Fossil FX2002 Wrist PDA/PC

What do you do on those occasions when you'd like access to your diary and contact database but just can't justify carrying your handheld computer around for that purpose?

US watch specialist Fossil thinks the answer to this conundrum is that you buy one of its Wrist Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). In the US, this is available for both Pocket PC and Palm formats - in the UK it is Pocket PC only, though the Palm version may appear later.

The idea is that as well as telling you the time and date, the Wrist PDA carries Pocket Outlook's Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and other data.

The watch gets its information beamed by infrared from your handheld computer, thanks to a customised version of a rather good data-sharing application called Peacemaker. This lets you decide what to copy across from Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Notes to make the most of the memory on the watch.

Ignoring past Calendar appointments and limiting future ones to the next month, quarter or year, for example, means you can get plenty of useful data on the watch. A summary screen on your handheld computer shows how much watch memory your selection will occupy. Beaming is easy - just line up the infrared ports and tap Send Data on your Pocket PC.

In use the watch has mixed effectiveness. Yes, it stores your calendar and contact data so you can see what's going on in your life. However, it is much more difficult to use than the large, touch-sensitive screen of a Pocket PC, partly because of the display restrictions and partly because the navigation and selection buttons are difficult to press with the watch on your wrist.

It's a great pity you can't create data on the watch. This means you have to resort to pen and paper until you are near your handheld computer.

Our final criticism: the watch itself is far too large for many smaller-wristed individuals.

If you really must have a tiny data store, the Wrist PDA is worth considering but on most occasions, we suspect carrying your handheld computer will be preferable.

DETAILS
Price: £150
Contact: Fossil shop 020 7836 5400
www.fossil.com

See also:

Palm m130

The m130 is one of the best ways to get a colour PDA on a budget.  14 May 2002

NEC PocketGear

Very similar to other Pocket PC devices, but with a lower spec.  10 May 2002

HandEra Handtop 330 palmtop computer

Not the best-looking palmtop on the market, but it's still pretty cool.  05 Dec 2001

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