Continuum Bytes

Continuum Bytes

Hand-Held PCs  For Chapter 3

The new fad in corporate America is the hand-held PC. These small and versatile machines enable you to take notes, keep track of appointments, send e-mail, maintain an address book, and even play games. These machines are taking the place of the traditional paper-based DayTimer and other organizers. 3Com's PalmPilot is recognized as the leader in this market with nearly 77% of those using a PalmPilot reporting productivity gains. More information on the PalmPilot is available at http://www.palm.com/home.html.

Unfortunately, not everyone who uses a PalmPilot is necessarily being as productive as possible. Buzzword Bingo has entered the corporate world as a way for office workers to put some humor back into meetings and everyday work. Participants must complete a traditional bingo card filled with buzzwords and jargon to win the prize. The words might be heard in meetings, overheard in the lunchroom, or possibly seen in memos. To assist the participants, several individuals have developed the ability to play the game on hand-held PCs that can be unobtrusively taken into meetings. While fun and exciting, many feel that this form of entertainment is distracting the participants from their real jobs. Go to http://interactive.cfra.com/1998/07/10/46575.html for more information on Buzzword Bingo.

Points to Ponder:

1. Do you use a personal organizer? Is it paper or electronic? If paper, do you see yourself switching to an electronic organizer in the near future? Why or why not? If electronic, why?
2. Have you ever been involved in a game of Buzzword Bingo? Do you think it is just office humor or more of a distraction? Why?