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This would be a much more useful announcment if they had written the software for Palm's Tungsten T and the on-board C55x DSP half of its OMAP 1510 processor.

This way:

a) It wouldn't hog 100% of your CPU... you'd actually be able to, you know, DO STUFF while listening to the radio

b) You wouldn't hose your whole battery in virtually no time. The C55x has a WAY better power/mips ratio than XScale, not to mention you're going to use way less mips in the first place by virtue of it being a DSP that's actually designed to do Digital Signal Processing.


Mechanik

Speaking of which, I've just bought a Palm Zire 71 about a week ago. It is "an mp3 player, a palm pilot, and a digital camera" all rolled into one. Too bad my new PDA does not have built-in Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity.

System V is the basis for all operating systems outside of Redmond

Huh? What rock has this guy been living under?

OS/360, VM/CMS, MVS, Z/OS, OS/400, OS/2(...)

We could make a game out of this...

NetWare
The OS for any computer built before MS incorporated (C64, Apple II, etc.).
Multics
Amoeba (ok, it isn't much more than a research project...)
PalmOS
Symbian/EPOC

Anymore? C'Mon, I know there's gotta be a huge list!

It's a shame such a prodoct doesn't have bluetooth : I think It would have been much cheaper and battery saving than to use WiFi ?

Get a Tungsten T if you want Bluetooth.

--
Santiago Oleas
Strada Consulting Group Inc.
http://www.stradasystems.com

Well, they're advertising their BT SD card as an accessory to the C, so I would think that works.

Also, check out Top Gun SSH for Palm OS.

Graffiti2 ???

This looks to me like Palm's plan for remaining competitive against handhelds like Sony's that can add more memory in via memory stick.

If that's their plan, then they're doing quite well, since 7 (out of 9) of Palm's current models and at least one of the older models all have an SD Card slot. Some links for more info:

• The Palm product family -- look at the "Expansion Cards" row.
• And a list of expansion cards that are available from Palm. (You can use generic SD Cards from other manufacturers too, of course.)

However, as you might be aware from having used Flash in other circumstances, regular RAM is waaaaaaaay faster than Flash, so breaking the 16MB RAM barrier is a Good Thing(tm).

On a completely different note, why doesn't Slashdot allow me to use HTML entites, so that I could write ™ and get a REAL trademark symbol? Is it that hard? It seems like actually extra work to filter them out!

This looks to me like Palm's plan for remaining competitive against handhelds like Sony's that can add more memory in via memory stick.

If that's their plan, then they're doing quite well, since 7 (out of 9) of Palm's current models and at least one of the older models all have an SD Card slot. Some links for more info:

• The Palm product family -- look at the "Expansion Cards" row.
• And a list of expansion cards that are available from Palm. (You can use generic SD Cards from other manufacturers too, of course.)

However, as you might be aware from having used Flash in other circumstances, regular RAM is waaaaaaaay faster than Flash, so breaking the 16MB RAM barrier is a Good Thing(tm).

On a completely different note, why doesn't Slashdot allow me to use HTML entites, so that I could write ™ and get a REAL trademark symbol? Is it that hard? It seems like actually extra work to filter them out!

The best thing about T-Mobile's data support: it's not a stupid CDMA "cell modem". It's an "always-on" packet protocol, GPRS. Instead of paying for connect time, your pay for the amount of bandwidth you use. If I weren't broke, I'd trash my obsolete, poorly-designed SCH-3500 and get one of these.

Or maybe not. I've been wondering why there hasn't been more buzz about the widespread availability of GPRS. Are there interface issues using it to run a web browser? Or are people just unenthused by the 56K bandwidth? Hey, it's fast enough to access slashdot! What more do you need?!

"Who would buy a computer without a keyboard?"

I have four of 'em.
--

It may not fit your requirements to the letter, but I find that Palm's Tungsten T runs like a dream. Mmmm...color.

It's got a fast processor, a "universal" keyboard port, SD card slot, and (yummy) bluetooth. I love my tungsten.

I don't think it's physical size. Take a look at the size of the bluetooth module Dell threw into their new Centrino laptops in this article. I'm tempted to guess power needs, but you could always disable the bluetooth module until you really needed it. The new Palm Tungsten T has built in bluetooth and it's very small. Given the price of the palm, I'll go with cost.

The Palm Tungsten T works great as an MP3 and Ogg player with either of the shareware programs Aeroplayer or Pocket Tunes installed. Aeroplayer is free for ogg use, but not free for MP3. Pocket Tunes is not free for either. In any case both are pretty cheap. The TT uses standard MMC and SD cards. Not to mention that the Tungsten T is an excellent Palm OS 5 PDA.

You mean like this?. Just because there are high end palms, doesn't mean that there isn't simple low-cost ones as well. I remember when all Palms cost $300-$400 dollars. As a group they've all come down in price by a big margin.

Someday someone will make a palm os 5 color handheld with bluetooth, sdio, infrared, and headphones, and i will buy it.

You mean like the Tungsten T?
Is Amazon OK?

You will have to supply your own headphones. Let me know if you'd like some recommendations.

So far, I've been most impressed with the Danger Hiptop. It's not color but has a real crisp greyscale display. It's Java based and a SDK should be available soon. True desktop syncing with your PIM should be here shortly too, but the export to the T-Mobile website isn't too bad. It's been available for as little as $50 with rebates recently. It has it's own mail and can check other POP accounts (and IMAP in a limited/unsupported fashion), you can browse regular websites, it does AIM and overall can be considered a consumer version of the Blackberry.

Another device to consider if you're a CDMA fan (Sprint & Verizon) is the Kyocera QCP-7135. I don't have an eval unit yet as Verizon hasn't certified it yet, but it looks to be one of the best Palm/phone combos.

It'll be nice to finally see a P800 after all this hype, but there are other good options now.

A good palm based PDA for $349.

A great, and small, camera for $399.99.

Then I can take real pictures... and have a pda that I don't have to constantly fear breaking the hinge, dropping to fast, etc.

IMHO, it's better to get simple devices that do 1 or 2 things well, rather than a mega device that does 5 things crappy and one thing well.

At lot of the comments here seems to forget that these new types of keyboards aren't meant for replacing your good old trusted keyboard. As the article states it's a product for PDAs and other small devices.

The goal is to make something better than what we have today, i.e. Palm's Graffiti or T9-systems found on cell phones.

Personally I'm really looking forward to something like this, because I think it would open up a whole new world for my Pocket PC.

You can already buy the XT directly from Palm. I don't know how I missed it before. It's going for $99.00 U.S., but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a model compatible with the iPaq yet.

Hopefully they have plans to release one in the near future. With a design that seems as good as this one I'd say it's pretty probable.

If you look at the Palm-supplied "Graffiti alphabet," you'll see that the 'X' (officially) consists of two strokes. The status icon on the lower-right of the Palm shows that the first stroke activates the "extended shift" mode. (Perhaps this post will explain more.)

In any case, the issue isn't germane to the question of whether Jot infringes on the Xerox patent.

Graffiti is driving me crazy these days. It worked wonders when I first bought my Palm about a year ago, but now it seems to be slowly dying out on me. I hate those portable keyboards, and one of the reasons I bought a palm was so that I could operate in silence.
I am using an m125, and I would use a mini-keyboard like the one that was released for the m705, the little black one that attaches to the bottom.
Does anyone have any suggestions for keyboard replacements for an m125?

Probably, but you'd still need special hardware for the interface. I know of at least one WinCE-based dynometer software package (I believe there's also a Palm version), but I can't remember the name or website at the moment. Google should help.

I haven't heard of any hardware yet that'll allow connection of a laptop to the OBD connector, but I'd like to see it.

Since this gadget connects your Palm to an ODB-II connector through a serial port, I'd think it wouldn't be too much to lash up an adapter that would hook it into a computer. The big question, though, is where most of the device's intelligence is located. If it's mostly in the bundled software, that could be a problem if you want to try to roll your own. (OTOH, you should be able to run it on a Palm emulator. IIRC, emulators and ROMs are available here.)

What I would like to see is a bluetooth adapter that plugs into the wall socket to provide powerline network access to my home server to any bluetooth enabled device in the room.

Why go to the bother of conjuring up a powerline-to-Bluetooth adapter when you can plug a USB Bluetooth dongle into your server? Bluetooth should have sufficient range to cover a decent-sized home if you put the server in a central location. Read this for info on one way to get this kind of setup working under Linux. It's oriented at getting Internet access over Bluetooth to a Palm Tungsten T, but it should be a good start for enabling other types of usage. After figuring out that bluefw needs leading zeroes on the bus and device numbers, I got this USB Bluetooth dongle set up yesterday so that I can check mail, browse the web, and log into VNC and SSH servers with my Palm.

...on why, perhaps, folks get slashdotted:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 jdf jdf 57197 Dec 17 10:12 original.html
-rw-rw-r-- 1 jdf jdf 10425 Dec 17 10:28 text.html

Yes, that's 47 kilobytes of javacript, headers, footers, CSS, and associated crap for about 10K of real info. Sure, there's also pictures and such, but this is basically 4x the original in overhead alone. Anyhow, here's the text from the site:

Pick a toy--any toy--for holiday gift-giving.

By Joan Lynch, Maura Butler, and Matt Miller -- EDN, 12/12/2002

Holy spokes, Bikeman!
Attach Hokey Spokes to your bike, and you'll have not only the coolest ride in the hood, but also the safest. Inventor and MIT graduate Dave Hoch wanted to take the terror out of night bike riding and designed the transparent "blades" to wirelessly communicate patterns or words with each other. You can put up to six blades on each wheel; a computer on each strip controls 16 LEDs in a variety of colors. Each blade costs $29.95 at www.hokeyspokes.com. Illumination Design Works, 1-617-924-4014.

Keyboard portability on a roll
Road warriors who prefer a full-sized keyboard with their laptops or PDAs will appreciate the Manhattan True-Touch Keyboard. When you're on the move, you can roll up the flexible, plastic unit and tuck it away. The keyboard features a QWERTY design and 104 raised keys that provide goodand quiettactile feedback, but using them will take some practice. Choose from PS/2 or USB connectivity. Units are dustproof and moistureproof and offer a lifetime of 15,000,000 keystrokes. Keyboards are available for around $27 from ThinkGeek, www.thinkgeek.com.

The "PC" PC
In an environmentally friendly move, NEC designed its PowerMate eco PC with 100% recyclable plastic and a 15-in. LCD flat-panel screen that contains no boron. The motherboard is made with lead-free solder, and the computer has no fan, which reduces the amount of dust dispersion for users with respiratory problems. The eco contains a 900-MHz Crusoe processor and a 20-Gbyte hard drive. And of course, it's Energy Star-compliant. The eco starts at $1599. NEC Corp, 1-800-338-9549, www.nec.com.

Free space
Combining a DVD player with a hard-disk-based PVR (personal video recorder), the Scenium Digital Media Recorder (DRS7000N) could be just the thing for overcrowded home-entertainment centers. The $599 unit features progressive-scan output for the clearest pictures and plays a variety of discs, including MP3 CDs and DVD+Rs/RWs. The PVR section handles the usual trick features, such as pausing live shows, and offers more than 30 hours of recording on its 40-Gbyte disk. Best of all, unlike PVRs such as TiVo, there's no fee for the EPG (electronic-program-guide) service. RCA/Thomson, 1-317-587-3000, www.rca.com.

The power of pictures
CyberLink's PowerProducer lets you produce your home movies and photos on DVD or CD for sharing with friends and family. If you're completely inexperienced, a step-by-step wizard-style program eases the way. It takes just three steps to import photo or video files from video-capture devices; you can then add special effects; adjust color; and trim, merge, and split video. The "QuickBurn" feature captures video from DV camcorders directly into DVDs in one click. Prices begin at $49.95. CyberLink USA, www.gocyberlink.com.

Mouse exterminator
Rid your desktop of mice with the iGesture Pad. The touchpad, which is just a bit smaller than a mouse pad, lets you use finger gestures to complete the same operations you would with a mouse. The $179 pad recognizes hundreds of hand gestures, including those that let you point, click, drag, and scroll. Twist your hand to open a file; spread your fingers to zoom. The USB-connected device is thin and small enough to travel and accepts commands from the right or left hand. Hmmm, wonder how it handles gestures you might make when your computer isn't behaving the way you'd like it to? FingerWorks, www.fingerworks.com.

Carry all
The multifunction Duex is an MP3/WMA player, voice recorder, and data-storage device in one portable package. Take off the bottom of the device to find a USB plug for attaching to the appropriate port on a computer. You can drag and drop music, image, video, and data files from the PC to the Duex and vice versa. The device features 128 Mbytes of memory for two hours of MP3 playback, four hours of WMA playback, and eight hours of voice playback; a backlit LCD shows song information in numerous languages. One AAA battery gives you more than 12 hours of music play. With a headphone/neckstrap, USB cable, software CD, manual, and one battery, the Duex mp302 costs $179. Innogear,
www.innogear.com.

Click it, stow it
The ultrasleek Pocket Digital is a handy, stylish way to capture favorite moments. The credit-card-sized digital camera captures and stores 52 high-resolution images at 1.3 megapixels. The lithium-polymer battery endures for hundreds of pictures and recharges through the USB connection. Image downloading is a snap. $129.95. Logitech, www.logitech.com.

The end of e-mail angst?
Neo (Nelson Email Organizer) might be just the ticket for reducing the stress associated with your daily barrage of e-mail. This add-on for Microsoft Outlook lets you work alongside or outside Outlook. Neo automatically sorts and prioritizes messages into intuitive folders. Searches are quick, and complicated filters are not necessary. The program deals with spam and bulk mailings and manages groups of messages by the type of attachments they contain (for example, all Excel files or Word documents together). Neo costs $39.95 for one copy; site licenses are also available. Caelo Software Inc, 1-250-354-5580, www.caelo.com.

Power protection
As more and more electronic equipment finds its way into more and more households, UPS devices could become commodity items for the average home owner. Six UPS models from Energizer will help protect home offices, home theaters, and PCs from power surges, spikes, brownouts, and outages. They automatically save open files, safely power down systems, and protect hardware when threatening power irregularities arise. Features include visual and audio warning indicators and USB connectivity. Prices range from $59.99 to $279.99. Eveready Battery Co, www.energizerups.com.

Surreptitious snapper
Fitting into the palm of your hand, the Mini Pen Cam 1.3 offers a still-image resolution of 1248960 pixels. Using its 16 Mbytes of flash memory, the device can store as many as 50 full-resolution pictures or 160 snapshots snapped at VGA resolution (640480). The $79.99 gadget also gives you the ability to shoot AVI-format movies, although their quality tops out at 624480 pixels and a choppy 10 frames/sec. In addition, the device, which runs on two AAA batteries, connects to a PC via USB to function as a Webcam. Aiptek, 1-949-585-9600, www.aiptek.com.

In touch, on the go
BlackBerry now lets you make and receive phone calls. The palm-sized BlackBerry 5810 wireless handheld device operates on GSM/GPRS networks to allow communication via wireless e-mail, SMS (short messaging service), or integrated GSM phone services, including call waiting, call answering, conference calling, and call forwarding. It comes with an earpiece and microphone for hands-free operation. You can even click on a telephone number inside an email message to place a call. The $499 device incorporates Java 2 Micro Edition. Research in Motion, www.blackberry.net.

Dude, you're gettin' a PDA
Like the PC before it, the PocketPC platform continues to attract more and more manufacturers. PC powerhouse Dell recently joined the fray with an aggressively priced model called the Axim X5. The device features a 3.5-in. transflective TFT with 240320-pixel resolution, as well as both CompactFlash and Secure Digital expansion slots. Two variants are available. The $299 model has a 400-MHz XScale processor, 64 Mbytes of SDRAM, and 48 Mbytes of flash ROM. A $199 configuration steps down to a 300-MHz processor and 32 Mbytes of each type of memory. Dell Computer, 1-800-999-3355, www.dell.com.

Risk averse
If you carry your office in a pocket-sized device, you're asking for trouble. What if you leave it on a plane or in a cab? The iPAQ h5450 tries to reduce the danger with integrated biometric security. A thermal fingerprint reader means only you can access your priceless data, and you can even add a layer of safety by combining the fingerprint sensor with a password. The $699 pocket-sized PC also includes a 400-MHz XScale processor, built-in IEEE 802.11b and Bluetooth capabilities, and an SDIO (Secure Digital Input Output) expansion slot. Hewlett-Packard, 1-650-857-1501, www.hp.com.

Bragging rights
The Zaurus SL-5600 gives the gadget geek ample reason to crow. It not only features a cool physical design with a hideaway keyboard, but also runs a version of Linux. The PDA boasts a 400-MHz Intel XScale processor, CompactFlash and Secure Digital expansion slots, 64 Mbytes of flash, 32 Mbytes of SDRAM, and a juicy 1700-mAhr battery. The device is slated to appear early next year, and pricing hasn't been announced yet, but its predecessor, the SL-5500, currently goes for $375. Sharp Electronics, 1-201-529-8200, www.sharpelectronics.com.

Stop graffiti
Thumb-pecked keyboards have become so popular on handheld devices that even Palm, the originator of the Graffiti handwriting-input system, now offers them. The $549 Tungsten W, slated for the first quarter of next year, features a tri-band GSM/GPRS radio and supports phone calls (via a headset), Web browsing, e-mail, and messaging. Powered by a 33-MHz Motorola Dragon-ball VZ processor, the PDA includes a Secure Digital expansion slot, Bluetooth, and a 320320-pixel color display. Palm, 1-408-503-7000, www.palm.com.

I'm rather tempted by the AlphaSmart Dana. Palm device with a real keyboard, 560x160 screen, ports, runs of AA batteries (which are even easier to come by than AAA)... Disclaimer: I've never seen one. They might be crap.

It's for real. Palm sells it themselves for $400.00. Not bad, actually... Look here.

hrm... I just realized that you are not doubting its existence, but rather its quality... that I cannot comment on.

Except the same chart also shows the new palms with ARM processors, which are significantly more powerful than the motorola DB VZs typically used. This includes the new Palm Tungsten T and two of the new Sony Clies. Granted, all 3 are very high end (MSRP $499-$599), but they do have the power necessary for good mp3/ogg decoding, as opposed to all the old OS3/4 machines.

The developer's page says that it was developed for Palm's latest model, the Tungsten T which uses 144 MHz Arm-based processor and a DSP.

Tablet pc + wifi + barcode scanner + rugged outer shell == new possibilities for information access.

And some areas that you've never even though of...
Palm Pilot + wifi + barcode scanner == new possibilities for information access that fit in your shirt pocket.

Different strokes for different folks.

Unless you're a PalmOS user, in which case, everyone uses the same strokes.

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.

Couldn't a $99 USD palm work for your needs?

I personally have no use for PDA's (or even cell phones) so maybe it's a horribly flawed device, but it seems to fit the bill here...

• Meeting schedule always handy even when I wasn't at work (plus beeping reminders).
• Todo list always handy (plus beeping reminders).
• Games to play during boring meetings.
• Email Inbox always available
• No more scrabbling for a pen when I want to get a girl's phone number

• It started taking too long to sync Outlook to my Palm which sucked since I used to do it at the end of the workday and waiting 10 - 30 minutes for it to finish syncing wore on my patience.

This is definately neat, but I would much rather get this Palm Product for the same price as the watch, but with four times as much memory.

I carry the following:

Palm IIIc: Front left pants pocket

Dell X200 Laptop: Ultra-portable laptop (12")-- I carry this in a RoadWired messenger bag which I take almost everywhere.

Canon S110 digital camera (digital elph): It's in a small pouch attached to the shoulder strap of my laptop bag

Nokia 3360 cellphone: I don't carry this as often, since I don't like cellphones, but if I'm carrying it, it's in the interior jacket pocket.

Panasonic CD player: I have a little cd carrying bag that I sometimes lug around with me if it's a long walk to where I'm going.


Yeah, I like my toys to be small.

Well, my big problem with newer gadgets is that people seem to care more about extra features rather than making them smaller. I have no interest in a PDA that can play MP3s or has 64MB of memory. On the other hand, if you can shrink one down to just the size of the screen (plus a small border) and make them half an inch thick, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Also, make more small phones without movable parts. I don't want to waste my time pulling out an antenna or flipping open my phone. And stop putting features in my phone! I don't need an MP3 player in my phone.

I want small specialized products.

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.

Got my Tungsten T last Monday and I'm very pleased. OS4 apps actually run faster on the new device, even with the emulation. This can be a problem with games that do not have proper timing loops, but everything else works great.

There are compatibility issues. Software that has been written in complete compliance with OS 4.x will work, but it's actually quite easy to violate this without realising it. In any case there are a lot of non-compliant programs out there.

Palm have a useful little compatability checking program that can be downloaded for free from www.palm.com/support/downloads/appcheck.html. This checks a PRC application for non-compliant code - don't know how reliable or fastidious it is. There is also a (fairly exhaustive) list of compatible and non-compatible programs at www.palm.com/support/tungstent/compatibility.html.

Got my Tungsten T last Monday and I'm very pleased. OS4 apps actually run faster on the new device, even with the emulation. This can be a problem with games that do not have proper timing loops, but everything else works great.

There are compatibility issues. Software that has been written in complete compliance with OS 4.x will work, but it's actually quite easy to violate this without realising it. In any case there are a lot of non-compliant programs out there.

Palm have a useful little compatability checking program that can be downloaded for free from www.palm.com/support/downloads/appcheck.html. This checks a PRC application for non-compliant code - don't know how reliable or fastidious it is. There is also a (fairly exhaustive) list of compatible and non-compatible programs at www.palm.com/support/tungstent/compatibility.html.

Methinks a trip to the eye doc is in order... :)

http://www.palm.com/products/handhelds/ has a big ole picture and link to the Tungsten-W.

For some reason the Tungsten W (Palm's answer to Handspring's Treo) is not featured on Palm's website, nor is it accessible from the products page.

However, the URL for Tungsten W is pretty easy to guess - http://www.palm.com/products/handhelds/tungsten-w/

...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!

Sorry, my message wasn't clear, Zire has a black & white display unlike all other recent models, which have a grayscale display (III, V, even m105 has one) if I interpret this comparison and Zire's Datasheet correctly.
Score++ :P

Sorry, my message wasn't clear, Zire has a black & white display unlike all other recent models, which have a grayscale display (III, V, even m105 has one) if I interpret this comparison and Zire's Datasheet correctly.
Score++ :P

The Zire is the same price as the m105 (atleast in Canada, at FutureShop and RadioShack). According to Palm's Comparison Chart, the main differences are memory, display and software support.

The Zire seems to just be strictly for an address book, to-do list, etc. It also does not appear to have e-mail capabilities.

The Zire supports PalmOS 4.0, while the m105 only supports up to PalmOS 3.5. Anyone know what the major differences between these two version?

I just bought an m125 on sale at RadioShack for $219CAD+tax ($250CAD total). The differences between the m105 and the m125 are plug-in expansion cards, snap-on peripherals and PalmOS 4.0 support.

Personally, I have always thought Palms were useless, but it's another toy :)

Which means: The Zire is not OS upgradeable... No Palm OS updates, nor Linux (not that you'd be currently able to cram Linux into a Palm's Flash ROM -- but that might change in the future). The information about this is not available in the online specs, only if you go to the feature compare chart are you able to learn this (almost at the bottom). Is Palm trying to obscure this information?
But I guess the target audience could care less about upgrading their OS. My guess is that they would care even less about a PDA in general...

Thank goodness ...

Yes, I'm a karma whore. :) Link

With a specification and price like that, it makes the new Palm Zire look rather overpriced wouldn't you say?