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I checked out the m505 and the only thing I can say about it is that the screen SUCKS! Worst of all, they have no multimedia! I don't want to plugin a MP3 player....the processor should be able to handle playing them not acting as a mere display for a player like the Handspring ones.

I am saving up for one of these uber cool Toshiba ones so I can relegate my EM-500 to the wife ;). 1GB of storage plus GPS, Modem, Wireless Ethernet, Bluetooth and what ever else CF or SD/IO devices can do. BTW, I have a SD card for my EM-500 and I love it! I run most everything on it because there's only 16 MB onboard the EM-500 until Times2Tech can pefect the 32 MB upgrade (they are backlogged upgrading iPaq's to 64 MB!...check em out here. Also check out the review of this upgrade here. Anyway, I DROOL when I think about this machine and what else is to come! Pocket computers won't replace computers, but they will end up being FAR more common then the PC ever was. Now, when is someone going to design one that looks like a PADD on Star Trek! :)

That being said, they have supposedly fixed the dust problem by adding screen gaskets. I don't have one of these newer models so I can't comment.

The single button problem does make gaming impossible. Can't even play a decent game of Doom; Quake is a chore also. Folks are working on gamepad controllers to get around this problem.

Speaker click is very irritating, but the excellent sound when using the device with headphones (which is how I normally listen to music and movies) more than makes up for it.

The worst thing is size. A naked iPaq is a thing of beauty. Sure, it's bigger than a Palm (not by that much) - but hell, look at all it can do! A naked iPaq is a very good thing.
As soon as you slip an expansion jacket on it, forget about it, it's a brick. There are after-market modifications you can make to the sleeves (or pay someone else to) to slim them down. I'm working on mine right now.

Palms are great, and if all your mobile needs are met by one, fantastic. I for one love the expansion possibilities and features of my iPaq, whether it be running WinCE or Linux.

There are two much better reviews, one at Futurelooks and the other at The Gadgeteer.

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Half Keyboard Review

Aimed at the PDA audience...

Actually, the Datahand site claims you can increase your typing speed. I think I believe it, it looks like a very well thought out device. But for $1200 it ought to just type for you.

In comparison, that bowl thing claims you can acheive a whopping 52% of your regular typing speed, and seems like a horrible design.

The half keyboard (the one that claims 90%) isn't intended to replace a traditional keyboard, but rather to be used with handheld devices. It's small and easily portable, though I still think the Stowaway folding keyboard is a better idea. It's a full-sized keyboard that folds up to about the size of a Palm.

I have a solar powered watch made by Citizen. They call it the "Eco-Drive". The watch is stylish enough that the solar cell lies beneath the face of the watch. I had an automatic watch too.

Here is one URL on the solar watch: http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/ecodrive-review.html

• I travel a lot and I've often had a device run out of batteries in a place where I didn't have a chance to recharge the device for several hours or days, leaving me in trouble.

Alex Bischoff
Interested in building a roof over your cubicle?
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I looked at the OmniSky web site; too bad they only support the V (and I have a IIIx). From their service map, Southern Arizona (where I live) seems well covered. Maybe I could hack a patch cord together :/

Also, the website seems to imply that the wireless modems are not shipping yet; are they currently available?

For those, like me, who didn't know about OmniSky, one review I google'd is at The Gadgeteer.

Geoff

Regarding your first question, there is a project called LinuxCE that aims to port Linux to CE machines. I have absolutely no experience, ties, or know-how about the project; however, given that there are a few different CPU's used in CE devices, development may be taking longer for your particular device.

Try this to connect a CE device to a Linux box. It works through a PPP connection.

As far as the fuss over WinCE, there are a few explanations. Some people just don't like any Microsoft software, period, and refuse to buy it on principle. However, on many devices (yours being an exception) Windows CE is very slow and complicated. Things like memory allocation and task management allow for more powerful programs, but also can make things unnecessarily complicated for Joe End-User who wants a no-nonsense way to synchronize his personal data. I've owned a PalmPilot since early 1997, and it's a great machine. Sure, it doesn't have all the whizbang features of many CE devices, but it runs a wealth of software and provides ultra-quick (no hourglass, ever) access to all personal data. My dad, who's one of the biggest technophobes I know, even bought one and is impressed with the feature set and the simplicity. He bought a cradle for his secretary, who takes messages and puts information into the Palm Desktop software on her computer. When he gets back from a meeting, all he has to do is synchronize his Palm with his secretary's computer and all of the data on both ends is made up-to-date. It's the so-called "Zen of Palm" that has sold so many units so far, and it's the reason why Palm Computing has held back on cramming every feature possible into every single organizer.

Hope this helps.

~=Keelor

The Gadgeteer is meant to have some info on ThumbType as well, but it, too, has been /.'d ad infinitum.

I expect the latter'll be up & running before the former though.

Found this at Gadgeteer Palm V Review "But, thanks to Calvin's New Palm Info, I learned that there is a toggle to reverse the reversed backlight and make it what I would consider normal. You do the shortcut command, .8 to reverse the screen." Don't know if this works with the VII but it works great with the V. Vermifax