April 2005

Hello Everyone,

Think PDA

• This month's topic is something that companies with web sites need to think of. PDAs, or Personal Digital Assistants are becoming very popular. A PDA is nothing more than a very small computer. Many are connected to the Internet via modems, Ethernet cards, Bluetooth or other wireless technologies.
  
• Most current PDAs have the ability to access Internet email, as well as the web.
  

The PDA Problem

• However, these small devices have a couple of drawbacks. Their screen is small, (mine has a 240 X 320 pixel screen) which makes many web sites very hard, if not impossible to read (most desktop computers have a screen at least 800 X 600 pixels).
  
• Many PDAs are also low on memory, which means large graphics and animations won't load. Many new cell phones also allow access through the Internet (and they have even smaller screens and almost no memory).
  
• Depending on the browser used on the PDA, it may or may not support Java, Java script, Macromedia Flash as well as several other web technologies.
  

Should Your Web Site Support PDAs?

• Why should you care if your web site will work on these small computers? For the same reason you have your main web site. For people to find out about you or your business.
  
• Many traveling business people as well as many technicians carry PDAs for their convenient size. Hotspots, areas where you can access the Internet via wireless devices, are popping up all over the place.
  
• We know a company here in Des Moines that just signed a contract to put free wireless access in every Iowa DOT rest area. Many restaurants and bars as well as book stores and airports already provide free wireless Internet access.
  
• If your site is not PDA friendly, prospective clients may move on to your competition.
  

What is a PDA Friendly Site?

• A PDA friendly site has very few small graphics, if any.
  
• Most of the site is text, formatted to display properly on small screens.
  
• No animations, no Flash, no Java. Just simple, easy to navigate screens with your pertinent information in text format.
  
• I have spent a lot of time cruising the Internet on my PDA. I have found that most web sites are not set up to allow the site to display properly. Large graphics, frames, too many tables and other design elements make the sites worthless to these small computers.
  
• So what do you do? Create PDA friendly pages for your web site.
  

How Can Your Site Become PDA Friendly?

• If you are ready for the next step in web site access, contact us and we can give you a quote for adding PDA friendly pages to your site.
  
• Most web sites can have this functionality for a small fraction of the cost of their main site.
  
• Take a look at our Web sites PDA Friendly pages at http://www.jtmweb.com/PDA/