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Fujitsu Announces XScale PDA
Andrew Slough writes: "Fujitsu has announced the world's first PDA based on Intel's XScale architecture, making this the fastest ARM PDA in the world! Stories also at at Infosync and The Register. Pictures at PocketNow."
What if somebody sold a $50 linux based pda. What is the minimum you want the device to have? Understand, not everything can be done at a $50 retail, yes five-zero, not five-zero-zero.
What is too small, to slow, etc.
Do you really need 200mhz and no battery life?
Can't *one* of these PocketPC-driven PDAs have a decent sized screen at 480@320? Or does the PocketPC spec require 320@240? Anyone know?
You can still have a small-enough device with a slightly bigger screen. But with one, you can potentially raise the usefulness of it. Am I the only one that uses a PDA for more than a datebook? Am I the only one who reads a lot of text, or takes a substantial amount of actual notes (not just quick jots)?
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
I know that's what the numbers indicate, but I don't think the Palm is what the business world wants either. It just gets closer than the other offerings. What most of the business people that I know want is a device like the Pocket PC that has the battery life, price and reliability of a Palm. They also want better wireless connectivity and more memory. I've never heard anybody complain about the Palm crashing and losing its memory contents. However, my iPaq does that regularly. I know that my peers have had similar problems on other Pocket PC platforms. I always hesitate to press that little reset button because you never know if it will reboot with memory intact or not. Note that I do NOT have Pocket PC 2000 on my device, so maybe that's better.
I firmly believe that when a company releases a very reliable, fast, powerful device with good battery life and a low price, you'll see all of the numbers change.
GreyPoopon
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Why is it I can write insightful comments but can't come up with a clever signature?
Since I am in the market to replace my Vx, here's what I like about the Loox: SD and CF card slots (instead of just CF like HP, or just SD like Palm/Compaq or MemoryStick like Sony), jog dial (only Sony and Handspring), Color QVGA screen (only PocketPC), integrated Bluetooth (only Compaq).
However, the most serious spec is missing: size. I like the iPaq, but it's too big for carrying around everywhere. If this thing is close to the T- or N- series Clie in size, I'll be first in line to get one.
I want a high-end PDA like this but I don't want to run a Microsoft OS or MS Software. I refuse to use "Pocket" anything. When is someone going to offer a good alternative? Or has Microsoft already won the high-end, color, PDA market?
I've never run it myself for an extended period of time, but played with it on my own and other iPAQs. I wasn't impressed. I could get an entire distro, sure, but what does that get me? It was designed for running on a PDA, and it shows. It does do the extra things that software running on a PDA should, to make the experience more coherent. It's an expensive toy. A fun one for many people, I do not doubt it. Because of this, I'm working on my own PDA environment (Dynapad) this summer. If may not be what you want, but it's what I want. out of a PDA. A software system that is personal and dynamic for a PDA, not just a port from the desktop, with the addition of a floating soft-keyboard.
Having character recognition like on Palm OS isn't *real* HWR. Graffiti and xscribble are *character (or glyph) recognition* schemes not handwriting recognition.
Real HWR is the HWR that can be found on the Newton, or WinCE devices using Transcriber or CalliGrapher. That is, I write on the screen in my real handwriting and it translates it to text. It's quite a bit faster and more natural than using a CR scheme like Graffiti. And Linux doesn't have it, making it a waste of time for a PDA platform for me.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
I'm not really trying to make you paranoid. It's fresh in my mind because it happened to me AGAIN last week. This time, I was browsing the web through wireless LAN, when I received a message telling me that I needed to allocate more memory to storage space. Rather than transfer memory from system, I decided to clear my cache on the browser. When I did so, it gave me the cute little spinner. After watching the spinner and getting dizzy for about ten minutes, I finally gave up and presset the reset button. The device happily came up and asked me to start configuring it for first time use. It had lost EVERYTHING. I've had this happen before when I reset while a program was busy. I've also had it crash when installing / removing the PCMCIA jacket, and when inserting or removing cards. And the most frustrating is the crash that occurs by simply turning the device on. All of these hard crashes I've encountered could not be fixed by pressing the reset button. I was required to actually do a hard reset (with the switch) to make the device usable again.
This wouldn't matter nearly as much if it didn't take close to an hour to do a backup or restore over ActiveSync. I probably just need to bite the bullet and get a flash card. But in my mind, if the device is THIS unreliable, it should have been provided WITH a flash card.
GreyPoopon
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Why is it I can write insightful comments but can't come up with a clever signature?
My Apple Newton MessagePad 2000 has real handwriting recognition, whereas Micro$oft Winblows CE (note clever use of subliminal imagery) does not.
Except for the fact that there is free software available from Microsoft called Transcriber (or Calligrapher) that does give you true handwriting recognition on the Pocket PC
My Apple Newton MessagePad 2000 has a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) slot for easy expansion, whereas those dolts at "Fu" "jitsu" didn't put one in to their so-called "innovative" "PDA." Nice try, guys. While you're listening to "digital music", I'll be surfing the Internet using a real web browser and getting e-mail on a large screen.
Most Pocket PCs include a Compact Flash Type I/II slot which means that we can add wireless NICs, modems, digital cameras, micro-drives, etc., just in a slightly different (smaller) format that what you use.
I am boycotting Micro$oft, but I am not boycotting Apple. Another plus for me!
Well good for you...
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips