You can Google this newsgroup..and get a good number of responses....
I used both pendragon and HandDbase.
It also depends on what platform you plan to adopt. So, if you have a bunch
of palm based units, then likely that is what you would continue to use.
Learning a new platform is a big investment of time...so, I would use what
you use now...not change on a whim...... (it can take years to really lean
windows, or whatever platform you choose).
pendragon is more tightly integrated with ms-access then is handdbase.
My only complaint about pendragon and handdbase is that they only support
low res screens (320x320) or (160x160). Many new palm units have a higher
res screen, 480x320.
DataViz products do support the hi-res mode of the palm. I use their Excel
viewer, and support of the hi-res makes a LARGE difference in the amount of
data that you can display on a screen.
I would also start reading some articles like the "zen of palm". The
lesson(s) you learn is that the pda is a very poor data entry tool if there
is to be any large amount of text entered. (so, you have to make lots of
easy to use check boxes, or easy to select combo boxes in the
application....writing is slow, and painful - applications that requite lots
of text entry are doomed to failure). So, learning what works, and what does
not will apply to ANY software system your use for a pda.. However, your
approach to application design for a pda has to CHANGE much...
So, just saying I want to build some forms on a pda might be the wrong
approach. Applications that display data, or allow something to be looked up
work well....but data entry of forms must be REALLY REALLY optimized for the
fewest number of steps possible.
Often, of small lists, people simply put the list in Excel...and use one of
many excel viewers on their pda.
As for cost...I recall that Pendragon was quite affordable. The most
expensive one (and one that has events similar to ms-access) is of course is
Satellite Forms. They were owned by Intellisync, but the company was
purchased by Nokia. So, the palm product is harder to find on their web
site...
http://www.intellisync.com/pages/Products/Intellisync-Handheld-Edition/For-Individuals/
So, we have
Satellite Forms. $$, most features, and even code/events for forms
on the palm. However, since they were
purchased by nokia..they are NOT likely
to give much effort to their competitor
and spend $$$ building the palm side
software.
Pendragon Forms $ less features, but good integration with
ms-access. (in fact, when you
launch
pendragion, it actually launches
ms-access!!
(so, they work well together)
- only complaint is no hi-res
support
HandiBase very affordable, forms are more limited
- no hi res support last time I
looked...
There is also DatVis...
http://www.dataviz.com/products/smartlisttogo/
I use documents to go on my palm T3, and dataviz have VERY nice software. I
have NOT used the smartlist "database" product, but it does support hi-res
on my
palm..which pendragon/satellite/handibase don't support.
Virtually all of the above products do have a download and trial.....
In addition to the software platform, you have to decide on the kind of
environment. A few real-estate sales people can use a normal unit. In a
industrial environment, you can't have people dropping $300 units and
breaking them all day long. Hence, you might need ruggized units, of which
several vendors make (they can surive a drop to a cement floor for
example.).
