Do any of you use PDA's? If so which are the best and what features do you recommend. I had (still have) an old palm pilot that I bought a few years ago that I used for a couple of months and hated it. I am sure the technology is much better now, and I interested in getting a new one. I hated trying to write so that the PDA recognized the word or letters with the stylus. I am thinking about getting one with a GPS built it, or one with some of the other advanced built ins. Any suggestions?
http://www.pdabuyersguide.com/ take a look and holler back if you have more questions. If you get one with a phone capability you can very often buy these unlocked and pick a different provider than the usual carrier and save some bucks on the monthly data charge.
This might be a dying platform. Sony is getting out, and Palm is in big trouble. Because cell phones have penetrated the marketplace to the point of ubiquity, it makes sense to put PDA software and capabilities on them. These phones/PDA's will likely be the new thing. The question will be whether you want a Windows Mobile or other operating system's machine. Having said all of that, I'm in no hurry to have a combined machine. I don't use my cell phone that much (but that's going to change with my new job). But I use my PDA constantly. I have an HP Ipaq 4350. I like it because it has plenty of RAM, Windows Mobile (which makes linking to my main computer a snap, allowing me to sync my Outlook stuff with my PDA's Pocket Outlook), and a familiar look-and-feel. It also has a built-in thumb keyboard which I simply could not do without, and wireless internet capability ("b", not "g") that often comes in handy.
Alpha Male One of the best bits of advice I have ever received from John Bear was about: http://www3.alphasmart.com/products/index.html I am wildly happy with the cheapest of the 3 products shown. It is light, has a full-size keyboard, the batteries (3 penlights) run for hundreds of hours, it automatically saves everything, and it transfers data easily to the home computer via USB--or from it if you buy a (cheap) utility program disk. The more expensive Dana has all these advantages plus more PDA-like features and a bigger screen. I am a tech idiot but this thing has been an absolute godsend for doing research at a certain stupid football-addicted university which charges (only) 500 simoleons a year for a guest borrower card. Other universities in my area charge anywhere from Sandy to Andy--or extend guest borrower privileges for free.
I have a HP 450 and enjoy it. Am not going to go for a combined PDA + Phone bcoz think that they are not worth the price. Maybe in a few years time, yes, they are going to be worth it.
Here is a link to some info on three proto type PDA/Phones. It does seem the direction things are headed. http://www.davespda.com/index.php?itemid=158
Submitted without prejudice For your consideration; not a recommendation. http://www.quickpad.com/ A portable, cheap, laptop DOS-based turbo XT with utilities. N.B. The non-standard display severely limits its DOS compatibility. N.B. A CF card, if installed, juts out of the side of the (PRO) unit in a disquieting way.
I can thoroughly recommend the P900 series by Sony Ericsson. Absolutely stunning PDA, Mobile, Internet etc and syncs wonderfully with Outlook. Coupled with Plaxo, and I will never, ever lose my contact address book again!!! Cheers, George PS Plus it is triband and has all the fruit.
Sometimes its sad to see a platform die out. Even though most don't see widespread usage, they normally serve specific users very well. (Sony Beta comes to mind.) I once owned an NEC 780, which was technically a PDA. It ran Windows CE (precursor to the current Windows Mobile), but it had a full-size (well, 90%, anyway) keyboard and a half-height (320x240) VGA screen. It also had two expansion ports, synched to one's Windows machine (desktop or laptop), and had the Pocket PC programs (like Pocket Word, Excel, and Outlook). I wrote my first 3 dissertation chapters on that thing. It ran for about 10 hours before recharging, had a 56kb modem, fit nicely into a briefcase pocket, and weighed less than 2 lbs. NEC upgraded it once (slightly, to the 790), but the entire platform (including its main competitor, the HP Journada) died when palm-sized PDA's acquired more capabilities. I sold mine for a hundred bucks.
Re: Alpha Male I just checked out AlphaSmart. The Neo is very much like my old (very old) Tandy TRS 100. Full keyboard, tiny b/w screen, connectivity to a real computer, and nothing else. Before laptops really got going, by TRS 100 was a dream machine. However, I really wouldn't recommend it today. The Dana, as Unc notes, comes with a better screen and the Palm OS. I've got to think that gives it more versatility. But at more expense, too. If you just need a text-entry machine (save the formatting for when you transfer it to your real computer) and don't mind the tiny screen, (6 lines of 51 characters each), then perhaps the Neo would be a good niche product for you.
I am glad that uncle j is happy with his AlphaSmart, as am I. I use it all the time for data entry in libraries, airplanes, etc. -- those 300-hours on flashlight batteries is hard to beat. But of course with a full-sized keyboard, it is not a pocket item for people who don't wear clown suits.
text-entry Rich: That's all I use the 3000 for and all I happened to need: an alternative to handwriting notes (which is physically difficult for me). High-end, it ain't, but for me it's perfect.
The Alphasmart gets yet another life extension. Now you can hook it up to your IPad... Video: Neo Keyboard Hooked up to iPad | Gadget Lab | Wired.com
