Another problem concerns bFax Express. Please be advised that it doesn't work with Pocket PC. The manufacturers (bSquare) advised me to change to bFax Pro 5, but they now tell me that it doesn't work with the TDK Global Pulse modem. So I'm without a fax, and there doesn't seem to be any software available.

The above may be of interest to other readers, and I would be grateful for any advice you can give me on finding another synchronization program that doesn't have the serious limitation of ActiveSync 3.1.

As a last point, I don't entirely agree with Jeff that a keyboard is a must: it really depends on your job. I need to do quite a bit of writing while standing up (taking notes whilst visiting customers' plants), so a palmtop PC with handwriting recognition is the answer for me. I also spend a lot of time at airports: try using a keyboard when standing in a queue to board the plane. If you really need a keyboard, then I would suggest going for a handheld PC. Even for taking notes in a meeting, I still prefer not to use a keyboard, especially when with customers. It is too distracting and noisy. I will be buying a keyboard, nevertheless. Thanks for the tips on where to buy, Jeff. It will speed up data entry when I'm in the hotel room at night sending emails.

Nick Coote

Thinking outside the box
The following letter was written in response to the article, "Otter Box offers PDA protection" in the July 2000 issue of Pocket PC Life at http://www.pocketpclife.com/issues/issue200007/ceotterbox001.html.

I was fascinated by your review of the Otter Box sample that fit your PDA so nicely. Very well written.

However, I think you may have missed much of the point of buoyancy calculations:

Buoyancy is a function of both the total weight and the net flotation of the box, the PDA, and the air inside the box.

Unless the same weight of Lebanon bologna (my absolute favorite since I lived in the Philly area as a child!) occupies the same overall volume as the PDA, the amount of air inside the box was significantly different, thereby affecting the buoyancy. You didn't mention the volume of Lebanon bologna compared to the PDA beyond saying that it was "about the same size," but my seat-of-the-pants recollection is that it probably occupies about half to two-thirds the volume, leaving plenty of extra air to be buoyant. Since you are pretty sure that the box is (was?) watertight, it would be very easy to try it with the PDA itself.

Also, I would hesitate to extrapolate your crush test to encompass safe survival of the PDA. The cracking you describe sounds like one edge of the box deformed enough to crack the ABS. Because the Lebanon bologna occupies a smaller volume and is much more flexible than the PDA, it survived nicely. Earlier in the article, you described the PDA as being a "tight fit" in the box. Since the PDA is pretty rigid in construction, I wonder if it would also have survived.

I wouldn't worry about this problem at all, since the likelihood of dropping the box and having it run over are pretty slim. But, dropping something overboard or taking a wave on a boat is more likely.