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Review on πŸ’Ό Royal DV1 1MB PDA with Keyboard: A Powerful Handheld Device for Enhanced Productivity by Ray Richards

Revainrating 3 out of 5

Like a 20 year old car.

If you have a 15-20 year old car then you will love this item. Like the old machine, the DV1 is quirky, but as I'm more cost conscious (and have never used a more expensive PDA or owned a newer machine) I'm willing to accept the downsides. It's just an organizer, you can't add any software, but that's all I need. My DV1 never died a big death (although you can see others dying), but I can say it's cheaply made (poorly matched parts). I had some problems syncing with Outlook. I've learned that you need to pay attention to both DVsync and Companion Link settings, and yet I'm not sure why it's doing what it's doing. But in general, I'm fine with synchronization now. Outlook is the main reason I got this thing (I'm finally using the Outlook calendar in the general settings). And DV1 is Outlook ready (maybe Outlook only), it transfers Tasks, Calendar and Contacts (only) from your main or root Contacts folder. I tried Royals PIM for another organizer and prefer Outlook. The DV1's form factor is pretty good, small enough to fit comfortably in a jacket pocket but big enough to be easy to use. I never use a detachable keyboard, and while I can see that it can simplify some data entry tasks, it makes others more difficult, so I'm not very keen on learning how to use it. If you need to take your Outlook data with you and even add a little out of the box, don't do this

Pros
  • Data synchronization with included DV Link software or with Microsoft Outlook and Schedule+, Goldmine, Lotus Organizer and ACT!; Includes docking station with PC cable, three styluses and hinged lid
Cons
  • Off fashion