Technology Mac Compatible Smartphone/PDA?

[bon_vivant]

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I'm about to start my M3 clerkships, and I'm looking into getting a PDA/smartphone...right now, I'm leaning towards the smartphones though. The only problem is that I have a Mac...so I'm a little concerned about compatibility/access to all that wonderful medical software.

Do any of my fellow Mac users have any recommendations? Also, will a smartphone have enough memory for my purposes? What models should I be looking into (treo vs centro vs blackberry)?

Thanks!

 

[southerndoc]

iPhone (with the release of medical apps soon -- ePocrates, PEPID, etc.), Palm PDA's or Palm Treo/Centro (use Missing Sync to sync), or any Windows Mobile device (also use Missing Sync to sync).

They're all pretty much compatible with Macs these days if you use Missing Sync. Of course, the iPhone syncs through iTunes.

 

[TheRealMD]

You mean... besides an iPhone?

 

[Milamber]

I'm about to start my M3 clerkships, and I'm looking into getting a PDA/smartphone...right now, I'm leaning towards the smartphones though. The only problem is that I have a Mac...so I'm a little concerned about compatibility/access to all that wonderful medical software.

Do any of my fellow Mac users have any recommendations? Also, will a smartphone have enough memory for my purposes? What models should I be looking into (treo vs centro vs blackberry)?

Thanks!

While I advocate an iPhone (eagerly awaiting the iPhone 3G to replace my current iPhone) if you have an intel mac you can run windows on it via VMWare fusion and then install all the programs you need via that so you take your Palm, Windows Pocket PC and sync it to the windows client. No need to try and find Mac programs to sync it with.

Oh and just FYI, give it a year or two when the iPhone supplants RIM as the market leader and you will see all those Medical apps becoming available for the iPhone. Most new consumers today who are in the market for a smart phone are leaning towards the iPhone. By this time next year the iPhone will be either neck and neck with RIM for market share or will have surpassed it and then the flood gates for applications will be thrust wide open.

 

[meliora27]

Speaking of RIM, I'm pretty sure blackberry's work on Macs.

 

[nykka3]

I am considering getting an iphone 3G. Some of the skyscape medical software only supports internet supported access using your iphone. Do you think this will change with new iphone 3G. I don't see skyscape listed as a 3rd party software dealer on the apple website.

 

[bon_vivant]

I would just like to get one of the new 3G iphones...but isn't it going to be a while before they actually release medical applications for it?

 

[TheRealMD]

I am considering getting an iphone 3G. Some of the skyscape medical software only supports internet supported access using your iphone. Do you think this will change with new iphone 3G. I don't see skyscape listed as a 3rd party software dealer on the apple website.

Web applications don't have to appear on Apple's website. They don't specifically monitor that stuff. Native applications that you would buy and put on your phone will be done through the App Store (on an iPhone or from iTunes). Because of the ease of development, it's highly likely to see more medical apps in the future, especially when you consider the stuff we've seen now was written in only a few weeks.

I would just like to get one of the new 3G iphones...but isn't it going to be a while before they actually release medical applications for it?

App Store opens next Friday. I assume the medical apps demoed at WWDC (and epocrates on March 6th) are ready to go.