In my role as a consultant, my Palm m505 is absolutely indispensable. In this article, I'll describe some of the tools and techniques I use to support my consulting, as well as some ideas on expanding my usage. I'll also suggest some products and product features I would like to see.

I use my handheld for the normal Date Book, To Do List, and Address Book purposes. It really helps with hours tracking, email management, document editing, and reference.

Why not a laptop?
Laptops can hold anything you put on them with the full range of capability of a desktop. Just like your desktop, however, it's pretty conspicuous to carry into and out of a client's site. Some clients may not worry about personal property moving freely through their doors. But when they do, the bigger and more expensive it is, the more likely they are to care. Cell phones and pagers are the only things security conscious clients care less about than PDAs, making handhelds much more transportable.

In addition, when was the last time you told a client, "I can get you that information as soon as I fire up my laptop?" Probably about the same time she went to get a cup of coffee, was snagged by her boss, and sent off on an urgent matter, leaving you with a missed opportunity. Now if you can pull the information up in three taps of your stylus and beam it to her… imagine the opportunities.

The standard stuff
The built-in Address Book speaks for itself. Rarely will I do anything tricky with it. Once in a while, with the client's permission, I'll synchronize to Outlook on their network or export a phone directory in a text or spreadsheet format to import into Palm Desktop. Having the client's phone list at hand is extremely convenient in larger organizations. Since many development organizations still use Windows NT, which does not support USB or infrared, I keep an extra serial cradle around.

The only other Address Book trick I use is to set up multiple business cards. As an independent contractor, sometimes I represent myself, sometimes I represent someone in a chain of subcontractors, and sometimes I represent the client to others. Having Address Book entries to beam for each different role and strategically designating one or the other as my business card eases the transitions.

Many times I use the Memo Pad application in combination with the Palm Portable Keyboard to take meeting notes. The keyboard simplifies the text entry, but the limited space still enhances your discipline in writing down only what is important. There are several Memo Pad replacements that also allow you attach sketches to memos, but I currently don't use one. Palm OS 4 also comes with the Note Pad application that serves a similar purpose.