Make Better Use of Your Smartphone

Use your phone with Excel, PDFs, Maps, Video and more to super-charge your productivity on the road.

Many people develop gadget lust for the latest and greatest smartphone. I’ll admit it - I want an iPhone. Apple has done a great job showing me all the great things that it can do and how it will help me every day.

But did you know there are all kinds of smartphones out there that can do most of the same things, albeit in a much less sexy way? Buying a new phone might help you, but chances are that learning how to make better use of your current phone would be an even better move.

Google Maps is Available for Many Smartphones

I needed directions in a hurry while in a city I had never been to before - and it wasn’t to a common place that simply asking someone could have solved in time. Instead, I puled out my Palm Treo which I have Google Maps installed on. Presto, my problem was solved, almost as fast as if I had been at my desk with a computer. Yes, an iPhone would have told me exactly where I was on the map at the time but guess what? I looked at a street sign and that told me too! Not as cool as the iPhone, but it worked just fine.

Other Useful Smartphone Software

I carry information about clients with me on the road all the time. More than a address book can handle. Enter Excel via Documents to Go on my Treo which can display basic worksheets very well on my Treo. When Excel won’t do, I create PDFs - I use a free PDF print driver on the PC (Cute PDF) and most MAC applications produce PDFs natively. Word documents, web pages and more are available on the road.

Most smartphones can play music, show photos, and even play video - you just have to take the time to discover how. Play around a bit, it will pay off. And yes, you can use the built-in camera to take a picture of your car so that you won’t forget where you parked!

OK, I still really want the iPhone so I can have beautiful photo libraries and movies to show clients. But I think I’m getting good value from my phone and chances are you can make better use of yours.

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