Consensus on using PDA software with Access

[Jozef]

Hello,

I'd like to get a bit of a pole on what PDA software any (or all ) of you
use with MS Access. I'm interested in creating a PDA interface to the
database, but was wondering if there is anything that will allow you to sync
directly with the Access database.

Any information I could get would be great. I'd also like to get some
resources on PDAs with bar code readers in them; any ideas?

Thanks!

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 00:22:25 GMT, "Jozef" <SP**********@telus.net>
wrote:

What do you think of Pocket Access? Seems an obvious choice.
-Tom.

Hello,

I'd like to get a bit of a pole on what PDA software any (or all ) of you
use with MS Access. I'm interested in creating a PDA interface to the
database, but was wondering if there is anything that will allow you to sync
directly with the Access database.

Any information I could get would be great. I'd also like to get some
resources on PDAs with bar code readers in them; any ideas?

Thanks!

[Albert D. Kallal]

"Jozef" <SP**********@telus.net> wrote in message
news:5%tOe.285676$5V4.154906@pd7tw3no...

Hello,

I'd like to get a bit of a pole on what PDA software any (or all ) of you
use with MS Access. I'm interested in creating a PDA interface to the
database, but was wondering if there is anything that will allow you to
sync directly with the Access database.

Any information I could get would be great. I'd also like to get some
resources on PDAs with bar code readers in them; any ideas?

There are a good number of pda systems that you can use.

I used a simple one, called handibase. This one is nice and simple. It takes
some work to set it up with ms-access
(at least the last time I used it..and that was a few years ago).

Another nice one that syncs and plays well with ms-access is PenDragnFroms
http://www.pendragon-software.com/

Pendragon forms is quite neat. When you launch pendragon forms, it actually
launches ms-access when you use it!! So, they play well together, and are
quite tight in terms of integration. You can give the product a free trial
from the above link. It has a nice forms desinger, and some nice sync
options for ms-access right out of the box.

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
pl*****************@msn.com
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal

[Albert D. Kallal]

"Tom van Stiphout" <no*************@cox.net> wrote in message
news:qk********************************@4ax.com...

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 00:22:25 GMT, "Jozef" <SP**********@telus.net>
wrote:

What do you think of Pocket Access? Seems an obvious choice.
-Tom.

Unfortunately, pocket access is terrible choice on MS's part in terms of a
name. You see, you can't create forms with sql-server. You can't create
forms with mysql. You can't create forms with Oracle. You can't create forms
with JET either. (so, ms-access sis not a database, but is like C++, or VB,
it lets you create a application, and then you go out and choose a database
(like JET, or sql server). So, as general rule, when you mention a database
name, you are taking about the engine only.

The problem is that pocket access is one of those engines. It does NOT have
any kind of user interface, or forms building ability. You have to write
that interface in code using the "e" edition of VB. So, pocket access is not
ms-access, but only a data engine and is of no use if you don't have a set
of developer tools for the pda. To say the least, pocket access is a bad
name for that product, and provides no interface or forms ability at all.

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
pl*****************@msn.com
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal

[David W. Fenton]

"Albert D. Kallal" <ka****@msn.com> wrote in
news:nKxOe.90111$vj.72503@pd7tw1no:

"Jozef" <SP**********@telus.net> wrote in message
news:5%tOe.285676$5V4.154906@pd7tw3no...

Hello,

I'd like to get a bit of a pole on what PDA software any (or all
) of you use with MS Access. I'm interested in creating a PDA
interface to the database, but was wondering if there is anything
that will allow you to sync directly with the Access database.

Any information I could get would be great. I'd also like to get
some resources on PDAs with bar code readers in them; any ideas?

There are a good number of pda systems that you can use.

I used a simple one, called handibase. This one is nice and
simple. It takes some work to set it up with ms-access
(at least the last time I used it..and that was a few years ago).

Another nice one that syncs and plays well with ms-access is
PenDragnFroms http://www.pendragon-software.com/

Pendragon forms is quite neat. When you launch pendragon forms, it
actually launches ms-access when you use it!! So, they play well
together, and are quite tight in terms of integration. You can
give the product a free trial from the above link. It has a nice
forms desinger, and some nice sync options for ms-access right out
of the box.

Something no one has explicitly mentioned is the choice of PDA
operating system. I'm a big Palm OS fan, mostly because it's not
Microsoft (and I believe in maintaining diversity in the software
ecosystem).

But no one seems to be mentioning which of the products under
discussion run on which PDAs.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc

[Douglas J. Steele]

"David W. Fenton" <dX********@bway.net.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xn**********************************@216.196. 97.142...

Something no one has explicitly mentioned is the choice of PDA
operating system. I'm a big Palm OS fan, mostly because it's not
Microsoft (and I believe in maintaining diversity in the software
ecosystem).

But no one seems to be mentioning which of the products under
discussion run on which PDAs.

Pendragon works with both Palm and PocketPC

Afraid I don't know about any of the others.

--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP
http://I.Am/DougSteele
(no e-mails, please!)

[Albert D. Kallal]

But no one seems to be mentioning which of the products under
discussion run on which PDAs.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc

Hum, even the OP did not mention that issue!!

Good point. Well, as it turns out, both pendragon and handibase work on
palm, and windows mobile edition...

As for me....I am palm user (T3), and use PenDragon Forms.....

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
pl*****************@msn.com
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal

[Jozef]

Thanks guys (and gals, should one of those seemingly male names be female).

Regarding the OS, I'm not particular, since right now the idea is OS
indpendant. The key issue is finding a good PDA that does bar code
scanning. That's what I'm really looking for first and foremost.

Any help on THAT issue would be even better! ;)
"Albert D. Kallal" <ka****@msn.com> wrote in message
news:mNTOe.6996$Hk.5136@pd7tw1no...

But no one seems to be mentioning which of the products under
discussion run on which PDAs.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc

Hum, even the OP did not mention that issue!!

Good point. Well, as it turns out, both pendragon and handibase work on
palm, and windows mobile edition...

As for me....I am palm user (T3), and use PenDragon Forms.....

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
pl*****************@msn.com
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal

[tastrax]

www.syware.com will do lots of the things that you are after. Not cheap
though. I think only PDA and not Palm
www.symbol.com for scanners

"Jozef" <SP**********@telus.net> wrote in message
news:pa8Pe.301409$5V4.149579@pd7tw3no...

Thanks guys (and gals, should one of those seemingly male names be female).
Regarding the OS, I'm not particular, since right now the idea is OS
indpendant. The key issue is finding a good PDA that does bar code
scanning. That's what I'm really looking for first and foremost.

Any help on THAT issue would be even better! ;)
"Albert D. Kallal" <ka****@msn.com> wrote in message
news:mNTOe.6996$Hk.5136@pd7tw1no...

But no one seems to be mentioning which of the products under
discussion run on which PDAs.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc

Hum, even the OP did not mention that issue!!

Good point. Well, as it turns out, both pendragon and handibase work on
palm, and windows mobile edition...

As for me....I am palm user (T3), and use PenDragon Forms.....

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
pl*****************@msn.com
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal

[David W. Fenton]

"tastrax" <[e-mail]> wrote in
news:43********@patrick.nettas.net:

www.syware.com will do lots of the things that you are after. Not
cheap though. I think only PDA and not Palm

Eh?

Palm is an OS for PDA's. There are other OS's for other PDA's.

PDA is a generic term meaning "personal digital assistant," not a
synonym for PocketPC.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc