I have decided recently that I wish to add to my usual assortment of pocket tools some sort of information tool, a PDA of some sort. Basically, something along the lines of an iPod Touch. But not necessarily an iPod; I like Apple in general, but I’m not a slave to Steve Jobs, and I’m open to the possibility that there are better devices out there. In particular, I also like Google in general; are there any good Droid equivalents?
My criteria:
I want to pay the price to buy a device once, and not pay a continual monthly data fee.
I live and work on a college campus, and thus almost always have access to wi-fi.
I already have a perfectly functional cell phone, and am well-served by the cheapest plan available.
Between these first three points, I think that a smart phone is probably not the way to go.
Wi-fi and a web browser I consider essential.
Since this would be replacing my pocket calculator in my pocket space, a scientific calculator app is also essential (I imagine they all have this, but just in case).
A usable GPS is not completely essential, but would be really nice. Something with driving directions, etc., isn’t necessary; I’d be happy with just getting coordinates.
A half-decent camera is likewise nice but not essential.
Multimedia (and the required associated storage space) is close to irrelevant: I don’t listen to much music anyway, especially not when I’m away from a computer. At most, I can see maybe loading a single ~2 hour movie on it at a time, to watch on a plane or the like.
I should be able to easily transfer files on or off of it from my computers: USB would be the easiest way to do this.
Cool apps are cool, but I don’t know exactly what’s out there, so feel free to mention any that might catch my interest.
Price is relevant. I might be willing to pay a little more for the right features, but all else being equal, I’d rather pay less.
This seems like a veiled bit or guerrilla marketing, but really I only know of 2 options. The iPod Touch and the Zune HD. I like the Zune HD’s, UI, form factor and desktop software much better than the Apple version, but the Apple version has a more comprehensive app store and a built-in camera on the most recent version. Apple recently released a new version of the Touch which means it’ll have newer tech but it’s correspondingly more expensive. Substantially so. The Zune HD has a built in FM Tuner which does HD radio which I think is a very nice addition. I still occasionally listen to radio and my gym broadcasts TV audio on FM frequencies.
There are other imitators out there but I’m not aware of any that are close to these two in terms of features, support and quality. If you really don’t care about a camera and want to save money spend $150 on a 16 GB Zune HD. If you want a camera get the Touch 8GB for $230. Neither does GPS but you aren’t getting a GPS system without a monthly fee anywhere that’s worth a shit.
If GPS is a priority your only option is upgrading to a smartphone. They make handheld GPS units but they don’t have any WiFi internet capability that I’m aware of.
You didn’t mention size. I guess you are looking for a iPhone sized device. However, there’s a bunch of interesting Android tablets out there. You don’t need a cell plan, and they have WiFi connectivity. I don’t own one, but I’m thinking about it.
I’ve got the Droid48 App running as an HP48 scientific calculator on my Android phone, so I assume you can get a calculator to your liking.
Well, he says multimedia is nearly meaningless to him. I figure that rules out tablets. The added cost and lack of pocketability make them seem like a nonstarter.
Seriously, what you seem to be looking for is a mobile internet device (MID), of which there are plenty. However, most of them are pricey, like $100+ more than a base model iPod Touch (8GB), up to like $8-900.
On the size question, I want something that can fit in a pocket. The whole idea is something that I wouldn’t know in advance when I would need it, so I’d want to be able to carry it on my person continually. So tablets are out.
Well, that’s a shame, then (though I’m not sure why it would be true; they can obviously fit the technology into such a device, and the system as a whole is maintained by the government, not by user fees). But the lack of a monthly fee takes a higher priority to me than the presence of a GPS, so if that’s the way it is, so be it.
I didn’t realize this was possible, and that is something to keep in mind. Unfortunately, I renewed my current Verizon contract just a couple of months before I realized that I had use for a smart device.
Did you upgrade your phone when you did, or did you just renew? If you didn’t upgrade, or just went with one of the more basic phones, you may be able to talk them into an upgrade to say a Droid X.
Also it depends how badly you want such a device. If you want one badly enough, you could always find a Verizon phone on Ebay if you’ve already upgraded yours. It’s a simple matter to get a used phone activated.
Or like I said there’s the archos android devices, several of which are ipod/phone sized. Worth a look, the specs are really nice. Some of them aren’t available for purchase yet, including, unfortunately, the 4.3" one, which would be the closest size to a Droid X, Evo, or similar phone. The 3.2" is available, though, for $149. IMO the “Internet Tablet 43” packs the best bang for the buck though. A 1Ghz A8 CPU, 480x854 TFT display, SD card slot, camera, HDMI output, etc. 8GB internal flash as well. $199 and it’s supposed to be available some time in October from what I hear.