Posted by
CmdrTaco
on from the breaking-into-new-markets dept.
the beava writes "Palm has officially announced the release of their latest handheld, the Zire. At $99 dollars (retail), it looks like they're trying to market this thing to people like parents and children. " Not a bad looking unit for the price.
two nice features
by
night_flyer
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
1) rechargable batteries 2) usb support
--
Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
Re:parents and children?
by
shri
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Electronic shopping lists could be a real blessing for parents, specially those of young kids. Imagine putting your shopping list into your palm, then either syncing it with the grocery stores website or walking into the grocery store and beaming the shopping list to the store's computer. You can then sit at the coffee shop (more business for the store!) while someone packs your groceries for you and brings them over.
I am still hoping that GPS prices fall and there is a GPS that can plug into the Palm.. or perhaps a bluetooth based location detection system. This would allow you to program a 4 dimensional alarm system (location (X/Y/Z) + time). Imagine a $200 device which could be programmed as follows... "when you're out to lunch and walk past the video store, pick up DVDs for the weekend".
Pity no one listens to me.:)
Re:2 Meg of ram?
by
TheLoneCabbage
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Like I said, as an organizer it will do just fine. But little else.
Map and news paper cost me $5 at a news stand (especialy in Manhattan, and even then the maps are usually free).
I'm talking about real funtionality. If you had a low powered computer strapped to your hip at all times what would you want it to do? You have to justify spending $100, when $10 will do.
Beep when you had an apointment? OK, but there are hundreds of lowcost devices that already do that.
Keep phone numbers? See above.
Scribble notes? I prefer papper thankyou. It's more reliable (it only breaks when I get it wet, but so does a PDA)
What I really would want are things like:
Translators e-books (think library, or tech manuals, while you are on a job) wireless internet (IM, EMAIL, syncronicity with an Exchange server) Educational software (for those rediculously long trips) Telnet/http connections to a remote server (serve maintenance)
For the most part, you need much more expensive units to do this. And for the life of me I don't know why! It should be a cake walk to build a system that could let you plug in a wireless network device (isn't that why we invented USB?), or more memmory.
Why wouldn't it be cheaper to build a system that has NO features but is just an infastructure for plugged in addons?
Slashdot Mirror
1) rechargable batteries
2) usb support
Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
I am still hoping that GPS prices fall and there is a GPS that can plug into the Palm.. or perhaps a bluetooth based location detection system. This would allow you to program a 4 dimensional alarm system (location (X/Y/Z) + time). Imagine a $200 device which could be programmed as follows
Pity no one listens to me.
Like I said, as an organizer it will do just fine. But little else.
Map and news paper cost me $5 at a news stand (especialy in Manhattan, and even then the maps are usually free).
I'm talking about real funtionality. If you had a low powered computer strapped to your hip at all times what would you want it to do? You have to justify spending $100, when $10 will do.
Beep when you had an apointment? OK, but there are hundreds of lowcost devices that already do that.
Keep phone numbers? See above.
Scribble notes? I prefer papper thankyou. It's more reliable (it only breaks when I get it wet, but so does a PDA)
What I really would want are things like:
Translators
e-books (think library, or tech manuals, while you are on a job)
wireless internet (IM, EMAIL, syncronicity with an Exchange server)
Educational software (for those rediculously long trips)
Telnet/http connections to a remote server (serve maintenance)
For the most part, you need much more expensive units to do this. And for the life of me I don't know why! It should be a cake walk to build a system that could let you plug in a wireless network device (isn't that why we invented USB?), or more memmory.
Why wouldn't it be cheaper to build a system that has NO features but is just an infastructure for plugged in addons?
I would rather be ashes than dust!