again didn't use it for a day. But during that one day, even with the battery charged to full I turned it on and the backup had drained to 0! Can't figure out what is up. I changed the backup since but why would it do that?

4. My Axim seems really sluggish. I don't have a whole lot of software on it other than Quicken and PlanPlus, and YanCE reader. But when I update the priority on my task list it takes a few seconds to update. I know its not that big of a deal but it worries me that I have a lemon.

5. I get this line that appears across my Axim screen everytime I turn it on and I've left other programs running in memory. It goes away as other windows open over it but should I be worried about this?

6. And last but not least... Can someone tell me the top must have software (applications, utilities, etc...) I need to get the most out of my Axim? I'm sure with the combined experience out there you can all give me some great suggestions.

I'm sorry this is so long, please forgive, but I want to get the most from this system and I would appreciate any and all feedback I can get from you all.

Thanks!
Jeremy James

10-14-03, 05:18 PM

I'm also a graphic designer so I'll try to give you a little feedback from that perspective and what I've found helpful.

1. Pocket Informant. Great PIM manager. Does everything your asking for. Allows you to use icons for different categories (and you can create your own).

2. Haven't had luck with the project management software yet, especially one suited for a design/agency perspective. I asked the same question a couple months ago.

3. Not sure about the battery. I get great battery life. It sounds like something is running while you think it is turned off. Or it's turning itself back on. I'm not sure, but that battery life doesn't sound right.

4. Not really sure about that one either. What version Axim do you have? I have Axim Advanced running PPC 2002 (still on A00) and it runs great. I do overclock to about 498mhz using Turbo Tray (overclock at your own risk).

5. Not sure about this either.

6. Here are my must have's on my PPC. Most you have to pay for. I used a lot of the freebies for awhile, and many of them do a great job. I've just found that I like the polish and extra features that you get with funded software.

Codewallet - encrypted storage for bank accounts, passwords, etc.

Microsoft Money - money management. Use it on my PC too.

Pocket Streets - mapping software

PocketMusic - plays MP3s, WMAs....

Resco File Explorer - file explorer very much windows like that has extra features like compression

Dashboard - skins the today screen and provides a different way of organizing your today screen. being a designer, I love to customize...this software is great.

Wisbar Advace - skins top and bottom menu bars, task manager

Acrobat Reader - for reading pdfs.

Microsoft Reader - ebooks

Pocket Artist - very cool (albeit expensive) program right along the lines of Photoshop. You can even use psd files with it. Has layers, effects....a lot of the similar features of Photoshop.

Still looking for that project management software though....

It seems you are having a lot of issues with your device though (slow, screen problem, battery drain)...I would try and make sure something isn't wrong with it. Maybe do a hard reset and start from scratch again to make sure you have a clean system. If you continue to have the problems, you may have some bad hardware.

Hope this helps.

Nancy Stanphill · 10-14-03, 05:25 PM

A soft reset or, if necessary, a hard reset may help with your problems. A hard reset will wipe out your data, so back it up. Also, since your Axim is nearly a year old, you must have PPC 2002 and you might find the updated A03 ROM to be helpful. You can find it on Dell's support site. The updated ROM improves the battery indication. It may just be that it was reported incorrectly.

musicman5150 · 10-14-03, 05:55 PM

I knew on could count on the Axim community to come through! I appreciate the prompt responses and was especially happy to hear from a fellow designer. I am taking notes on all of these things, please keep em' coming!

Thanks!!
Jeremy

Raynne413 · 10-14-03, 07:16 PM

I don't know about the battery draining that quickly, but the Axim battery will drain even with the Axim turned "off". This is because the Axim never really turns off, it is more like it is in standby mode.

My must-have application is Pocket Backup Plus. It will let you schedule backups, so you don't have to remember to do it manually. It will also allow you to create self-extracting files, so you don't have to reinstall the application to run the restore, and you can compress the files to save space.

I also like Taiyoukei as an Astronomy program (and it is free).

SpaceTime is the best graphing calculator I have found.

And of course, I love games.

Definitely MS Reader for e-books. I love reading on my Axim.

LOL This is

but I used to know someone with your name. :)