Well folks here we are in 2006. No flying cars or moving sidewalks. Yet technology still keeps moving forward. We can now download video and songs to hand-held devices, take pictures, send pictures and check our e-mail. I decided to take a technology leap forward myself and trade in my old Nokia phone for a PDA.

It was a tough decision; although I enjoy technology it can sometimes take me a bit to figure it out. My wife Rachel still programs the Tivo, DVD, and VCR at our house. It has taken me years to even open Outlook. Folks that really know me, know to give me a call because I sometimes only check my e-mail every couple of days. I live and die by my phone. Now there I was at the Cingular store; actually considering getting “smart phone.”

I had heard of Blackberry and the top financial types I had seen on the various plane trips always seemed to have them. I also heard Blackberry was having some financial stuff going on so I decided I would try something else. I wanted to get a “smart phone” with a keyboard because I could never seem to type out the word I wanted when I did try and answer a text message in the past using my old phone. The HP Pocket PC was out of my price range so I picked the Treo 650.

Three days later I was back at the Cingular store ready to trade in my new Treo 650 for a phone that worked. I had tried to use it and it just wasn’t responding at all. What no phone. Remember I live and die by my phone. It turns out I had to reboot my new phone plus the Cingular store rep recommended I shut down and start up my phone every day. The Rep also told me that most people want to shoot or destroy their phones for the first couple of months then they love them and can’t live without them.

I must confess I haven’t read the entire manual or the book I purchased on using my new Treo 650. I have accidently deleted some of my closest friends phone numbers and am still trying to figure out how to edit my contacts. I am sorta using the calendar and have figured out the alarm for a meeting once. I’ve gotten on the internet but still can’t check my AOL account.Yes, I am still learning; but most importantly I still have my Treo 650.

I still have ten days that I can return my Treo 650 for just a regular phone but I think I’ll keep it. I know that wireless technology is here to stay and the devices that use wireless are becoming more and more common. So I’d better learn to use them.

We may not have flying cars or moving sidewalks but wireless devices are here to stay. The motto of the GUILD is “Training Today with the Technology of Tomorrow” so you can expect for some of the GUILD meetings this year to include information on the “Wild, Wild West of Wireless!”

See you at the meetings!

J. (J Schuh)