er yea, it is actually quite portable Lew, and it's not restricted any more
to Windows platforms (at least in the mobile device space).
But I was actually thinking of a Windows Mobile or Palm based PDA/Phone.
There are even viewers for Symbian based devices.
These all handle basic spreadsheets remarkably well but you may have a point
when it comes to handling Excel applications, those with embedded controls
and code etc.

I port many spreadsheets to my Windows Mobile based phone and also did so on
my old Palm device for years (using a 3rd party Excel viewer - later
versions of which actually allowed you to read/edit excel files in Windows
Native mode). Viewing and editing was very simple, but as you say, screen
size is an issue.

If the tea application we are discussing requires a few bells and whistles,
then I concur that Excel is probably not the way forward. If the potential
users want something that is very simple (and perhaps readily portable),
then maybe Excel is an option.

Just a thought, not an edict.

Cheers
Mal
Oz


"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> "Mal from Oz" > writes:
>
>> A Relational Database would be powerful compared to MS Works, Excel etc.
>> Would also take some committment from someone keen to embark on such a
>> venture. One also needs to remember the more complex the solution
>> adopted,
>> the more likely the product incurs problems (no disrespect to the
>> programmers on the group) and the harder it is to make changes to it as
>> time
>> goes on..
>>
>> My PDA/Phone goes with me everywhere and just happens to be Windows
>> based.
>> With the increasing number of smartphones on the market perhaps a more
>> simpler approach using a more portable platform such as Excel might be
>> something to consider.
>
> Portable? Excel?!
>
> OK, I've counted to ten and calmed down. Look, Excel is portable only
> in an all-Microsoft world. Leaving aside all the, uh, philosophical
> objections many people have towards a Microsoft monoculture, you don't
> have to be a very keen observer of the world of computing to realize
> that Microsoft's power and reach have ebbed over the last several
> years.
>
> Sorry about what might be considered off-topic ranting, but we *are*
> talking about a potential tool for those reading this newsgroup.
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /
> http://www.glencove.com/95nworkTCPIP.html#c5