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Apple is also developing iPhone displays that curve inward gradually from top to bottom, one of the people familiar with the situation said.

Wow! A handset with a convex face so your check doesn't press into the screen/keypad! Just like the Nexus S from 2010 (and pretty much every phone prior to touchscreens). I hope they are granted a patent for this truly revolutionary new idea.

I'd be hesitant to call Azure a failure....it's above Google in market share and isn't that far behind Amazon:
https://www.skyhighnetworks.co...

I'm not sure that Surface was ever geared to be a direct competitor with iOS or Android given it's price point. Surface RT maybe a failure, given that MS pulled the plug on it, but in general it's been a success:
http://pocketnow.com/2016/02/0...

• Surface sold ~1.5 million/quarter in 2015
• MacBook sold ~5 million/quarter in 2015

• http://pocketnow.com/2016/02/0... https://www.statista.com/stati...

6 million Surface tablets, ~20 million XBox Ones, ~20 million Windows Phones (I thought that would be more like 20 total). That means a majority is desktop/laptop sales and "free upgrades".

The strange part is the 200 million in 6 months. I'm not entirely sure how that was done, nor do i have the time to really dig into it. Maybe ATM's and POS registers have been upgraded?

I've been meaning to reply for some time; feel free to e-mail me as I know this discussion will be archived soon.

You're right that Google has relatively little control over Samsung. What they do have is control over the Android trademark, etc., and if Google can require that the Play Store be within one swipe's distance of the home screen when shipped, Google can make other requirements that reflect dedication to ensuring that devices are able to be flashed with AOSP software.

Those requirements are subject to negotiation. Google has some power to push, not based on the Android trademark so much as on the permission to install the Google Apps -- and especially the Play store. The Play store is the big carrot/stick, actually, because an Android phone without the Play store is much, much less useful... at present. It wouldn't be that difficult for Samsung to set up their own app store, and app developers would absolutely upload their apps to it because Samsung is such a huge part of the Android ecosystem. If Samsung were to form an alliance with the top two or three other Android OEMs, their app store would very quickly replace Play as the dominant app store, particularly if they also set out to license all the videos and music they need to reach full parity with the content on Play. Or perhaps they'd take a shorter path: Team up with Amazon which has already done most of this work. If new Samsung, HTC, Motorola and LG phones all shipped with the Amazon store, Amazon would almost immediately match Play.

So Google has to walk a fine line. It has to keep all of the OEMs moving in the same direction, make sure that direction keeps the ecosystem competitive with Apple and Windows (not that Windows has much of the market at the moment) which means making sure the user experience is good and continues to improve, but it also has to allow OEMs enough freedom to innovate and manage their business models so they don't feel like being part of Google's ecosystem is more of a burden than a benefit.

I don't really understand why OEMs seem to feel so strongly that their devices should be locked down, but they do, and they're unwilling to negotiate on this point.

Unless I misunderstand how the Nexus system works, Google *does* have say over how those function, and those have a locked bootloader

So, I think your fundamental error here is that you're thinking locked bootloaders are a bad thing. They're not. They're a good thing.

Locked bootloaders (the way Nexus does them, at least) are there for user security. The purpose of the lock isn't to prevent users from flashing software that does what they want, it's to prevent attackers from flashing software that does what they want -- to give them access to data on the device, bypassing all of the protections built into the stock OS. So, the reason there is an "unlock" step is so that we have an opportunity to forcibly wipe all user data from the device. Someone who finds or steals your locked phone can unlock it (maybe; we made that a little harder in Lollipop), but the unlock process wipes all of your data.

This, BTW, is why I always tell modders that they should re-lock their bootloader after they flash their custom image. Not re-locking it allows anyone who gets hold of their device to flash a new system image that gives them full access to anything on the device (though we're tightening that down in Nougat as well).

That's the main purpose for a locked bootloader, but there are some other benefits as well. They protect devices against inadvertent as well as malicious modification, and they provide a good way to differentiate between a normal device that should implement the full boot chain of trust and those that are in a modifiable state. The vast majority of users never want or need to unlock, and we want to make things very secure for them. Developers (including Android engineers at Google!) and mo

I understand the concern, but there's really no evidence for it. Your examples of what Samsung and Microsoft have done aren't evidence... and Google has little more control over Samsung than over Microsoft. Could Google decide that it no longer cares about openness? Sure. But we're actually working quite hard to push it the other direction, and I see no reason to expect that to change.

What is the thing you're saying Google has done "in firmware" for Android for Work, but hasn't "flipped the switch"? Android for Work does nothing in firmware, it's all in Android; the only thing remotely close to that is the use of TrustZone for authentication and crypto key management -- and I'm the engineer responsible for those TrustZone components, and I can't figure out what "switch" you're talking about.

I've been meaning to reply for some time; feel free to e-mail me as I know this discussion will be archived soon.

You're right that Google has relatively little control over Samsung. What they do have is control over the Android trademark, etc., and if Google can require that the Play Store be within one swipe's distance of the home screen when shipped, Google can make other requirements that reflect dedication to ensuring that devices are able to be flashed with AOSP software. Unless I misunderstand how the Nexus system works, Google *does* have say over how those function, and those have a locked bootloader

. However, in doing some research for this post, I will concede that the Knox components that rely on the eFuse and other hardware-based, root-resistant functions are still Samsung specific, so I certainly admit fault there.

I guess I feel like how Brutus must have felt. Julius Caesar had done nothing wrong, and was well liked by the people he served. Brutus saw Julius was doing the right thing completely out of self control, rather than any form of checks and balances, or other such accountability. Now, I'm certainly not looking to kill anybody, but if Google decides to mandate locked bootloaders or bring an end to the work done by the folks at XDA-Dev, there's just no reason whatsoever for them not to...and that does, in fact scare me.

A curved back makes complete sense in a phone because it's easier to hold and less likely for you to drop it. That's why almost every single mobile phone ever made up to Android/iPhone had them.

You may like them, but the feeling is far from universal.

An article about a windows phone? Why is this on here? What's Microsoft market share in phones? Doesn't Nintendo sell more phones than them?

(while I'm kidding about Nintendo there is this image: http://cdn.pocketnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/6a00d8341c5c9353ef01156f2acdc3970c-800wi.jpg )

Not even a mention of Sailfish OS? This is the one I'm most interested in:

http://pocketnow.com/2013/02/27/jolla-sailfish-video

Real X11/GNU/Linux phone with a fresh, elegant UI. Will support all Android apps out of the box with no porting required. Yes, please...

I can understand tablets replacing e-book readers (and this double-sided one does both normal LCD and e-ink, though quite why a phone needs that rather than a tablet is anyone's guess), but when I looked whether to join the e-book revolution, I was appalled by the price of them! They are often the same and - shockingly - even more expensive than the equivalent hardback book!

  The classic example was the #1 bestseller - Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography. When that was selling like hot cakes, it actually more expensive to buy it as an e-book than the already-expensive hardback. That one example put me off e-books hugely.

Yeah, just be careful the next time you send a text message on your iShiny, jackass.

The iMac was released in 1998, so a phone from 2004 isn't prior art.

What does the iMac, a Desktop Computer, released in 1998 (iMac in 1998) have to do with Pocket PC Phones released in 2004? IMHO you are wrong, it is prior art.

These type of devices never took off because they were hacked together and ran an OS that was designed for a mouse.

And who cares whether the devices never took off? The fact remains that they existed well BEFORE the iPhone.

And the design looks nothing like an iPhone.

These may not look completely like an iPhone, but they were rectangular, with some curved edges (especially if you consider the fact that antenna now usually lies within the phone, not outside as used to happen then because of technology limitations for smartphones), which Apple is claiming a design patent on.

Here you are HP iPAQ 6315 Pocket PC Phone: http://pocketnow.com/review/hp-ipaq-h6315-pocket-pc-phone-edition
99% touchscreen - with both stylus and fingers.
Rectangular with very slightly curved edges, with external antenna (as around that time, they hadn't figured out a way to incorporate the big-ass antenna into the phone, although this was somewhat rectified by the time HP iPAQ rz1715 came out).
I owned it - from sometime 2004 to sometime in 2005.
Based on this, I would say there's prior art for two things - touchscreen phones with rectangular shape with slightly rounded corners, and the "i" in front of a device name.

Ugly OS? Ugh, have you seen Metro Apps? They are actually incredibly pleasing to the eyes. http://pocketnow.com/2012/06/17/which-looks-better-a-comparison-between-popular-apps-on-ios-and-windows-phone/

You Apple bots are really something. LG Q4 2011 Results Finally Show Phone Division Profit. I just thought I would check your links, and surprise surprise. You also failed to mention that Samsung sold more smartphones by itself than Apple, and made money doing it.

Little wonder you posted as a coward.

Hard to fix a hardware problem with software.

This phone has provided me with no end of frustration. It's a $500 phone that I'm paying another eight bucks a month for warranty for over my two year contract, meaning I'll wind up paying a total of $700 for a phone that doesn't work right. And t-mobile wants to give me a $150 clique in replacement.

Some links follow.

It's a hardware problem in a number of phones:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=878970

http://pocketnow.com/android/hardware-fix-for-vibrants-gps-problems

T-mobile did push out a patch:

http://pocketnow.com/android/samsung-vibrant-gps-fix-finally-being-pushed-out-by-t-mobile

But it didn't actually do the upgrade. No, you have to turn off your computer's firewall and virus protection to apply software patches to hardware problems...

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/SupportOwnersFAQPopup.do?faq_id=FAQ00026061&fm_seq=26229

for a patch that doesn't work anyway...

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=988076

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1661605-Vibrant-Problems-Please-post-all-here-so-Samsung-Google-Engineers-can-see-them/page4

Hard to fix a hardware problem with software.

This phone has provided me with no end of frustration. It's a $500 phone that I'm paying another eight bucks a month for warranty for over my two year contract, meaning I'll wind up paying a total of $700 for a phone that doesn't work right. And t-mobile wants to give me a $150 clique in replacement.

Some links follow.

It's a hardware problem in a number of phones:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=878970

http://pocketnow.com/android/hardware-fix-for-vibrants-gps-problems

T-mobile did push out a patch:

http://pocketnow.com/android/samsung-vibrant-gps-fix-finally-being-pushed-out-by-t-mobile

But it didn't actually do the upgrade. No, you have to turn off your computer's firewall and virus protection to apply software patches to hardware problems...

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/SupportOwnersFAQPopup.do?faq_id=FAQ00026061&fm_seq=26229

for a patch that doesn't work anyway...

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=988076

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1661605-Vibrant-Problems-Please-post-all-here-so-Samsung-Google-Engineers-can-see-them/page4

That was the phone line that had the broken GPS that never really got fixed; it was a hardware issue that they tried to kludge together a patch for that didn't work well never went out over the air, and for which you had to take down all your firewall and virus protection to apply via Kies.

Oh, and t-mobile won't honor warranties on those $500 phones. Even when you pay $8 a month, bringing the effective total to $700 over the course of a two year contract. Unless you define the word honor as the offer of a $150 clique as a replacement.

But - I'm not bitter. Really.

* The UI tiles may be pretty, but that whole right-hand side of the screen is sitting there unused, making the whole thing look narrower, and therefore smaller
*

That is by design to create a negative space.
See http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/divine-proportions-why-the-start-page-has-a-big-blank-space-on-the-side

There are Android clamshell phones, for instance the SCH-W999 from Samsung or the Aquos Hybrid 007SH from Sharp (same link).

Here's what Android looked like 2007. Oh, 2007, the year the iPhone was released - completely different UI.

http://pocketnow.com/android/remember-this-early-android-demo-video

In 2008 it was completely revamped.

Anyhow, Apple has promised to pay Samsung damages should its injunction be found invalid. So Apple believes it has a strong case, and if not, well, free money from Apple, and they didn't have to sell one device to earn it. (Not that the first mover advantage would've helped - those in AU who wanted it would've imported it much more cheaply from the US than buy it retail...).

Considering I bought it... oh, over a year ago when it was released, you contradict yourself.

When you bought the Droid X the Nexus One was already available. It might have been possible that the Nexus S was already rumoured (can't remember, or bother to check).
Besides, it was already known that it was coming with a locked bootloader. Hell you bought the device with the most draconian bootloader lock at the time, and now you're complaining.

Besides, We were promised it would be an unlockable bootloader!

Did you read your link? End of 2011. I don't know how you could've missed it, it's in the title!
(It's now early/middle 2011, you do know that, right?)

I have every damn right to be mad.

No you don't. I remember clearly the issue with the locked bootloader being all over the web before the device even hit the stores. At the time it was clear for anyone who spent more than 2 minutes researching that if you wanted an open device you'd either have to go with the Nexus One, or one of the popular HTC devices which somehow had a community of hackers around them.

BTW, if Google had a clue how to sell a phone through popular carrier channels to begin with instead of their stupid web-store experiment, I would have gotten one.

Ah, so now it's Google's fault... *eyeroll*

Face it, you made a bad decision one year ago, either because you didn't bother to inform yourself properly, or because you liked so much that particular phone that you thought it outweighed its faults.

Now you regret that decision, but can't face the fact that it's all on your shoulders. It is your prerogative to be an informed consumer -- it helps you and it helps everyone else.

Anyway, this isn't about you. You could be stuck with a 1995 Nokia for all I care. What pisses me off is that you basically validated Motorola's anti-consumer strategies and then come whining when they bite you in the ass.

And yes, it's clear to anyone that you're whining, and insulting me won't help your case.

Considering I bought it... oh, over a year ago when it was released, you contradict yourself. I Besides, We were promised it would be an unlockable bootloader!

I have every damn right to be mad. FTA: "This follows Motorola's earlier statement that it is 'working closely with our partners to offer a bootloader solution that will enable developers to use our devices as a development platform.'"

So, for calling me a whiner... stick it up your ass, my friend.

BTW, if Google had a clue how to sell a phone through popular carrier channels to begin with instead of their stupid web-store experiment, I would have gotten one.

perfect sense, except a factor of 80.

At $100,000,000 I can almost buy it.

A stretch, but I can almost buy it.

"Microsoft Earnings Report Excludes Windows Phone 7" For Microsoft, Windows Phone 7 is a long-term business opportunity.

$8.5B at this stage? Um...

there's going to be some applications written on Android that demand multitouch support or the screen resolution of a tablet. And they won't work on the vast majority of smartphones that don't offer that kind of thing.

And as far as I know, none of them work on Android-based media players (as opposed to smartphones) because the Android Market app doesn't come on devices without a 3G radio.

I think it's important to be clear that you mean they simply can't be gotten from the Android Market. Not that all of them don't work.

There's a pretty simple method called sideloading that allows you to put non-market apps on your phone. Of course, this usually requires you to get Astro or Dropbox or some such app on your device first. Commonly you can do that from the Market App which you note is not on media players (PMPs).

But I think it's important to note that it's not the Android API's fault that this sort of app transfer doesn't work. It's not like there were bad decisions made in the programmer's interface with Android that prevents this. It's got more to do with the resources that the hardware offers you and less to do with the software's limitations. It also has to do with what the manufacturer of that device wants and does not want done with the hardware they sell you. It's unfortunate but the reality is that if they didn't allow the handset/media player manufacturer the ability to lock you out of doing certain things on your device then they would never have had those big names on board. You will see a lot of different members of the Open Handset Alliance launching a lot of different kinds of devices with Android. That's a good thing and hopefully in the future this manufacturer mentality of "I don't want cell phone apps on my users' home media player box" goes away. Because that's what's blocking this from occurring, not Android or Google.

Actually, scratch that--it looks like AT&T removed that option. However, a.) that's AT&T being a shitty carrier, and not the fault of Android; and b.) there's a way around it already.

The $150 Livescribe Smartpen already exceeds the price of a tablet pc. Not only that, but the Smartpen requires $5 notebooks to work

The Livescribe Smartpen would probably make a good alternative if you're in a class that forbids laptops or don't have access to a power outlet since this review claims it'll last over a week between charges, but I can't see spending $150 on a pen when you can buy a fully functional Tablet PC for about the same price.

Wow, on my HTC Fuze (AT&T, free with contract), I just select the damn mp3.

Want just a clip? There's an app for that.

One option is to use chord-based keyboards, such as the Frogpad or others. That way, you can have fewer (and larger) keys but still be able to do most, if not all, of the same keys as a traditional keyboard.

Is that device required to modify and view the images that are displayed? If so, that looks to be less portable than your typical PDA.

I'm just wondering how a device which fits in the palm of the hand rolled up, and can be operated in a configurations barely the size of a small book is less portable than your average PalmPilot/iPaq/full-featured-cellphone/iPod?

Compare that photo with these:
* http://www.be-home.com.au/Support/iPaq%20Hand.jpg
* http://www.activearmor.com/ipaq_hand_3.jpg
* http://www.photonic-insight.com/product7.html
* http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_imagead&t= reviews&id=482&img=http://www.pocketnow.com/html/p ortal/reviews/0000000482/review/compare2.jpg

The pro's and con's from pocketnow.com:

PROS

        * Fantastic screen
        * Dual Secure Digital slots
        * Decent sound
        * Small size
        * As a Palm-based device, it can take advantage of a larger software base

CONS

        * Some applications don't run, or run sluggishly
        * Button colors can't be seen when your finger is on them
        * Analog stick can be flaky at times
        * Sound can be crackly and buzzing can be heard
        * Flipscreen will not stay closed
        * OS Update needed to run a game that has already been released
        * Price

http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail &t=reviews&id=482

I ended up giving mine to my brother (as I already had a PDA), and he uses it only sparingly at this point. Interesting device (with a very nice screen), just a lot of Cons.

Personally, the older I get, the less crap I want to carry around with me - much less on me. I stopped wearing a watch years ago. One really good, small PDA/cell phone is all I want or need - and I don't want to have to work to dig the thing out from some hidden pocket.

• AximSite - Axim X50V
• PocketNow - Axim X50 & X50v
• infoSync - Axim X50v
• infoSync - Axim X50 Advanced
• infoSync - Axim X50 Standard
• PDA Buyers Guide - Axim X50v
• Read - Brighthand - Axim X50v
• CNET - Axim X50v
• Pocket PC Thoughts - Axim X50
• BargainPDA - Axim X50 & X50v
• Geek.com - Axim X50 & X50v

My suggestion: buy an inexpensive Pocket PC like the Dell Axim X3. Or you can get a refurbished iPAQ 1945 at BeachCamera.com for $200, shipped. The 1945 is a better fit in your hand than the Axim, IMO, and that's important for an e-book reader.

Once you get the PPC, you'll find that you use it for much, much more than just an e-book reader, even if you're convinced that you have a device for every other task.

When you get to that point, visit us at pocketnow.com for news and reviews on Pocket PC hardware and software to make your PPC more useful....

You'll be glad you did. ;)

it's the HotRod Joystick which you can see on that page. Hanaho owns the rights to the following Capcom ROMs and you get a copy of "Capcom Arcade Classics" if you buy their joystick. i have heard good things about the joystick but have not used one myself.

the games included are: 1941 - Block Block - Commando - Exed Exes - Ghouls'n Ghosts - Magic Sword - Mercs - Sections Z - Side Arms - Son Son - Street Fighter (Hyper Fighting) - Strider - U. N. Squadron - Varth

i don't know if they will sell the Arcade Classics separately, but you could always ask. if you really wanted to get into this as a hobby you would probably want a joystick like the HotRod anyway, but the cost is out of "impulse purchase" range. i did search google and froogle for "Capcom Arcade Classics" and could not find anyone selling it, although the google search turned up this forum page announcing a review of the games released for PocketPC, and you also get the desktop versions included. the actual review link, however, is broken.

so, i think this exists somewhere, but other than with a HotRod joystick I haven't been able to find out where you can get it. the only other thing i could find were CD-based console rereleases, for PS2/PS/Dreamcast, etc. Namco makes one (perhaps a few), for example.

ah, OK, even further searching turned up this page on capcom's site where you can buy individual arcade games for PocketPC (which I think based on the forum linked above should also work on PCs) ... but each game is $15, so it's not a great deal. but, the link is here.

HTH.

Yes and no. There is a product called PocketNow, however the author no longer works on the product and sold it to some commercial company. It also only emulated black and white Palms.

You might be able to find it somewhere to download, if you do, then this is what it'll look like.

This is going to be a great year for competition. Just a year ago Pocket PC's had huge advantages in both hardware and software. Palm OS 4 devices were stuck using 16-bit Motorola processors that for the most part ran at 33MHz, while on the PPC the norm was a 200Mhz 32-bit StrongARM processor with around 20 times the MIPS. The PPC OS was multithreaded, the Palm OS was not. The normal PPC could run 320x240 full screen resolution; the majority of Palm models were running 160x160 with a hard graffiti area. About the only advantage Palm units had was battery life, and even that was being challenged by lithium-powered PPC units such as the iPAQ. A lot can change in a year.

Software is more equal now. OS 5 is a 32-bit, (from the 32-bit OS experience of 4 dozen former BeOS employees inherited by Palmsource), multithreaded, offers system-wide 128-bit encryption, SSL support, and has new multimedia video and audio APIs. It will run code on Intel, Motorola, and TI ARM-based processors, without recompiling thanks to translation layers. And it is lean; it can fit under 4 megs.

OS 5 also has a large advantage over PPC 2002 -- native support of the ARM V5 instruction set. The PPC 2002 OS does not, eliminating what could have been large performance increases. While the next PPC OS will undoubtedly rectify this, some analysts are predicting this may not be released until 2004. This is partly why the new XScale PPCs are not showing the speed improvements everyone was expecting over the older StrongARM PPCs. For some tasks, new PPCs actually run
slower.

Not upgrading the PPC OS to use V5 was a rational decision on Microsoft's part, as it would have made "obsolete all SA1110 iPAQ devices" and "strand[ed] an installed base of over 2 million iPAQ users", according to MS (same link above.) Palm in is a much better position. OS 5 only has to emulate the old Motorola code to run programs written exclusively for OS 4. While emulation usually slows things down considerably, the Motorola was *so* slow that the ARM V5 processors are actually running many apps faster than before (if marketing can be believed).

The Palm OS also has a huge advantage as it can already use the ARM V5's automatic clock and voltage throttling abilities. For example, if you run a CPU-intensive game the Xscale can run full-bore (200-400Mhz), while if you run your datebook it throttles back (say 50Mhz), conserving battery life. This function is so important the XScale was named after it (it "scales" itself). Current XScale PPC's don't seem able to do this little trick. (The ASUS MyPal PPC worked out a kludge for this -- a software control so you can throttle the processor manually -- and is promising a more elegant OS patch in future MyPal's to throttle automatically, "fixing" this part of the PPC 2002 OS.)

What about hardware? Well, both Palms and PPCs can now use basically the same hardware (and even vendors). ASUS is making both current PPCs and upcoming (1Q 2003) Palms. Palm OS 5 units have an advantage as they can use a varied range of ARM processors, and already some Palm OS units (like this Sony) have a higher resolution . The Ipaq is rumored to be going up to 480x320 next year, but we will have to wait and see.

Even though these particular Clieâ(TM)s are not my bag (too bulky), it wonâ(TM)t be long until the entire high-end Clie line is ported over to XScale, including the smaller form factor models.

MS admits in the linked article that the OS is not "optimized". It fails to use the new ARM instruction set, and worse, does not seem to use the power-management capabilities of the XScale. Supposedly the Xscale uses half the power of the StrongARM, but battery tests on the new PPCs do not show this savings. This fix will be a while coming, as the next version of the OS does not appear to be optimized either.

Interestingly, Asus in their upcoming Xscale PPC is coming up with workarounds, such as on the fly automatic clock and voltage throttling. So while the Xscale supports capabilites that MS is not using, the vendors are not waiting for next year for MS to get their act together.

Hopefully the vendors will also figure out a way to speed up the terrible benchmarks of the Xscale PPCs.

Well I found it and the performance is NOT 50-75 percent slower then an iPaq. From the numbers on pocketnow.com, the Toshiba e740 is actually ahead in most categories with exception of graphics. There's the real kicker. I don't think it's the Xscale so much as it's the ATI imageon graphics chip in it. This is also a new chip, and as the benchmarks prove, it's driver has a problem or so it would seem. I actually heard that it's kind of operating in a emulation mode of sorts (kind of like standard SVGA on a desktop). ATI should provide driver code to Toshiba and it can then be fixed in a flash. I have a e740 and love it so much. The Xscale is a nice chip and will indeed improve in peformance as it's flashed up, but in my book, the other features are worth more. The wireless works well, the dual slots are a godsend (WE DON'T NEED NO STEEEKIN SLED! ;) ) and the price is GREAT for what you get. All in all, I would buy another one or an updated one (like the Toshiba e550 coming out soon!). One thing I am looking for is the availability of the 3000 mah high cap battery. The standard is fine for day to day use, but when you use the wireless alot you hear a giant sukcing sound coming from the battery. The other accesory I would look for is the 99 buck adapter that goes on the bottom. You add that and you can attach a USB keyboard and also drive a SVGA monitor or a Projector with it and have your handheld run your Power Point stuff on the road.

Many are working to port PalmOS to PocketPC also.

Here is a in-depth review a while ago of one of the stronger offerings:
Review of alpha version of "PocketPalm"

I think what you want is an iPAQ with this! It's a full-size laptop-type keyboard that ingeniously folds up to be about the size of the iPAQ itself. This is no cramped "chicklet" keyboard! I'm seriously thinking about getting one. The only problem is I don't know if there are Linux drivers (probably not). I'll bet there will be soon, though!

..Apparently, it also has a calculator.
---
"You just stranded one of the world's greatest leaders in San Dimas!"

Some screenshots from eBook:
1.
2.
3.

Some screenshots from eBook:
1.
2.
3.

Some screenshots from eBook:
1.
2.
3.

Compaq is releasing a gaming sleeve. See this (about half way down)

It's about half way down this page,