Treo 650, Macs and Medical Software

[Jeff698]

So, friends, please allow me to share my tale of woe.

I've been running PEPID and ePocrates essentials on my PocketPC and very happily using both. I just bought a Treo 650 (my carrier doesn't have the 700p yet) so I could combine my phone and PDA AND synch with my Mac. I use Missing Synch to update my contacts, etc but I still couldn't get ePocrates to play with my Mac.

I really like my Treo, but, as I'm finding out the hard way, no part of ePocrates can be loaded onto the memory card using the Palm/Mac combination. It will require about 15-16 MB of main memory to run. That, my friends, is a real pisser.

PEPID, on the other hand, is up and running great on my memory card.

I really liked ePocrates but, until they can get it up and running on a memory card (or Cingular gets the 700p) I won't be updating my subsription. Sniff, sniff.

Take care,
Jeff

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[Dr. Will]

I just got myself a Treo 650 from Cingular about 3 weeks ago. I've been running epocrates off of it, but it's such a memory hog. I still have a two year subscription left (got one year half off and the second year for free...worked beautiful on my palm prior to the treo). I'm thinking of getting PEPID and taking epocrates completely off. Is PEPID really that much better? Is the drug database comparable? Would love to hear from those of you that use it. Thanks.

 

[emtcsmith]

sorry i can't help with the topic but do you know of any other sites with freeware or good software for the pocketpc? I just got one and can't wait to put it to use.

 

[bartleby]

I haven't found anything in Pepid's drug database lacking compared to Epocrates except formulary data. But when you need this, you can always log onto Epocrates from a desktop.

Pepid is as close as it comes to an all-in-one solution, and is very Mac friendly in its installation. They just let you download an archive with all the files you need, without forcing you to use some messy installer.

 

[colforbinMD]

I have had the treo line from 300 to 600 to 650. (I love new toys) Though I love my 650 I will be using my programs book stipend money to buy the 700p for this exact reason. It really stinks that epocrates won't get with the times and make their software modular to SD cards. Especially now that 2g and soon more SD cards are available to the consumer market.

So in short Jeff. I feel your pain. Just hang on with Epocrates till they improve their software or the 700p becomes available on your carrier.

 

[Jeff698]

It really stinks that epocrates won't get with the times and make their software modular to SD cards. Especially now that 2g and soon more SD cards are available to the consumer market.

So in short Jeff. I feel your pain. Just hang on with Epocrates till they improve their software or the 700p becomes available on your carrier.

After a lengthy chat with the ePocrates tech support folks (who are very nice, BTW), I learn that the problem isn't with ePocrates (big suprise since that who I was talking with, huh?). They say the problem is the Palm and Mac.

They say they can load their software on memory cards with PocketPC/Win and Palm/Win combinations, just not the Palm/Mac combo. They say it is a function of the Palm Desktop software installer. I'm skeptical but don't feel motivated enough to pursue it.

I use MissingSync for all my connectivity/sync needs between both my PPC/Mac and my Palm/Mac. It works great for both and I suspect I could figure a way for ePocrates to work.

As for PEPID, it has a more complete drug reference with more information on kinetics/dynamics. It's calculators blow those of ePocrates away by miles. It has disease information, as well as procedure stuff. It is really designed by and for emergency physicians. It doesn't have the Sx program ePocrates does, but then I don't use that anyway. I also has an infectious disease section, as well as one on lab values.

Unlike ePocrates which puts each topic in a different application with a different tab, PEPID puts everything together in a single database.

I'll re-evaluate over time, but for now my ePocrates subscription will lapse.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[Dr. Will]

Only the Dx and Sx portions of epocrates can be placed on the expansion card. Everything else must be placed onto the actual device. On the Treo 650 that translates to about 7-8 MB of the 23 MB of memory, which is way too much.