Wow, what a night! I stayed up late eating dark chocolate covered espresso beans, drinking decaffeinated Diet Coke (because I am strange like that), and loading the Hermes with applications.Today marks its first day as my daily driver…my poor abandoned JasJar is sitting forlorn to the side; oh the humanity!

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So in celebration of the new PDA, I thought it would be fun to share a list of the programs that I can’t live without and a few that I am trying:

eReader - this is usually the first program I will load on any PDA. Would you believe that I don’t think I would ever consider buying a PDA that couldn’t run it? That might be because of the thousands of dollars I have invested in eBooks. eReader should give me a frequent buyers’ discount… ;-)

Anyway, I am looking forward to reading my first eBook on the Hermes. Although the 2.8″ screen doesn’t sing to me, the jog wheel (or “true thumbwheel” as it is being called) and the promise of the easiest page flipping yet almost makes up for it.

eWallet - yes, I know that there are lots of PDA wallet programs available these days, but guess what? This is my favorite! I like that it will work on a Palm, my Desktop computer, and on my Pocket PC.

Pocket Informant 2007 - another must have for my PPC. This is a great program for people that actually need more from their calendar, tasks, and contacts than a simple list. Check it out, there is a free trial.

Resco Explorer 2005 - along with its plethora of other utility features, it includes a handy program launcher Today plug-in.

HanDBase for Pocket PC - when I do quarterly oil & gas well tests, this program allows me to check off upcoming and completed items while adding notes about each phase of the test while the field agent completes them. I can later upload everything to my PC database…try doing that with paper!

Pocket Genealogist - my other hobby is genealogy. This program allows me to keep all my notes on my Pocket PC. I can update entries on the fly and then sync back with the Legacy software on my computer. Theoretically I could whip it out and prove in an instant that Henry III was my 21st grandfather. Too bad that speck of royal blood doesn’t get me better parking at the grocery store. ;-)

SPB Time - having friends all over the world means that I am waking up when some of them are ready for bed and vice versa. SPB Time allows me to keep track of what time it is at home, as well as in China, Australia and England - or anywhere else I might set. The world’s getting smaller - might as well know what time it is on the other side. This program also adds multiple timers and stopwatch features - always handy!

SPB Diary - this Today screen plug-in arranges everything neatly and in one place. It integrates with the other SPB software that I like to use, as well as Pocket Informant. Displayed via a tab interface, I can select from Calendar, Tasks, Contacts, Notes, Email & Special Occasions. Each section is totally customizable.

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SPB Weather - one of the most important West Texas past-times is commenting on the weather. “Look like it’s gonna rain?” “Nope.” “Crud.” This program eliminates the guesswork and puts up to a seven day forecast right on the Today screen.

SPB Backup - easily the best Windows Mobile 5 backup solution; set it and forget it, and totally compatible with WM5!! I should mention that when you buy multiple SPB software titles at one time, you’ll get a pretty good discount.

Astraware Sudoku - one of my favorite time wasters, and I’m getting better at it…really!

Magic Button - a freeware utility that allows the true closing of applications. It also has a handy battery bar that displays across the top of every screen.

Lexionary Dictionary - no Pocket PC is complete without a good, full-featured and easy to use dictionary; this one is my favorite.

Tweaks2k2.NET - allows you to change registry settings on the fly - very handy if you aren’t comfortable seeking out or fooling with some of the more tricky registry hacks.

SPB Insight - I have been trying a beta of SPB’s new RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed reader. I was using, and still highly recommend Ilium’s NewsBreak, there are just a few things that I like better about Insight. Insight puts pictures next to each entry and downloads all of the pictures from the articles to your device’s memory card. The trade-off is that there is no Today plug-in, yet.

MemMaid - if you use your Pocket PC for surfing, email, or anything that involves data, then it has picked up garbage that eats into available memory. This program fixes that, quickly and easily. It also does much more, so be sure to check it out; I consider it a must-buy.

Shape Shifter - I have literally scratched up a high quality screen protector by getting entirely too engrossed in this game.

Zuma - a fun ball-firing game with great Aztec/Mayan styled graphics and music.

Bookworm - every time I start to play this game I swear I am not going to resort to making any three letter words. It never works out that way, though. :-(

TextTwist - an all time favorite time-waster. It is simple, easy to play, yet very challenging!

Even though I’ve completed the game and it is no longer on my PDA, Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars deserves a mention here. If you have a free weekend to get sucked into a Role Playing Game, play it!!

Maybe I should just say that I really like Astraware games, and leave it at that? ;-)

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So which Pocket PC or Palm Applications are on your MUST LOAD list?