Picking up some points from the various postings in this thread...

QM on a PDA is exactly that. You have access to QMNet for direct
access to QM files on other servers. With the VFS, this can easily be
extended to access files on "alien" systems. We are aware of drivers
in production for UniVerse, Unidata and D3. There may be others. And,
since the QM socket interface is present, you can always write your
own interface layer if you need something special. I have a simple
program on my PDA that allows me to synchronise with a server on the
other side of the Atlantic from the comfort of an armchair at home.

Although the delights of .NET, etc may be interesting extensions, none
of them is needed to run QM on the PDA. Because QM runs normal
QMBasic, there is no need to learn any new languages.

With regard to the user interface, we have been working with a UK
dealer on this development. They are porting two applications to the
PDA. Unfortunately, they were not quite ready for me to take out to
the Spectrum show so I was left with the simple "washing machine
repair man" application which, whilst very skeletal, is typical of how
we see this being used. At this stage we have a character mode
interface which is comfortable at 33x20 with no scrolling/panning. I
have played with it at 80x24 just for fun but needing to scroll around
is not nice! We are already talking about adding GUI features to the
interface.

Detection and handling of stylus taps in programs is trivial and is a
built in feature of QM menus when running on the PDA. Our
demonstration application uses standard menus and a simple home-grown
scrolling selection box. The relevant routines may be issued in future
to save users writing them even though they are very simple.

Size limitations should not be a problem. QM itself is tiny and lives
on the built-in flash memory. The application and its data would
typically be on a removable flash card and I cannot see that the sizes
available should pose any limitation to practical use of the PDA.
Given the pace at which processors get faster and memories get bigger,
the PDA will probably have power to match a current laptop in the not
too distant future.

Most of the users that expressed an interest in this development at
Spectrum had applications where they needed to be mobile and were
often out of reliable communication with their main database. Being
able to carry a copy of the relevant data and periodically synchronise
were seen as very valuable features.

This product has been public for under a week. It is early days to see
how it will be used. We have provided the first steps and now await
comments from prospective users about what else they need to make it
fit their needs.


Martin Phillips, Ladybridge Systems.