Neil,

Field computers are not such a far fetched idea after all. One can now buy
full featured 486SX pen-based computers with 80meg hardrives and most
importantly with PCMCIA slots to attach your GIS (Geographic Information
System?) satellite locating unit. This allows a birder (or other field worker)
to stand in the field with his/her computer and a full featured database and
input data onto the screen, using the attached special pen, about bird
observations such as species, numbers, etc. The GIS unit then automatically
stamps each siting with the exact lat/long and altitude within 50 feet. If
enough birders and biologist were using such units unit we could really
generate some accurate maps about bird and habitat distribution over time. The
system of handwriting in a field notebook is slow.

This usually leads to the field worker skipping over many data points that
could be of use later simply because it is too time consuming to record the
exact location of trees, bushes, leks, nests, ponds, etc. The computer makes
this a snap.

Yes, there are a couple of problems though. Currently the handwriting-
recognizing software algorithms are not adequate to make inputting data by pen
an effortless job. Unless one has very consistent block-style handwriting the
software will have difficulty identifying the input characters.
Software improvements are being made all the time though, and pen-based field
computers are the future. However, the computer that I refer to, made by
Compaq, is also equipped with a keyboard. The entire unit is small enough to
use the keyboard in the field. The computers are still expensive too, costing
around $1500-$2000. Then add to that the GIS unit for $700.

Scott Ray
scray at delphi.com



>>Dennis Paulson writes:
>> Neil, how much does your "palmtop" field-note taker cost? Both Apple and
>> Sony have produced tiny machines that will plug into Macintoshes, but
>> they're in the $600 range, somewhat more expensive than a 4x6" looseleaf
>> etc.

Then Neil Fergusson wrote:

>Dennis, you are right. The cost is about $600. Furthermore, these
>machines are not very powerful. I do not own one, in fact I don't
>own a computer (except the old 8086 which I use as dumb terminal
>to get to the UNIX machines at UW, and paid $100 for (about $80
>too much !) ). I think that a year or three wait will produce quite
>a pwerful little machine for a couple of hundred bucks, perhaps
>with a mini version of visual basic installed, which could be used
>to write some nice tally programs. An ideal would be a "screen-touch"
>activated user input which in addition is waterproof (for pelagics
>and other Pacific NW trips). I think this is about all we can hope for
>in three years wait, although I do like the idea of your song recognition
>program (I believe such things are currently available but are still
>in the research phase and are prohibitively expensive), you could simply
>point your palm-top (or better yet module installed in your class ring)
>at the bird, and it would identify the bird, update the tally for that
>species, and communicate the information by cell-phone to your home
>system. I think we have a few decades wait.
>
>Neil J. Fergusson ******************
>1405 1/2 NE 56th St. * Baffins *
>Seattle, WA 98105 * or *
>(206) 517-5466 * bust *
>cccc at u.washington.edu ******************