Slashdot Mirror

Sounds suspicious at best. After all if it looks like crap and smells like crap, you shouldn't taste it.

Like this, this, or this (for the truly brave). Speaking from experience, the context sensitive screens are cool, but the lack of tactile feedback is unfortunate.

Like this, this, or this (for the truly brave). Speaking from experience, the context sensitive screens are cool, but the lack of tactile feedback is unfortunate.

Apparently your cellphone is from the last stone-age. Every cell phone I've seen in the past two years or so has predictive text input, so when you're tapping out a message you only have to press each number once and it guesses the most frequently used word. Then you push a button to go down the list if the word it guessed isn't the one you wanted (which is rather rare, all things considered). It works very well, and takes most of the pain of typing on your phone out.

But as far as taking what you're talking about literally, seems to me you're thinking about either a Danger Hiptop or a Palm smartphone such as a Handspring Treo. I happen to have the Treo 300, which works with Sprint, and it's quite the gadget - not sure if I could live without it now. Best thing about Sprint? Unlimited Vision (Sprint's faster-then-dialup data services) for $10/mo. If you buy a Hiptop (aka Sidekick) from T-Mobile, you get unlimited data for the first year, but after that you have to pay their standard rates for data, which pretty much blow - $10 for 10MB, and that's assuming you don't go over. Both of these devices have input methods better then your standard touchtone keypad, and both have gotten decent reviews, so if you want something smarter then your typical cell-phone, I'd check them out.

SoInsteadOfJustBuyingSomeStand-alonePDA,IDecidedTo PurchaseOneOfThose Treo300 Gadgets.
It'sAPCSPhone+OrganizerInOne,AndCanDoUnl imitedData Transfer(Web+Email)For10DollarsAMonth.
FreeBloggingForLife

It's got a killer color screen, an excellent keyboard that works really well, it runs every Palm 3.5 app I've tried on it, and it fits comfortably in my pocket.

SMS, e-mail, browsing the real web, excellent calendar and contact management. The only things it lacks are:

Expansion slot.

Bluetooth.

Better sound support (for music playback).

But if you really need a wireless productivity tool in your pocket, this is the only option. Palm Pilot, Blackberry, and cell phone, all in one.

And no, I don't work for Handspring :-)!

I'm enjoying the surprisingly-usable keyboard on the Handspring Treo. I was pretty proficient with graffitti, so I was sad to see that I could not get a Treo with it, but now I prefer their keyboard. Now if it only came in Dvorak, I'd be even happier....

Infosync has a pretty picture of this phone.

The small size is very tempting but I'm afraid that this is a case where small is too small. There is no physical keyboard or keypad -- one or the other is necessary for a real phone. The phone is also running Windows CE with a proprietary shell which means that it won't run PocketPC applications. In fact, little or no third-party applications are likely to be available unless it becomes very popular. It's storage (16MB with an SD slot) and battery life are nice.

I think I'll keep my Treo for now. But the Kyocera 7135 is a very nice alternative with a more traditional form factor.

I use mine for schedule, contacts, e-books, and directions. I have also saved my marriage with it. My wife likes to hit the hay by 10:30 and I don't. I read all kinds of info from AvantGo to e-books after she turns off the lights.

We also use it to carry the Geocaching data points and letterboxing directions when we're off roving the countryside. The whole family gets in on that one.

My wife also is a dedicated Handspring PDA user. I helped wean her from her Franklin Planner and chuck all of the slips of useless paper she carried around with her. She is much happier with it and even has an up-to-date commuter rail schedule on her Visor.

- PDA [palm OS 5.0]
- Cell phone
- Keyboard
- High speed internet access with flat rate data plan
- Color screen
- MP3 player
- Memory expansion [ie Memory Stick, SD, etc]
- Be able to clip to my belt

We are so close. The Kyocera 7135 is almost there, but lacks a mini keyboard. The Treo 300 is close too, but lacks an MP3 player and memory expansion slot.

I have been holding off on buying an MP3 player, one of those new phones that comes with games and even a snazzy new color pda. Unless I find everything all in one, I know it will just collect dust after the first month.

I got my PDA primarily so I could have easy, light weight access to all those little bits of information that occasionally come up: Phone numbers, addresses, which was the last issue of Girl Genius that I read, etc. I bought my Handspring Visor two or three years ago, and even then it was an older model. Today, I take it everywhere I go - because I need it: It reminds me of things I have to do. I have ready access to all those little bits of info I mentioned. I can actually answer my parents when they ask "are you doing anything the weekend of ___?" Not to mention being able to catch a little reading while I'm waiting in the lobby at a restaurant.

What I've found is that the white background of the color PDA makes for very nice reading. And the Mobipocket reader even does a touch of smoothing. In all, it's pretty much like reading a story in a magazine, with text running about the width of a standard magazine column

Another thing is that I've found it comes in quite handy of late when the kids wanted me to stay in their rooms a bit as they go to sleep. Just bring it on in and read while their lights are off and the drop into slumberland.

Oh, and since buying the hardcover book, I'm now up to the 5th Harrington book on it.

Early on in college, I got diabetes, which I ended up treating with an H-Tron Plus insulin pump, from Disetronic. After trying a few different schemes for securing it to my person, I decided to park it on my belt.

Shortly thereafter I switched to a different blood glucose meter, which I discovered had a belt loop on its pouch. This made carrying it around much easier and more reliable. Sometime in here I found I needed my Leatherman more often than I happened to have it around. On the belt it goes.

The Palm and its belt case came shortly thereafter, rounding out the utility belt. It's served me well, but I'm not a student any more, and it's starting to get a bit awkward. (Yes, I probably ought to have realized this sooner.)

I'm hoping to consolidate, using a Visor and a FreeStyle Tracker for the meter (coolest device ever), but I'm also looking at a wireless telephone . . . maybe I should just give up and get a nice vest instead. Hmm.

Oh--yes, going through airport security is a royal pain.

I thought of this a few years ago. Then Handspring went and did it. Which is something everyone thought was very cool when they first came out.

All the Springboard expansion modules had drivers in the cards. Although, based on the more recent PDA offerings from Handspring, it looks like they're abandoning the technology. The Treo doesn't have a Springboard slot and the Visor Edge requires an extra caddy thing to plug the modules into (May or may not come with it. idunno).

However, including the drivers was made possible by the fact that there was only one platform to bundle drivers for, the platform is pretty static. There aren't that many PalmOS updates and they don't change that much between versions.

Oh, that's right, you only have to design for IE now. Silly me, I forgot that all the other browsers are dead. That, or maybe, they all render DHTML exactly the same now? (HAHAHA)

(Well, maybe Lynx is dead, it's web page seems to be down...)

Secondly, they're just showing that no one gets the form factor yet. I don't want to have a headset sticking in my ear all the time, but I don't want to hold a big-ass product like the Treo up to my head either (talk about dorky-looking). The new RIM blackberry has a better idea ... just hold the thing to your head without any flip up plastic crap.

Handspring tried that approach with the VisorPhone. Believe me, if you think the Treo looks dorky held up to your ear, the Visorphone/RIM approach is ten times worse.

I honestly don't get the complaints about the Treo's size. At worst, it's a smidgen larger than a StarTAC (and is shaped about the same), and nobody ever complained about them being funny-looking.

...you can have paper that has checkmarks that say "fax this" or "email this" and the software knows what to do.

That sounds like a great idea! Handwritten emails ::gasp:: do actually have a use because sometimes you just need to add a complicated diagram of something (a friend wanted me to write a chat program with D&D functions built in, for example) and drawing it on the computer and then attaching it is just too complicated. Same goes for faxing.

Or, you could have a dayrunner know what and where you scheduled something and sync with Outlook. Lotsa possibilities.

It's easier than that!

I mean, I'm not trying to be a troll, but can't Palms sync with Outlook and also sort your address book, sound alarms, bla bla bla? A digital yet physical organizer is sorta missing the point.

But I think that, to best use this functionality, you would need a wireless connection to send/receive things. A phone, for example, that has a pen like this could be great--you could (using Multimedia Messaging System and somewhat bigger screens--maybe e-ink?) seamlessly integrate typed notes (IR "hovering keyboard") and pictures. Imagine being able to sign a text message or note, or add a quick picture--it could be pretty cool!

I use Blazer on my Samsung SPH-I300 phone with PalmOS. It does the same trick with tables.

dude, you don't even know if small keyboards exist (they do), yet somehow you know they're not comfortable. I hope you put more effort into forming your other opinions...

(Yep, I've used a tiny keyboard and gotten quite good at it)

Yeah, but you can't use GPRS in the U.S. I was looking at upgrading my Cingular account to use GPRS until I noticed this handspring support page indicating that you can't upgrade yet.

I have since ditched my Treo and am eagerly awaiting a Sidekick.

When you first use this phone you are able to dial numbers. Why? because the digits are on each buttons, and you just hunt-and-peck your way along. But the real beauty of this UI is for expert users, and everyone is an expert user of their cellphone. By arranging the buttons radially, you have a much easier time dialing blindly. Check out the keypad, there's a nice buttonless space for your thumb to go when you grab the phone in your pocket. From there, each button is easily naviagble. In fact, it's somewhat similar to mozilla's pie menus. They're going for ease of use while dialing blindly, and they know that whoever get's this as their phone will have more than enough time to become an expert at using it. That's because people use it every day. Handspring made the mistake of not enabling blind dialing in their Treo phone. Because the touch screen has no texture, it's impossible to find the buttons without looking.

So don't look at the nokia layout as an attmpt to be retro or to emulate a rotary phone, they're trying to make it easy for people to effortlessly use thier phone without looking. And there's no reason to stick to the 3x4 layout. Most cellphones' buttons are so different in size anyways that it's impossible to blind dial one after constantly using another. Therefore, they might as well rearrange them completely.

I for one love my Handspring Treo. Not only is it not nearly as bulky as the Communicator (I used to own that too) but it seems to be a bit faster, has better battery life and has a much much larger library of software.

It's also cheaper, and I find using the thumb to type on that keyboard (ala Blackberry) is ALOT easier than using the communicator keyboard. It also feels ALOT less awkward talking into the Treo with the flip open than with the communicator closed brick in your face.

I highly recommend the Treo. With Voicestream you even have free (well it uses your minutes but that's it) internet access, and with Treo Mail it even pages/beeps you when you get a new email to any POP email box.

Palm even had Handspring believing them:

Handspring Comparison

I don't think Apple management walks on water - any engineering company can create new gadgets - but their design philosophy and willingness to push beyond what's already been done make all the difference. Of course they won't manufacture it themselves - again, the iPod showed their willingness to admit their limitations. When it comes to consumer electronics, they're not a fabrication outfit, they're a design house, with an emphasis on integration with their existing line of software. I'm excited to see what they come up with next.

Handspring's communicators page now lists the Treo 300 as "right around the corner". Rumours abound about what exactly it'll be, but it looks like it will be identical to the 270 and (sigh) no Graffiti-only version. My local Best Buy was out of Treos this morning, and said that they were waiting for the Sprint PCS Version, due "next week".

Obviously you haven't read Handspring's site close enough!

I already knew this from doing my own research into the Treo... I recently began working with Frontline Specialists as a Handspring Rep.

Organizer Featuers (sic)
Q. Is the OS upgradeable?
A. Yes. We use flash memory in order to be able to provide updates such as GPRS capability. Handspring does not intend to provide incremental versions of Palm OS but we will issue updaters for the Treo communicators from time to time such as the GPRS update later this year.

Get your glasses on!

PhysicsGenius is absolutely right. See this research paper for more information on why they don't want you to know the facts.

And, while many places make the very explicit announcement about "keeping things quiet", maybe making a more explicit mention of cell phones and pagers would be effective. Currently, they all just ask that you "keep it down," without saying what to keep down (-:

The solution that those Japanese scientists have come up with is very cool, though. They should definitely be commended for their efforts, if this is something practical to implement. Since you wouldn't need to necessarily fully enclose the space to be effective (cell phones and pagers (minus sat-based) are still effectively LOS, and don't have tremendous ranges).

" If integratd cameras are to be all the rage, then why hasn't anyone (to my knowledge, and if I'm wrong please correct me) build a PDA with a Sony Picturebook style camera in it? I would find it many times more useful than a "phone-cam"."

Like this one? Or how about this one?

"And while they're at it, put a phone in the PDA, with just a headset jack for mic/speaker."

What, like this one?

I hope you feel suitably corrected :-)

Phillip.

I've had this since last August, in the form of an eyemodule. Costs only $50. Only 320x240, with no internal storage, but it's trivial to always have a camera with me. I just wish i could get the pictures out of it at full quality instead of the software doing jpeg conversion.

Is this from personal experience? Because according to Handspring's Treo FAQ:

Q. While talking on my Treo communicator, can I view my calendar or input data to other applications?
A. Yes, you have complete access to all of your other applications (except those which use the serial library during a call, such as another wireless application). Therefore, you can view your calendar, enter an appointment, write a note, create a to do item, or enter contact information in your address book-all while talking on the phone. Of course, this feature is most useful when using the included headset or in speakerphone mode. To return to the Phone application, simply press the Phone button on your Treo communicator-and you'll be back in the Phone application.

Actually you can do wireless with a Handspring. And it has a cellphone module, too. It's up to you if you want to buy a module that costs more than the actual PDA though.

Umm, you only have to buy the $249 module if you want Sprint PCS for your service. If you want GSM service, you can get the VisorPhone module for $99, or free with new service activation.

PalmOS: forget it. I can not learn graffiti. the screen is too small, the system is obviously for geeks. No wireless, why do I need a cell phone + this thing.

PalmOS: forget it. I can not learn graffiti. the screen is too small, the system is obviously for geeks. No wireless, why do I need a cell phone + this thing.

Have you looked at some of the other PalmOS based PDA's? - Handspring and Handera. My Handspring Visor Deluxe works well for my needs.

I wonder how well the Handspring Treo compares to the Nokia 9290. They both seem fairly versatile, and I'll be interested to see which one becomes more popular.

I wonder how well the Handspring Treo compares to the Nokia 9290. They both seem fairly versatile, and I'll be interested to see which one becomes more popular.

See here

Holy crap!!! Way kewell!! A bit pricey at $499 after trade, but hey the $200 trade in credit is just a little less than what I paid for the VisorPro (VisorPhone was "free").

Hummm... if I return the eyemodule2, that shaves things down to $239 or so...

Dang, you just made my "exclusive" friends list doode!

Dunno about Treos, but Palm Desktop for OS X works just fine with my Visor Deluxe. (Note that according to Handspring, they don't officially recommend using the Palm Desktop for OS X, and they're working on their own version. See here.

See here

for the very nerdy, here are the user guides for the treo 270 and 90. Enjoy!

It is a cell phone, PDA, and wireless 2-way pager like RIM. See?

Hey if you want to add on a keyboard low end 40$, high end 100$ you are still less than what the treo is!

However I decided to wait for now for two reasons. One is that Handspring recently announced that they will be supporting CDMA (logical considering Qualcomm just invested $10 Million in them). Thus I expect a CDMA Treo will come out some time this year.

The other reason I am waiting is that Sprint PCS is about to roll out their new 3G Network this summer. Among other things, this will offer data speeds up to 10 times faster than the current network can. In fact, Wired is running a story today on the demo roadshow that Sprint is running right now to show off applications of their new network.

Sprint isn't showing any new handsets for it yet, but one will presume they are forthcoming. In fact, I'm guessing thats why the price on the QCP-6035 has dropped so preciptously (from like $300 to $100 or so) in the last couple of months---I'm guessing Kyocera has a successor model waiting in the wings.

Hence I wait.

However I decided to wait for now for two reasons. One is that Handspring recently announced that they will be supporting CDMA (logical considering Qualcomm just invested $10 Million in them). Thus I expect a CDMA Treo will come out some time this year.

The other reason I am waiting is that Sprint PCS is about to roll out their new 3G Network this summer. Among other things, this will offer data speeds up to 10 times faster than the current network can. In fact, Wired is running a story today on the demo roadshow that Sprint is running right now to show off applications of their new network.

Sprint isn't showing any new handsets for it yet, but one will presume they are forthcoming. In fact, I'm guessing thats why the price on the QCP-6035 has dropped so preciptously (from like $300 to $100 or so) in the last couple of months---I'm guessing Kyocera has a successor model waiting in the wings.

Hence I wait.

link is mistyped, the correct one is: http://www.handspring.com/products/communicators/i ndex.jhtml?prod_cat_name=Communicators

Nope! The blazer browser goes though a handspring proxy that *cannot* be turned off. Look Here for the truth (three questions in a row address this issue).

On Handspring's website: SpringPort Wireless Ethernet Module. Not cheap; MSRP US$269, but it looks nice.

Go for a Handspring Visor, and an EyeModule or an EyeModule 2.

They both include a nice time lapse feature, which keeps the pda powered down as much as possible to avoid draining the battery.

Go for a Handspring Visor, and an EyeModule or an EyeModule 2.

They both include a nice time lapse feature, which keeps the pda powered down as much as possible to avoid draining the battery.