I seek relevant info about Palm product or similar with Filemaker Pro, Server, Mobile.

I work in busy Emergency Services Ops Center. There is a growing need to record all "request for assistance" data digitally. This is currently being done by hand on paper (later filed) as the nature of our services are generally performed under stress/time factors.

Existing operational intelligence gathering 'forms' typically consist of name/address detail then a series of checkboxes. I am hoping that:
1. these can be easily designed and programmed by us (*see note) for use on a Palm for our personnel.
2. data can easily be 'uploaded' to our computer database.

I have done some research at this stage on Filemaker Mobile with Palm and it looks promising but would like anyone's opinion about that.

Have considered Laptops/Desktop but the following conditions could be problematic.
3. Most operators are volunteer, various training, skills.
4. Cramped and busy conditions with little deskspace.
5. Cannot afford to have novice computer users get stuck in the middle of an operation.

Hence I though handheld would be compact and simple to use with limited application therefore less things that can go wrong for the user and less distraction.

I have next to NO experience with these units apart from seeing a 'newton' some years ago which seemed a bit of an expensive toy. Have reasonable experience using FMP as part of back end solution for dynamic web delivery and find FMP to be very good low end product.