It’s 7:00 a.m. I am getting ready for a trial hearing I have scheduled for the afternoon. I take my Treo from its charger and head into the kitchen to prepare my coffee. A quick glance at the screen tells me how many missed calls I already have, my voicemails and my unread messages. I have 3 new messages. I take notice of my alerts and clear them by tapping the screen. I continue with my morning routine. I shower and get back to my Treo.
I don’t have to turn my computer on anymore. I tap the envelope icon on my Treo’s wallpaper, which by the way, I set up with the logo of my practice. I have 4 email accounts, three of them IMAP4 and one POP3. Thanks to a fantastic application called Chatter Email I can get my messages delivered to me at the same time they arrive at my server. This puts an end to any Blackberry envy. Chatter also allows me to set up the retrieval time of the messages from my POP3 account. I browse through the New York Times Headlines delivered every morning to my inbox. I check the email from Doctor Dictionary and from “La Palabra del Día”, which deliver a word to my inbox every day along with its meaning and usage in a sentence, in both English and Spanish. It’s important for me to continuously polish my vocabulary. I get dressed and get ready to start working. I open my Treo’s web browser to Newsmob or Bloglines so as to checkout the blogs and RSS feeds I am subscribed to (listed in alphabetical order): Con Todo el Respeto… (my own of course - just to see if recent post are updated); CTMOCK; Engadet; Jurist; Las Fashionistas; Legalchick.com, and Blogcritics of course.
It’s already 10 past 8:00 am. My secretary is already in. I know she is because I start receiving email messages from her. I sit at the dinning room table and set my Treo on my keyboard. She has just sent me a letter I drafted for her to type. The letter is in Word (.doc) format. I simply download the letter attached to the email and open it with Docs to Go: the must have application for any mobile lawyer. I edit it, save it in my 1GB SD card, where I have a copy of all the client files I store in my computer. Once edited, I email it back to my secretary. I advise her that we must forward that letter via fax prior to mailing it. My working day has fully begun so that means the phone starts to ring. I pop my very comfortable Palm Treo Bluetooth headset in my ear and carry on with my incoming calls. I am trying to persuade my clients to email rather than call, so I play hard to get. I receive several emails from clients. I answer them and prepare to sit down and review my case file for this afternoon’s trial hearing. When I open the file, I have a data sheet that gives me all the specifics of the case: parties, case number, our reference number, counselors for the parties, previous hearings, comments, etc. This is a case report generated by a customized database I created to suit my needs with HanDBase. This database runs from my home computer, my office computer and in my Treo. All the entries are updated when I hotsync or synchronize my Treo with my home or office computer. I decide I want to enter some notes in that report but don’t wish to turn on my computer and wait for it to load. The notes are just for reference later on during the trial hearing, so I print it from my Treo via Bluetooth using my very portable Brother MW-140 printer.
Article comments
1 - A. Davis
Very interesting read. I've written something similar, though in my case it was from an IT person (myself) using a Treo instead of a laptop. The story is here: http://mobileoptimized.com/AWeekWithMyTreo.html
I love realizing new instances where I can I use my Treo instead of my laptop.
You might also be interested in using http://MobileOptimized.com as your browsing start point on your Treo. :)
2 - Angela Parker
Thanks! I enjoy reading other Treo fanatic stories. I took my own Treo 650 on a trip to Colorado last month -- and left the laptop at home. What a scary experiment! I blogged (from the Treo, of course) about the experience. I must say that I was able to continue to serve my consultation clients, maintain my own websites and even landed a couple new clients on the trip!
I would recommend a good keyboard, a couple extra batteries and an extra expansion card or two (in addition to the best applications) before going laptop-free.
From my own Treo, I had a full battery of music, a couple movies and the full season of a favorite series, ebooks, audiobooks, word documents, excel spreadsheets, a great IM program and a plethora of games and diversions. I could work AND play on my own trip.
I plan to leave the laptop at home next time as well. It was a great experience overall -- even with a couple difficulties. You can read my overview at: http://www.wickedtreo.com/admin/story.php?mode=edit&sid=20050818061729787 or visit WickedTreo.com to read the entire Colorado adventure.
"Going Mobile" is a wonderful thing and I love my Treo (for making it both possible and pocket-sized!)
3 - JCB
Thanks guys for your kind comments. This is my very first posting as a Blog Critic. I took the time and visited both your sites. Interesting! Loved the wicked part of entrepreneurship and of course I will start my browser to link. As a matter of fact I had already read your account (IT) from a link I got in Treocentral.
I just thought that my very first posting had to be about something I have discorvered relates to lots of people in many differente walks of life: our Treo's.
Thanks again,
4 - Dave
I really enjoyed your information on the TREO 650. I was teetering on whether to purchase it or not. I am convinced. I have ordered three units since me and my associates will all ride the TREO. I hope to bump into you in PR sometime. You are the person for me. Thanks again.
dn
5 - JCB
LOL!
Thanks Dave. You are more than welcome to email me when you visit PR.
The Treo as you have read, has been a very powerful tool that has taken my efficiency to a whole other level. I inferr (by your email address) that you are in the medical profession. Let me tell that at handango.com you will find a wide array of apps designed for the medical profession that it just makes me want to be a doctor or something like it!
I must emphatically recomend that you join a discussion group like treocentral.com. They are a very helpful community of treo freaks who have enhanced my treo experience. Setting your treo takes a while but once you do, it's AWESOME! Treo central is certainly the best thing about my Treo.
Feel free to contact me if you need anything. Enjoy!
Julizzette Colon-Bilbraut,Esq. via Palm Treo 650, using Chatter Email
6 - SEP990i
Let me tell u that Treo really sucks, I just bought the treo 680 and I feel scammed, tha battery drains in 1 hr, I really regret have changed my P990i for one of the greats Palm product.