Need info on cheap PDAs for my Son

S

Shann

Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
5,250
My son is 14. He has a hard time remembering his homework, won't write it down in his notebooks, etc. forgets when stuff is due. He does love computers and games. So I'm thinking that a cheap PDA would encourage him to keep track of his homework and when stuff is due, etc. I don't want to spend a fortune on this. He is very good with electronics (i.e. knows how to use them, is careful with them and doesn't lose or break them)

I did a bit of research and the Palm Z22 seems to get the highest basic PDA reviews. Its a 100 bucks though, so I was wondering if there are other gadgets that are cheaper for basic calendars, tasks, appts. etc.

Thanks.
 
Shann,
A PDA will only encourage him to play games when he should be doing work. There have been some reviews of the palm Zire lines here though. I had the same problem as a youth, and it is not a tech problem, it is a motivation problem. I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I had to learn good study habits as an adult, at 25 when I went back to college. That was NOT easy. Good luck.
 
Grab him a filofax type of organizer...freakin fool proof. My PDA ran outta juice one and did a memory dump (volitile memory)
 
Shann, I agree with Dijos. If your son won't write information down in his notebooks, what would inspire him to jot it down on a PDA?
 
With the motivation problem noted, www.gethitech.com sells refurbs and parts for PDAs. Worth looking at. They also have tutorials for how to install parts if something dies.

Phil
 
Shann said:
My son is 14. He has a hard time remembering his homework, won't write it down in his notebooks, etc. forgets when stuff is due. He does love computers and games. So I'm thinking that a cheap PDA would encourage him to keep track of his homework and when stuff is due, etc. I don't want to spend a fortune on this. He is very good with electronics (i.e. knows how to use them, is careful with them and doesn't lose or break them)

I did a bit of research and the Palm Z22 seems to get the highest basic PDA reviews. Its a 100 bucks though, so I was wondering if there are other gadgets that are cheaper for basic calendars, tasks, appts. etc.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

My Zire21 was about $55 with shipping from ebay, new in box. Black and White display. There might be some more available, or a good price on a Z22.
 
Dijos said:
Shann,
A PDA will only encourage him to play games when he should be doing work. There have been some reviews of the palm Zire lines here though. I had the same problem as a youth, and it is not a tech problem, it is a motivation problem. I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I had to learn good study habits as an adult, at 25 when I went back to college. That was NOT easy. Good luck.
Click to expand...


Nothing Jerky about your post. According to the reviews, the Z22 does not have games. We work with him just about every night to make sure he gets his homework done, and communicate with the teachers regularly, but he still misses assignments, especially "long range" ones that are due two or three weeks from the date they are assigned. He has a day planner\assignment book and its always empty. We thought maybe a gadget would increase the chance of him calendaring his assignments, which we could then look at to make sure his homework was done. Its hard to get someone to work on study habits when he can't even tell you what he has to work on!
 
Shann,

I work at a computer company where every single body has a PDA. From personal experience, I can say that the only people who use them meticulously (calendar, notes, task etc.), are the one's who would have had the same self-discipline with pen and paper.
 
I'm a counter example. It wasn't until I got a computer that I began tracking and scheduling things. Then, with a PDA, it was simple, especially for repeating events.

I was never a pen and paper kind of guy.

Phil
 
phatch said:
I'm a counter example. It wasn't until I got a computer that I began tracking and scheduling things. Then, with a PDA, it was simple, especially for repeating events.

I was never a pen and paper kind of guy.

Phil
Click to expand...


That's why I have a secretary and a wife. :o They tell me where to go and how to get there.:rolleyes:
 
Does he have a cell phone? I keep my schedule on my phone and it'll beep at me when it's time to do something.

I've got an old PDA, but my phone has all the same features (and more) and is smaller.
 
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