Technology
Provided by www.MikeJohnston.com 
(208)234-HELP (4357) VOICE
(208)234-0901 FAX
mike@mikejohnston.com 

Pocket PC:

Take a look at Microsoft's site for a list of available Pocket PC devices

• I like the HP iPAQ 6315

Software for your Pocket PC

• Handango - www.handango.com
• Microsoft - www.pocketpc.com
• cnet Shareware.com - www.shareware.com
• Tucows - www.cemonster.com
• WinCE - www.wince.net/wince/default.asp
• PocketPC City - www.pocketpccity.com
• PocketPC Portal - www.pocketpcportal.com

Some That I Like

• MightySync (about $5.95) - www.mydocsunlimited.com  Keep any file or folder anywhere on your Pocket PC in sync with your desktop.  This product DOES NOT replace ActiveSync.
• PocketTV - www.pockettv.com - Play Mpeg video files on your Pocket PC
• Mapopolis - www.mapopolis.com  - A mapping program to help you not get lost
• Count Down -
• EZ Reader -
• Vehicle Manager - www.twopeaks.com - Keep track of vehicle expenses, repairs, and fuel economy.
• Lookup Areacode -
• AreaCodes -  www.intrepidsoft.com

Internet:

Register your own Domain Name: - see if the one you want is available.

• Make sure you are the "Registrant" 
• The ".com" is better than the other domain types

Maintain Control of your Website:

• Keep the login name and password safe
• You can "point" your site anywhere you want if you "control" it.
• Where to "Host Your Site" - www.websiteplaza.com  ($15 a month)

Hire Talented people to "Make You Look Good":

• Get several different bids
• Have a contest and challenge high school students to design parts of your site for a prize
• Some Software programs can do some "basic" maintenance for you
  • Microsoft FrontPage 2003 (see below)
  • Adobe Photoshop <- a "high end" graphics program
  • Microsoft PhotoDraw (see below)

Promote your site:

• Submit it to 24+ sites on your own!
• Learn about Search Engines:

• SearchEngineWatch.com <-- gives you tips and will help you learn what to do
• SearchEngineGuide.com <-- additional information
• SearchEngineShowDown.com <-- compares the search engines and explains their features

Have Useful information on your site:

• Use a program called eFax <- can be FREE for the part of the program we want to use
  • Or use the full version of Adobe Acrobat to create .pdf files
• Have information that people want or need, like...

• Community information - links, temperature, etc...
• ** What can you have on your website that make people want to come back over and over??
• · Babysitting / daycare - find a local link
• · News / stocks - www.FoxNews.com or www.NBCi.com or www.MSNBC.com 
• · Movie guide / movie times - www.moviefone.com 
• · Community calendar - link to your chamber of commerce
• · Sports updates / scores / calendar - www.sports.com 
• · Weather - www.wunderground.com 
• · Gardening / flowers
• · Pets
• · Financial institutions
• · Accountants / Tax work
• · Grocery Stores
• · Restaurants / dining
• · Handymen
• · Auto dealerships
• · Home interior / carpet / tile
• · Cleaning and maid services
• · Equipment rental
• · Health / Fitness clubs
• · Internet services
• · Phone / Cellular phone
• · Utility companies / Water, Sewer, Garbage, Cable, etc…
• · Parks & Recreation
• · Schools
• · Employment opportunities
• · Church directory
• · Hair salons / beauty parlors

Make your Site "Interactive":

• You can have people ask you a question and you can get back to them within seconds (or a staff member can get back to them). Add forms to be filled our or use the RIM Interactive Pager (Read about it below and see my main page at  www.MikeJohnston.com - where you can email me and I get it almost immediately!) <- turned off.

Computer Applications:

• The Business Suite that contains many important applications Microsoft Office XP.  This program contains: Word 2003, Excel 2003, Outlook 2003, PowerPoint 2003, Publisher 2003, Access 2003, FrontPage 2003, and PhotoDraw 2003.  (Upgrade price about $390.  Full version is about $680.)

Contact Management:

Microsoft Outlook 2003

• Almost anyone can help you with questions about this program.  Why pay for expensive programs and for costly tech support when you can get a great program for less.
• Keeps track of your customer and clients in this easy to use program.  You enter their names and contact information ONCE and this program keeps track of your email as well.  If you need to create labels you can EXPORT to Microsoft Word very easily.

Letter Writing:

Microsoft Word 2003

• Have you ever received a file that you could not open?  If you stick to the basics, almost everyone can open the attachments you send.  I use this program because it is easy to use and most people use it as well and can share with me there ways of using it.

Spreadsheets: (for net sheets)

Microsoft Excel 2003

• Simple and easy to use.

Creating Personal Brochures, etc...

Microsoft Publisher 2003

• One program that can help you create flyers, newsletters, brochures, business cards, etc...  This program can help you do some basic things to be more productive.

Microsoft PhotoDraw 2003

• Manipulates images for your website and for your publications.

Other Tools:

• Combined with a program Called Pocket Real Estate can help you have all the MLS information in the Palm of your hand. Mention CODE:   MCJN and save $10 on it!

• RIM Pager - A device that can send and receive email (text only) and it is wireless and is about the size of a regular pager.  Costs about $400 and monthly service is $30 with SkyTel.
• Cell Phone - Find the right Plan for you
  • The phone / PDA / email device I once used was the Blackberry 6510 that runs on the NEXTEL network  This is a combination RIM Pager and a cell phone and a PDA all in one.   I liked this phone because I was always connected to the Internet, PLUS this device will SYNC with my PocketPC and my desktop so I am always up-to-date.  Here are the details.
    
• Pager - Alpha Numeric vs numeric.  Get one that can send you text messages.  It is better! (now your cell phone can act as your pager.)

• Tablet PC - I am all over this now.  I want to get one.  Imagine being able to have your buyer or sellers sign contracts right on the screen of your computer!  It is awesome!!!  The one pictured here is the HP tc1100.  It is available for purchase from a variety of sources.

<--- The keyboard is removable!!!

• Pocket PC, camera, Phone all in one.  The HP 6315 is the latest and greatest.  (Too bad it only works on T-Mobile or I would have one today!)  I am told by my inside sources that Sprint and Verizon should support this phone by the end of 2005.