EDC PDA

[RedRamage]

So does anyone carry a PDA anymore these days?  It seems that cellphones have replaced the need for a PDA for most people.  I, however, still carry a PDA with me all the time.  I carry a Tapwave Zodiac (PalmOS) right now, but I'm keeping my eyes out for a possible PocketPC upgrade as I'm afraid the PalmOS market is disappearing.

I use my PDA for my MP3 player, my eBook reader, my entertainment (games), and newspaper (Avantgo), and of course my address book, memo pad, and calendar as well.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I just got a new iPAQ.  I was hoping to have it before I went on holiday, but as is usual for my luck, it arrived here the day after I left!  I have it now and I am happy as a pig in you-know-what. 

This is my second Windows machine- my other one, an ASUS died on me a few months ago and I had to go back to my old Palm.  I had numerous Palms over the last few years- Palm IIIe, M-125, Sony CLIE and my trusty workhorse, the Tungsten E.

Overall I think I prefer the Palm OS, but since Palm is dying a slow death thanks to MS taking over the world, I figured I'd better join the Windows universe.  It's kind of odd that the Palm machines sync better with MS programs like Word and Outlook Express better than the Windows machines do.

Def

[damota]

I am hoping Palm have rued their desision to use MS on the Treo 750. I have used MS on both a phone and a PDA and I will never have another. Only thing good thing about them was being able to mess about with the .xml files, as far as being usable the reception was terrible on the phone (Motorola X200) and the Bluetooth and battery life was useless on both.
Palm and Sonny Erricson connect like they were made by the same company and I will carry my T3 till it busts. The latest idea Palm have come up with I really hope will take off and they bring a smaller version out (A5 size would be good) with a longer lasting battery.

http://www.palm.com/us/products/mobilecompanion/foleo/index.html?creativeID=SP_M_foleo

Linux/Palm OS, instant on/off Wi-fi, Bluetooth and IR. Doc to Go to sync with MS Office and being able to mess about with photos as well = perfect. Just that bit too big.

Dave

[Grant Lamontagne]

Interesting- I hadn't seen the Folio before.  I thought after their last grasp at success with the LifeDrive that they'd simply dry up.

I think I may have to look closer at one of those.

Def

[eodtech]

I sold my Palm T2 and got a T-Mobile DASH ( HTC - Excalibur ) running Windoze Mobile 6. The main reason for going with the DASH ( I have had T-Mobile for a long time ) was the ability to sync the DASH with my MAC ( http://www.markspace.com/) , they also make MAC syncing software for Blackberry, Palm, Sony, etc. I sold my old cell on eBay for $99 and the yearly upgrade to the DASH was $50, so I made the switch. Of course T-Mobile wanted me to upgrade my 300 minute plan ( $19.95 )  to something more elaborate and I declined.

DASH /  HTC makes a nice Wi-Fi device, big screen, good color and large fonts so I can see the screen w/o reading glasses.


Andrew J. Gnoza, III

[Mike Micklea]

I almost bought a Dell X51v off of eBay yesterday.  I've been seriously thinking of picking up a new PDA but realized I don't know anything about them anymore.

I've also been checking out the Asus MyPal 626

Either of these any good?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I had an ASUS a600 MyPal but the battery fried on it.  I seriously thought about getting a new battery for it, but that would require soldering and that's beyond my abilities.  Electricity is my white whale.  I really liked the ASUS machines, and I would have seriously considered another one had I not gotten such a good deal on the iPAQ 2495.  I was also pretty well sold on the Dell x51 since it had the most features for the price, but I see Dell has discontinued them.  Also, I ended up getting a better deal on the iPAQ, as I mentioned before!

My Tungsten E still sees some use though- Even at the height of my ASUS enjoyment I still found the Palm OS a hard thing to give up.  I still find it does many things better than Windows Mobile/CE- it syncs better with Outlook Express and MS Word, or at least it does if you use Documents to Go, which comes with many Palm machines nowadays.

Def

[Mike Micklea]

Have you ever used the browser on a PDA?  I see a lot of them have WiFi, and come with both an email program and IE.

Can I actually surf the net on one?  Or is it like surfing on a cell phone?  (it sucks)

How much of a difference is there between the Palm OS and Microsoft?  To be honest, I've only used the Palm software.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Palm and Windows Mobile are two completely different animals and they work very differently from eachother.  There is no Hotsync app like on the Palm, although there is Activesync, but it's different.  Hotsync is a datebook, calendar, address book etc in addition to the sync software, while Activesync really is only a conduit that lets you access the Pocket PC like it was an external drive.  It will still update news programs etc like AvantGo, and it will install programs but that's about it.

The PPC acts more like regular Windows and once you get used to it, it isn't so bad.  But, coming from a Palm background you will have to (in the immortal words of Yoda) "unlearn that which you have learned." 

One benefit of the PPC is the ability to explore the handheld from your desktop as you would with an external drive.  Unlike the Palm, it's not as picky about hiding what is under the GUI.  That can be a handy thing, but it also means you can screw it up easier!

All in all I decided I had to make the change to Windows Mobile simply because that's the way everything is going.  Palm saw the change coming (when Bill Gates sets his sights on something it's hard to resist!) and tried to trump MS with the Lifedrive, but that ultimately flopped.  Now I think they are gathering their last few dollars in a vain attempt to bridge the gap between the handheld and laptop with the Foleo.

Palm is a better system like so many others but will eventually be buried.  Don't believe me?  Remember Netscape?   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oh, and get ready to pay for every piece of software you get.  Like it's bigger counterpart, Windows Mobile is closed source so you don;t have every hobbyist developer building software for it!

Lastly, surfing is much better on a PPC than a phone- you see everything, just like on a computer screen, only you have to scroll more.  On my phone the screen is way too small and most of the pictures/graphics don't show.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm posting this on my iPAQ while talking to you on Skype. I also have MSN Messenger on this thing which is pretty cool.

Def

[Mike Micklea]

Hmm...  The Windows mobile software sounds interesting, and expensive

I keep telling myself I should just get a used Palm.  I use a PDA to keep track of my checkbook, and as a day planner, that's about it.  I don't really need the WiFi, MP3, or video stuff... but I love gadgets!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I actually don't use mine as an mp3 player- I rarely ever did.  I used my Palm to listen to music once or twice while reading an e-book, but didn't care for it.  It shortened the battery life like crazy, and I have a perfectly good mp3 player already.

I do use mine for watching movies and cartoons though.  It's kind of neat to catch a Simpsons or South Park episode pretty well anywhere you like!

Def

[Mike Micklea]

I do use mine for watching movies and cartoons though.  It's kind of neat to catch a Simpsons or South Park episode pretty well anywhere you like!

Yeah, that's one of those features I'd convince myself I couldn't live without... even though I have no real use for it

[damota]

Palm is a better system like so many others but will eventually be buried.  Don't believe me?  Remember Netscape?   

Def

Now the originator of the Palm Pilot is back in charge after starting the Handspring off shoot that was also the originator of the Treo phones and selling them back to the company he had left (Palm). I think you are in for a surprise. MS by it's very size has to make a big foot print in whatever market they try to go into. Palm like SE do not have to do that, they can get away with a smaller market share.
The Folio is an opening shot in a new market and apparently uses Linux to a higher degree then Palm has used before (not surprising since Palm took on most of the BeOS development team).
I think there is going to be new handhelds using the Linux/Palm OS they have apparently developed.
I know the MS phone was a stop gap phone because the phone operators wanted a locked down system and the Palm OS is anything but lockable (that is why it is so popular learn C+ and anyone can make a program for it) because it always has been like Linux, open source. Phones leave a lot to be desired with the compromise between being able to be phone size and having a screen suitable to view anything graphic dependent like Internet browsing or working on the picture taken with the camera. I think there will definitely be a smaller version of the Folio at least, maybe with a half screen like the old Psion or the Canadian DataWind.

Dave