What if adding software to a hand-held computer were as easy as buying a soft drink from a vending machine?

Jeff Freed, founder of the new Iowa start-up EZ ZAP Inc., says it is.

Beginning Monday, owners of personal digital assistants using Palm operating systems will be able to beam new programs to their devices from a “software vending machine,” located in a kiosk on the skywalk level of 801 Grand Ave. They can choose from about 70 software applications in such areas as personal finance, travel, fitness, games and e-books. About 70 percent of the software is free, and the other programs can be purchased for between $5 and $29.95.

It’s estimated there are 22 million PDA users in the United States, a number some experts predict will grow to 50 million by 2005. But downloading software from the Internet is both cumbersome and time-consuming, said Freed. Instead of the 10 or so steps required to download a program from the Internet, the software vending machine delivers it after three screen touches. “And you can get it without hooking up to a computer,” he said. “Any time you can make something easier, it makes the application stronger.”

Freed said many PDA owners aren’t aware of how many software applications are available.

He got the idea for the software kiosk while waiting in line during a busy lunch hour at a popular Des Moines deli. “I was thinking it would be nice to get that menu on my PDA and call my order in ahead of time,” he said.

From there, the idea mushroomed. He considered the larger implications, beyond creating a system that would allow him to download the menu of a favorite lunch spot to one that would truly “empower PDAs with great software.”

Freed contacted some well-known players in the computer consulting industry in Greater Des Moines, including Mike Wagner of Spindustry Systems. Wagner, co-founder and one of 10 investors in EZ ZAP, helped Freed sharpen his focus to a vending product. “I give him a lot of credit,” Freed said.

Other investors include Craig Havemeyer of Market Masters at Drake University, the vice president of marketing; Jack Wahlig of Integrus Financial LLC, vice president; Greg Kunz of Smart Decisions LLC, director of product development; Scott Wallace of Smart Decisions, director of software engineering; Shirley Poertner of Poertner Consulting Group LLC, Ernest J. Rudolph of Dreamfield Associates and George Wood of Transformation Partners, all consultants; and Burt Johnson of Meredith Corp., co-founder.   “I have not heard one person to this day say, ‘Oh, that’s a bad idea,’” he said. “There has not been one negative, which is extremely encouraging.”

Freed thinks the software vending machine is the only one of its type. Its unveiling this week at 801 Grand follows testing by PDA users who were invited to participate in trials at Park Fair Mall last week. “The research activity proved to be very successful,” Havemeyer said. “And, of course, we’ll learn a lot more from our trials at 801 Grand and Valley West Mall.”

The kiosk will eventually be moved to Valley West Mall. The Principal Bank and PalmGear.com, a third-party company that resells software and accessories for hand-held computers, are initial sponsors of the service. Principal Bank’s MyCheckbook is available for a free download at the kiosk.

David Merlo, the bank’s vice president of marketing, said sponsoring the kiosk meshes well with the bank’s goal to build awareness of Internet banking among technology-savvy consumers. “It gets us to people who are tech-friendly and who know how to use technology to save time and money,” he said.

Craig Franklin, the bank’s customer relationship manager, participated in last week’s trials. “My initial impression was trying to think how this would save time and how convenient it’s going to be once more kiosks are out there,” he said. “It will save time as I travel from city to city.”

Information collected during the trials at 801 Grand and Valley West Mall will help the company refine its product before a nationwide rollout. Eventually, software vending machines could become as prevalent as the PDAs themselves, the company executives said.

“I see no reason it can’t be an active tool, both in the U.S. and internationally,” said Rudolph, whose business-consulting firm helps raise venture capital for start-up companies. “The Palm platform is well accepted around the world, and this approach adds convenience to getting software at the places you spend time. It’s easy, it’s fast and it’s convenient.”