ePocrates Rx Pro Now Available for Pocket PC

Ed Hardy · 04-09-2003, 03:48 PM

Doctors with Pocket PC models can finally use ePocrates’ very popular drug reference on their handhelds.

Read more at http://www.brighthand.com/article/eP..._for_Pocket_PC

gfunkmagic · 04-09-2003, 04:31 PM

Quote:

ePocrates Rx Pro 6.0 sells for $50 for either the Pocket PC or Palm OS version. There is a free version, called ePocrates Rx, that just has the drug information and is available only for Palm OS.

NO FREE VERSION FOR PPC! That sucks for PPC users IMO...

Larry Klassen · 04-09-2003, 05:20 PM

Exactly - thanks alot, Epocrates. I won't be using it at this point. Why is there a free version for Palm, but not PPC?

imported_Soulstice · 04-09-2003, 09:47 PM

Give it a couple of months, competitor will emerge as usual. Remember half year ago, there isn't even meaningfull number of medical titles for PPC.

the obvious one is wireless update. ePocrate doesn't seem to be the kind of company who can develop things like that. It already takes them a good while to even come up with PPC version of their flagship title, while the other medical publishing company has done it long time ago.

gfunkmagic · 04-10-2003, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Soulstice
Give it a couple of months, competitor will emerge as usual. Remember half year ago, there isn't even meaningfull number of medical titles for PPC.

the obvious one is wireless update. ePocrate doesn't seem to be the kind of company who can develop things like that. It already takes them a good while to even come up with PPC version of their flagship title, while the other medical publishing company has done it long time ago.

I seruously doubt that. First of all, its been rumored fro months that Epocrates might even drop the free Qrx version for PalmOS itself! In the past they've wanted to levarage the huge number of PalmOS users they have for maketing and advertising purposes while eventually hoping a large number of them would migrate over to their fee based premium service. The number of PPC users in the medical pda segement is probably way to small for them to invest and justify a free version.

Corgi2 · 04-10-2003, 08:16 AM

I don't think eP has to look over its shoulder for competitors. This program is the defacto standard. Everyone I know has this program and perhaps another. I agree that there can't be that many PPC vs Palm users in medicine. I know they are out there, but I have never seen one used. Probably due to a combination of size, cost and the fact most people are using Palms so I might as well, too. That said, there must be enough of them for eP to make money on it - or maybe the programmers needed something to do.

I'm surprised the Palm version stayed free for so long. I'm waiting for the autoupdate Mac version. The ease of use will be worth 50 bucks. But I would understand if they never released one since there are not that many Mac users in general, let alone ones that use eP.

Larry Klassen · 04-10-2003, 09:03 AM

I'd have to say its pretty common in my hospitals, probably around 20% of the staff and students use PPCs - not an insignificant number.

The definitive program? I would beg to differ. Skyscape software has long been the definitive software for handheld computers (dating back to the Newton - mid-'90's - before PPC existed, and before Palms were used for anything other than a portable rolo-dex). Lexi-drugs is also a good program from what I hear, and Physician's drug handbook is excellent. There are definitely options, and I have used the Skyscape stuff since the mid-'90's, and never been disappointed. I would have liked to try the ePocrates on my PPC, but I certainly wouldn't make the switch at this time. My Skyscape stuff is seamless - jumping from one program to another (within the same topic) is quite useful.

Corgi2 · 04-10-2003, 01:04 PM

Maybe what gets used most is influenced by the early adopters at a particular site. I'll check into those programs to see what they can do.