PDA or pocket mail

[Joshrm78]

Hi im Planning my SOBO trip for june all lights are go so im pretty stoked. I see a lot of posts about pocket mail. But wondered why not use a PDA..

What are the benifits from using pocket mail over a PDA.

Dont u need a phone for your pocketmail to work?

[Fannypack]

Dont u need a phone for your pocketmail to work?

YES..
checkout pocketmail - http://www.pocketmail.com/

[Sly]

What are the benifits from using pocket mail over a PDA.

It's cheaper for the device itself and cheaper for the monthly service.

[Joshrm78]

Cheeper for monthly service if u dont count in the cost of your cell phone... But if not there about equal.. so why go with pocket mail?

[Sly]

Not everyone has a cellphone. Cell phone service vs pocketmail service is cheaper. You can use pocketmail with any land line and many cellphones.

[Fannypack]

u don't need a cell phone... use payphones & other land lines... a 800 # is provided as part of the pocketmail service... note: u do not have to update your online journal daily from the trail

also by using the pocketmail device, u will not have to search for a computer w/ internet access while in town.... u just send your journal entries via email (pocketmail) and hopefully u have someone to update your online journal.

Btw, u could create an online journal by using http://groups.yahoo.com/ to display your journal entries... See this site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spursjournal/ for a hiker, Spur, who has created a Yahoo group to display his journal. By using a Yahoo group u will not have to have a transcriber for your journal.

[Joshrm78]

Ahh payphones........ who woulda thunk it ... I dont have a house phone just a cell phone so i tend to forget about lan lines... Well ill mostlikely go the PDA route its 3 ounces lighter and i get the cell phone, video recorder, and camera. Im stuck into my cell phone bill for another year anyhow might as well have it.

[Midway Sam]

Large sections of the trail have no cell phone coverage. Also, depending on your carrier, many of the small "trail towns" will have zero coverage as well.

[big_muddy]

The pocket mail also runs on AA batteries, so there is no need to carry a recharger, search for an outlet, etc. My friend is using the pocket mail on his thru right now to great success. He updates from the unit to his blog, and he can read our comments when he connects to the service.

[Miner]

I have a question, do any model of those email friendly cell phones allow you to turn off the phone function but still be able to compose email on it? Such a feature would make a cell phone far more usefull in comparison to a pocket mail device (especially in the weight department).

I normally backpack where cellular service is non existant and thus the cell phone (when on) goes into a power hungry search mode killing the battery. As result for a trip of any length, I find it's use as a journal entry device to be poor as it dies on me after a few days. This is with only powering it on when trying making a journal entry. Maybe cellular coverage in the backwoods of the AT isn't an issue but out west in the wilderness areas, it is often lacking. This is why I'm wondering if any model out there will allow you to turn off that search for service mode.

[txulrich]

I have a question, do any model of those email friendly cell phones allow you to turn off the phone function but still be able to compose email on it? Such a feature would make a cell phone far more usefull in comparison to a pocket mail device (especially in the weight department).

Most cell phones have what is called airplane mode. It turns the phone part off so you can still play games, etc. on your phone and not violate FAA rules. That would work for what you're wanting to do. You would have to check if you can store your messages in your phone until you get to a town.

[Johnny Swank]

Trying to test message a long journal article would get old quick. We used a Pocketmail on the Mississippi river with pretty good results, but I got more writing done with an old Handspring PDA and folding keyboard.

You could always use GCast and phone in you audio journal. I tried that for a trip last fall and it worked out great. I do most of my "journaling" by babbling into a microcassette recorder as it is (soon to be replaced by a little digital unit).
http://sourcetosea.net/CapeFear/audio/audio.html