Time has come to retire the Sony PDA I bought in 2001. Frankly, it’s become a total POS: the little writing area is so scratched I can barely write on it, and the flippy cover (which I always hated) is now attached with duct tape.
However, there’s a couple of things that kind of puzzle me about the latest PDAs. I sure could use some help.
I would like to wirelessly sync with my home desktop that has Bluetooth. But I’ve noticed that relatively few PDAs have Bluetooth for some reason. It seems more and more are Wifi enabled. Question: if a PDA is wifi enabled, I assume that means I can sync it. But can I also browse websites with it? Like, if I’m sitting in a coffee shop, can I whip out this kind of PDA and check my email or read the headlines on Yahoo news?
(Getting an answer to this has caused me no end of frustration. The Best Buy dorks I’ve asked just give me a blank look, and give an unconfident nod in the affirmative, like if I asked them if a $5,000 plasma TV would make a good doorstop. And I’ve been through a hundred CNet and Amazon reviews that simply don’t answer this question! Arg!)
Plus, I’ve been using the Palm OS since the very first one came out. Now I see that Microsoft has its own Windows-type system for PDAs. In playing around with various PDAs, it seems to me that the Palm OS is still more simple, straightforward, and easy to use. Is there any advantage to the Windows type OS that I don’t understand? Why are there so many Windows-type PDAs coming out now if the system (to me at least) seems so clunky and crash-prone?
Finally, is there any real drawback to buying a model that is maybe a couple years old? I always end up looking at Palm T2s or T3s, because they offer the wireless syncing that I’m looking for, at a much more reasonable price.
I am also looking into the market. For me, I don’t really care about WiFi or blue tooth, being that I will be next to a laptop most of the time.
I am thinking about getting a PalmOne Tungsten E. It is more in line with the classic PDAs, being that it has no built in phone, wireless, or camera. Keep in mind though, that PDA wireless expansion cards are about that will allow you to convert your non wireless PDA into a wireless model.
The PalmOne site has a good “Pick what is right for me” section. You should check it out.
As for the Windows based PDAs, I think it comes down to personal preference. If you already know the Palm OS, there would be no reason I could see to move.
A friend of mine who owns a Palm says he thinks it has more and better software than PocketPCs (PDAs with windows), except on GPS applications, for which he recently fell in love but can’t find a cheap solution for his Palm.
My girlfriend bought a PocketPC + GPS combo for herself this christmas, it’s definitely a cute thing (“Turn Left Now!”…).
As for myself, I’m planning on getting a PocketPC. I’m too afraid of the unknown to get a Palm.
I started with a Palm IIIxe a few months ago, a refurb, and decided to get a Tungsten E just Friday. I think it’s a good choice because the higher resolution color screen is a lot easier for me to read as I’m 43 and just getting into reading glasses. The next generation grafitti language - the feature that allows you to write text with a stylus - is a vast improvement over the earlier Palms. I got a 1GB SD card so I can use it as a media player, makes plane flights less tedious, and I’ve been experimenting with viewing and creating Excel and Word files on it and it seems like it will be a very useful tool when I’m on the road. I’m not saying it’s the ultimate but the price was reasonable for what it does and it was easy to transition to it.