Using palms and a laptop

[Vyrotek]

As I saw before, Nate Smith had created a scouting form using ThinkDB (A Palm OS database creator, make your own input forms and things... very useful) I got into this and found it very useful, only prob is that it costs $60. The idea is that these palms can connect to a laptop and they actuall export into a MS ACCESS file or just a long Text document with all the information that the scouts did. These databases can be also beamed to other teams. I just think this whole thing would be so simple if we all had palms!

Other than that, just wondering if maybe someone already created a different type of palm prog to scout with? Hey, I got this thing for Christmas and I plan to use it! :cool:

URL For thinkDB: http://www.thinkingbytes.com/products/thinkDBpalm.asp

[Mike Soukup]

Last year was the first year Wildstang used palms & a PC database to scout. It was a fairly successful year, with some ups & downs and many lessons learned. Last year we used HanDBase (http://www.handbase.com) as our palm side database. This year I hope to improve WASH (Wildstang Application for Scouting with Handhelds) by using a palm app written by our team. If that doesn't work, we'll use HanDBase again. We bought 1 license and distribute the demo to teams that scout with us. We also plan on integrating better with SOAP (http://www.soap108.com) and GMCIA this year.

If you want more info send me a PM with your email address and I'll get back to you. We'll definately be at GLR, MWR, and Nats, and will hopefully be at other competitions.

Mike

[Joe Matt]

Were thinking of using Macs for scouting. We could use that program's demo for a test run. Thanks. It is still in the develpomental stages, but I think it will go ok.

[Skanker]

a Mac? are you going to carry around macintosh laptops or maybe use the old ones that looked like this?
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||====|| <---Sorry, I suck at ASCII art :)
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I guess you could carry one of those around, although you'd have to keep plugging it n again and again.

pardon my joke! It's late here and EVERYTHING is funny right now--I'm tired :)

[Tom Fairchild]

I've said this in other threads, but I can highly recommend using PenDragon Forms for Palm OS. Its just an incredible program. The price is kind of hefty, but its still good. Automatically sends data to Microsoft Access, and setting up is a breeze. Just tell it the questions you want to ask, and give it the data types and you're good to go. No training required for the scouts, very little for the person incharge of sorting the data. That with a few Eye Module 2's for the Handspring Visor and you got everything you'll ever need for scouting!

~Tom Fairchild~, who loved playing with the Visors last year.

[Joe Matt]

iBooks my firend, iBooks. They have 5 hours of battery life, and we can charge in the pits....

[soap108]

Originally posted by Team384:JosephM
iBooks my friend, iBooks. They have 5 hours of battery life, and we can charge in the pits....

I'd recommend using a Palm & PC setup, but if you insist on Mac, then 2 things: Have QuickTime Player 5+ installed (for video playback), and make sure you install ODBC drivers for MS SQL Server, so that if you end up collecting WASH or GMCIA relavent data, you can upload the data to SOAP.... if you want to....

Currently, we have no other Virginia contacts. Would you like to contribute to the data collection?

KA-108 (SOAP Team)

[Joe Matt]

Originally posted by soap108


I'd recommend using a Palm & PC setup, but if you insist on Mac, then 2 things: Have QuickTime Player 5+ installed (for video playback), and make sure you install ODBC drivers for MS SQL Server, so that if you end up collecting WASH or GMCIA relavent data, you can upload the data to SOAP.... if you want to....

Currently, we have no other Virginia contacts. Would you like to contribute to the data collection?

KA-108 (SOAP Team)

We don't have a choice, the county gave us MAC's to use in school. I might use my palm. Could you tell me more about the SOAP network and the ODBC drivers for MS SQL Server and WASH data. And what I can contribute and how?

[soap108]

Some basic info is at:

www.soap108.com
www.soap108.com/about/
www.soap108.com/services/

www.wildstang.com/2001/wash/wash.htm


General Process
1. Capture "WASH" data on Palm OS Device (or your Mac)
2. Import this data into "WASH" DB (an access db)
3. Click the upload to SOAP button in the access file. (requires Inet connection, the ODBC drivers)

For step #3 you need to be on the Internet. If you had even one PC laptop, we could guarantee a method to connect to the Inet. For Macs, well, you either skip step 3 and send us the access file after the event, or do dial-up back at the hotel.

We can take this discussion off-line. send mail to: mike.soukup@motorola.com and eka016@email.mot.com

Thanks,
KA-108