PDA to buy ?!

[AdmiralAK]

OK I;ve thought long and hard about this poll.

As well known I am a technology afficionado.... if I could I would have 2-3 macs (running different OSes of course) 2-3 PCs (same deal), a sunblade, an SGI machine and amiga an atari and an apple IIgs set up in my room and network them in some sort of concauction.... (the point is I cannot do this due to space and $$$ limitations )


Now this extends to the PDA region as well.
As well known I have a newton 2100 which I love to death (but the lack of support for my nokia 8890 and IrDA data connections for checking mail when away is getting to me since I want to be able to check my mail when abroad...anyway).

I want to test out a new stuff and possibly find some sort of good back up for my trusty old newton. here are my options:

1) Palm m505
- Its color which I like and also expandable
- I hate graffitti and its..well idiotic!!! CAnt be very productive on it unless you get a keyboard and even then...well... its just crappy OS as I;ve seem from an m100 which I have used.
- Docking with a mac: Yes
- Cheapest Price on ebay - $400

2) An iPaq H3650.
- Again color, which is nice, it says it has HWR but I question it since it doesnt say WHAT it is...it could be graffiti.
- Its windows.... dont know of its quality, recharge time and so on.
- DOcking with a mac: No
- Cheaper Price on ebay - $385

3) Psion Revo Plus
- Not color, but keyboard is built in. Seems to have some sort of HWR and of course touch screen, OS seems very stable and good and provides a word processor + spread sheet as well.
- I can find nothing bad thus far about it
- Docking with a mac: Optional
- Cheapest price on Ebay : $130



Any ideas ? comments from users already ? Any impressions ? ANy other PDAs I should consider ?


Thanks

Admiral

 

[jdog]

Get and iPaq and put linux on it!

 

[Red Phoenix]

Well, personally, I'd go for Handspring's Visor Edge. I currently have a Visor Deluxe, and it's been kind of a leming, but I know plenty of people who have bought from Handspring and had no problems. The Edge is really what I wish Handspring had released in the first place (rechargable batteries are a necessity with handhelds, if you ask me), so I could have bought it then. I know you don't like grafitti, but really it's not hard to learn and it is pretty natural after a while. The real reason to get something from Handspring, though, are the springboards. Take a look at all the add-ons you can get, and then take a look at how much you care about grafitti.

Besides, if you get a palmtop running Windows CE, then you'll have trouble connecting it with the Mac later on.

The only thing is, I've never tried checking my mail with my Visor. I have a modem for it, but not having a phone-line Internet provider, I haven't tried it, and honestly have no idea if it is possible (although I'm sure it is, if not through some easily-gotten third party software.)

 

[RacerX]

I've been thinking of getting one of the older Palms with the Apple serial adapter to see how it works with the software that SGI has on their site. Otherwise I have bee considering getting my wife a new Palm to replace the one she dropped. She loved using it to read books and stuff.

You keep talking about getting an iBook, why not bight the bullet with you Newton, put your money away for a little longer and then treat yourself!

Besides, at 500MHz, it is faster than what you have currently and you can run VirtualPC on it for all your other OSs (and take the show on the road!). I mean really, why have an OS collection when you can't show it off. This would be perfect, you just can't spend the money while saving up for it (that would be the hard part).

 

[AdmiralAK]

I wish I could edit my poll
there is the
Linux PDA which I forgot to put on
and Classic platforms (which serve no purpose other than collectors interest like the Sony Magic Link (MAgicCap OS) and the Amstrad Pen Pal lol )


lol showcase my OS collection on the road ? hmmm -- A mac that has OS/2, QNX< windows, NEXT/OPENSTEP, BeOS, LINUX and a whole bunch of other stuff too lol that will really blow people's minds -- Imagine all the burning I could do lol..see DVDs..

RacerX you have a great point . People are in awe over my newton... imagine over an iBook ..lol ... now I wish there were an SGI emulator out there

 

[AdmiralAK]

Instant thought...

ok 30 min after my reply
While driving to work I thought about this...
the iBook doesnt have IrDA, and the powerbook doesnt have software to interface with my mobile phone's IrDA ... so no wireless connectivity to check my mail when travelling...lol The nice thing about the psion (other than its price) are these:
1) Keyboard, easy to write mails (not like the f*ed up palm pilot, and possibly linux PDA and Pocket PC)


2) Built in IrDA and software to interface with nokia/motorola/ericsson phones to send & receive mails & SMS and surf the web

3) Dirt cheap compared to other solutions

4) Easy localization to greek. I can take it to greece and have it localized in order to type in both english and greek. (palm has this but graffitti sucks ..I know not about linux PDA and pocket PC)


oh well maybe its a fad... I will wait 2-3 weeks and if I still *want* one I will probably get one lol


I will wait a little on the iBook purchase -- Until my G3 at home at least becomes decrepid and cant do much -- Then I will buy another mac and cluster them under OS X


Admiral

PS: Anyone interested in a Newton 120 (my old one...I now have a 2100) gimme a buzz

PS2: (no not playstation2... lol) the not speniding $$ part is the easiest part for me ... before I buy ANYTHING I put it through a mental review committee lol... its harder to pass than a bill in a 50-50 split congress

 

[simX]

I think that any PDA from Handspring would be your best bet, because their PDAs are not as limited as Palms' are, especially since they introduced the Visor Neo and whatever the other new one is.

 

[ladavacm]

at least, if you don't live in mobile telco backwoods without GSM (PCS need not apply (for those of you not familiar with the abbrev, PCS is just like GSM, except that it isn't due to some minor protocol differences, and runs on 1900, rather than normal 900 or 1800 MHz

Same application set as Psion (both are EPOC based, even though some porting to 9210 must have been necessary)
Real keyboard, not as good as Psion's, though
Color display
IR and serial modem is built in (up to 56k asymmetric, if HSCSD is supported by the provider)
Phone is built in

 

[AdmiralAK]

I would have liked a nokia 92xx series phone, but the bad thing is that it is not triband

I live in the USA and if I get a 9290 it only has the 1900 band on (North America) so no good for my gravels in europe. If I get a 9210 its good everywhere else but since I cannot use it here in my daily life the cost isnt justified either damn....

I just came back from psion' site too and they said they are continuing further R&D on cunsumer products
Less competition dammit!


Admiral

 

[scruffy]

I'm obviously biased here, but that's what I would get.

Any time I've seen anyone doing anything with a PDA that they couldn't do with a $5 pocket calendar and a pencil, I've gotten the feeling that it's not something that they actually need or even want to do - they just are doing it because they'd feel silly having this several hundred dollar gadget, and then not doing anything with it that they couldn't do more easily and quickly with a pad of paper.

"Look, I can check webpages just by walking up to my computer, and plugging it in to the base station for a few seconds. Then I can read the pages at my leisure." - Well, that's nice, but since you're in your office for the next two hours anyway, why not read the pages on a nice big monitor... Ah, who am I to talk, I'm the one with a box full of pointless gadgets right beside me.

 

[AdmiralAK]

LOL I want one to check my mail on my off-travel time
Having to do it wireless means that I can enjoy more of the beach (and the nice sites thereof hehehe) while checking my mail

Admiral