Window Into a Geophysicist's World

My mobile computing needs have changed quite a bit since I first wrote for Pocket PC magazine (A lot has changed since 1998, when I wrote an article for the premiere issue of Handheld PC Magazine on how I used a Casio A-11 Handheld PC in my daily routine as a data processing manager (www.PocketPCmag.com/Premier/kendrick.htm). The publication is now called Pocket PC magazine, and the improved technology found in the Pocket PC makes it possible for me to be much more productive than I was five years ago.

The first Pocket PC I used was the Casio E-125, which I carried with me everywhere for over two years. It was a real workhorse that let me remain productive wherever I needed to be. But, when the Toshiba e740 was introduced last year, I went straight out and got one. Toshiba now sells an upgraded version e755.

The Toshiba e740 was the first Pocket PC with built-in Wi-Fi capability. Connectivity is as important to me now as it was 5 years ago. But back then I had to use a wired modem and was tethered to a phone line. Wi-Fi means that I can sync anywhere I have access to a Wi-Fi network, and most of the facilities in which I work have Wi-Fi networks. I can sync with my PC, retrieve my e-mail, and access the Internet wirelessly wherever Wi-Fi is available. Sweet!

The Wi-Fi radio drains the battery pretty fast, so I purchased the optional High Capacity Battery along with the e740. With it in place, I have never run out of power. In fact, on the days I don't use the e740 much, I can skip recharging it in the evening. The battery adds a little to the thickness of the e740, but it is still quite small and light. The case that ships with the e740 doesn't work well with the extended battery attached, so I use a Copilot 30 holster case from E& B Company (www.ebcases.com). I also purchased a SanDisk 256 MB SD card and an IBM 1GB MicroDrive to store data. Five years ago I had 12 MB of available storage memory on my Casio A-11. Now I have 1.3 GB. That's incredible when you think about it.

Have mobile office, will travel!

I am an independent consulting geophysicist who provides project management and quality control consulting services for client companies. I am called in when a client, usually an oil company, has a seismic data processing project that needs to be managed on their behalf. The project is typically executed by an outside contractor and I oversee the contractor's work for the client. While I maintain an office in my home, I am almost always on the road, working from the client's or contractor's office. This means that I must carry my own mobile office with me wherever I go.

My mobile office fits in a small rolling airline carry-on, and consists of my laptop PC, Pocket PC, mobile phone, paper files, cables, and AC power adapters. I can pull out and set up my complete office in less than five minutes, no matter where I happen to be working. Since I am usually working several projects simultaneously I have to go from one location to another during the day and this makes it easy. And since it's all on wheels it saves my back to boot.

Mobile e-mail a must!

I receive e-mails constantly throughout the day, from various clients and about the various projects. Rapid response is a must, and this is where the Wi-Fi connectivity is worth its weight in gold. About 60% of the offices I visit have a wireless LAN network, and many of those are open networks--which doesn't say much about their security awareness. I would never access an unprotected network without authorization, but once I've been given permission to access their network, tapping into it is very easy using the e740's built-in Wireless LAN Utility. I just power on the e740 once I arrive at a new office, and the utility "sniffs" out any available wireless networks in the area and connects to the first one it finds if there's no encryption. Voila, I am fully connected. Since all my e-mail accounts are POP3, once I can access the Internet I have full access to my e-mail.