I’ve used a PDA for a few years now and i’m quite happy with a gadget which works like a calendar that actually reminds me to look at it. I use it as a shopping list, a small surf board, a to-do list and a platform to play solitaire and sudoku on. Granted, there are cheaper options available but a geek needs his toys

The most valuable feature of a PDA is actually in its ability to synchronize with your full size computer (which is why one of my computers still run Windows). The PDA the becomes a live extension to the desktop computer (which in reality is a laptop computer, which mostly resides on my desk — unless it travels in my backpack and on occasions emerges into a sofa laptop… now where was i?). For example, ListPro is an insanely great piece of software if you get the desk+pocket pc edition.

Not long ago, i got (to borrow) a phone from work. Again, a “smart phone” is only really useful if it synchronizes with a full size computer, so i installed Nokia PC Suite. Promptly, my MS Actice Synch stopped synching. I uninstalled the PC Suite (and probably un/re-installed MS Active Sync) and the PDA came back.

I made a political decision to keep the PDA as my main computer extension and the phone as a manually edited thingamajing. Because i knew that there would soon be another phone replacing this one.

Flash forward to last week. My professor tells me it’s Christmas. He has a Nokia N70 for me! Whee! After much pondering i decide to have the phone as my primary PDA, so i uninstall the MS bit and install the new and shiny PC Suite.

Much to my surprise, the installation and synchronization goes entirely without pain and works the first time executed. Nokia has improved a lot. I still have the Communicator 9k5 which i decide to synch as well. After all, i’ve edited a lot of PIM stuff on it.

My computer does not like this. Windows figures out that i have a Nokia 9500 connected, but that’s where it stops. PC Suite doesn’t care for the Communicator even if it’s built to cope with many phones. Seems like Nokia doesn’t sport “universal drivers”. But hey, now somebody else is jealous too, because PC Suite refuses to recognize the N70 and i now have exactly zero gadgets that talk with the computer. Way to go.

One trick i’ve learned from my previous life is never to connect a Nokia phone to the computer before installing the drivers. It frells your computer. It’s ridiculous it has to work this way (though i don’t think work is a suitable word here) but that’s how it is. I just didn’t expect you’d have to install more Nokia drivers after installing current ones.

What i am requesting for is this. A universal synchronization interface for Windows. And Linux. Actually i have it that they’re pretty far with it on Linux even if i haven’t managed to actually get any of my gadgets to speak with Linux. But Windows is where all the money is.

Please, design a way for a phone and a PDA to both be able to talk with my computer. I’d really, really appreciate it.

In the meantime, please give back my Nokia connection. I will not connect a phone to my computer without installing the drivers again. I promise.