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I think it was that Apple, who introed one of the first PDAs, the Newton, realized where PDAs would end up first, and thus decided on the iPod.

Look at the iPods and don't tell me they aren't computers! 32mb ram, dual core 90MHz ARM CPU, Firewire, 5gb 4200rpm HD, 160x128 LCD in October of 2001 for $499. 4.02", 2.43", and 0.78"

Handspring in comparison released in September the Handspring Neo; 33MHz Dragonball CPU, 8mb ram, USB, grayscale 160x160 LCD, and the expansion slot for $199. 4.8", 3.0", 0.7"

Of course the iPod cost more, but you get 6x the CPU, 20x the transfer speed, 500x the storage, and probably half as small in volume... The writing was on the wall. Palm is 4 years too late, now, with the LifeDrive! I wish the LifeDrive the best of luck... they should have released it two years ago!

I would love a Sun Type 5 keyboard on my PC, but I haven't found a decent way to make on work without spending 100$

This is what I use for a keyboard and I love it. It just works.

(for me), Is it reasonably quiet?

All quiet keyboards I've ever had always turned out to be utter crap. Right now, I'm banging away on a IBM Modem M keyboard that is still doing fine after years of typing (obviously) but also coffee spilling (hot and cold), heavy banging, hurling across the room, and sitting on. Some of the heavily used keys are so worn out that the plastic surface feels smooth and the etching has gone, but it's still doing fine. These things sure were made to last.

I've long since forgotten about the incredible racket noises it makes. My cat loves the feel and clicks when he stretches on it though, apparently.

Really? I thought the iPod was a single processor ARM7 derivative made by PortalPlayer called something like PP5020D

It seems the first three iPod generations had two 90 Mhz ARM7TDMI CPUs. The fourth, the mini and the photo have two 80 Mhz ARM7TDMI. This information is brought to you by this page.

wikipedia agrees:

The first three generations of iPod use two ARM7TDMI-derived CPUs running at 90 MHz, while later models have variable speed chips with a peak of 80 MHz to save battery life.

Much to my surprise, I find myself seriously considering buying one of these $500 Macs.

I have wanted a Mac since I got to use one of the originals which was on display at Science North in Sudbury, Ontario the summer after their commercial release in 1984.

Price has always been the major sticking point. When I was thinking of upgrading my Commodore 128, I had a few choices. In the Time Before the Internet (for us home computer users), I wrote Apple and got brochures back for their two new models, the Mac SE and the Mac II. According to the price list that came with them, the cheaper Mac SE cost more than three times as much as a similarly equipped Commodore Amiga or Atart ST. Remember, all of these computers were roughly equivalent at the time.

In the 1990s, I started buying the horrid, commodity IBM PC clones, starting with 486s, and I have not changed since then. If Apple were to release a cheap Mac, I would be seriously tempted to buy it.

Why? Because my recent brushes with Apple hardware and software have been positive. I used iTunes on my PC to convert my CD collection to MP3s. Later, I bought a used 10GB second-generation iPod, and have been pleased with it too. After the front-page articles on Slashdot, I even have downloaded and run Mac OSX on my 2.5GHz 32-bit PC using Pear PC. The emulation was slow (the two times I tried it), but it did give me some idea of what a Mac is like.

So, now to my question: I have a favourite keyboard, an IBM Model M. What kind of keyboard port is standard on Macs these days?

From my limited knowledge, I would guess that this new headless Mac would take a USB keyboard, in which case I would need some kind of USB to PS/2 converter.

Does anyone have any experience with present-day Macs using IBM PS/2 keyboards?

Whats most offensive lately is moving an extra set of keys (effectively useless keys, I might add) to the insert/home/pageup/pagedown/delete/end block and effectively throwing off the entire layout of that section rendering 20-30 years of standardized layout and familiarity out the window.

You used to be able to buy a cheap 5$ keyboard that had the standard layout, albeit a piece of crap, but it did the job. They're getting harder and harder to find. I couldn't even find one the last time I looked. There were no keyboards without at least 3 extra keys in addition to the windows keys, and this was at Fry's Electronics. Luckily I found a local shop selling old keyboards, and quality at that. I picked up several IBM Model-M PS/2 keyboards. Not as old as the AT style, but they are still over 10 years old and work perfectly. The keys are tactile and the layout is curved somewhat to make hiting the F-Keys easier. I got a few that make the loud clicking sound, and some of the quiet touch ones. They are both high quality keyboards, but I prefer the clicking noise :). Without a doubt these are the best keyboards I have ever owned and am aware of.

Check out this page that talks about them some. I think they sell them here. There's a review here, and a page of devoted model-m lovers here.

You should be able to pick them up used at a local used computer equipment shop, ebay, etc for under 20$ (I got mine for under 5$ a piece).

They'd have to pry my IBM Model M from my cold death hands first.

in that case, I suggest you acquire a man's keyboard, the IBM model M. Springs hold your fingers up so you don't get carpal-tunnel in 10 minutes like with a mushboard, and you can use it as a very effective weapon, should it come down to it. But I suspect that I am preaching to the choir.