Smart Phones and PDA Inventory Systems

Last Updated on Saturday, 04 September 2010 20:26

PDA and smart / super phones (collectively referred to as Smart Phones) have come a long way since the advent of advanced and powerful phone technology for the iPhone, Android and Microsoft platforms. There is a phenomenal market for software developers with the availability of a multitude of applications for this market. The devices are mobile, powerful and deliver a wealth of solutions.

However it is important to analyse the smart phone’s appropriateness within the context of it’s environment and purpose.

For example would it be plausible to use a smart phone to produce and format a book. Yes, it is certainly possible; however you would probably agree that it’s not the most efficient tool for the job.

When considering smart phones within the context of property inventory software; a number of limitations become apparent. Because of the limitations, a number of key features have to be made less efficient or are simply impossible to implement on the phone. To put these limitations into perspective we need to reflect on an alternative which can deliver a better quality of service. We will use tablet technology in this case as the alternative.

The fundamental issues with smart phones are:

Screen Size: The screen sizes are small when compared with Tablet PC technology. Imagine you wanted to have a complete overview of a room, it’s furniture and the status of each item with photo’s. With a smart phone It’s simply not possible or requires a great deal of navigation, which loses it’s fitness for purpose because it’s no longer an overview. Inventory software processes have to be drawn out across multiple navigational clicks which in turns slows down the usage. Features like the overview have to be displayed with limited information and simply cannot compare to Tablet PCs. Power: The iPhone and Android platforms use lightweight mobile processors. They aren’t built to do intensive processing when compared to a tablet PC’s technology. The full richness, speed and power of Windows (or Apple) applications cannot be used on smart phone platforms.

Limitations caused by fundamental issues:

Report Generation:

Using your smart phone to prepare a report and generating a report preview on the smart phone is difficult and require much more time to implement. Imagine even a short inventory of 15 A4 pages; reviewing it on a smart phone would simply be impractical. You would have to generate it and email it to your PC. Furthermore the time taken to generate such a report on a PDA would be slow due to the processor power required to complete the operation. This limitation doesn’t impact Tablet PCs

System Backup:

Backup solutions for smart phones’ inventory applications are not supported unless you send your data to the application provider. In that case, how can you guarantee your data is safe?

Volatile:

This risk is as simple as dropping your phone in the toilet. How quickly can you recover your business? Any PC platform can be used with iAssist and all of your reports and diary can be synced back to your unit. You can also restore your system from any local backups made.

Interface Richness:

Windows and Apple platforms provide a wealth of interface gadgets and features. Not all of these gadgets and features can be adopted on smart phones because they are simply not practical, or are limited in their use.

Security:

Theft or loss can affect both Tablet PCs and Phones. The question is are you more likely to forget your phone or a Tablet PC?

Utilisation:

Operating your complete business and personal life from a phone can be a very difficult feat. Consider the following tasks 1. Book keeping / accounts 2. Invoice, refund, credit note and receipt production 3. General internet browsing 4. Writing messages on internet forums 5. Reviewing documents and Reports and 6. Word Document Processing. Some of these tasks are extremely difficult others are possible on a smart phone but when compared to using a Tablet PC all can be achieved simply and efficiently. Compatibility: Can you install your favourite software onto your smart phone platform. Lets take your favourite DVD or MP3 player with your numerous playlists. On smart phone platforms, DVD playback is likely to be impossible without doing some kind of file conversion. For MP3 related applications you would need to use their bespoke playing software. None of the detailed problems would be presented on the Tablet PC platform.

Accessibility:

Usage of smart phones can sometimes be tricky depending on the interface. Entering information by finger or pen can sometimes lead to misinterpretation by the operating system or pressing the incorrect key or button. Due to the size of the tablet screen it is easier to overcome these problems.

Printing

Smart phones do not have viable printing facilities for property inventory reports. On completion of a job, providing you have accessible printing facilities available (portable printers are smaller than your average Tablet PC) Tablet PCs can print your document, allowing you to review a paper version of the report or hand the report to your Landlord or Agent.

Storage

Due to limit space storage it's difficult to store high quality photographs, historical report data and in depth inventory dictionaries together on a smart phone. Even where this is possible in a limited capacity, the access speeds are much slower than your average Tablet PC. This can be a big "No" when it comes to performance comparison. Would you honestly want to choose the slower solution?

The problems associated with Tablet PCs

Cost:

In the past, Tablet PCs have been expensive. However Tablet PCs are now cheaper than ever – with the android smart phone costing between £200 and £600 against the Tablet PC which cost from £340 - prices can be very comparable when selecting an appropriate Tablet PC unit.

Weight:

In the past Tablet PCs have exceeding 1.5 KG. However Tablet PCs can now weigh in as little as 300 grams.

Portability:

Tablet PCs come in a range of sizes, some comparable to laptop sizes and some much smaller. The Archos 9 tablet is approximately 20cm by 11cm, which is tiny when compared to your traditional laptop size but more appropriate for the job when compared to all, if not 99.999%, of smart phones available for Property Inventory Software. So which provides the best platform for your inventory business? Tablet PCs are leading this battle at the moment and for the foreseeable future.

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News Flash

iAssist - 03/12/2010

iAssist is now available for use please go to www.iassist-online.co.uk to download the product.

Read more about The Property Inventory Software or go to the iAssist Property Inventory Website.

Why are PDA or Smart Phone limited?