Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007 - (Page 21)

MEDIA HYPE AND INDUSTRY REVIEWS MAY POSITION CERTAIN DEVICES AS IDEAL FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS, BUT USERS MUST DETERMINE IF THEY MEET THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS. requirements. She surveys her data needs, reads reviews in PC Magazine and online media, and ﬁnds just the right device to serve her purposes. And she hits the local wireless provider’s corporate-owned retail locations to get touchy-feely with the products. She had been using the Palm handheld software for several years. Yet as her needs grew, she realized Windows Mobile was better suited to the applications she used—whether that was Google Maps for scouting locations, Adobe Acrobat for viewing attachments, or ExpenseTracker for managing her ﬁnances Providers are ofon the road. fering new funcBecause she works in both vidtions. eo production and provides voiceover for TV and other media, Bravo needs a device that allows her to load or download—and then view or listen to—ﬁles from her MacBook or the Web. Bravo and her husband, Jorge Arias, a ﬁnancial planner, each have sampled several devices and plans from the major wireproviders—includless ing Sprint and Verizon, among others. Today, they are on contract with Verizon because of its reliability, especially in remote pockets of Puerto Rico, she says. Bravo began using her Treo several years ago, and continually upgrades the device with each new generation that hits the streets. For example, Bravo found her Treo 700P was weak in document production and handling. So she upgraded to the 700W to achieve greater capabilities. She’s also able to compress, send and receive low-resolution 30-second television spots with ease. For his part, husband Arias uses a Samsung SPH 730, mostly for contact management. Her use of Windows Mobile means Bravo has access to a variety of applications. Some devices on the market that HISPANIC ENTERPRISE * The Blackberry Curve. do not operate on the Windows platform are incapable of downloading industry-speciﬁc applications. For example, medical practitioners who use pharmaceutical and medical database applications in the ofﬁce cannot download some Windows-based tools to their new iPhones. That leaves users with two PDAs—the trendy new iPhone for calls and contact management, and another device to run Windows-based business applications. Despite all the buzz, Bravo ﬁnds the much-ballyhooed BlackBerry doesn’t suit her needs. Some people like the functionality of the BlackBerry Pearl; others could never get used to the “multitap” key stroking of the truncated keyboard. This is key; media hype and industry reviews might position such devices as ideal for various applications. Yet users must know the device serves their speciﬁc requirements. Come January, when Bravo and Arias’ family contract is up, she’s going to scout a new device. She’s intrigued by the iPhone, but wonders about its ability to meets her all her business needs. Then there’s the learning curve; she may spend days or weeks learning a new device—time she could be investing in her business, Bravo admits. “If something new comes out, I need to feel that it’s going to make me efﬁcient,” she says. “I’m a iPhone’s application menu. creature of habit, but I need to keep growing with my technology.” 21 October/November 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007

Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007 Contents BIZBUZZ: Business Briefs Trendsetters BIZTECH: Personally Digital BizLife - Travel: The Mobile Meeting Motoring: Is What You Drive, Who You Are? Q&A - Fact Tank for the Hispanic Population Hispanic Commerce Cover Story: Tiles with Style Success & Motivation: Grammy Whammy Finance: Talking Code Event: Masterminds NCLR Report - Improving your Triple Bottom Line Politics & Government: Keep on Truckin' Managing: Avoiding an Identity Crisis Franchising: Beyond the Brand Finance & Investing - Talking Money Movers & Shakers Regional Report - Louisiana, Louisiana Chamber Focus - On the Island of Enchantment

Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007

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