RE: iSeries and PDA

How frequently will the users be entering this data and asking for 
information back? The applications we are using are 2-way batch 
transmissions. One app is for recording labor hours for workers on various 
crews, and the other is for recording the issuing of diesel fuel and 
gasoline to pieces of heavy equipment and truck for this construction 
company.

The data is recorded throughout the day on the PDA, and then is 
transmitted to the iSeries when the crew leader presses the transmit 
button in the application program. A trigger program on the iSeries fires, 
and data that will update each crew leader's PDA is sent back to the PDA 
to update the files there. We chose not to go wireless because of the cost 
of the wireless service for each PDA, and to be able to minimize the cost 
of each PDA. We are using the lowest cost Palm Pilots for this 
application. Since each crew leader carries a cell phone anyway, the cell 
phone is turned into a modem when the transmit button is pushed. The phone 
can connect to the PDA with either a short data cable or via infrared. 

This may be less fancy than some of the other suggestions made here, but 
when you mentioned field workers and potatoes, our construction company 
application came to mind.