Slashdot Mirror
Palmtop Nirvana?
cakefool asks: "There seems to be a Slashdot article every day about a new palmtop/subnotebook/digitalwhoojerammy, and without fail people complain it doesn't have what they want. Let's do this the other way around - what do you need in a handheld computing device, seriously? I ummed and ahhed for ages before finally ordering a Psion 5mx, and it does everything I need it to, other than play Doom(1), and is a hell of a lot cheaper than the JVC micronotebook, and smaller than a budget laptop, with a much longer battery life than both." What features do you look for in a handheld/palmtop computing device?
Nothing better. Maybe Solitare too.
I'm probably at the karma cap. Mod up a funny troll instead, it lightens the mood
With a 1.2 MP camera, and the ability to play OGG Vorbis, the Palm Zire 72 and my 512 meg SD card will last me for a while. Especially with the new Wi-Fi SDIO cards coming out.
I've always wanted solar power on a pda. The battery requirements would be a little mroe forgiving. Oh, and the ability to firstpost!
Ok, I'm pretty easy to please I suppose. Here is my want-list for my personal 'computing device' 1. Small but high-resolution screen, big enough to work on an Office doc., widescreen to reduce scrolling (10-11", 1280x768ish) 2. Long Battery life, without a 20-cell monster battery -- 6-7 hours of steady office usage 3. 2 Spindles - Needs an integrated DVD player, I can't stand dongles or ouboard things to lug around 4. Connectivity, and lots of it. I would LOVE to have a universal-but-integrated power supply, so I don't require a 10lb brick to go with my 4lb laptop. Also, throw in integrated Modem, Wifi a/b/g, Bluetooth, GRPS(!) and IR for good measure. 5. Blueberry-like Push-Email capability... I would love it if I could stick a SIM card into my notebook and have it automatically update my email, without me having to completely power-up. 6. Light weight -- Less than 4 lbs, With all cables 7. Last but not least, it can't cost more than $2500.... Am I dreaming? Maybee not, the Sony TR3/5 and the Fuji P7010 are very close to what I would like.... Maybee next year.
I don't own one, but I'd buy a Palm III with a USB interface for 10 bucks if someone offered it to me. If I want a camera/mp3 player/etc I'd get a dedicated device.
I've held Nirvana in my hand before. The entire discography fit on one cdr, in fact!
He who laughs last is stuck in a time dilation bubble.
Sharp Velo 500, but it would be better with a PCMCIA Slot or some other sort of WiFi. IrDA is a joke, and the 115k serial connector is just another wire I don't need.
Make America grate again!
Modularization. I don't care what other peoples' palmtops can do. I want modules. Bluetooth. Storage. WiFi. TriCorder. I want the modules small and hard to break. I want them easy to install. I don't want to wait for drivers. I want open specs and the ability to hack.
Any takers?
http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
You know, here, in the US, the subnotebooks never really took off as far as I can tell. I see mostly medium-sized to desktop replacement size notebooks. The only time I've seen a subnotebook was at those chain stores. Are there any Slashdotter's in the US who use or have seen a good number of subnotebooks? Are there Slashdotters from other countries who believe subnotebooks are much more prevalent than they appear to be here?
Slashdot: Playing Favorites Since 1997
screen big enough with high enough res to watch video
processor that can playback smooth divx at decent framerate
GPS
bluetooth
acts as cellphone with bluetooth headset
wi-fi
rugged, can take a beating including static from my pant
SDIO
ôó
...and my favorite is my Blackberry 7230.
It *brings* me my e-mail, lets me respond from practically anywhere, carries my contacts, calendar and notes, is very lightweight, and plays a good game of Texas Hold'em. And I can usually go a few days without a recharge.
And being a phone doesn't hurt either.
Does it have Palm written on it.
Had an original palm pilot when they first came out and lived my life on it. Incredibly usefull. Eventually, my cell phone started to be usefull, to the point where I didn't like entering info twice, and at that point, the palm pilot was left for the cell phone which was ok, but not perfect.
Recently, got a Treo 600. This is almost the perfection of form. Did everything I wanted, phone and pda. Few problems I had with it appear to be solved by the new version coming out soon (after being used to a Tungsten for a bit, the screen res on the Treo was a little poor).
So, pda good, ability to load the odd fun application is cool. Being able to use Google from wherever I am, incredible.
Waiting for an amusing sig.
All I usually want are features that invariably get released in the next model a week after I just bought one.
Do you or your partner snore? - Visit www.snoring.com.au
I want a Newton running on modern hardware.
similiar to the OQO, but heres the wishlist. 1.Open source OS 2.Dirty big hard drive 3.T.V.Tuner 4.Sound 5.CF card slot 6.TiVo style recording software. Leave the thing plugged in at home/work/wherever to record all your favourite shows, or rip DVD's etc onto it. (Base station?) pick the thing up, transport it around, use it as a PDA, but you also have video and sound out ports on it (RCA) just plug it into any TV/projector/plasma screen, ad it has all your shows on it too.
Carpe Aptenodytes!
That said, Fry's does sell both the Sony and Fujitsu subbies...but they certainly don't have the selection you see overseas like in Japan. Wow, there is some killer gear over there... Check out www.dynamism.com, they retro-fit alot of the Japan only models with English OS's.
I would like a no-moving parts (or rarely moving parts, e.g. the iPod hard drive) portable that is:
- no bigger than my Visor Deluxe
- can user a rechargeable lithium polymer battery or AAA
- offers wi-fi, bluetooth, or GPRS connectivity as options - this shouldn't be standard... it should be an inexpensive (less than $50) add-on.
- High-res 5" screen. I don't need color - grayscale, perhaps, but color is extra.
Modularity would be a huge benefit, but could be hard on sales. Big modular item for me: screen. I want to be able to choose between a grayscale and color screen, and replace it when I break it.That what was all this school was for... to teach us how to solve our own problems. -- janeowit
1. Big, bright screen. Half-VGA at least.
2. Built-in Wi-Fi. Don't care about Bluetooth.
3. Ability to display all types of document formats. PDF, HTML, CHM, and all the rest I forgot. Ability to view in portrait and landscape mode.No document conversion. Document conversion is a pain. Are you LISTENING Palm?
4. NOT a phone. If I wanted to pay per month for the priviledge of using the device I bought, I would buy a phone.
5. Lots of developers churning out neat programs that can download and play with.
6. Tangentially related, I want to be able to right-click on a file and say "Send to handheld", and have it appear there.
7. I don't care about viewing movies on a handheld. I makes no sense to view movies on a screen a couple of square inches.
8. CHEAP I'm talking $200 CDN max.
Well, I can dream, can't I?
beer tap
My problem? I was perfectly gruntled, until some numbnuts came by and dissed me.
What the hell has this got to do with PDA's?
Carpe Aptenodytes!
Unfortunately, this used to be a standard feature, but is now extinct.
I am the happy owner of a palm tungsten t3. The only things I would change about it is that I would like some sort of mini keyboard, ala the Sharp Zaurus (not sure how on the T3 form factor tho), better battery life and perhaps slightly better resolution. (though it isn't bad as is) I like the digital ink sketchpad, though I'd like it to have better resolution. Bluetooth is essential as far as I'm concerned and a voice recorder is handy. Otherwise the T3 is about exactly what I want. The Sharp Zaurus would be damn good too if it were so expensive and the software was better.
No, the problem I have with most PDAs is the software on the computer side of things. I use Mozilla/Thunderbird for my email but syncing to anything but Outlook/Notes is a painful exercise if it is possible at all. (Yes I've used the Palm sync in Mozilla and it is barely adequate at best, and no I'm not switching email apps as Outlook/Evolution/Eudora/Pine/whatever don't fit my needs) Even when you can sync to a third party app, forget syncing applications besides an address book and maybe calendar. Sunbird still doesn't support any mobile devices and isn't likely to anytime soon. None of the address book applications can talk to each other in any meaningful way. Would it really be so hard to sync to Palm Desktop AND Thunderbird at the same time? And forget trying to keep my palm and phone syncronized along with my address book, (Mobile Master does an ok job but not perfect) I've tried every application out there to do this (Oxygen, Mobile Master, etc) and none of them are more than band-aid fixes.
What I want is for these applications (particularly address books and calendars) to be able to speak to one another. There is no reason I shouldn't be able to sync to 5 different address books, palm desktop, nokia phone editor and my cell phone at the same time.
Easy: I want it to have the same form factor as my HP200LX, i.e. with a "real" keyboard for input but I can put the thing in my pocket. Must run Linux, but port the best of HP's PIM software from DOS, all based on a simple built-in database engine, which drove the appointment book, phone book, todo list, etc. Must have a built in RPN calculator. Must have instant on and off: no rebooting unless you ask for it, which requires constant memory.
C'mon, I was doing this (and Lotus 1-2-3 too) on the 200LX ten years ago! I just want it to run Linux now. Is this so hard?
Maybe the reason people complain is they just don't want one. Maybe people don't hem and haw because they are indecisive wrongheaded consumers... They just don't want a useless little toy that plays at being a pc.
You can play Doom on a Psion 5mx. Palmtop B.V. ported Doom years ago and I played it on my Psion 5. It was gray-scale (of course) and there was no audio, but it played.
Im in the US and I have an IBM T41 desktop replacement (company bought) and my personal notebook is the larger of teh two small Fujitsu notebooks. I like my T41 better.
In a handheld I want:
*Bluetooth
*A "proper" (readable color) screen, with the ability to drive an external monitor to at least 1024x768 (1280x1024 preferred) for presentations (w/o the notebook)
*A compact flash slot (specifically CF so I have wide storage choices like microdrives)
*And finally I want sick power efficency (so I can either have huge battery life and carry around a pound or so in my pocket or I can carry only a couple ounces and still have a few real hours of usage)
-nB
whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
8x4x1 form factor.
20+ hours battery life.
640x240 screen. (b/w screen, 16 shades of grey)
Mostly full qwerty keyboard (yes, chicklet sized).
Compact Flash slot (seperate from pcmcia).
Pcmcia.
Runs on 2 AAs.
256 Megs ram or better.
133mhz or better. (low cpu power to save power)
Runs linux.
Nuff said. Note that since it would be a 3 volt system 5 volt pcmcia cards would drain it pretty quick. That's ok really as most of the time when I'm using a modem or NIC I'd be plugged into power anyway.
That's all I really want. If I could have that, I would be happy.
http://www.xpurple.com
My Nokia 6800, as I've mentioned once upon a time, is pretty much the cat's meow.
Now if they had included a decent camera (besides your typical 1.something MP ones they have now on cells), and some sort of MP3 playback capabilities to give iPods a run for their money, well hell...that'd settle my wish list!
Some aim to please, I aim to tease.
2. Built-in Wi-Fi. Don't care about Bluetooth.
I'm mostly in agreement with you on everything except this one. I'm the opposite in that I want built in Bluetooth and don't care so much about Wi-Fi. Bluetooth lets my phone and PDA work as a single device which is important to me but not really practical with Wi-Fi. (not to mention more power draining) I'm sure that's mostly due to you having different needs than me, but I think having the choice of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (or both or neither) is the best thing they could do.
3. Ability to display all types of document formats. PDF, HTML, CHM, and all the rest I forgot. Ability to view in portrait and landscape mode.No document conversion. Document conversion is a pain. Are you LISTENING Palm?
The Tungsten T3 can do this for at least Word and Excel files with Documents2Go. I can view them converted or native and in portrait or landscape. I agree that conversion is a pain and shouldn't generally be necessary.
Wireless internet, imap email (via Papi Mail), syncs with Linux, allows me to comment on a Slashdot article while I'm sitting in a bar listening to some guy play guitar.... What more could you want?
Mod me off topic, but I don't want a palmtop.
They're inconvenient. I want a wristwatch with:
A cell phone
A fast two-way data connection
A computer with at least 1GB of storage
A GPS
Altimeter, Thermometer, barometer
Being a watch, the interface would be verbal from me to the watch, and a high-resolution screen built into (and superimposed inside the lenses of) a pair of glasses for the interface from the watch to me.
ie, "Watch- what time is my appointment with Bill?"
"Where do I turn to get to the nearest Wendy's, and how far is it?"
"Read me the headlines from Slashdot," etc.
Thus, I will be waiting for several (many?) years.
Can anyone tell me how to set my sig on Slashdot?
I've been using my new Asus A716 mostly to stream news over my home wireless connection. That and play NetHack. I use it every day and it doesn't look like I'll be dumping it any time soon (unlike my poor old TRGpro) -- so these few functions appear to be more than enough.
Pocket outlook would be great for the exchange server my company uses
Terminal Services would be great for administrating my company's exchange server
Pocket Internet explorer is great for those spur of the moment wikipedia lookups, not to mention slashdot and company.
Pocket Streets would be great if the device had GPS, and even better if I can plot a waypoint when GeoCaching
Windows Media player would be great for MP3s on the SD card, however I think there is a winamp port which would be even cooler but to save memory I'm sure WMP would work just fine.
AIM, Yahoo, ICQ, etc...
Oh yeah, and a phone, that would rock.
Pocket word and excel arent that important, if I recieve an attached document I'm probably not going to edit it on a 2" screen but its nice that its there.
Sure, I've got an eTrex for GPS / GeoCaching, and an iPod for music, and a cellphone for calls, and a pocket pc for email, web, and term svc when needed, but put all those in my pockets, including th cables to link ipaq to phone, and gps to ipaq, not to mention the spiffy white earbuds that are always tangled, and I've completely run out of pocket space.
Basically, what I want to do is have all my toys with me but not need a scott-e-vest (OT: Live long and prosper scotty:)
Now if my company was using open-xchange and I needed VNC not terminal services and any imap client would work fine then forget the MS platform and just give me a Treo 650 with GPS.
PS: My next toy is going to be a Treo 650 anyway, I'll live just fine an imap client and cross my fingers using VNC on a 144kbps sprint pcs data connection. Hows the battery life treo users?
Im dreaming ofa big bndwdth, That can resist the
The major failing in most PDA's or palmtops is that there's very little you can usefull do with them. Everybody carries cell phones because cell phones are obviously useful. They are compact, simple (well, not so much anymore), and they are VERY useful.
I used to carry around a PDA. I used it to keep track of phone numbers and my calendar. I now have a cell phone which is ideal for the first task, and is passably useful for the second. So why would I carry around another device?
Name me one thing that I can do with a PDA I cannot do with a simple cell phone that makes it worth carrying around. Surf the web? Well it's not really that easy to do it effectively on either device. Watch videos? The displays suck for that, they don't have enough memory, and frankly I can't imagine needing this "on the go".
PDA's are the bad middle ground. They are not as compact as cellphone and they are not as useful as full size laptop. Until somebody comes up with a good reason for people to lug around yet another device, there's not much left to say about it.
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
What I want is pretty simple really. I don't ask for much, besides these few basic features:
It should be a small PDA, shaped like the Zaurus or Oqo.
And it should have:
- A high-res color display.
- A slide-out thumb-keyboard.
- Built in WiFi.
- Pen/tablet support.
- An internal 40gb mini harddrive, just like those in the iPod.
- Firewire and USB ports so that the drive may be easily mounted on a Windows or Linux machine and used either for storage, or merely to exchange files with the PDA.
- It should be able to play mp3's.
- It should work as a fully functional cellphone. It should come with a cell-phone assistance application, to store all your phone numbers, call logs, etc.
- It should have a nice digital camera mounted on it, and accompanying snapshot software.
- It should be a gaming system, and have all the power of something like a sony PSP or the new Nintendo handhelds.
If somebody can come with with a device that suits these few little needs, I'd definately fork over cash for it. I don't want to carry around 5 different electronic devices. I want one. WHY NOT? Why hasn't Sharp figured out *PUT MINI HARDDRIVES IN YOUR ZAURUSES* -- And *ALLOW THEM TO PLAY MP3's* -- I just don't get it. We only need one device. Truthfully, the only reason I'm not buying a Zaurus right now is that it can't properly play mp3's cause it doesn't have a hard drive. The best one can hope for is a 4gb compactflash, which is unacceptable.
The two options are a small laptop (i'veplaye with tiny vaios at best buy) or a Handheld? Most of all, I would like the ability to install linux, which is not capable on a pocket pc (I own and love my Dell Axim, in fact, I am writing this post on it) for all of my wardriving needs. A long battery life would be great (Again, my Axim X5 has great battery life) and an option to boost the processor, even if it means more porer consumption. Lastly, I would need Expadability. Whats the point of awardriving laptop with uot GPS and a High-Powerd directional antenna? Bluetooth and Hard drive space are bonuses.
Yeah and they're all ads for handtops.com from CaptainJam. Check out his profile. He's had three handtop submissions accepted in the last two weeks. The Captain has authored all the articles on the main page of handtops.com as well. It's clear to me that handtops.com belongs to the recently registered (UID 802805 and his first post came the day after his first submission.) CaptainJam of Slashdot.org and that his submissions are a way to drive traffic to his new site. Come clean CaptainJam.
Support the First Amendment. Read at -1
How about one of these stuck in the end? http://www.science.uva.nl/~sprik/masterlaser/holoe xp/holo.html/
Help me obi-wan, you are my only hope.
The new Palm 2 D-2.
Carpe Aptenodytes!
I'd be happy just getting the electronic equivalent of a notepad and pencil so long as the handwriting recognition's good, and it could sync to computer. In a pretty quick period of time, they'd probably be dirt cheap and I could have a few to use at home and work.
Yes, I could just use a notepad and pencil. But I've seen what happens with prolonged use. My dad's done that for years. And now he's got loose collection of paper and business cards, 3 inches thick, sitting in his breast pocket everyday. Every morning, he transfers this block of paper from yesterdays shirt into today's shirt. He's found stuff in that block that info over 6 years old and completely useless.
I guess really just want digital paper and I'll have to wait 10+ years for it.
I've had a Palm III, a Vandspring Visor Deluxe, and currently a Sony Clie with 320x320 screen, (Greyscale) and Lithium Ion battery
Ditto. In terms of form factor I want it to be like the old eMate that ran NewtonOS. Sturdy plastic that you can drop on the floor, a modern processor and OS -- not too modern; a reasonably fast running Arm with PalmOS will do it for me, or some kind of stripped down unix. The option of a greyscale screen -- sure, have color for the higher end model, but give me a low end greyscale screen for $200-400. Basic text editing and internet applications, the ability to create limited office-like applications with easy transfer to MS Office or OpenOffice, ssh, a basic web browser, wifi, about a gig or two of memory; perhaps less; firewire or usb; perhaps a smartcard reader (tho I prefer usb and attach your own). A decent enough screen for reading and writing -- contrast like those sony ebooks I have seen would be nice; true black n white. A keyboard that isn't too small and isn't loud at all (again like the emate). And it should look cool and be about 1-2 lbs. If it comes in different colors and runs a stripped down version of OS X I wouldn't be upset at all either :) Cool thing about the emate was the screen folded out so you could write on it and you could rotate the display so you could look at it from different angles. Perfect for writing, taking notes in lectures, doing limited web and internet work, creating web pages, posting to slashdot, etc. on-the-go. When it's not in use just fold it closed; it should have instant on when I open it up. And some basic calendar and address book software that syncs to my computer would be nice too; again PalmOS has most of what I would need here, though something more modern would be great. An updated NewtonOS would be even nicer, but now I am really dreaming....
- under $250 CDN
- syncs with Linux
- 80 character width
- source code / text editor
This is a bit off-topic, but sparked by the poster's question.
I find it interesting that a term describing the cessation of the craving that leads to suffering should be applied to a question about purchasing electronic gadgets. I know that we're all geeks here, but shouldn't some thought be put into the use of language?
For instance, Rio names their products after terms like meditation (Zen) and the law of casuality (Karma). Why are these religious terms trendy and marketable? I find it all the more confusing that the terms should be borrowed from a religion that largely stands as an antithesis of consumerism.
Perhaps for some this situation will not seem like a big deal. What would consumer reponse be like if a company released products called "Prayer" or "Theosis"? Of course, the term Heaven is often applied to various topics, but hasn't such simple usage eroded some of the meaning and profundity of the concept itself?
Sorry if my tone comes off as bitter -- I just think that this is something important to think about. I'm not saying that these people are blasphemers and heretics but that more thought should be put into the usage of religious terminology, especially in tech products, of all things.
i'll just have to wait until fantasy becomes reality
----------- destroy evil immediately!
You can get a GPS module for it which some people rave about, say it's very nice. The only other thing missing is wi-fi, which I admit would be nice for higher speed transmission and surfing in hotspots. And a higher res (320x320) screen would be nice too. The default software bundle isn't ideal - Palm ships a mediocre email program and web browser, but the strong Palm developer community keeps cranking out excellent alternatives, and there are lots of choices of apps with varying feature sets and focus to meet your particular set of exact needs.
In general, I find Palm both simple enough and powerful enough for all my palmtop computing needs as a platform. And the Treo 600 is a very nice compromise between phone and PDA/handheld.
I have a positive modifier on Troll. When I mod someone Troll their karma should go UP!
I've never had one, had the opporunity once at work to get one and passed it up. What do people really use these for? I take notes at meetings and such by hand in a book... I don't think I'll be happy doing it any other way. I keep my contacts in a few places that I can access when I need to most. I guess if it had wireless internet it might be "neat" but I don't really have a need or a real good reason to buy one. So what do you folks actually use them for?
1: 802.11b. Really. This is *stupidly* important. Access points are AU$85 now. That's about US$0.95c. They cost, realisticly, nothing.
2: Easy mail synchronisation. How hard is that? I want to be able to park outside, click 'Sync' and it'll suck my email out of Mozilla.
3: MS Exchange compatibility. I want to be able to log into an exchange server if I have to. Over '11b.
4: OLED Display. Battery life is important.
5: Compact Flash expansion. Other people have mentioned SDIO, of which I am yet to google, but something easy to expand. And hey, while we're talking about expansion
6 and 7: USB and KEYBOARD SOCKETS. Really. How hard is it to put a PS2 socket on the side of it? Text entry is hard. It'll be a whole lot easier if you can yoink a keyboard off a nearby desk and type a few lines of text.
8: Open Standards. This is the *least* likely of all my suggestions, but hey, Palm did it and they're still selling lots of hardware. OK, so it might take a bit of downloading to get the SDE, but *anyone* can make software for it. For nothing.
9: I really don't care about CPU power. I'm not going to be watching videos on it. As long as it's responsive when I use it, I don't care if it's only got a 33mhz CPU.
10: Putty, or some sort of SSH client. rdesktop and VNC would be *really* nice, but hey, it's going to have a tiny little display anyway.
That would have me waving a chequebook and banging down their door. At *this very moment* I'm trying to find one that will do at least 802.11b and Exchange, of which I'm not having much luck 8-(
--Rob
Schlock Mercenary.
I'd like to see something that has no problem with being dropped. Even just as sturdy as an old gameboy would be nice, without adding a few grand onto the price.
Literalism isn't a form of humor, it's you being irritating.
Reality just knocked at the front door. They asked me to pass you a message...
They don't make 5mx's any more, and they're impossible to buy.
Porn!
Some way to connect to the internet would be neat, and the ability to run Java (I think some phones can do it) would be better, but not really needed.
People carry around cellphones because they like chatting. But aside from talking, cellphones are really horrible devices. THe thing that makes them great cellphones... small, long battery life, are completely at odds with what makes a good PDA.
The menus on phones are fine for calling people up, but to do things like "create a memo", they're really horrible.
Or do you think its really cute how it takes you 5 minutes to type in "I'm late for work" on a cellphone?
Size/Weight: About the same as a standard HDD.
Keyboard: Querty slide out (like OQO).
HDD: 20+ Gigs
OS: Full blows WinXP, compatible with Linux/BSD of course!
Ports: USB2.0, Headphones, Side-by-side PCMCIA slots.
Processor: >1GHz
Screen: 800x600, preferrably 1024x768
It's my Palm Zire 72. What it has: bluetooth, decent screen, built in camera, mp3 player, SDIO, takes notes, takes voice memos, runs Java, great contact app, great todo app, great calendar app, small enough for pocket.
To make it perfectly ideal: 802.11g, runs linux, slightly larger screen, at least 3x the resolution (from 320x320 to 480x640), built-in microdrive of at least 2GB size, software to act as network storage over wireless, a slightly better camera (2Mpixels), speech recognition, thumbprint security, bluetooth cell phone (so I can use a headset instead of holding a block to my ear), solar panel flip case for charging - and no bigger than the Palm T3.
I don't even think RAM and processor speed are worthy of discussion since in two years I'll want 2 or 3 times what I want now.
The fact is that I find my PDA very useful. It is a great tool to have when dragging my laptop around is not feasible.
Helping with organizational effectiveness is our job.
color display
sound
a USB host port
linux (or some other open environment where I can write my own drivers/apps for any external USB device I want to attach)
cheap :) (~$200 is cool)
They can keep all the other non-standard connectors/ports. There's no point in having a 200+mhz computer and depend on some company to build whatever the device I want that uses whatever propietary connector the PDA has.
Alas, the only options I've seen that come close to this are from indian companies, not yet available, and come attached with some weird marketing filosophy: the Simputer and the 'Smart Handheld', wich seems to be only blueprints.
--
Stay tuned for some shock and awe coming right up after this messages!
Form factor and raw power pushed me to get an ipaq 4155. The size can't be beat and the 400mhz processor can take anything I've thrown at it (so far). The first thing that bothers me about the unit, however, is that, while the screen is very nice, VGA would be oh-so-much-better. The newer VGA devices don't impress me due to their larger form factor. And for those who think there isn't a big difference, try holding a Dell in your hand and then a 41xx or 19xx series. The second thing I would change is the OS. PPC OS is pretty good for a handheld but I'd love to be able to put a linux distro on my device.
Knowledge is valuable. Ignorance is dangerous. Censorship is unacceptable. http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10
1 memory.
ever notice how niggardly pda makers are with ram? after so many years it has finally got up to 64 megs. given the prices of 64 meg pda's and oh, lets say 512 sticks of ram, there is NO excuse why there shouldnt be more ram on em. In fact, if you believe pda makers' pissn an moanin about ram prices, then the answer is simple: those horse-thieves should make pda's that use sdram, so the user isnt locked in to obsoloscence.
2 after a gig or 2 of ram, the next important thing would be a 1.8 inch hard disk, minimum 20 gigs to make it worthwhile
3 an intel mobile proc would be next on the list, so that it could play doom if u want.
4 all leftover space would support a big ass li ion batt, that would provide at least 8 hours of run time
5 full mp3, ogg, mpeg 4 a given
6 screen. a full color, 7 or 8 inch screen, with no fatty plastic border (all screen here baby). it should have min 1024 x 728 resolution, and be touch sensitive for input.
7 no keyboard would be needed because this thing could run dragon dictatate, in fact, dragon would be a native app on a chip, so it would never have to be loaded.
8 oh, and trash the shitty speaker most pda makers seem to think are needed. in most cases its a 10 cent peizo. instead put in good da converters, and have a high quality sound output for a nice pair of earphones.
but this will never happen, because all pda's are made form shitty of the shelf parts like peizos. most pda's cost the manufacturer less than 40 bucks to make, in under privilidged pacific rim sweat shops. look at what you pay for them and do the math
Most PDA are Useless. I just want a Dimension Flux Agitator. Also, an embedded fridge for my dietetic vegans foods would be cool, too. I have a palm, and yet I am gone back to taking notes on a small basic paper notepad with a pen. I can throw it against a wall, or walk on it, without problems. I usually back report at hand interesting notes in my elites databases. And I print them out, with very tiny font, on a big A4 sheet.
I'm sure there is a lot more.
Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
Here's my take:
/. This will drive you mad within minutes.
1.I have never learned to write flawlessly with any of the handwriting recognition systems, at least not when it comes to any special symbols or letters (such as in my native Finnish or Swedish). Therefore I would like to have a full qwerty keyboard.
2. A second demand would be for a good enough screen to read and surf on. My analysis is that the horisontal resolution is more important up to around 800 pixels. Too small horisontal resolution will force you to scroll for each line on a forum such as
3. Jam as many radios as you can in there. Bluetooth for Salling Clicker (awesome!) and syncing, WiFi for home and work mailing and surfing and GPRS for train surfing (as I'm doing right now on my laptop + phone). An FM radio or GPS could also be nice.
Disclaimer: Above mentioned does not have anything to do with my work relationship and are purely my private ideas.
That device is almost here with the Treo 600. Just got mine a week ago from Verizon. I can actually browse the web with a decent browser. I've downloaded an SSH client, and can now manage my servers remotely. I've downloaded an RSS reader, so I can read Slashdot stories (and browse the comments too), access my daily blog diet.
I was in New York city over the weekend, and could easily browse Yahoo's mobile site to find a movie to see close to the streets that we were in (we saw Hero, by the way).
The excellent Snappermail (version 2.0) has direct IPAM or POP access to my email servers without intervention by brain dead Verizon in that area.
Downsides? Nothing yet available to wirelessly sync with my Yahoo calender, address book and so forth. Sure, there's Intellisync that works with PC only, but I have a Mac, and it would have been cool to just time a sync with Yahoo once or twice a day. There's nothing stopping someone writing a Palm OS application that Synchronizes with Yahoo's portal though.
I got it with the Unlimited data plan. My next step is to use it as a modem for my iBook.
It is almost everything I need. (No, I don't work for Verizon!).
Newsfollow.com
i seek a portable/programmable terminal, with some local functionality
80x24, ssh (with keys)
open source (preferably linux/bsd, but run it in ram) (a key buffer for sensitive text would be really cool too)
some form of volitile memmory (for storing said ssh key)
decent net connection (>=56k,good latency, again, for ssh)
decent web browser (maybe gecko based, dont know about khtml and would rather a free one than opera)
multi tasking (unlike the treo supposedly is)
built in pda stuff (text editor, calender, simple sync protocol so you can add that to whatever you use)
cf card slot.
ability to easily make your own software for it.
fits easily in pocket.
other than the above, my biggest concerns are reliability battery life.
oqo and zaurus probably fits (using cell phone for said net connection)
mini projector or fold out touch typing keyboard would be really cool (or just a plug in one) also some option for a serial console would be nice too.
i wouldnt think twice about forking over a few hundred usd for a cell phone with the above features and good battery life. (not counting the projector, but with the keyboard option)
The one thing that would make a PDA rock is 3G.
Check your mail anywhere, surf the net, play games online all at fast speed.
Throw away stupid phones with cameras. I don't want to see my friend talking to me on the phone. People want fast net access everywhere.
Stuff GPRS/etc
3G is the way to go!
Chuck in a 480x320 screen, DUAL SD slots and a GSM/CDMA phone (Just for talking on the phone)and you have me!
Mod me down as off topic, but I must make a point. You hear of things being sold and marketed every day using any name under the sun. Tke the ford Taurus for example, Taurus is related to many of the great bulls of mythology. The symbolism of the bull is synonymous with strength, vitality and male impulsiveness. Is this saying that we choose a product because of it's religious connotations, or because of the thoughts they conjure up in our heads. Should we, by your admission, not name any product, or put any product in a class because it has a religious meaning _also_? Words are more than their literal meanings, and in todays day and age religion is very quickly being eclipsed by a new brand of worship, a yearning for information. Anyway, god is only an imaginary friend for grown ups.
Carpe Aptenodytes!
Can you imagine what we all could be doing with those handheld devices that run CE and Windows Mobile if there were an X server available for them? They would all be instantly useable by any Linux/FreeBSD/UNIX computer or supercomputer anywhere in the world.
A handheld without an X server is severly crippled.
Well, I suppose it's an excuse to ask if anyone has a solution for a fading display on a Clie? Or to word it in terms of the official topic, a very good PDA should have a display that remains highly readable after several years, and the Sony is not doing so hot in that category, and I really wish there was something to be done.
However, the truth is that the color and photo and movie capabilities and all that fancy stuff has never been particularly useful for me. Same with the sound capability, though this model is kind of cumbersome in that category, and maybe I'd have used it for music more if it were implemented better. A lot of that relates to...
The battery should last more than a few hours. Actually, my current battery life is down to about two hours, but it doesn't seem to be directly related to the weak display, since it looks the same when it's in the charging cradle. In terms of seeking PDA nirvana, I'd gladly trade a cup of flashy colors for two eggs of display brightness and battery life.
Not sure whether to continue suffering, or bite the bullet and get a new one--but probably not a Sony, even though I use the Japanese model and they seem likely to stay in that market for a while. Sony really rattled me when they announced they were dropping Clie from the American market. Also, the Graffiti on new Clies seems to be inferior to what my Clie has now.
One more closing thought is that I am quite satisfied with the Palm OS in comparison to my previous strictly proprietary PDA. It really has invaded many aspects of my life, and I'd definitely prefer to continue using it. I mostly use the memo, address book, and calendar functions, and those dreaded games.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Nobody /buys/ a palmtop, they're just toys. Only jobless nerds do that - it's just candy for ppl that can't make their own... Just take what you deserve and be happy with it.
-the borg.
Something like a Newton with a real hand-held optimized OS, a free software development system, the ability to handle all popular e-book formats (including Newton books, Open E-Books, Palm DOCbooks, etc.), numerous available apps, 802.11g, Bluetooth, 10/100 ethernet, FAX capabilities, and the capability to handle virtual machines for Java, Z-Machine, and Glulx.
Then just squeeze it all down to fit into a Palm-sized case.
I'm holding out for the true all in one:
-40GB+ HD, room for data, video, and music
-640x480+ Screen
-Cell phone
-Camera
-802.11 and possibly Bluetooth as well.
-Full PDA functionality with handwriting recognition.
-Form factor similar to the iPod or even the new Windows Mobile Media devices.
-Battery life of at least 8 hours continuous use. Maybe 6 if you're doing nothing but playing movies.
I would love to see Apple make this (I'd even sacrifice the camera and maybe the cell phone) but I'll go with whoever gets there first. My money's on Sony.
Until then, I can make due with just a cell phone. I've had several Palms, from the III to the Tungsten E, and I've always stopped carrying them after a few short months. By the time you have your cell phone, your Blackberry, and your iPod crammed in your pockets, who wants to carry a PDA?
This kind of integration also makes sense in other ways: you don't need to sync your phone to your PDA, and you can take calls while listening to music. That's a device I would really use all the time.
So... pretty much all or nothing for me, thanks!
The psions look nice, as they take just regular batteries. I wouldn't mind having one of those, even if I couldn't run any games on it. They're really small and are nice for typing things on it. But I don't know if they have models that keep their internal memory when the battery dies.
Nothing in particular, just make my palm rosey.
Simple, wifi for public hotspots, ability to "dial" (as a cell) to browse the web when not at a hotspot (these can be modular through SDIO), normal software (address book, calendar etc...) If above devices are sdio, then a 2nd sd slot for files would be great...
Some cheesy games would be nice too... maybe pinball, solitare, and donkey kong.... Hardware wise... we're almost there....
DarkMantle I been bored, so I started a blog.
No MP3s or DivX players or other multimedia excess. Hell, I don't even need color!
I've always wanted a small device to carry on trips for easy e-mail/web access without having to drag a laptop, clunky batteries, and a large power supply around. Ideally something with built-in ethernet, modem, and possibly WiFi. A small keyboard, even the thumb type, would be better than dealing with handwriting recognition or a screen-based hunt and pick keyboard.
Any suggestions? I gave up looking years ago. I tried a Palm IIIx with a foldable keyboard and modem, but soon realized they couldn't connect at the same time. I'd settle for a cheap used Libretto if I could find one cheap enough.
1. Bright, clear, high resolution screen. 800x600 would be nice, so that PDAs could render text more smoothly.
2. 1G of flash memory at least
3. At least 8 hours of battery life at 100% processor utilization.
4. Tablet behind the screen, mouse pointer, touchless pointer positioning, REAL writeability, like on Tablet PC. Working character recognition.
5. Seamless interoperability with Windows AND Mac.
lol, a post complaining about people complaining, heh :)
that tops it for today, i'm off to bed
so deal
Credit card size, fits in my wallet. Keeps a phonebook, calendar, grocery lists, todo list, and perhaps a regular old text files. A stylus would be necessary for input too of some sort
I have an older model ipaq (3650) and for the most part it's fit my needs perfectly. The one thing I've never been able to find though is a nice flashcard/quiz program which I could add or edit definitions in on either the ipaq or on a desktop linux system. The only flash card programs I've been able to find either do not allow editing of the source material on the PocketPC, or can only be used on the desktop in windows, not linux.
And yes, I know it wouldn't be 'that' hard to just write one myself - but I'm really short on free time. I don't suppose anyone knows of a program that would fit these requirements?
Everything will be taken away from you.
One word: Modular
I want to be able to replace the hardware for upgrades and replacements.
I want to be able to plug in an SD card when I'm using it as an mp3 player and a wifi card when I'm downloading the mp3s and port replacator when I'm working with desktops and GPS when I'm lost. I want these modular devices the be easy for third parties to develope and I want them to be varied.
Just like the hardware, I want the software to be abundant and cheap (largly controlled by how much information the manufacturer provides and royalties).
I also want the device to last over a year without parts failing and 3+ years with only one or two upgrades/replacements.
In summary I want what everyone wants:
Cheap
Versitile
Durable
This sounds a lot like something I know of...
If only I could put my finger on it...
Oh yeah! Open Source!
-Tim Louden
I want a PDA that looks exactly like a Palm Tungsten T2, but has the full-size screen like a T3. (To say the same thing another way, I want a Palm Tungsten T3 with buttons and 5-way navigator exactly like a T2. But I want more battery life than the T3 currently gets.) The PDA screen should be visible in bright light (a "transflective" screen like the T2 and T3 already have).
To go along with the PDA, I want a cell phone with Bluetooth. The cell phone will be clipped in a holster on my belt, just like my ancient StarTac is now. With a hands-free earphone/microphone, and using the PDA to dial via Bluetooth, I could make phone calls without removing the phone from the holster. The phone should be a folding phone, about the same size as my StarTac. (Perhaps a little bit smaller. I don't ever seem to wish that the StarTac were smaller; it seems like the perfect size. But some people might like it better if it were smaller.)
The phone, by virtue of its relatively large battery, should also double as a WiFi relay, talking to the PDA with Bluetooth. If I'm in a place with WiFi I can use that to connect to the Internet, and if not I can use the cell phone.
I also want a Bluetooth modem gadget. I wouldn't carry this everywhere I go, but it would let me connect to the Internet where there is no WiFi but there is a phone jack. For total nirvana, this gadget should also have an Ethernet jack, so that it can double as an Ethernet connector. (You can already carry a small Bluetooth USB dongle, and use that to take advantage of an Ethernet network -- as long as there is a PC there, for which you have permission to plug in a USB gadget and permission to install appropriate drivers. An actual Ethernet jack would be easier.) Again for total nirvana, the modem gadget should use the same exact batteries as the cell phone, and be rechargeable with a Palm travel charger (or you should be able to remove the battery and use the cell phone travel battery charger). The modem gadget should also serve as a WiFi relay (although since I carry a cell phone all the time, I really want the WiFi in the cell phone).
I don't actually want the cell phone to be a modem or Ethernet relay, unless they really could do that somehow without making it bigger or heavier. Maybe with optional plug-in attachments.
I'd also like a Bluetooth keyboard for the PDA, with a little easel stand that will let you conveniently use the PDA in either portrait or landscape mode.
For use in the landscape mode, I want an ssh client that can toggle its display between proportional font and fixed-width font. Most of the time, the proportional font would be just fine, and would allow fitting more text on a line with a bigger font size; for times when you need to look at "ASCII art" (such as ncurses programs that draw boxes on the screen) you can toggle back into fixed-width.
I'd like a nice digital camera that has a motion video recording mode, and uses an SD/MMC card (same as the PDA). The PDA should have software for viewing photos and video from the card.
I'd like a GPS that uses Bluetooth to talk to the PDA. You guessed it -- it should use the same battery as the cell phone.
As long as I'm dreaming, I'd like a "sled" that you can dock the PDA into, which would have one or two cell phone batteries docked into it (and could charge the PDA from them), and a CompactFlash slot that would work with all CompactFlash devices. Come to think of it, this could be an easy way to get Ethernet, phone modem, and WiFi with just one gadget!
I'd like the sled to have another slot for new and interesting PDA sled devices, such as an autoranging Volt-Ohm meter, various and divers data collection gadgets, maybe even an oscilloscope (not that I personally need that one). I always thought the Visor's "Springboard" expansion slot was a great idea; this is an improved version. Springboard was too tightly coupled to the particular microcontroller the Visor used; this should be more universal. Maybe just US
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
Psion 5mx, and it does everything I need it to, other than play Doom(1), and is a hell of a lot cheaper than the JVC micronotebook, and smaller than a budget laptop, with a much longer battery life than both.
And in light of the recent Clerks news, you better not be a Psion Salesman.
Vote for new mod!!! Score:-2,Imbecile
It should:
- Have a 5x7 or larger screen
- Be less than 0.5" thick
- Recognize all handwriting perfectly
- without needing a "cursor"
- Have a chronologica/subject-based interface
- store data automatically, rather than in "files"
In short, it should be a thinner Newton 2100.
STOP . AMERICA . NOW
MP3, Cellphone, camera, pda, wireless, email, internet.
A death ray wouldn't hurt either.
Read my short stories - You won't regret it.
Due to my physical disabilities, I can't hold handheld correctly. I would need a table or someone to hold it for me. A watch is perfect. However, today's PDA watches are too thick, big, and heavy for me.
Somehow, Phat Tony's watch sounds like Knight Rider with KITT. Heh. "KITT, read me the headlines from Slashdot!"
However, I wouldn't want a voice activated watch since I have a speech impediment. Buttons are fine. Not sure how a pen to access the screen would work due to lack of space.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
What's my DREAM PDA?
Well, it's about the size of Palm's M500 series, but instead of a board with all those chips soldered on, it would be a screen with ONE chip on the back of it with all the integrated components. The 'functional' part would then be molded (not placed) inside a sealed plastic casing (not an openable shell). Interface should be low-end wireless like bluetooth, and the charging adapter (which ONLY charges, as data interface is wireless) would be in a deep hole in the case with a rubber plug over it.
As for features? All I want it for is to run PalmOS 4, on a 16-33MHz coldfire chip, with 2 to 8MB RAM. I think a high-contrast black on white screen would suffice, though it should be higher resolution than Palm standard, so I can fit more text on the page.
I want the indestructable yet disposable $40 PDA, and if there weren't stupid feature wars I would have had it by now. Instead we have people willing to shell out massive money for fragile PDAs that break after a year's use, and then need replacement.
All most of us want is something to carry around to jot notes in, keep a to do list, calendar, and contacts, maybe READ email or RSS headlines offline. I need a portable recon-unit, not a digital swiss-army knife. All that functionality works better on the cell phones anyway, as it gives you an easy way to SEND pictures, voice, email, and video. Why ask for ti in a PDA if you already have wireless data services to your phone?
I do Palm support for about 25 users at my work, and only three use advanced features or third-party apps on their Palm OS units. PDAs commonly need replacing before they reach two years of age, they break or get loopy quite often, and their connectors/cradles leave much to be desired (though the tungstens seem nice in that dept).
"Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
Forget making it a palmtop...
1. Make it a full PC able to run anything, and also upgradable.
2. Display virtual monitors on a head mounted display such as the Nomad (but full color).
3. Use head position tracking to determine where in the FOV the user is looking and render the interface appropriately.
4. Ditch the keyboard and mouse found on a PC, and use data gloves or wrist straps that monitor hand and finger position. Maybe support a virtual touch screen this way, too.
5. Long battery life.
6. Full wireless internet connection (preferably at high speeds and usable on the road).
7. Built in GPS.
8. Low cost.
Possible design compromises:
I wouldn't mind having most of the hardware permanently mounted in a backpack. Getting rid of the LCD, touch interface/keyboard/mouse and using a lightweight transparent HMD + data gloves allows for this.
If the hardware is mounted in a backpack and I don't have to unpack it to use it, it can easily serve the same role as a palmtop or personal organizer.
This also largely eliminates the "oops, I stepped on it" problem, the "where did I put it again?" issue and makes it more difficult for pickpockets to make off with the hardware.
Of course, I wouldn't really mind if the whole thing weighed 20 to 30 pounds. I kinda need the exercise too. This is acceptable as long as I don't have to haul the thing like a briefcase or set it on a desk, palmtop or lap to use it.
I would have to be able to remove the pack and set it next to a chair, so maybe the HMD and data gloves would need to be wireless or have fairly managable wiring.
Two applications make my Clie totally worthwhile: PAdict and MegaWiki. PAdict is a Japanese-English dictionary and MegaWiki lets you take notes in a wiki-like fashion.
Apps like these are great because they're simple and get the job done. You're right, though, stuff like watching videos on this thing, or even looking at photographs, just ain't worth it. Features like that are just novelties. They wear out quick.
Maybe the problem is too many companies figured they could make these things beefier and added more features, but they forgot what made them good in the first place: they were simple easy to use.
screen big enough with high enough res to watch video
Why don't they just make a screen that can change size.. so when you want a tiny pda you have it, and if you wanna look at big spread sheets or watch movies you just have to expand the screen.. I'm sure it could be done.. maybe..in a few years
Compact yet solid. Waterproof. Vibration function... Actually a temperature sensor coupled up to that vibration function would probably tip the balance to a superior product.
Approximately 5"x8"x3/4".
Monochrome, backlight screen, capable of displaying an 80x25 character console.
A 486 dx4/75 performance equivalent CPU.
16MB of RAM.
128MB flashable onboard solid state for OS (Linux).
The keys must have m-e-c-h-a-n-i-c-a-l t-r-a-v-e-l.
AC adapter.
6 hours of battery life for text/email load.
2 USB 2.0 ports.
I'll handle ethernet, wireless, and external storage via USB.
I'm not interested in a graphical display.
I'll pay $500 USD for it in quantity. That should be no problem given (by contemporary standards) small flash drive, low end cpu, little RAM, low end screen (I'm talking calculator quality here).
Now, you don't need to tell me twice why no one will deliver this. It doesn't appeal to business and marketing folks and therefore wouldn't sell. Having a portable character console would do nothing but reinforce their technical ineptitude all day long, rather than only when they are spouting crap and making power plays on the developers.
What I wouldn't give to be sufficiently hardware savy to design a board for such a machine and build it myself...
Don't guess what people want and make a one size
:)
fits all PDA. People are the best judge of what they
want, not marketing groups.
***MAKE IT OPEN ARCHITECTURE*** and then sell
peripherals, memory upgrades, processor upgrades.
That's what we're all about, isn't it? Openess?
Can't I go to Costco now and buy a 256MB drive for
$20, plug it into my Zire and, oh wait, I can't. I
guess I'll have to buy a new PDA when they come out
with a model with a higher quality camera.
Just for ideas, how about a rack the size of a palm
pilot with a PCMCIA slot for the processor and
peripheral cards. Go down to Fry's electronics and upgrade your PDA to have the newest 30G microdrive.
It's has beeen technically feasible to do this for years and there ARE some very small niche companies that do just this. You read about them on Slashdot occasionally.
The PC industry took off when IBM introduced the IBM PC. Why? Because it was better than the Amiga? Get real. It became popular because it was _open_. Any compaq could come along and make their own PC 'clone'.
Where are the PDA clones? Palm Pilot, PalmPilot II, PalmIV "Now with wireless". Sounds like planned obsolesence. Who wants to turn the PDA market into a commodity market when there is so much high margin upgrading to be done.
Anybody here see an analogy with software?
Computers are 5.4 orders of magnitude more powerfull than when I started using them, yet they are still the same size! Hourly we hear stories of how someone or another has shrunken the transistor keeping up with Moore's law, yet the vast majority outside of scientists, renderfarms and gamers could be satisfied
with email on a 386, myself even being an engineer
included. Noting obviously that the slashdot crowd falls squarely in the unsatisfied catagory
Why not the open pico rack for the PDA? Yeah, you get chaos and incompatibilities, but aren't those the fountainhead of new ideas?
end ramble (for now)
- small size (Zaurus isn't pocket sized; if I have to use something that big, I'll just use a laptop)
- takes CF cards up to (say) 512Mb
- builtin 802.11x, maybe Bluetooth
- runs Debian (I want to be easily able to download languages/tools to do my own stuff, not be stuck with a set of tools that one vendor decides is a good fit for my needs. It also has to have a decent OS under it, so I can e.g. create scripts to download data overnight and read it on the train a la SiteScooper)
- Excel compatibility + PDF reader (I know that Word compatibility is a nice thing, but I just don't use it; who wants to write entire documents on a tiny screen with a tiny keypad?)
- XML-based calendar/address book/etc. (Sharp really did this well with the Zaurus, but hardly anyone followed through on it with tools to extend the standard offerings)
- sync with *anything* via a single button press over a wireless link (OK, let's reduce that down to Windows/Linux/Max and Outlook/Mozilla/KOffice/Evolution and maybe a few others. PDAs should strive for interoperability above all else; what good is a PDA if you can't back it up and have to manually keep a 2nd copy of your data in sync somewhere else)
- sync with e.g. Yahoo Calendar
- USB host port (so I can move data via generic external hard disc or USB drive if/when I want to)
- optional foldup keyboard, for note taking in meetings
I want a pocket sized device, but with a full-sized keyboard.
It should have addresses and appointments, and text messaging.
Oh, and a spreadsheet program, word processing, with full e-mail, and attachment support. But I don't want something that runs a variation on Windows, bleh.
Don't forget the obvious calculator mode. With hex conversion, trig, business calculation and graphing.
And for the subway ride, maybe some games, with full joystick support, 1280x1024 color graphics and hardware accelerated 3D rendering, and a gig of memory. I'll need a headset with microphone and a built in camera for online gaming.
Oh, it should be a cell phone of course, and since you have microphone and speaker in those, voice recognition and full Artificial Intelligence engine.
None of these rechargeable units that have to be plugged in every day. I want' something that will run for a month or two on a triple-A battery, and it might as well be soaking up the rays during daylight hours so as to make the battery last even longer. I'm all for conservation you see.
And it better not cost more than $50, cause it ain't worth it.
my P800 has a lot.. phone, camera, music /video player, PDA, bluetooth, gprs, and also the ability to show p0rn and play doom..
doesn't have wifi and can't store more than 128 MB, though the new P910 can store upto a Gig
I wrote down a list of this stuff just the other day after seeing the proliferation of \. articles in the topic :) I currently own a Sony Clie NV80 which is good but a bit expensive for what it is. Having said that, I'm kicking myself for not getting the top model when I bought it now (the one with the laptop form factor) because it's very handy.
There's two categories I'd consider. The semi-PC would need to have:
- option for a full-size usb keyboard
- something unixish or Beish
- wireless networking
- non wireless networking
- option to plug in a decent monitor
- audio
The PDA would need:
- support for ogg vorbis (my Sony is ridiculously picky over music - won't even play some MP3s I created myself).
- support for encrypted passwords
- easy synching with linux (Sony doesn't do this either)
- some sort of keyboard entry
Believe with me, my saplings.
Pocket PC based devices, IMHO, currently have the best development toolchain in the .NET sdk and Visual Studio. Being able to compile libraries for you PC and running the same code on your PDA without modification is hard to deny. Developers and their commitment to creating software give platforms vitality and is a key to success, Linux being a recent example. People like choices, developers provide those choices. For this reason i expect Palm's days are numbered, at least running PalmOS.
I was crazy back when being crazy really meant something. (Charles Manson)
Smaller than 15x9x3 cm (to fit in a pocket)
Lighter than 500g (300-350g is better)
ARM processor core (for power management)
CompactFlash II+ slot with CardBus support
At least 4GB internal drive
At least 128MB RAM
USB Host and Device (no dongles)
Stereo audio in/out (output includes control line)
Clamshell with keyboard capable of full AT set
Touch screen with 640x480 or 800x600 resolution
VGA out connector (may require dongle)
Serial out connector (may require dongle)
Battery life of at least 8 hours
Convertible for PDA/Tablet use
Some external buttons for navigation & control
Sunlight readable screen
This device should be able to charge via any of the docking cradle, a direct power dongle, or USB. When connected as a USB device, it should appear as a USB drive, exporting all data on the hard drive. The audio out port should also have control lines allowing the attachment of a remote similar to those used by some MP3 players. The device should allow booting from any of the internal drive, the CF slot, USB, or the network (via DHCP & TFTP).
I have intentionally left out networking support, as I believe this is best managed by the combination of USB Host and the CF slot. Users should be able to find a CF or USB device that allows them to access the appropriate network in their location. This would include 802.3, 802.11, GPRS, FOMA, CDMA, Bluetooth, analog modem, and nearly anything else one may want to use.
This device could be an e-book reader, a mobile web surfing device, an MP3 player, a PDA replacement, a VoIP device (with optional headset), an electronic dictionary, a portable video player (even DVDs with optional portable USB DVD player), a VR beltpack (with optional VGA goggles), a portable gaming device, etc.
Note that this is intended to supplement the computing experience of the user, rather than replace it. I believe that it is better to have an additional machine on which there is a backup of the current handheld configuration, as otherwise accidents can be fairly painful. the backup can easily be achieved through the USB device functionality, for any type of host system. This feature also allows for easy transfer of current work to the device.
I make a living writing.
I want somthing I can take anywhere without having to lug a bag around.
I want an integrated keyboard that I can actually type on.
I want a touchscreen so it's easy to edit text.
I want 24 hour battery life.
I want an OS that don't crash ever.
I want onboard dictionaries, spell checkers, thesaurii (thesauruses?)
I want something that goes online.
Oh wait. I got all that already. I got a Psion 5MX too!
I current own a Clie, and have gone through a few Palms... Love the unit, for maps, mp3's and showing pixs, and it comes in handy for PDA functions but clearly we're on the verge of a huge WiFi breakthough... adding Google and the web along with email is going to change things. I always thought I'd like a camera/phone/recorder built in... some already do, and I haven't bought. I've solved the small screen problem with reading glasses and use AvantGo preloaded web pages a lot. I don't see GPS as an important feature in a PDA, it's more of a car toy. Size is always and issue, I don't want to 'decide' to take my PDA, it should be light and small enough that I would consider it part of my apparel.
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
- It has all these things that I really need/want:
- VGA display
- built-in keyboard
- truly pocketable, easy to bike with
- linux (or bsd)
- *no* harddrive (and accompanying huge battery life)
- keeps its state when turned off, or when out of battery
As you might guess, I hate how laptops run out of battery and totally fail, memory-state-wise.- Small improvements I'd like to see in the Zaurus:
- 800x600 or even 800x480
- built-in 802.11b, so the CF slot can be devoted to VGA-out while networked.
Really that's about it. I love the Zaurus' huge battery life and state-saving memory. Now that it's available I can't see ever buying an hd-based laptop/palmtop again.Ah, bitter dregs.
Here was mine:
t hr eshold=0&commentsort=1&tid=100&mode=thread&cid=101 35600
http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=120289&
My portable gadgets just keep multiplying with no end in sight, and none of them are multipurpose enough to do even close to everything. In no particular order there's:
PocketPC- It's a relatively big and clunky Dell Axim X5. Good but overpowered for calendar, phone book (except it only syncs with Outlook, grr.), ebooks and quicken (actually SPB Finance, a great app). Good for heavier processing tasks like street maps with Mapopolis (unfortunately no GPS so not as useful as it could be) and small videos (with compression to low-res you can easily fit a whole movie on a 128MB flash card). Good for playing music since you can find software players for almost any file format (yes ogg too), but the touchscreen interface is a little clunky compared to a dedicated player. It can run some decent games too, but the directional pad on this PDA feels cheap and sloppy. Pretty much useless for action games, but it will play the SNES Final Fantasy games. It can do WiFi, but web browsing on that tiny 320x240 screen is a joke.
Two phones- one personal, one for work. Both have basic calendar functions and can store a few hundred numbers in the phonebook. One has infrared so I could sync the calendar and contacts with Outlook on my laptop (but not desktop) if I bothered to set it up. The other is manual entry only unless I buy a proprietary data cable.
Handheld GPS- It's a nice unit for the price, an Etrex Legend. It has basic mapping features built in, but only works with Garmin's proprietary maps. I could also buy a data cable to connect it to the PocketPC to use for car navigation. For handheld use like hiking or jogging it's good. Small, tough and waterproof. I'll probably pick up a handlebar mount for the motorcycle too.
iPod- I just bought one and I'm having fun with it. It can sync calendar and contacts too, but the last thing I need is another place to look for phone numbers and schedules.
laptop- No need to explain. You all know a laptop does and what it's good for. My PIII laptop is getting a little long in the tooth. Instant on and battery life are not its strong points. The batteries might last 2.5 hrs on a good day, and it takes maybe 5 min to boot up and log in to Windows or Mandrake.
I'm not counting a Palm III and Rio Volt MP3 CD player that are mostly retired now.
There you go. All my gadgets. Good luck trying to combine them into fewer devices.
For my next PDA/Palmtop, I want it to have/do the following:
1 - Run Linux. (I am learning linux now)
2 - Be able to play OGG and MP3 files.
3 - Be in color.
4 - Have a good resolution. (640x480 is good)
5 - Have a compact flash and secure digital card slots.
6 - Play videos. (Only if processor can handle it, not essential)
7 - Have a microphone. (For recording voice notes)
8 - Built in keyboard. (can be small thumb type)
9 - Have at least 128MB of program memory.
10 - Be able to use the CF and SD cards like hard drives.
That's all I can think of right now off from the top of my head. There are probably other features that I would like but it is late and I can't think of them right now.
It needs to be observant and smart. It should know what I'm thinking and make it's best effort to help me. It needs to be intuitive, buttons should be very pronounced and easy to press. It needs to have some slots to plug things in.
It definitely should weigh under 115 pounds. Also, brunette would be nice.
Need Free Juniper/NetScreen Support? JuniperForum
water proof, sturdy case (ie. metal not plastic, Mg-Al alloy?), bluetooth builtin (i don't want to carry a cable to sync my pda), WiFi or a not proprietary expansion slot so I could buy one (eg. pcmcia), USB plug, J2ME so I can hack my own apps if needed (never actually used J2ME but J2SDK and I think thats what it is for... could be wrong), perferrably black-and-white to reduce cost, back light screen (indigo style for example), none of those goofy rice sized key boards, when I plug it into the USB I want to be able to drag and drop files for transport like a usb key, ~16Mb to store shit. Unlike most people I believe I might actually see what I want one day. There are a few out there right now that look appealing. The Palm Zire 72 looks pretty damn close right now. Drop the phone, make MP3 support a software thing (perferrably bundled), get a better colour screen or go b/w to reduce cost, I'd rather the white shell personally but meh, and I'd be sold really. Oh and bring it down to like ~$200 USD (by dropping colour screen and camera). Sounds reasonable non?
Your CPU is not doing anything else, at least do something.
I have to interject here. There are some comments about palm devices not having "useful" apps. For me (your mileage may vary) I would have a hard time parting with QuizWiz (a 3x5 notecard replacer) and eReader (ebook reader). I love going somewhere and having several books to read (in case I finish one) or additionally the *ability* to study should I feel so compelled.
The other thing I would like to speak to is one posters comment about not syncing email with mozilla email. This is a non issue as programs like versamail allow sync-time synchronization with a pop or imap server directly. I do this all the time & use thunderbird for my desktop client. It is very seamless as I sync via bluetooth & cell phone when away. If I'm going to read/write more than a handful of words, I am very glad to have the additional screen space a palm provides without having to lug a notebook around.
Ok, well with those positives stated, here is my complaint request for the ultimate tool for me. In transitioning back to acedemia after spending 4 years doing software engineering, I really really really want something to take notes on. Cell phone? forget it. Palm? Almost. Tablet pc? getting very close. Only a few things keep me from investing. 1. Cost. 2. Still have to carry textbooks anyway. 3. Educational institutions aren't ready to accept digital work or transmit results back digitally -- still have to carry snailbook for returned assignments. 4. Do I really trust the stability of paper vs. fragile computer?
My $0.02.
Hardware is supposed to get better over time but I haven't found a palmtop yet that has a screen that compares to the old Casios. (Indoors that is - they're practically invisible outdoors.) My eyesight is bad. And I want to read all my books on my pda. I've wanted to buy a more powerful, microsoft-free pda since the day after I bought my Casio EM500. But no one has made a screen yet, that compares to the old Casios. Maybe someday.
As for the OS preference: I'll avoid the holy war and just claim personal preference. But, I've had a Palm for years and a PocketPC for years and I'll never, ever buy another PocketPC OSed palmtop. YMMV
I love my Sony Clie NX-80V. It's got: :) /. full width.
1.3 megapixel camera with (tiny) video capability
32MB main flash memory
Memorystick slot, CompactFlash slot
Flash anim player
Voice recorder
Headphone jack & MP3 player w/cool Sony clip-on remote
Relatively good LiOn battery life (3 hrs.)
Palm OS5, so tons of free/cheap software
320x480 screen
It's great for games, PDA functions, reading ebooks, and even watching Flash anims and short MOV clips.
In landscape mode, it's even pretty good for browsing the Web. I can read
It's got software that lets you use the Memory Stick as a Windows drive, so it can act as a USB flash drive.
The tiny keyboard is practically useless, but only because it's poorly designed. If it was a better thumboard, it would be ideal for quick messages and notes.
When I need a keyboard, I add a folding IR keyboard.
That being said, here's what I still miss:
Built-in Bluetooth for a phone headset. Then I'd gladly give up my cell phone.
Cheap hi-cap Memory Sticks so I could watch complete movies.
Though I do have Sony's CompactFlash WiFi card, I'd like built-in 802.11g
More memory (always), longer battery life (always), more megapixels, higher video clip resolution.
A jogdial.
Linux compatibility.
Still, it's got 80% of what I'd like to have, and it fits in my pocket. I rarely miss lugging a laptop around.
Serving your airship needs since 1995.
I absolutly love my danger hiptop, this thing is bad ass!
Check this,
Mini full size keyboard
Real web browsing (minus flash or video)
E-mail
Instant Messaging
Text messaging
Phone
LED Football!!!!!! ( yes the 1980's one )
And the best part!!!!!!
A terminal so i can log into my G5 via ssh!!!
The one downfall is you only get a sim card for storage so that means very little space, at once you can hold about 50-60 short e-mails, 25 text messages, hundreds of notes, 2000 contacts,36 Pictures and just enough storage for 100 blocks of program storage ( Terminal uses 9 )
But there is hope.... the hiptop 2 is due this winter!!
I had a 100LX.. I used it until the keys wore out. Needless to say, this was a lot. This unit was the ideal PDA/subnote; it ran DOS, had a lot of applications in ROM including lotus, had PCMCIA expandibility, ran for a WEEK off a set of AA batteries, did I mention it had the signature HP calculator keys - wonderful little guy. Weighed almost nothing. Durable case.
:-)
I had TurboC++ on it and I couldn't be happier. x86 compatible micro, I believe it was a 8088 derivative of some type.
The ideal upgrade to this would be to put in a Xscale CPU, one of those fancy transflective screens, and that's about it.
Oh yeah, I had that HP100LX almost 10 years ago now.
..don't panic
Although this is a handhelds discussion, there seems also be a fair amount of discussion about PDAs. I believe that most PDA functions are soon to be replaced by mobile phones, and have been wanting to write this list for a while, so add it below:
Flip phone with external screen
Internal touchscreen at 320x240 or better
External screen at 160x120 or better
ARM processor
512MB internal flash
64MB RAM
SD Slot (not MiniSD or xD, but SD)
Bluetooth support
802.11 support
external headset jack (3.5mm - stereo audio out)
USB multifunction device (storage, phone, network)
Calls & Data in New York, London, and Tokyo
23 keys, 4-way nav pad, and wheel
3 megapixel camera for video & stills
Documented startup procedure for hacking
Batteries that can last all weekend
I'm not going to discuss software in detail, but I should be able to use all the hardware, and choose between normal and VoIP calls. I should also be able install or uninstall any extra software I want, and there should be an SDK that allows for easy development. Note that any movies could only have monoaural audio, but for anything real, you should use a camera.
my ideal PDA is not your traditional PDA... it would be nothing more than my cell phone.
i don't want a built-in camera
i don't want a color screen that saps power
i don't want a thumb keyboard or graffiti pad to make it unnecessarily large.. say no to Treos.
what i want is my simple, black and white cell phone, with excellent reception. it must have a calendar where i can schedule items and have alarms. it should have a todo list. it should store all my contacts. and the todo list, calendar, and contacts should be synchable to my computer. oh yeah, and do email too would be nice.
now let me tell you something, my Sanyo 6200 can do all these things except for the synching of the calendar and todo list. it can synch my contacts to outlook using Future Dial's software, but not the calendar and todo list. it's also limited to only 100 events in the calendar, that limit should be raised for busy people (it's fine for my needs).
folks, you always carry your cell phone with you. it's small, and it's useful. the PDA... it's bulges out of your pocket like "you're happy to see me" and it has gotten to the point where people are trying to do more with them than they were originally intended for... they're becoming smaller laptops basically and that's not necessarily a good thing. can't we agree that things should do one thing and do it well?
the original Palm Pilots were so successful vs the Pocket PCs because it was simple and functional. now we've got PDAs with cameras and multimedia, on a dinky little screen... do you need all these extras for contacts, todo lists, calenders, and email? a PDA is a personal data assistant no? it just needs to "manage" your "data"... it is a PIM made into a hardware device called a PDA. PIMs don't call for much! and those basic PIM functions can easily be added to cell phones, which they already have... they just need to be refined a bit to be perfect.
If my PDA can't make phone calls, then it's useless.
... things like that.
What's the point of storing my contact details on a unit that can't use any of them?
Give me a phone, or nothing. Nokia Communicators, Treo
Then, if it's got a phone, it needs ppp dialup or gprs. If it's got that, it needs ssh.
Quick wafting zephyrs vex bold Jim
If you want PDA goodness and gaming goodness, then the Zodiac from Tapwave may be worth your attention.
It's a fully Palm-compatible PDA with a nice, bright 480*320 color display. It's also optimized for gaming and media playback, with a Yamaha sound chip and an ATI graphics accelerator. It also has two shoulder buttons, a proportional thumbstick, and a rumble pack (vibrator). The unit can accept peripheral and storage expansion through the two SD slots.
I replaced my Palm-Vx clone with a Zodiac about two months ago, and I've been quite pleased with the unit. The display is just lovely, it plays MP3s well, and it reminds me of my appointments with a nice, loud alarm.
The 32M version sells for USD$300.00; the 128M version is $400.00.
Big Fat Hairy Disclaimer: I am an employee of Tapwave, Inc. But I'd be happy with the Zodiac even if I didn't work for them.
Schwab
Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions
The better question, is who really needs a handheld device anymore? Just the other day there was a slashdot article about how cell-phones are starting to push other consumer devices out of the market. Look at the Sony/Ericcson p910. Is it a cell-phone? Is it a PDA? Is it both? Devices like this are starting to blur the line, while adding new features (for good or ill) such as camera and touch-screen on what would typically just be a cell-phone. Since I got my phone I haven't had use for a PDA.... hell, it has most of the same games as well.
I look for incredible graphics when there isn't a need. I look for the ability to play back MPEGs. I look for 802.11b. I look for enough power to run emulators. I look for a system I can run Windows CE, Linux, and other stuff on.
In short, I look for Pocket PCs. Seriously. Palms and iPods and Blackberries have their place, but when I want to mess around with raw power, I look at Pocket PCs.
Psion handhelds were great mnachines otherwise, way ahead of their time, especially the OS. You can even run linux to some degree on the 5 series. Anyway I hope you don't encounter this problem quickly and your psion lives a longer life than mine.
Greetings, eh?
... a good jog dial (and a real *dial* or *toggle*, not two damn buttons), so that I can turn it sideways and read e-Books (my HandEra is a dream for this, and I almost bought a Tungsten T3 as it seemed the most logical successor).
A device that converges some of the best things about my HandEra 330, an iPod, and a cell phone. I don't own a cell phone or an iPod, mostly because I don't have enough pocket space for everything. But I've been looking for a device that'll fill the role of all three. For example:
- Reasonable-sized screen (4" 640x480?), and colour would be nice (especially for watching videos)
- SD/CF slots, for greater choice in expansion
- Portrait/landscape mode, combined with...
-
- 4 GB of space for media files (minimum) (MP3, OGG, DivX, etc)
- Wi/Fi, Bluetooth (why both? See below...)
- runs Linux, just because it'd be kinda cool. But I do like the PalmOS, so I can take that too.
- decent voice recorder
- don't need a camera but hell, everything's got one these days. Shove one in! Doesn't have to be great quality - just enough to grab nice little snaps of random stuff from time to time.
- output to an external monitor/TV. So VGA/S-Video/Composite - any of those. VGA would be nice for most projectors, though.
- at least one USB port. 'Cause you never know...
It seems I've almost found the perfect device in the guise of the Sharp Zaurus 6000, though the cost is somewhat high. Get the model with the built-in WiFi and Bluetooth and then plug in one of those 4 GB CF cards, and I'm mostly set.
What I find interesting is the possible application of such a device at *work*, rather than at play. Sure, being able to watch my own movies or listen to my own music on my semi-monthy 5 hour bus trip would be nice, but at work, I can see great possibilities...
I work Help Desk at a college and we're discussing a move to VOIP for our phone services. If we did that, and add widespread Wi-Fi coverage throughout the campus, I could do Help Desk remotely. Don a Bluetooth headset, connect an RDP or VNC session back to my desktop where my Help Desk software is running, and take trouble calls on the go while logging new calls for other staff. Of course, the hardware, software, and bandwidth logistics of that may be difficult to meet. But hey, anything I can do to get the College to write off most of my purchase. ^)_(^
Additionally, if there was a method to use it as a cell phone (some sort of GSM SD or CF card), I could use it for quick phone calls that way.
Gaming options would be nice, but not necessary (kind of like having the camera). Having MAME available would certainly cut down on the boredom of some long trips and I can see it having easy appeal for commuters.
Anyway... just a dream. A very *expensive* dream, but it certainly seems possible these days...
Ja ne, eh?
Brendan "Beej" Dery "Only in Canada, eh?"
PDAs are Personal Digital Assistants. They're not meant to be personal video players, there are dedicated devices that'll do that, so keep your video-on-the-go wishes, which are anyway far from useful, away from PDAs and let a PDA be what it is!
Here's what I'd like to see in a PDA, and I am a person who depends on them - for my schedule, tasklist, to note down my ideas on them (it is clear from reading the wishes so far that people have no idea or use for a PDA, so please, shut up and let us speak).
1. Data reliability so data is never lost. 2. Hardware reliability and durabiltity so it never crashes and dropping it from a reasonable height does not cause damage. 3. A fast and forgiving data entry interface for those notes. 4. instantly responsive. 5. System and data search capability that'd find the data i need in an instant. 6. Long battery life, I mean long battery life.
I've owned a few PDAs in my time and used several others that friends/coworkers have owned, and I have owned a few laptops over the years (starting with a Pentium 1 120mHz w/ 16mb RAM), and while I'm sure this response will get lost in the flood that is Slashdot, I'll voice my own opinions:
Size: Small enough to fit in my front pants pocket. That means at most 8"x4"x1", but more ideally 6x3x0.75 (About the size of my Zaurus). It should have a protective sleeve I can slide it quickly into and out of (That saved my Visor on more occasions than I can remember).
Screen: 4-inch or more (diagonal), 640x480 would be best, touch screen of course. I've used everything from 128x128 to 320x240, and they all feel (somewhat) cramped, especially when desktop apps are ported to the palmtop. GUIs would still have to be clean and uncluttered, but at that resolution, web pages would almost be readable. Screen must also be transflective, evenly lit, with adjustable levels of brightness and contrast. Sometimes I want really strong contrast so I can read things like books and e-mail; other times I want softer contrast for things like video. It should also be readable in a well lit room with the back light turned off, and should be able to rotate between portrait and landscape views.
CPU: Playing MPEG1/2, MP3, OGG, and AAC are about the most strenuous things I do on my palmtop. Right now, a StrongARM 206mHz can barely keep up. 333 or 400mHz would be better, but would have to be able to control its power requirements based on system usage.
Power: I don't care if the batteries are AA, AAA or LiON, but they must be removable/replaceable easily and should last at least 8 hours under regular usage, preferably more than 10. Currently, I barely get five hours out of my Palmtop with the screen turned off playing music. I don't want something that I have to religiously plug in every day. Light usage, such as checking appointments and reading books should last a couple of days (16-24 hours) on a charge. Ideally, the batteries would be about 2200-3000mA, and like a laptop battery, I could carry more than one and switch them by putting the system to sleep and swapping the batteries in a minute or less.
RAM: 64mb to 128mb RAM, possibly using some of it as a RAM drive. Flash is slow and wears out in a few years. Battery-backed RAM has essentially infinite write cycles and is much faster. Syncing periodically between flash storage and the RAM drive would also be a good idea for the times when I'm not able to charge it quickly enough.
Storage: I would prefer flash media for durability. The PDA should have 64mb of internal flash. Hard disk drives and flash cards are very nice, but I want to be able to boot the thing without them and hot-swap them.
Expansion: It must have at least one CF and one SD card slot, but more is better. The CF slot(s) must be type 2 and the SD slot(s) must support SDIO. Microdrives are up to 4gb now and SD up to 1gb in consumer models. That's a lot of storage for my pocket, and with a CF Wifi card, I would effectively have unlimited storage. Any expansion cards for the device should have a tiny bit of memory built into them to store the device driver and the driver should be auto-loading on insertion.
Proponents keep touting Bluetooth's low power and cheap components, and I would like to have it in the perfect Palmtop. That way it could sync with my Linux box, iBook, and phone, without carrying a cable around. I could "beam" files, appointments, notes, reminders, and such between Palmtops without having to try and get their IR ports lined up correctly or worry about the reflectivity of the table top they're sitting on. Having Bluetooth would also mean I could send text messages through a properly equipped phone and see who's calling without having to dig the thing out of my pocket. Hell, with enough ingenuity the Palmtop could automatically direct certain calls to voice mail at certain times o
... And so it comes to this.
that's all
Well, an iSubNoteBook would be nice. Wouldn't ask for much power, really, just the equivalent of my old 300MHz clamshell, but with a firewire port, too. Maybe a holographic keyboard. Being able to use it as a cell phone would be a nice plus. It would be nice if it fit in my shirtpocket instead of just being a thinner, lighter 'book.
Linux or a BSD on something not power hungry (ARM?) would be nice, if it fit in my shirtpocket, could be used as a phone and gave me access to vi and gcc. (What, somebody already has that?)
But the thing I want most is to be able to type productively on the train standing up.
You'll get dozens of answers of features people insist they need, but really don't. Try asking something like: "What features do you think your Boss actually needs?"
(For the record, I'm still very happy with my Palm Vx.)
What the HELL?
200-400 for greyscale? Umm, how about not?
$50 for the low end model tops, $100 for the gee-wiz bang one, MAYBE $125 or so.
Need help treating your acne? Come here!
I can dream, can't I?
...someone puts some real storage (and, god forbid, a USB interface/mp3 software) in a cellphone? (forgive me, I live in darkest africa, and if cellphones with real storage space exist, we haven't gotten them)
Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?
When I was laptop shopping, I really wanted a subnote. I was on the verge of ordering one when I actually found a couple on display at CompUSA (Sony Vaio TR3). The keyboard was way too small for my hands. I'm 6'7" (2.0 meters) and I've got pretty good-size meathooks. There was way too much double-key pressing in trying to type at a halfway decent speed.
So, I stepped up a size category to the "thin and lights". Got a decked out T40, 80GB HDD, 1 Gig RAM, 802.11a/b/g/Bluetooth, 14.1" SXGA+ screen for the same price (~$1800). Weighs in maybe twice as much at ~5.5 lbs with batteries, but the full-sized keyboard is much easier to type on.
I still like the idea of the subnote, I really just wanted a notebook for portable Internet access and school assignments (light programming, little Maple). I would have been fine with quarter the RAM, quarter the HDD, 10" screen. And who needs a CD or floppy drive these days? Just copy images over the network and mount them if needed. But there was no way around the miniature keyboard issue for me.
Have you seen the TR3's? Closed, the dimensions are about that of two CD jewelcases laid end-to-end, albeit thicker. Built-in webcam, too. Beautiful piece of kit.
No really. If you need a PDA, and you're a Linux geek like me, get one of these.
Yes, the default half-translated rom sucks. It'll at least let you boot the system and see the beautiful 640x480 screen though. An amazing sight to behold at over 200dpi. After you're done drooling, go get pdaXrom, follow the instructions, and get yourself a real desktop. Here's what mine looks like, using ROX as the desktop manager (with a nice .hack//SIGN wallpaper I found someplace). You have a number of choices, but I use (prepackaged) gvim as my editor, and sylpheed for mail (pretty much the same as my actual desktop!). You can use FireFox and Thunderbird for web/email if you really want (check the screenshots for more drooling material). I use the little Dillo browser personally, because it's ultra fast, but the choice is yours.
No, it doesn't have builtin wifi. It does have a CF slot so you can stick your own card in there, and doing so hasn't annoyed me yet. The biggest benefit (besides the amazing screen, keyboard, ability to use X, and general design) is the battery lasts quite awhile. I charged it last Friday (before PAX... where were you?), and it's only just down to 50% with "regular use". (On my old 5500, I'd have to charge it every day or so with the same use, and that's without wifi.)
This makes a killer PDA. It does most things a small Linux laptop would, and it fits in your pocket. If that's what you need, this delivers.
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
a full-color display with good resolution, a DVD player, a VGA output, X11, SSH, Unix, WiFi, a fullsize keyboard, a replaceable battery, Lotus Notes friendliness, a web browser that works, USB, and Microsoft Word. Wouldn't mind some 3D games either, and I'd like it to be made by Apple -- hey, the Newton was cool and the iPod is amazing.
Problem is, you can't carry an iBook, or indeed any other laptop, in your pocket all the time and whip it out on the fly to schedule an appointment so you don't forget it. PDAs should be PDAs, as laptops should be laptops. You don't use a telephone for a home theater system -- it'd sound lousy and would be mono to boot, though it'd also serve to place telephone calls. The right tool should be used for the job, and while Windows XP, Red Hat Linux, Mac OS X, or similar systems are great for watching DVDs, playing games, or using complicated proprietary mail systems, these operating systems are not the ones you want to use for a PDA; you use Palm, RIM, Symbian, or WinCE.
And moreover, the PDAs must not become overgrown lest they become overpriced, undervalued distotions of both PDAs and laptop computers. You could probably make a handheld device with all the features I listed above, but it'd be horrid value compared to just getting a great laptop and a good PDA. I've read that OQO will be $2000 and will run XP, which wasn't designed for use on a device that is so small to be useful primarily only as an organizer. No miniaturized laptop computer, even if it's as small as the OQO, will ever be able to compete in value and usability with a real PDA -- imagine having to run the monthly-odd MS or Apple software updates on your palm pilot as well as your regular computer(s) -- and make no mistake, OQO and similar cannot stand alone efficiently.
You want a PDA to bring kayaking? What happened to "roughing it?"
I've got it. Hire some Sherpas. Have them lug your microwave, curling iron, hair dryer, refrigerator, and your PDA to your next stop.
-- No sig for you!
The Toshiba Libretto community is still very much alive and kicking.
So are the Librettos themselves.
Fran
:):):)
1st 1st Poster of the new Millennium!
. . .I kinda wonder what exactly the author's needs were. The 5mx was slow, had so-so battery life, and is BIG. It has little memory and a screen that (at least on the unit I owned) has contrast issues. Whats not to like?
To be fair, the sliding keyboard IS a nifty trick, even if it is utterly unusable except for hunt-and-peck. But I got it, tried it for notetaking, and ended up selling the sucker a month later. Next, please.
My ideal palmtop gadget? I want a cell phone thats very small/thin/light with decent speech-to-text, a great color screen, *maybe* a videophone, and a battery life that outlasts my own. But, in the near term, I'll settle for the great screen, small form factor, and extendible storage in one nice package; I'd love to watch mpeg'd simpsons episodes while riding the train to work. I'd rather not pay for a smartphone when I don't care to use outlook, etc. The new Sony 700i seems close, but it looks pretty big. How much longer do I have to wait?
- - - - - - - -
Don't worry, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep in a giant blender.
Be prepared that the ribbon cable of the LCD on the Psion will break within 1-1,5 years. I speak from experience, I had an Ericsson MC218 in the past (which is nearly the same, only with a bit more software). OTOH, the slow serial port sucks bigtime on it, forget fast synchronization, backups, etc.
Free your mind!
My thought exactly.
It's true, everyone has something to complain about on their PDA. It's a computer! Particularly in an opensource fanatic/computer geek community, we all expect computers to be able to do EXACTLY what we want, and nothing more. Therein lies the problem. PDAs are shipped with the preset functionality that tries to fit everyone as a whole, and from that you get the Winblows phenomenon.
So then it seems obvious that the way to make the best PDA is to make it as configurable as possible, which means scale it back, open the source, get tons of feedback, and quit being proprietary about your design! That means give people the ability to write their own programs and plug in their own devices.
That sounds far-fetched, because it really is. How can a whole field of technlology stop being proprietary? I think non-proprietary computer software and hardware exists and excels because so many people out there have the ongoing need for affordable computers that just work in precisely the way they want. So if the PDA business is staying so proprietary, if no one is out there openly and freely developing parts and programs for these kinds of handheld systems, doesn't it seem clear that there IS no such ongoing need? That PDAs may be destined to be the same little toys that they have been since day one?
I currently have a clie ux50, and the biggest part of the decision was the fact it had a keyboard, not the best, but it works.
I made the most use out of my old HP200LX of all things portable I have owned, mostly because it had a great keyboard with a numeric keypad, it suffered from nay sayers complaining about keysize, but when you look at most mobile phones today it is probably better. It packed a full Lotus 123, pocket quicken, a mail package (of its day) and a very adequate text editor / word processor. It's database package was simple & good and made an excelent phone book. i still carry it, it has so much info on it (in 1 MB ram) that I have never equalled it. it used 2x AA batteries, avaialble almost everywhere, and could be configured for re-chargables - a solid HP product. the only thing it realy lacked was a back light.
Anyway, my clie works for now (replaced origianl ipaq), but no decent lotus/excel package, which i think most users of these things realy appreciate - perhasp I should buy some software. I use SiEd as a text editor - which work great for me, and I frequently check my webmail on its browser, but I get frequent problems that seem to come & go.
I wish it took regular batteries, but at least it's batteries last a good few days (1 hr on wifi!)
Whatever else it has it should have removable batteries, AAA or AA batteries - It could come with rechargeable ones installed that recharge in the unit while docked. But the time will come where you are away from the dock and need a power boost, stop in at the local wallmart and pick up a few duracells and your OK again for a while. Otherwise you have to carry a charger with you.
I've been frustrated for quite a long time with the features available.
I would like to have true personal assistant!
* An easy to use interface to ask for information and to get it back. I would prefer a voice recognition system, with ocular display, but the small handheld/stylus interface would be sufficient if it is done well.
* It should have access to wireless networks in use. For me, currently, this translates into bluetooth, 802.11b/g, GPS, and GSM. But I'm sure this will change soon...
* It must have a good interface for accessing these networks. (i.e., automatic network recognition, voice activated dialing, speakerphone, good web browser, ssh, etc...)
* It must be small enough to carry around in my pocket, most pda's are a bit on the larger side.... espeically the ones with phones built-in...
* advanced tools for making my own apps
* long battery-life... if I forget to charge it one night, I shouldn't have to worry..
* Memory is very important... 64MB is NOT enough internal memory. Many pda's these days will include an expansion slot, but many tasks are restricted to the amount of internal memory.... NOT GOOD
* I don't mind paying a lot for it as long as the features aren't restrictive....
Why can't this be done?
complete python api
Dell Axim X30 High is you can get one.
;-)
:-) :-) :-) :-)
624mhz, 64 internal. one 256mb SD card.
Plays quake 1, quake 2 (finished quake 1 on the ferry, shareware... awaiting doom 3 port
WiFi and bluetooth - handy for transferring photos from a camera phone.
SD is compatible with my 3.2 mp Optio33LF (99 squids from amazon)
I also have a 400mhz iPaq, which is sexy, and has lush chrome finished and a keyboard.
It reads ebooks and does ogg. Want a reliable linux port and SWT port
I guess is SWT runs on qt, and qt runs on this, it should be a dooable affair??
DVD Shrink pulls down my DVD onto a 256 card, of which I have 3, so I have 8 eps of seinfeld on 1, a movie on anothewr, and I install all my apps on the third (makes hard resets a breeze, esp *if you remember to backup your shortcuts!*)
I don't bother with syncing contacts etc.
Axim 30H. get it.
#hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
Programability. By me.
It would have to run Linux, preferably with SDL (probably framebuffer) and some easy to use widget library (No specifics, I haven't found one yet).
For the hardware: GPS (with maps), audio (for OGG (see above) and MP3). Ethernet (possibly wireless) and USB connections. 230V (that would be 110V for those of you in the US) and 12V adapter, along with a good battery. Slim (notice the thickness of those over-sized "pdas" they have in Star Trek). Maybe blue-tooth, once I get a blue-tooth capable phone.
I've owned a handspring, and thought it was a hassle when I wanted to jot down some quick notes. I'd have to organize time to organize what the hell I wrote it in. Plus, it was relatively huge. Going out the door, I have to grab my cell phone, car keys, and wallet. A handspring isn't really on my mind when I want to go out. Call me a troll, but it's in dire need of a redesign.
I've seen the microsoft watches. That's just horrible. It has high geek value, but it's misplaced in a social setting. Plus, the model I've seen seem to bulge a bit. Reminds me of a quake3 gauntlet.
I'm sure I'm just nit picking, but honestly, technology shouldn't be a geek exclusive tool. Great technology isn't worth much if it doesn't cater towards the user.
I don't have the right answer, but I'll tell you one thing I'm looking at: danger's sidekick II. It still high on the geek factor, but I think it's the better out of the bunch for what I want in a portable computer.
Dayplanners have a big section to write notes in, every day. You can look at the entire page without scrolling up/down/left/right. At the same time you can see a 30+ line task list for the day, small area for financial notes, a tiny month-calendar, today's date, and even a quote of the day. I don't care about the quote of the day. But I need those other things.
How do you handle that on any PDA? The screen is way too small to handle it. Are you going to launch all those "separate applications" at once, and somehow flip back-and-forth between them? It takes mental power to do that, distracting you from your work. A dayplanner supplements your work, by being extremely useful without distracting you very much, once you've learned how to use it fully. Once you've fully learned a PDA, the operations you have to perform are still very brain-intensive and motor-skill-intensive ("now I click the little tab. Oh no, I clicked the thing NEXT TO the tab! what mode did it switch me into NOW?!? The whole screen changed!")
My Ipaq was slippery. They make slippery cases on $400+ electronic devices, what brainiac came up with that? Rubberize the case around the edges, dammit, and maybe I wouldn't drop it so often. Even my free Nokia phone's plastic case has more friction than a teflon Ipaq.
My Ipaq completely wiped it's memory without warning. More than once. I lost everything after having it a week; I later started sync'ing everything to my laptop so I could restore everything WHEN it happened again. And again. Wiping memory without my permission is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. I have since traced it back to 1 bad pin on the charger-connector. One of the outer pins. The one that bent a little when I accidentally whacked the cable lightly into a soft wall. When I charge the Ipaq with the docking bay, it's fine, but if I charge it with just the screwed up cable, there's a 100% chance of total disaster. It's now my guaranteed "erase everything cable!" That never should happen.
There's no good input system for PDA's. Hand writing recognition is the wrong thing - you have to constantly monitor it for errors, then figure out how to fix the error. Distraction! Besides, I can't write as fast as I can type. The teeny tiny keyboard you can pop up and "click the buttons with your stylus" is stupid too. You can't do meta keys like shift in the normal way. You should be allowed to use two styluses at the same time (1 fingernail and 1 stylus, perhaps), but you can't. No chording allowed. This is counter-intuitive and painful.
With a dayplanner, you can put bookmark tabs that opens the book to the right section, the exact page, that you bookmarked. You can't do that with a PDA -- some kind of "tab" interface on the main screen that you customized to jump you to the very page of a certain document in a certain application of your choice.
Holding a dayplanner in 1 hand, you can keep 2 or 3 places "temporarily bookmarked" with your fingers inserted at the page. You can flip back and forth between the finger-marked pages, cross-referencing in an instant. With one hand. Your other hand is free to talk on the phone, write notes, tap nervously on the table, whatever. PDA's can't do that. Switching between apps is painful and slow. Some apps "quit" instead of suspend, so when you re-run them, they've forgotten where you were, last time. That choice should be left up to the user, me, not the application writer.
So what do I use now? Outlook 2003 on my laptop. Seriously! It has the best contact manager I've ever seen (many phone, email, and address fields, customizable), the best task manager (customizable fields, separate sorting and grouping), easy to use notepad, and an acceptably usable mail reader, all integrated (cut-n-paste or drag-n-drop any of these things into any of these things). Best of all, I can use a full size keyboard; important to me because I type much faster than I write.
And the Ipaq? Gave it to my girlfriend, she plays "Mars needs Cows" on it, daily.
I think the point is exactly that those are terms with no links to consumerism (on the contrary).
Who'd buy a product called 'consume,' 'product,' or 'shallowness'? Calling them Zen or Karma, as well as being retro-NewAge-cool and having Ks and Zs, gives the consumer the impression that he's buying something that will put him above the boring materialism of every day. It's stupid, but it works because we all are.
Terms like Zen or Nirvana have been so abused in the last decade or two that I'm personally blasé - I don't make any link between these blatant (and certainly ignorant) misuses and the original sense of the word, so it remains intact for serious discussion.
Since when have most marketing people had any respect for anything besides money, anyway?
(/off-topicness)
(1) Open programming wise.
Not just because _I_'m a programmer, but more so because that raises available software. Does not necessarily mean OS should be free, just that the SDK should
(2) space/extensibility. My PDA has two expansion slots (one CF, one SD). Means I can have a wlan card and still have some memory expansion
(3) Be able to use putty/sftp/http to access your PDA (
- A Keyboard. I want to enter data in to that thing. A keyboard is a must. No, I don't want to carry some external keyboard and using a on-screen keyboard / Character recognition is a pain in the ass
- A good screen. Something like 640 x 480
- I don't have WLAN yet, but it's a good think to have in the future.
Am I asking for too much? No I'm not. This thing Has just about everything I want, minus the built-in WLAN.
Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
Palm-sized, weight under 200g, with HDD, Slots for CF and SD, USB2.0 for peripherals, VGA screen, Wifi, Bluetooth, Infrared, GPS, mobile phone integrated, 4 MP digital camera for photo and video with optical zoom, stereo sound, DVB-T TV tuner.
The O2 XDA II -- my girlfriend has one and it sounds like what you're looking for. Bigger than a Treo and no built-in keyboard, but worth looking into.
1) Text-to-speech, HTML-to-speech, e-book-to-speech, PDF-to-speech, etc. -- I have lengthy commutes. I don't want to feel like I'm wasting my life sitting in traffic, so, why not listen to a book or set of webpages being read to me while I drive?
2) A *good* built-in keyboard. -- The Zaurus 5x00 and 6000 have them. The HP 4350 has one. The Treo 600 has one. But they all massively suck compared to the old touch-typable Psion 5mx's kickass fold-out keyboard.
3) Good developer support. -- I wanna write my own apps (read: games) for it. And I don't want to pay a lot (read: over $50 for non-commercial use) to do so.
4) Java runtime. -- See #3. Java ain't fast, it's not always stable, but dammit, it from a developer's standpoint, it gets the job done fast enough and easy enough that those problems pale in comparison. Still, C++ is cool too as long as the libs don't suck...
5) 802.11(b|g) access and the driver compatibility to run Kismet or some other similar quality passive sniffer. Bluetooth would be cool too.
6) A *nix-ish command line. -- Yes, even on a PDA I want a command line.
7) At least 1 road navigation + GPS system. -- This is what keeps me from mostly fulfilling my desires by buying a Zaurus... No quality commercial navigation map software, AFAIK.
8) Quality PIM apps. -- It's a friggen' PDA. It damn well better be able to handle my contacts, text notes, calendar, etc...
9) At least 640x480 resolution, in a clamtop form factor. -- After all, with the Zaurus 6000, you're stuck either reading a webpage at 640 width (turning the device sideways), or typing into a field -- not both simultaneously, due to the form factor. The Psion 5mx had 640x200 resolution -- so you could surf with Opera at minimum width on regular pages (but, being a non-color PDA, why would you unless you were looking up an all-text Linux HOWTO?).
10) VoIP capability. -- Not really of use now, but as 802.11(b|g) access becomes increasingly-common, IMO this will become more useful. So, the device needs a microphone, as well as either an external speaker or a headphone jack (which would also be used for MP3/OGG/whatever output).
11) >= 2.0Mpixel digital camera. -- I want to take digital pics, but I don't want to lug around a camera and a PDA.
12) Cell phone. -- Same as #11 but with phone access. True, this partly infringes on #10 in functionality, but if I can make a call for cheaper via VoIP, I'll do it; otherwise, if I'm away from an AP and have to use my cell (as is almost always the case), then that's possible as well...
13) USB host capability. -- The Zaurus 6000 has it, as does one of the newer Toshiba PocketPC's. Plugging in USB devices on one of these things could be both very useful and very cool... It'd be kinda neat to play DVDs on the PDA with an external DVD drive. Or consider the nav. system problem again -- put the DVD drive in your car's trunk, have a USB cable running to your dash where your PDA controls the DVD player and reads maps off of the DVD. No need to swap maps to/from flash memory (as is the current case w/ PocketPCs, etc.), yet the data storage stays out of sight...
14) A semi-serious gamepad-style control design. -- If you're going to play games on it, how about some decent controls while you're at it, rather than the D-pad in the center with the "action" buttons surrounding the pad? (I know, most PDAs aren't meant for gaming/media. But I would still prefer a design like this for scrolling through contacts, etc.)
15) Replaceable battery pack. -- If one battery pack runs out of power, I want to be able to swap in another and keep working while the first one charges. None of this built-in charge-it-at-home-or-else and send-in-the-PDA-to-the-OEM-to-replace-the-battery crap.
Summary : My dream PDA is basically the hackability of the Zaurus 5x00/6000, the k
Is Capitalism Good for the Poor?
Which means:
- Networking
- Web browser
- SSH client
- emacs
- music/video player(s)
With the added bonus of having a 1024 screen and fitting in any bag or even pocket.By the look of things, that kind of system should be obtainable within a few years, maybe from Sharp. The Sony sublaptops, though a bit big, look extremely viable too.
Using memo and a rhyming dictionary, I work on my song lyrics while I'm in the subway. I keep track of all my expenses for business and personal accounts using Pocket Quicken. I write e-mail, I read the news, stare in horror at my todo list, store all my logins using Password Wallet (which encrypts all entries and syncs them to my Mac).
That's pretty good for a device that cost me $150 three years ago and for which I never have to worry about batteries. Useful? I live by my Palm Vx, but find very little need for a cellphone. All people use cellphones for is to call someone to say "I'll talk to you later and we'll decide then."
___________brokenhill.net___________
"Esotericism should not be mental, it should have ritual." --M. Duchamp
I say "reasonable" because it's easy to pile on more and more features without regard for cost. Here's what I see doable in a $400 PDA:
1. 266 Mhz processor - the one in the iPaq 1945 was and is plenty fast for me
2. 64 MB memory - this seems to be a sweet spot where the apps that PDA's are good for have plenty of breathing room
3. 2GB hard drive - plenty of space for MP3's, photos, etc.
4. 1.2MP camera - even 640x480 is good enough to get that phone #. I don't need to be Ansel Adams with my PDA.
5. WiFi of course
6. 1 SD slot
7. QVGA screen - VGA would be great, but I can cope
8. A 1/8" headphone jack, ok?? Thank you very much!!
Take a Sharp Zaurus C860.
Soup it up with an XScale 624MHz processor.
Add a USB 2.0 host port.
Sell it for $400.
Bonus points: stuff in a 40GB hard disk and sell it for $550.
I'd buy either of these in a heartbeat.
My killer app/feature is the USB 2.0 host to hook up things like my digital camera, external hard drive, USB keyboard, DVD burner, network dongle, etc (even all of these at the same time through a hub).
The Linux OS means I don't have to worry about the OS becoming obsolete and not having drivers for new hardware.
When I'm on vacation, I'd just take my digital SLR with one or 2 CF cards, one of these PDAs and a USB hard disk. I'd download my CF cards into the hard disk every night and not worry about storage capacity. Beats lugging a laptop around anyday.
Sharp, I hope you're listening and release the C9x0 series soon with a USB 2.0 host.
Krishna
--- I'd love to go out with you, but I have to study for a Turing test.
It appears that proprietary PDA's with their proprietary OS's are merging into proprietary mobile phones with their proprietary service providers. (Some may run Linux but they are useless without a wireless provider...)
That said, I would hope classic miniaturization and off-the-shelf desktop or server software become the norm in "PDA" handheld space. As per other posts, the display could be optional.
THAT said, does anyone know if the IBM e-LAP ever materialized? It was intended to serve as (yet another) PPC reference platform.
http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS9222005703.html
MD
Yeah I thought about not posting this... but what the hell.
I want an Apple Newton, with a color screen, a faster processor (400Mhz+), 16bit Stereo Audio, a 3.3MP camera, flatter design and just a TAD smaller than the 2100. It should keep its two PCMCIA slots (VERY convenient), or at least keep one, and swap the second one for SDIO. Should have WIFI and Bluetooth, and also a GSM or CDMA phone module built-in, with a retractable antenna. Should also lose the interconnect port, in favor of a USB 2.0 port. Lots of RAM. I mean LOTS.
THIS, My frinds, is THE perfect mobile computing device which I would GLADLY pay $1000 to get. I'm serious. If it existed now, I would RUN to the store screaming, waving the dollar bills in my hand, heart pumping at 200bps.
Skaag
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... time... to... die...
I think the perfect PDA would be: -Linux or NetBSD based -Full color screen with a back light that can be turned on and off -Able to play Divx movies -64mb min of ram -Have it mostly cf based (OS lies on a cf and have wireless capabilities through cf) -One sd slot -Possibly have an ethernet adapter built in. -full size head min DIN head phone and Line in jacks. -A usb 2.0 port cant think o fmuch else but it shoudl be able to handle my schedules, mp3 listening, occasional video's for long lectures, and be able to be used to ssh and vnc into other computers.
How can an obvious marketing scam like this get posted on /. ???
The line "I ummed and ahhed for ages before finally ordering a Psion 5mx, and it does everything I need" sounds like it was taken directly off an infomercial!!
Is Slashdot dying ???
I never have to synch my email or calendar - it's pushed over the air by my company's BES. I can look up anyone on the internal phone book just by typing their name into the address book.
It also functions as a GSM phone.
What I'd like from future devices
Naturally I want longer battery life, better clarity screen etc etc. but in terms of functionality - the above is all I need. It's a phone, it's email, a note taker, a calendar, a phonebook and it runs Java Midlets.
T
--
Not speaking for my employer
If a square is really a rhombus, why aren't all triangles purple?
A first post button, but what am I complaining - its my article! BWAH HA HA
Ahem.
I'll just touch on some things I want that others haven't mentioned:
This isn't trolling, but a serious observation made by me (a Brit who lived in LA for 6/7 months or so).
In the UK, subnotebooks are very popular. I'm not sure why, but they've really caught on with the public over here. They're incredibly convenient (most are smaller/lighter than a hardback book, and 1ghz+ fast), and now boast features that really turn heads. Such as the new Sony Vaio that's under 1cm thick (has a motherboard the size of a minidisc), or the tiny JVCs. I was in a shop on Tottenham Court Road in London (tech centre of London), looking at them. Great stuff.
1. Weeks upon weeks of battery life - my current pda - a low end palm - lasts 3-4 weeks, more when used moderately. anything less would be a disappointment.
2. A better interface - My main concern is entering text. The palm graffity system is nice, but it's a little awkward if you have to write anything longer than a couple of letters. Also bigger and more robust buttons would be nice.
That's all I want. I want my gear to talk to each other. I've got three laptops (powerbook, two PCs) , a PDA, a mobile phone, a NetMD walkman, a digital camera, a MiniDV camera and various desktop server type machines here.
My phone doesn't have bluetooth so it'll only talk via IR and since it's a Nokia, it'll only talk to my PCs (not my PDA or Apple). My PDA has bluetooth but it's tricky to get it syncing to multiple machines at once. My e-mail resides on my Dell notebook and I'd like to sync it all to my Apple. I want photos to automatically sync when I plug the camera in, not to be prompted or have to worry about it. I want my music to be transferrable from the Mac or my PDA ro my NetMD.
I believe in the right tool for the job, but I just wish that all my devices would be able to share information together without having to jump through hoops to do it.
I have bought a few pocket computers in the last few years and become addicted to having one at least one on me at all times. What I look for are the following:
All data is speech. All speech is Free.
The idea of being able to assemble your own perfect mobile technology farm out of a bunch of compatible, separate modules that communicate wirelessly is an appealing prospect.
But just one of the many problems with it is that each module will need to have its own power source, probably some kind of rechargeable battery, and so you would end up with a bunch of miscellaneous and probably incompatible chargers, cables and cradles. Pigs may fly before there is an industry consortium or an enlightened vendor of all the various modules that would standardize mobile power provisioning.
1. Reading e-texts. There are so many free books on the web from Project Gutenberg, but it's so uncomfortable to read them at a desktop PC that I never do.
2. Good handwriting recognition. Those tiny little keyboards on some PDAs are jokes. And tapping each letter on the screen has got to be almost as crappy. I want to be able to train the device on what my handwriting looks like, and have it do a good job of reading it. Profiles would be nice, so more than one person can have it trained on their handwriting.
3. Wireless. Connectivity would be great on a handheld, but not worth much if I have to stay tethered to something with a cable or docking station or something.
4. Web browser. I do enjoy the idea of browsing the web on a small, hand-held device fron the comfort of the living room. I don't care if it's in a tiny window with a horizontal scroll bar.
5. E-mail. I enjoy the idea of checking my email from a wireless hot spot, and being able to reply there too (writing the email with its good handwriting recognition, of course).
6. IM. If I'm not using the computer for anything more than a chat at the time, why not do it from the EZ chair. (OK this is a lazy, nerdy requirement.)
7. Word processor. Doesn't need a ton of features. Just something more advanced than notepad to write in while on the train or something.
8. Removable storage. Preferably MMC or smart media, since I already have devices that use those and already have the disks.
One of the many things I hate. thingsihate.org
I've been thinking about this one for awhile, and here's my list. You just added solar to it--great idea, though I am sure most accessories would still need additional power.
I won't begin to talk about all the software that would be nice to have on such a platform; this is just a hardware list.
********************
what a pda must have:
linux
usb 2.0 *host*
clamshell, reasonably small & light
full keyboard, typable [~70% min keysize-think psion 5]
at least 640x480x16bit color
at least 12 hr battery, rechargeable [not disposable] with compact 100-240 global adapter
whats pda optional:
IR/CF/SD/etc
modem/ethernet
wifi
camera
mic & ear jack
solar power
gps
[note--all of these, plus the good keyboard up top, are easy add-ons IFF the usb is host.]
Oh, come on! That was Insightful!
If you must!
WHAT!? CF/SD/Wifi optional? So you don't care to expand on storage space? Why bother with a 640x480 screen if your not gonna ride an open AP to view pr0n?!
BTW the Sharp Zaurus SL-C760 and SL-C860 have most of what you requested above. They are pricy though. I just picked up one on ebay for $560 (a significant discount over the $699-$849 Japanese importers are charging though) and the form factor it more like the notebook/tablet style, with the screen that swivels around and folds down both ways...
If you must!
An all in One PDA will never be good enough to fit all the needs.
But until we got some tiny, open and efficient modules, you should consider this as a very effective way to accomodate all your gizmos without running out of pocket space... and still be able to wear only a shirt in summer !
Besides, the integrated wiring system will not only keep your wires tidy, but could also be used to fit a GPS antenna !
http://www.transparency.org
While I'm willing to spend some money, I can't afford a decent heads up display, like the prototype glasses in the IBM commercial where the guy is yelling at the birds. Current products are expensive and bulky. And the resolutions aren't that hot.
I had a Palm M130 ( the first color one) and i got it because I did not want to carry around heavy books. Back in the day, the only thing around was the Franklin E-book, that sucked and it did'nt really do all the things that i wanted it to.
:-(:::
So i bought the Palm and fell in love with it almost overnight!
As a Desktop and now Tower type, i laughed at a puny hand sized handheld. I was curious and i admit i was incorrect.
I think for almost a year i was attached to this thing! I started wondering what was wrong with me. I had admittedly limited use of WORD and EXCEL but it did all that i asked of it and more.
Bored Reading email? Play a game or read a book.
Hell i read all of Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, William Gibson's Neuromancer series and more on an M130, riding around town using the DC Metro and over here in San Diego now. There was nothing i could do to get that thing away from me. It was almost like the RING from LOTR ROTK. And i thought servers were bad!
That poor PDA croaked while i was doing a job here in SD building the new Ballpark and i accidently left the IR port open and it got fried. I almost cried when i realized what happened.
I think Handhelds have proven their usefulness to me and, because (to me); everything electronic does not have to do every doggone thing on planet Earth just to be popular or useful.
THat's my perspective.
Cyberzephyr
I'm here for the experience, not the Hyperbole.
1. I want my old input method back. Many years ago, I learnt to use a chord based system where 5 buttons could be used to enter all letters and common punctuation, and a shift mode could be used for digits and other less common items. Failing that, an input mechanism that has been specifically designed for use on a small area so that I'm not constantly repositioning the pen. Unistrokes is supposedly quite good at this, but I've not found a useful implementation so far. Graffiti isn't good enough -- there isn't enough opportunity to use right-to-left strokes.
2. Programability. Developing software for it should be _easy_. Palms are currently better for this than WinCE based systems, because they have a much simpler UI (which is all you need, really), but the motorola emulation and stupid handling of global data[1] are annoying backward-compatibility features that I would like to see dropped.
3. Expandability. There should be a variety of reasonably priced expansion modules that can be connected easily to the device. They should probably hook onto it, making it slightly thicker.
--
Note 1: you can only access your apps global data in certain circumstances, which means that writing an object-oriented framework for certain kinds of task is impossible.
That last item takes care of a lot of requirements, because if the device lacks software I need, I or somebody else will write it.
I've been looking for the same thing as Cory Doctorow, monochrome, USB chargeable. But, because I haven't been able to find it for some time, I've reduced my demands to USB chargeable or AAA battery operated.
- no phone
- wifi is an add-on
- expensive (especially considering the two above)
- the cool environment (pdaXrom) is not the standard. PITA for developers like me.
So... I have to shell out over $1k to get it with wi-fi, plus carry my cell phone.
I've been stolen my PDA once (that's why I need one now). It was hard to swallow, and it didn't cost me half $1k... I have a problem with carrying so much value in my pocket.
A friend has it. It's great, but I don't want to spend more than $300 this time. Still looking for my next PDA...
A4 Pull out screen. Backlit.
Full keyboard, & Stylus interface.
Multimedia sound.
DVD Drive.
Fits in Pocket
Under £300 retail
USB and Firewire interfaces
IPod compatiblity.
Wireless (11g) and Bluetooth.
Knock proof.
GPS system.
Voice responsive to "where is my PADD?"
--- This meme is memory intensive
When I was on a PC using a Palm V with Palm Desktop, sychronisation was easy and quick. And if something happened to your computer like a hard drive crash, you didn't have to worry because your data was backed up on your Palm. You just had to re-install everything on your computer then hit the sync button, and everything was automatically copied back onto Palm Desktop. It also worked in reverse- if anything happened to your Palm, all you had to do was get a new one and stick it in the cradle, and hit the sync button, and all of your data would be on your new Palm. Easy.
Since I switched to a Powerbook and use iSync, I find it really screws with things. When I upgraded from Jaguar to Panther, I wanted to do a clean install. I thought if I did all that, I could just hit the sync button and everything would be copied back onto my computer just like on a PC. NO! iSync erased all the data I had on the Palm instead. Luckily I had a backup. Some time later, I had data corruption when I tried to turn off FileVault, despite the fact that bug was supposed to be fixed in Panther. It screwed with files randomly all over my home directory, and I'm still going through them one by one to weed out the corrupt files. I haven't even started on the voice recording files that I have accumulated over a span of 2 years. Anyway, after the corruption, I had to re-install everything again. I forgot that the initial sync wipes out the Palm data as it did, and Apple's Backup application somehow screwed up backing up my address book and 5 years worth of calendar data, so I was screwed. Luckily, they were also on my iPod. But instead of just syncing my iPod, I manually mounted it as a firewire drive and copied the calendar and address book data files and restored them. I didn't want to risk the syncing process to wipe out the data on the iPod as well. After all this, I only had lost a month's worth of data (I hadn't synced my iPod with iSync for a month).
I've also had problems with entering data in Address Book on OS X. The Palm only accepts the address if it is labelled as a "home" address, even if it is a business. I found this out the hard way when I was late for a dental appointment, hopped in a cab, then found the address wasn't in my Palm. I had to borrow the cabbie's mobile phone to call for the proper address. I thought I had entered the address, and found out later that it hadn't been copied over because it was labelled as a "business" address.
So basically, what I look for is easy, seamless integration between the PDA and computer, without any of these devastating quirks that you have to find out on your own by accident.
Well, I like PDAs. No, correction, I *love* PDAs. Not physically you understand, but they're fabulous devices that appeal to the gadget freak in me, and help to get me organised by being a fun toy to play with that happens to help me sort my life out.
;-)
I've had a fair range of devices: Psion 3a, Psion Siena, Psion 3c, Psion 3mx, Psion 5, Psion 5MX Pro, HP Jornada 620, HP Jornada 680, HP Jornada 720, Rex, Rex Pro, iPaq 3830 and another iPaq whose model number escapes me.
Psion were great. They ruled. However, they stagnated, never updated to follow the market and pulled out of the market disgracefully. Microsoft once stated that Psion were their biggest "risk" (or something like that) and they've killed the handheld PC.
I've come to the conclusion that, to be useful, PDAs need a keyboard otherwise they're just a glorified posing tool/gaming device/thing which beeps nicely. The 1MB Psion Siena was more use than the vastly more expensive iPaqs to me in terms of organisation and PDA duties.
The rex, whilst an interesting gadget, was soon consigned to the cupboard.
HP has a long history of handheld devices, or palmtops as they used to call them. The 620lx was a fair stab at a decent HPC, but suffered from WinCE 2. The 680, with a decent keyboard, good colour screen, good battery life and WinCE2.11 was a real Psion 5 killer: or at least it was for me.
The Jornada 720 is slightly less stable than the 680, but a lot faster. It's basically the same OS, and it's a superb device for most tasks I care to chuck at it.
Microsoft no longer supports the HPC form factor. After killing Psion, they reckon no-one wants one. A crying shame...
The 720 does everything I want and more, and is a fantastic tool as well as a stunningly neat gadget.
Admittedly, the Zaurus stuff from Sharp looks hellishly interesting but at the moment they're just too expensive to justify shelling out on... And the 720 does what I want, and satisfies the technolust.
For now
GPS (using the newest low power high sensitivity chipsets)
WiFi
GSM/GPRS/3G phone+data
analog radio (RX AND TX!)
IRDA and bluetooth
USB
RS232
Linux or other system open to modifications
SD card
and standard things: good color display, long life battery, software keyboard on a touch screen or even better HW keyboard.
optional 1 Mpix camera
I don't want/need no handwriting/speech recognision. I want today's pda technoly (like that new 600+Mhz cpu) combined with a fairly decent keyboard. I liked the keyboard of my psion 3mx.
The technoly is al there to create a mini pc that is maybe 3 years behind on the recent desktop capabilities. For example:
- CPU 600+ Mhz (Like that new Dell thingy)
- Screen 640x480 (or even a mini 16:9)
- 64 Mb RAM (wy not even 128, or even 256)
- 2+ Gb Storage (be it cf, sd, or a real hardrive)
- Mini Keyboard (like the psion had almost 10 years ago)
- a touch screen to mimick mouse capabilities
- Wireless LAN (or even Bluetooth)
And then the freedom to install whatever x86 os I want!
Man, i would surely pay up to 500/600 euro's for such a device.
My dream PDA/subnotebook is my Toshiba libretto. For $500, I got a 110CT from ebay. Two 3-hour batteries, two AC adaptors. It has two PCMCIA card sockets, so I have a low-profile USB card in the bottom, and a low-profile wifi card in the top. I have my Sprint phone hooked to the USB card for use as a wireless modem, and with wifi, I can use it around the house.
I have taken this tiny (what they say is true, it's almost exactly the size as a clamshell-packaged VHS tape!) laptop just about everywhere with me. Into the bathroom, upstairs to clean the junk room, under the desk to display diagrams while I was working on my main desktop PC... the uses for this machine have been staggering. Even though I own a palm pilot, I end up using the Lib more for day-to-day geeky stuff, like VNCing to the desktop machine from the couch, making LiveJournal posts, reading/writing mail, AIM, IRC... the list goes on. It's just so incredibly handy to be able to run X86 excutable code wherever I happen to be. That's MY "killer app".
Everyone is so excited about the new bleeding-egde PDAs... I really couldn't care less. The only thing about my Lib I'd change is the low RAM maximum (64MB is tight, even for win98).
One advantage it has over a PDA is storage. It takes a regular 2.5" hard drive, which right now is a 4GB disk. But... it doesn't have the 8.4GB limit that some machines have. Once I can afford it, I'm going to put a 80GB disk in it. I'll be able to carry around every MP3 I have with me. Another application for that storage is for the maps to go with my PCMCIA GPS card. Those take up almost 3GB by themselves! You don't have that kind of storage on a PDA unless you pay out the ass for it (how much is a CF 2GB/4GB card these days, $500USD+?).
Anyway, enough ranting on. LB loves his Lib.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it! --Longbottle
I just got me a Dell Axim X30 wifi and am ecstatic, it's just the right weight and has great battery life plus lots of onboard memory to start. I thought to myself the other day: what if I wanted to take my ppc with me on a camping trip? With about 5hrs of life (at peak usage) I could easily use it up in a couple-three days of ebook-reading or note-taking- what about a solar recharger? The Axim can also charge from a USB cable directly from a hub (have to do a benchmark to tell you how long it takes) and I know that USB works on +5v and can't have that much current going through it. So it seems like it would be fairly easy to come up with that kind of power of a few pev cells. I'd be curious to know if one could feed power in through an SD slot, thus making the device pretty much universal- unlike a usb slot which would certainly be proprietary. Ok, that's my 2 cents- and my first post, yay for me!
I use friend/foe to signal strong [dis]agreement instead of mod points. What else are f/f good for?
Well, I'd have to have my choice be the Ipaq 3650, since it has all the things I want - Open OS (has to be flashed in, but it can be done), PCMCIA(dual) expandability via sleeves (SD != open, no usb host on 3650, and allows for the use of 2.5" laptop drives via pcmcia enclosures as well as wifi), reasonable screen size (320x240), usable battery (even with dual pcmcia, at least 2hrs can be had) and even the use of keyboards via serial port are possible. The only thing that's been screwed up with them isnt even in that model, but down the line when HP lopped off the sleeve. When HP can make something with these features, I'll give them a look. Until then, I'll go for whomever brings back dual pcmcia and no SD.
"Forget the engineers." -Carly Fiorina, briber of MIT Technology Review.
5-7 inch colour screen (with option for turning backlight off and lowres nocolour), 640x480/800x600, 6-8 inch big as in, just a tiny bit bigger than the screen), enough cpu to play nice divx's (400-500mhz xscale or something), 128-256m memory, cf slot, sd slot, 54mbit wlan, grafitti handwriting recognition :) :)
And 72 hours on the battery
As for the operating system....well... PocketPC2003/.NET should be ok (yeahyeah, I know, it's MS, but at least it looks better than Palm, though it's handwriting recognition su*ks)
I play in a band, and we like to record all our rehearsals so we can keep any new ideas we come up with.
:)
We usually record onto minidisc, either with a minidisc mic or coming straight outta the desk - recently I've been bringing my Axim X5 along in case the guy with the minidisc forgets to bring it. The Axim has a microphone built in, but it's pretty crappy - which is a real pity 'cos it's a damn site easier to distribute these recordings (to the rest of the band) than the minidisc recordings... I can just dump them straight onto my PC.
Since I'm also running Griff, a full sequencing program, I'd very much like to see a PDA with decent audio inputs & outputs, so I could record using a good mic (there's no point trying to improve the built in mic, they're never any good). I'm sure that eventually we'll see some models with proper audio I/O, even with multi-channel I/O, as there's a definite niche for a portable multichannel recording device.
Still, yesterday I downloaded the Beta version of Pocket X-Com......
And enough mem + a nice resolution + colors would be nice. But I take that for granted nowadays.
Oil 1 haunt is band writhing republican that reel lye wargs!
It was? Right now I sit in front of my 1993 HP LX 200 and you tell me it was?
PDAs are too bulky! Go for the mobile/cell phone format and add the PDA functionality! (and yes, have the screen extendable on a roll out plastic sheet or something or spread over the entire inner surface of a clamshell design).
I want to carry my wallet, my keys and ONE other device. I don't want to look like I'm carrying potatos round in my pockets!
I used to have a Palm Vx, but I gave it to my ex and got myself a toshiba windows 2002 magic do-everything wi-fi PDA with a 1Gb storage card etc., etc.... then kept losing all my data (having to back up all the time anyway) due to crappy battery life.
So, recently I bought myself a new Palm Vx from eBay. Less than $40 ( £30 in fact, UK based) and I get an 8Mb PDA with literally a couple of weeks of battery life - a week even with quite heavy use for games. Even the accessories are cheap because they're so plentiful but don't interoperate with the "palm universal connector". It's not USB, but who doesn't still have an unused serial port?
I can suck down tons of reading matter for the loo (yes, major PDA use) with AvantGo, I can keep loads of notes like the dimensions of my house and stuff for when I'm shopping, diaries of holidays, etc. to-do lists, games, calendar of family birthdays and such (appointments stay at work and I don't sync with them) and all backed up and editable in Palm Desktop, which is now a really nice pretty application.
I don't use my PDA all the time, I often travel with just the phone, but when I'm DIY/etc shopping or going to work or doing other more serious stuff I take it and it's invaluable - no lost paper notes - I don't have a great memory and this is a true brain extension. It's light enough not to annoy, too, even in a shirt pocket if there's nowhere else (no belt clips please! As the fab five say, phones and PDAs are not fashion accessories). For me it works beautifully, and being a bit into design, having the classic Palm V design is nice.
Palm's Tungsten E is the closest flashy color model that has tempted me. But battery life is poor and there's no cradle. The cradle is a basic part of what makes the Palm PDA so nice: along with size, synchronization, battery life, graffiti style text input with stylus, "saveless" editing throughout, plus high usability and reliability (and the reliability of the Palm Vx now is incredible - with this one I've had no crashes whatsoever).
I love my Palm...
You want a Visor. Unfortunately, Handspring didn't really consider the modules in the Visor all that important... they just wanted something that could sell well and support their cellphone development. Once they had a working Visor-based phone they went on to the Treo and dumped the whole Visor community.
IR projection keyboard (http://www.alpern.org/weblog/stories/2003/01/09/p rojectionKeyboards.html)
and a built in projector. That way, you don't have to carry much with you to have a large screen (on the wall) and a keyboard.
Of course, add all the usual suspects, wifi, bt, phone, etc...
I'm sure the projector isn't feasable, but it would be darn cool.
The truth is that there are different schools of thought as to what makes the perfect handtop.
:-)) and will probably ultimately replace it with another Palm.
One school believes that it should be a full-fledged portable PC in its own right, incorporating additional PIM functionality. This is the idea which drove a number of designs from the "golden age" of the PDA including the Z-PDA, Newton, and HP LX series. I would argue that the Zaurus ald probably the Psion are from this school. Lots of emphasis on screen larger screens, keyboards, and connectivity is seen here.
The other school holds that the PDA is an extension of the desktop system and, as such, is more of a means of carrying around critical pieces of information (schedule, contacts, etc.). I/O is a function of how to get information into the PDA to carry it back to the PC and data synchronization is the major technology. The Palm OS handhelds probably best represent this school, though the PocketPC's seem to have fallen in here as well.
As for me, I'm used a Zoomer, OmniGo 100, various Newtons, an HP LX-200, and a Palm III. Except for the Palm, the problem has always been data sync which is, for me, a big issue. I curently use a Palm IIIxe which really suits my humble needs well (good sync, long battery life, cheap plentiful accessories (though I still want to get the GPS for it
--John
I love my treo 600. Because it's my phone, I ALWAYS have it with me, so the PDA functions are more useful. I have it remind me of people's birthdays a week in advance so I can pick up a present. Also, it reminds me at 5pm to call the wife and tell her if I'm going to be working late or not. We used to fight over this all the time. That alone is worth the price for me.
It has a decent phone with a zillion phonebook entries... if I dial a number once, I save if in the phone.
I'd appreciate a better camera though. it works very poorly in low light, so either a flash or just a bigger ccd would be awesome.
Also, the screen is kind of dim and low res. I have cool stuff like palmVNC and SSH, but it's kind of useless due to the screen size. The lack of certain keys makes SSH tough too.
Overall though I can't think of a "PDA" function I'd like improved, other than a decent email client to connect to Exchange at work.
Plus all the suits look at me in envy in the elevator.
this sig has been rated E for Everyone.
Hola, I live in Tokyo and make a trip at least once a week to Shinjuku or Akihabara to see what's new.I just bought a Sharp Zaurus SLC860 for my wife but haven't had much time to play around with it myself. It's a pretty nice little mobile tool, but we are probably going to sell it and buy a bigger but still very small vaio. There is a store called http://www.sofmap.com and they carry quite a nice selection of new and used laptops/PDAs. The laptops here are tiny and powerful and trendy. Starting to see a lot more people using them on the trains to work.
You can have a camera, phone and PDA in one pocket, instead of 3.
The problem is that, so far, there's only a few devices that do two of the three decently: they're none of them great phones *and* great PDAs, and at best a few are decent cameras... but the camera-phones are lousy PDAs, and as far as I can see the camera-PDAs don't have phone variants and PDA-phones don't include cameras.
And they cost a bomb. The cheapest camera-phone I've found costs more than my PDA, phone, and camera put together, and it's not a particularly good phone (let alone a decent camera or even vaguely acceptable PDA).
Plus, I was glad the other day my phone and camera weren't part of my PDA the other day, when I had to leave them in a locker so I could go into a secured area. I needed to refer to my PDA several times before I left, so I'd have been stuck if it was all in one "converged" device.
And, of course, the more stuff you have in one unit the bigger a battery it needs, but because the whole point to putting it in one unit is to cut down on the bulk and inconvenience the more they shove in the phone the smaller the battery ends up.
My choice, I think, would have been a camera-PDA and a simple dumb phone with a big battery. But since that experience, I'd have to say the most convergence I'd be happy with would be a camera-phone and a PDA... if I could find a camera-phone that had vaguely acceptable battery life.
I own a Handera 330. It does everything I want it to do. If it had color it would be perfect for me, and updating it with USB like the rest of the world is a good idea. With the CF slot I can plug in any other function I want, and with the MMC slot I can put in as much flash memory as I need (for MP3/JPG/backups/etc).
It's too bad they couldn't sell enough to come out with their next interation!
My ultimate wish list:-
- Treo600 form factor
- 2GB+ storage, either hard drive or solid state
- 2mpix camera with flash and lens-protector (and crude manual zoom or digital zoom?)
- USB2, able to act as either host or slave
- Slimmed down version of any desktop OS: Linux, WinXP or OS X (trimmed to fit in 128 or 256M ram, and operate on ~300MHz processor)
- Phone functionality
- 802.11a/b inc hosting, GSM-GPRS and 3G. Not so much need for Bluetooth, but would be nice.
- Stereo analog/digi combo headphone and microphone jacks
- High density screen
No real need for a memory card slot, as it could use USB thumbdrives for removable storage.
Until these CDMA modems get down to CF and maybe someday to SD format, a PC Card (ne'e PCMCIA) slot is mandatory to give me 1XRTT speed Internet access. Today, that means either the former HP iPaq's with the PC Card jacket and a plug-on thumb-type keyboard, or -- better yet -- a Handheld PC: the dearly departed HP Jornada 72X or the NEC Mobile Pro 900. I have two of both but prefer the NEC because the Jornada requires a docking station for charging and PC interface.
Doug Jensen
The one thing I really miss on my Palm device is the Newton's old scribble to delete and drag to the side to copy and drag into a document to paste. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing the drag copy-paste on my desktop. The coolest bit was that you could drag multiple items to the side so you can have several clipboard items floating around at the same time (which was really convenient since you could only have one full-screen app active at the same time).
one word says it all.
(GPS, life form detector, atmosphere tester, soil tester, universal translator, and games! lots of games!)
T'was cheap (when I bought it), good battery life, ample memory (8M expandable with the springboard slot, but I haven't had to yet), and it holds everything I need, contact info, memos to myself, and over seven books (Including Lord of the Rings, my bound copy weighs more than my laptop.) :)
If/when I need more power than my Visor, I break out the laptop
The box said "Requires Windows XP or better"... so I installed Ubuntu!
It's because people commute on the train. Have you tried getting a fullsized laptop out on a crowded train?
no taxation without representation!
I carry around a dozen DVD-R's full of documents. I can read them anywhere. Even if there were a network connection available where I go in companies they don't let you connect your laptop to their network. And when I can connect to a network, it would take forever to download a lot od documents.
Doug Jensen
I just want a PDA with a keyboard like the Psions.
Maybe kayaking is going a bit far, but I'd like to be able to get caught out in some light rain without having to run for cover (or always carry plastic bags) to protect my PDA-cellphone-GPS-pager-camera thingamabob.
And accidental spills, sudden rainstorms while you left it out on a table for a few minutes, accidentally dropping it on the ground where it bounces into the swimming pool you're hanging out next to (with your oh so sexy PDA to make you look cool to the babes)... you just can't plan for those things and say, "oh, I'd better stick it in this waterproof bag before the waitress accidentally spills my drink in a couple minutes".
Has no one ever wanted to check the latest slashdot updates from the hot tub?
A gig or two of memory on a $200 PDA ? What are you smoking dude ? :)
I wouldn't count too much on a stripped down version of OSX either, unless by stripped down you mean no GUI at all.
I agreee with you that a keyboard is essential though, Graffiti must be the most annoying way to input data I've ever seen.
I would add to that a decent development kit, and an API high level enough to have fun (anybody who's seen what the crappy PalmOS API looks like will understand).
Wifi 802.11g - n
Voice recognition control of home pc with amazing interface and keeps text documents including voice samples for every conversation of the day.
Voip support.
Intelligent friend tracking software linked to gps in other people's palm thingies.
Video output to display movies on friends computer's and TV's.
Signal analyser for cables and wifi signals, (digital and analogue).
Card scanner with connection to my bank account for easy money transfers with atm technology.
Scanner for those pesky text documents.
All of this is available tech (except a decent signal analyser?) it's just not user friendly yet. Simple. Make life easy record and be unobtrusive, (there really is no reason for a handheld when you can get text to voice programs of the calibre we have now adays.
20 won (2 cents)
After using a Pocket PC for the past few years I've gone back to exclusively PalmOS. I've even gone from an ARM back to a 68000. Why?
... OK, eventually I did the dance and restored everything, mostly, at least I can't find anthing missing.
First:
Here's my Pocket PC. I drop it. Everything goes flying! Memory card and stylus this way, battery pack that way, Put it back together... screen's black... I figure out the hard-reset sequence, bong! Yes! I reset it, it boots back up to the initial "welcome to your new PDA" screen...
OK, that's fine, I'll restore it from backup. Hold on, when's the last time I backed up? Oh, there's a backup on the flash card only a week old? Grump, oh well, I should still have everything on my PC, so this will hold me. Restore. Reset. Get back to the PC. "Hello! I see you're plugging in a new device!" "I'm sorry, this backup was not made on this device."
Second:
Work buys a new Pocket PC for me. I plug it in, try and copy all my stuff over from the old one. It's the same processor, after all. Wrong. Have to reinstall everything. Why? heckifiknow.
Third:
Bring up ActiveSync, start going through the list of programs on my PC to install.. wait a second, there's a bunch missing. Oh yeh, I had to reinstall my laptop, but I backed up and restored the Activesync directory with all the install images! Sorry, I didn't save and restore the magic undocumented registry keys it needs before it'll even SEE those images. Grovel through backups from my PC to find the original packages for everything, finally get it together...
And it doesn't backup when you sync, unless you tell it to, which you don't because backing up is a big deal that takes more time than you may have when you do the cradle-dance before leaving work. So your backups are never up to date.
So, I get an old refurb Clie SJ22, drag data files from my old Visor's backup folder to the installer, sync, spend half an hour dragging apps over and tweaking things, grab a few updated apps to take advantage of the better screen, and I'm back in business.
And I know that if I drop this one and get a hard reset all I need to do is resync and everything will be back the way it was. And I know (because I tested it) that the backups to the flash card actually work and don't magically change some secret code that hotsync uses to recognise my handheld. Plus the hotsync protocol and data file formats are documented and there's open-source software that supports them well, so if Palm goes psychotic or suicidal I don't absolutely need to depend on them for updates...
The OS is simple, simplistic even, and it's a much more limited device than my Pocket PC, but there's more software available for it, and more importantly the data on it can be relied on. And that's the really important part of the device...
Of course, this is with OS 4. I didn't feel ready to take on the jump to OS 5 or even OS 6 when it comes out. It's probably all good, but I'm sticking with the devil I know...
I think that 3riol adequately filled in what I was trying to say. My point is more that the terms chosen don't really make sense when you consider the product. Taurus makes sense, because the meaning of the word and the goals of the product are united in some way. That's why for Christian terms I used terms that would be difficult to apply sensibly to a product, so that those who are not informed of Buddhism would understand the absurdity of the names given.
I understand that words are more than their literal meanings, and that is why I voiced my concern about nonsensible usage of them corrupting language. What's the point of having these terms, whose intent is to sufficiently represent a complex idea in the name of expediency, if their meanings are all jumbled? While I don't expect someone to say, "Zen? You mean that MP3 player?" I don't see the value in picking such names for products other than to encourage ignorance and misunderstanding. What type of thinking person would want that?
I'm not too certain about religion being eclipsed, especially given the great growth of Buddhism in America within the past century. However, perhaps the distinction must be made that Buddhism advocates science and rejects dogma, trusts in experience and values wisdom that accurately reflects reality.
Indeed, for Buddhists the goal is not a Heaven but rather an appropriate understanding of reality that allows a person to live without the sufferings brought about by ignorant attachment to changing, impermanent people and things, along with eliminating the poor choices that result from a failure to understand the interdependency of beings and objects in existence through belief in a seperate, persistent ego, soul, or independent essence of some sort.
As to what "god" might be to Buddhism, that is a subtle understanding that varies between sects and teachers. Suffice to say that what is generally held among the various sects is that there is no omnipotent personal creator acting upon the world who serves as a final judge.
With a projector instead of a screen, the ability to use bluetooth keyboards and mice, built in phone, radio, music player and dual G5 processors.
Africa has wind up radios, why not a simple PDA which winds up and runs for a few hours on a few turns of a crank?
A well matured scripting tool ( Such as python/... ) and GUI toolkits, for quick throw-away hacks would be pretty nice. Coding those using the palm alone would be a bit unsatisfying, but coding on a desktop computer, and then uploading it to the palm would serve me right.
Or Ogg Vorbis, or cameras, or color, or GSM phone, or all the other battery-draining junk they throw in these days. Just something to store addresses, maintain my calendar, keep a to-do list, and have some small memos for important tidbits of information.
I mean that much for the device itself, not just the screen. If you can make this for $50-100, I'll definitely buy one :)
Basically I don't understand why this unit wasn't even more popular. If I wanted to get a handheld strictly for PIM use/typing, this would still be the unit I would get today. Instead, I find myself using the Sidekick as it's network integration is spectacular in comparison. Ideally I would like a Psion 5mx form-factor device with the nice keyboard, a fast CPU, a durable hard drive (mainly for music), enough ram to run Linux well, a higher resolution color screen, GSM radio, a Bluetooth headset that doesn't suck (OK, so the phone part isn't critical, but I'm not holding a Psion to my face), USB 2.0/FireWire, and maybe 802.11g for kicks.
I am feeling fat and sassy
Reefer. Lots of it.
Well, he asked!
Seriously though, a gig wouldn't be necessary, if I could plug in an ipod or other usb/firewire device. Maybe 128M? Either way I would want to be able to access about a gig or so of data with it; text files, Word files, PDFs. If it had a color screen I'd want to be able to look at photos too. Preferably a tool that would let me easily search a large pile of textfiles, code html in some kind of basic text editor, ssh to wherever, have a basic web browser, and super-long battery life (again, like the emate, with its 10-12 hours). That's another reason for the greyscale screen...
I dont know anything about developing for these things but I would want it to be something people were working with and writing software for; I only mention palm because I've used it. I've played with Symbian too which looks easy enough to use, so that would work too.
Oh yeah, did I mention it has to be a chick magnet too? :)
For me, the ideal PDA/handheld would be the Sony UX-50 with a larger screen, a removable camera (to appease corporate America) and much better battery life.
My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!
-I want a PDA that has an overall form factor the Palm Vx, just enlarged to the size half sheet of US paper (8 1/2" 5 1/2") and as thing as practical. The screen would be color and have a high-enough resolution to be able to view a full page of graphics and text. Obviously, this makes it less pocketable, but it would give me the ability to see and present full pages--ideal for business and personal applications.
-The screen should be a touch-screen with handwriting recognition (Graffiti, Jot, Newton, doesn't matter, just something decent.) And take a cue from the Newton and have auto-shape recognition included. For some reason, no one seems to want to or be able to do this.
-It should have removable a hard case/cover similar to Palm's hard "book-style" case for the Palm Vx, with WiFi integrated into the case--integrate the antenna into the cover portion and have the connector integrated into the spine. Maybe even integrate a flat battery pack into the case or something.
-It should have an OPTIONAL camera, but not included by default to please corporate users. And the camera should fit into a covered "port" in the device, not sticking out. If the camera is not present, then a "blank" could be inserted.
-The idea is to have clean lines with nothing that can snag or get caught on things.
-The OS could really be anything as long as the applications are fast, intuitive, feature-rich, and compatible with "standard" documents. The OS also has to be "instant on"--no booting every time--and program launching should be fast and snappy. The appearance of an "hourglass" should be the very rare exception, not the rule.
-Battery life should be days, not minutes or hours.
-Phone capabilities should be optional or leverage VoIP with the WiFi connection.
-Full multimedia capabilities. Voice recording, MP3 playback, video capture and playback, etc.
-Removable media such as SD cards or some yet-to-be-produced high-capacity storage.
My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!
My boss is always having me look for something. We end up buying it, but it doesn't deliver what he "thought" it could do. (Even though I told him it wouldn't do it). Then he tries to turn it off as my fault. So what would make my boss happy?
Something with the power of a dual 64 bit processor with gigabytes of RAM, can run every program ever written, and it very portable. Wireless is also a very important thing along with battery life. Will such a machine ever exist? All signs point to no.
So all I want is whatever will make the Boss happy. So what is that? The world may never know.
I'd like to have the mp3/ogg player integrated into a cell phone than have a separate player and phone, because a phone can pause the mp3 automatically on incoming calls. I wouldn't mind to have PDA functions in the phone either.
I want 3G - UMTS with IPv6, GPS locator and the ability to hack the software on the phone/PDA in any way that would not infringe with the phone company subscription.
Style is important. I want something sleek and stylish that does not attract attention. No triangular buttons everywhere or translucent plastic, please!
I like the style of Palm and Sonys recent machines. Most WinCE and Nokia machines are horrible, though. ---
"We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
I've held off so far, but when I get one, I want
* Phone
* Keyboard (like Tungsten, for instance)
* Battery longevity
* Hackability
* Commonly used wireless transfer system
* Color screen
Kinda divided on the camera issue.
So there might be a Tungsten with phone, I haven't researched, as I'm not about to buy.
-Lars
I hate the fact that every must have gadget has to have a crapy digital camera on it. I have three main problems with this:
1. It is a waste of space that could be used to make the handheld smaller, lighter, or cheaper.
2. I carry a cell phone too, now that all of those have crapy digital cameras built in also why would I need two?
3. My company does not allow any cameras in the building, which means that I would not even be able to use the device except when I'm home or on the go. Thise would be ok if I didn't want to get it simply to store all my notes in general.
Yeah, point three is my biggest gripe. But if I had a choice between a handheld with a camera or a cheaper, lighter, or smaller one I'd probably get the later anyway.
1. Screen 15cm or larger, 640x480 or better. Don't care about color.
2. Handwriting recognition. At least as good as Decuma or the Newton MessagePad 2100.
3. USB for connecting to keyboards, digital cameras, etc.
4. Bluetooth for sync with my computer.
5. WiFi and a web browser.
6. A memory expansion slot.
7. Several days of typical usage of battery life; at least an hour or two of WiFi.
8. Outliner w/ checkboxes, calendar, basic word processor, draw program.
9. No Microsoft OS, because I won't buy Microsoft software.
Closest I've found so far is the Sony PEG-TH55, except they removed the Bluetooth in the US so I didn't buy one.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
What I really want is a portable DVD player that also catches WiFi for web browsing and e-mails...
The web and e-mail would be used around the house, and the DVD would go to the kids on the road (read: 12V adapter and decent standalone battery life...)
An almost-normal sized keyboard would be nice, but not essential.
For games, productivity software, etc. there's always the desktop or normal laptop.
Rationale: The screen's good. The keyboard lets me input stuff far more easily than any of the pen-based methods. Running ssh would allow me to run any program I'd care to run, provided I have a server to log into. If I'm not connected, I have books to read still, and I don't mind doing a nightly charge to get all that.
IMHO, a PDA should be treated like a thin client. With something like this, I'd never need to upgrade to the latest and greatest. If I need more memory, I buy a new CF card. If I want to run new software, I get it installed on the ssh server.
I have no account; hopefully this will be modded up
is that too much to ask?
etherboot over modem or ethernet would be ideal, too.
Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
I want a cell phone with *some* PDA funcitons. Size is most important to me as I carry my cell phone *everywhere*. I recently purchased an LG VX4500. Basic phone, reasonably small, clam shell. I've had bad experiences with candybar phones that accidently dial themselves. No camera.
The 4500 hold 499 contacts with multiple email and phone numbers for each. It has a very simple calendar (for some reason that I can't comprehend it's accessed via the 'Voice' menu and is called "Scheduler"). While it's not perfect, it allows me to download and upload my contacts list to/from my desktop directly onto the phone using the open source Bitpim tool and a $20 cable. I can upload my calendar from the phone to the desktop but haven't been able to download. This (mostly) works for me because I mostly need a read-only PDA. I update on the desktop, download to the phone and I have what I need in the size I want always with me.
Smartphones (Winbloz, Palm) tend to be larger than I like and are way too expensive (I paid $60 for the VX4500 with a 2 year contract with Verizon). Saving $$ on the phone allows me to buy a Zaurus 860 Linux palmtop. I'd use the Z at work but don't need at the beach. (I'm not *that* much of a geek!)
The 4500 is about 80% of what I want. Small, a phone 1st with contact and calendar capabilities. If the calendar function was a little more robust and I could get the download from the desktop syncing with Evolution/Mozilla working in Bitpim I would raise my satisfaction level to 90%.
r
What is up with all the 16-bit color handhelds. If I want to preview digital images on these things, I want a 24-bit color LCD.
I got a Fujitsu LifeBook P2120. It is under 3 pounds (with extra large battery) for almost 6 hours of battery life (or 3.25 watching a DVD or playing a game), built in wi-fi, modular bay for DVD/Floppy/extra battery wide screen a little under 1 GHz w/ ~400MB RAM. Monitor Support 1 PCMCIA I love this laptop. It is small and light enough to take everywhere with me yet powerful enough to play most classic games (starcraft, Diablo 2, The Sims) and everything is detected and works under Knoppix :)
It's served me well, but I need something more bling-bling. I'm looking at an axim X30... the X50 (VGA screen) is right around the corner, so prices can't get much better. I want long life and a travel companion. I also want various sexual attachments. Thanks.
So far, the closest thing I've found is a used/open box/blemished Palm Tungsten C for about $275 from overstock.com. With only a 30-day warranty and lots of reports on the net of failing units, poor WiFi range, and screen problems, its not an option I am seriously considering.
My requirements in a Palmtop are simple:
Run Linux
Be a cell phone (or a "mobile" if you like)
Be very very small.
So far, I've not seen any of these in the US, but I, as well as several of my friends, all agree that a linux pda cell phone is the way to go.
Anyone heard of one?
--LWM
compact and wireless.
I have a Palm m515 that just recently quit working. I loved my m515 because so far I have not found a device as small as it. The thinness of the unit is very important. My m515 would fit in a back pocket just like a wallet and never be noticed. Now I have to go looking for something that is thin and small enough to be kept on me at all times. I don't do well with a unit that has to be carried around; I tend to lay it down and forget to pick it back up.
On the wireless front. This was the only drawback ot the m515. The m515 was plenty in all other areas. If I want a camera, I'll buy a camera. While the mp3 functionality is nice and I'd be happy to have it, I have an mp3 player that does that. What I really need is wireless device that I can access my schedule, some documents (using something like a word viewer or something), synchronize over 802.11 so I don't have to dock or even be at my desk, and be able to always have it on me.
I don't want storage on my pocket device, I just want it to collect and present information - voice, music, video, text, webpages.... I would be much happier if all the data was actually safely stored on central servers and nicely backed up.
For me the key is permemant very high speed data with complete coverage. The PDA should just be a handheld portable terminal. I remember when mobile phone coverage in the UK was patch (one2one around the m25 and up the M1 only anyone?) but look how good it is now - virtually 99% of the population covered in the UK.
I used to use a palm but now I just keep all my addresses on Yahoo - I'm never that far away from a connected PC and my mobile can connect to Yahoo using wap if I really need to. Indeed my phone has most of my addresses in it anyway.
The smartphone will win over the connected pda because, for most people, it does the most important thing first and foremost - it connects. The market already has a hold on people with the mobile and they can just slowing increase the capability of the information it can process locally.
Sorry a bit muddled but then so am I
-- "Can't sleep, clowns will eat me!"
1) Run Linux 2) WiFi that works 3) Recorder that works 4) View JPG's and MPG's (motion) 5) External media slot (prefer CF but any will do) 6) Decent battery life 7) Sync with Linux desktop 8) Affordable and available! Many may say your's already does this. I've installed OpenZaurus, Familiar w/Opie and others and they all seem to fail on at least 1-2 points. >
Subnotebooks don't make sense. They are too large for pockets and too small for comfortable work. That's why nobody buys them. I have a Zaurus PDA and a (el cheapo) notebook. Both running Linux. Believe me, you want to have linux and your scripts on all devices. It's too much hassle to use diiferent OSes or Windows.
I really like the Zaurus idea. All the pictures I've seen and all I have read about them.
On top of everything the C860 has I would like:
SDIO.
built in GPRS (with a bluetooth head set)
More addon support (Linux drivers don't exist for a lot of the CF cards and of course the SDIO as it doesn't support it.) or another industry supported multi-tasking OS.
USA Marketing!!!!! (for the Sharp clam shells anyway)
Unfortunately, my old hangspring visor deluxe nearly fit all of those criteria (and I'm not picky on the batteries). I can't purchase a PDA at this point because the market has decided that I need to play MP3s and watch videos on a device that I would be using for work. And all the entry-level stuff is crippled (Palm Zire 21 erases its data when it's near cell phones).
...is a small, light, energy-thrifty unit that does *nothing* but run a fast, secure VNC connection over WiFi to your home or office machine.
No storage issues. No software availability issues. No PC/*nix/Mac issues. Just pure computing goodness in your pocket wherever you go.
I live in the US. Does my 12 inch PowerBook count? or is that too big to be considered subnotebook?
"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." --Old German Proverb
15" screen, 14h battery life, mouse, keyboard, min. 1GB RAM, AMD 64 3400 or equivalent processor, all in maximum 2.5kg, and a carriable size...
32 bits address space for Prolog (expert systems) or Smalltalk (just for fun) Programming.
No 32K or some stupid stack limit.
Huge Stacks and Heaps for applications.
I know people here who still use their old Sony Viao Picturebooks (the ones that had the half high screen that you had to scroll up and down. They're fabulous for traveling with unlike my Dell C series which is more of a luggable. They were really expensive new though, especially considering what you had to give up--only one PC-CARD slot in a time before everything was integrated into the mainboard, crummy battery life (although the extended battery helped), a pointing stick (I prefer the touchpads), the fact that you have to scroll the screen up and down constantly, etc...
It really depends what you're doing with your laptop. If you're writing documents on a train, I don't think I'd like a subnotebook (they're just too hard to use for an extended period), but if I'm on site and need to look up information or do some light work in between walking to various locations then they're perfect.
I read the internet for the articles.
Why hasn't any one asked for a PDA with a Hard drive? I currently have a Sony Clie NX60 that I love, but it would be sooo much better if it had a 40 GB drive in it. This way, I wouldn't need an iPod to play music, or a Archos AV Jukebox to play music and video. The screens on the newer generation PDA are beautiful, so we don't need improvment there to watch movies on it. So here is what I want:
:)
-All current Palm OS 5/6 features (i.e. all PIM features)
-Ability to sync with my mac.
-40/60/80 GB harddrive
-better movie and music playing apps from the manufactor (not just 3rd party that i have to buy seperately)
-GPS
-GPRS/3G support - and ability to sync over it
-bluetooth
-WiFi
-Very long battery life - especially when watching movies.
-1.3M+ pixel camera that can also caputre video. with integrated flash.
-Probably not very realistic right now, but: It has a video projector on it that can project an image up to 30" wide. This would be very useful for a business person (as well as someone who just wants to project a movie on to a wall...hehe). You could just have a presentation on your PDA and project it onto the wall.
-Able to make free VoIP phone calls like the Nintendo DS over WiFi
Nice to haves:
-It runs Mac OS X
-It is made by Apple...:)
-Plugs into my head so I can just think and it will do what I want.
Also posted at http://andrew.serff.net
I want a concierge service (like OnStar)
through my PDA. My price point is about
$9 a month.
The biggest reason I don't carry any kind of device around is that my prime reason to use it is to have access to e-mail and the web. Blackberry's are okay for their limited function, but I want to see my e-mail in a rich form like when I'm at my desktop. I want something that's all screen, about 5 x 3 inches and is always connected to the net no matter where I am. Beyond that, I want the connection to be very cheap or free.
i don't have a PDA, had one palm once ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... my future PDA will ... ... you see the :)
it think my main problem is that PDA just arn't
comfortable enough to carry along. i carry
my wallet as a little pouch around my neck
and shoulder similar to a ladies handbag. it might
look a bit "gay" but it's much more comfy. i only
but coins in my pocket and a small lighter. i can't
feel the lighter or the coins. also i wear reading
glasses (more driving glasses) and a wrist watch.
they do not bother me. because of the same reason,
bulky and uncomfortable i don't own a cell phone.
so ther you have it. PDAs and mobile phones don't
fit. a computer i can place on a table and make
it a comfy corner, with good chair, keyboard,
mouse and lighting
the main problem with PDAs is the screen and the
input method for data. the biger/better the
screen, the bulkier it gets. if you add a usable
keyboard it becomes even more bulky
add a few gadges (radio, mp3 player, speaker,
etc.) and it becomes rediciules to carry around.
remove everything now. it's tiny! but what can i
do if it has no interfaces?
think how many watches have you got in your
household? how redundant is your time keeping?
everything has a watch built in
the key is to outsource as much as possible from
the pda to other devices. one keyword is def.
bluetooth. i have (theoretical) a cell phone
already. so why do it need another cell phone
enabled device? i have a keyboard already? i have
speakers already, etc. if it comes to computing
everything is very redundant and we have multipls
of input output devices, that do the same thing
my future PDA will talk to the monitor, the keyboard, the speaker, the electric meter, my
wallet, the fridge, my car, the internet (doh!),
my cell phone, the printer, gps, etc
you know where i'm heading. the PDA is like
one mega big switch/hub, that bridges every device
to every other (sensible) one. i carry it around
in a comfy way, maybe neckless. it doesn't sport
mega alot of memory or storage, but it talks
really fast to my server at home, where it
constantly fetches/updates data
maybe if one day we'll get these promised glasses,
with built in monitor
talk to this too. or why not outsource the screen
to the watch? and if i'm in the car (future cars
will have HUDs (head up displays)), my PDA will use that. maybe even my fridge will have a small
LCD screen and my PDA will use that
today, PDA are just small computer with limited
all capabilities so we can carry/drag it along.
also they don't interface enough. they should
interface with the weather station if i have
a entry: "tennis at 6 pm with tom". it should tell
me the traffic situation if i have an entry: "pick up nicole from ballet class", etc. humans
know all this from experience. we know that
traffic is a pity after 5 pm. we GUESS to take
this smaller road to avoid the main traffic etc.
the pda can/could look much further then our eyes
can. it can check if the restaurant is gona be
full at 8 pm on a sunday, etc
pda is/should be a digital butler
it should constantly ask me what i'm gona do, and
smoothen out every situation. it should keep track
of my habits. yes, and it does sound like a bit
of the matrix. the problem is that the sensor
matrix exists already but a privat person doesn't
get reasonable access to it.
Try http://www2.alphasmart.com/. Their Dana units are essentially eMates for the 21st century. They run Palm OS, have greyscale screens, WiFi, IR, USB, and a 30 hour battery life.
12"
p ecsheets/s_TBW2.pdf
3 lbs
1024x768
802.11g
Ethernet, modem, USB
DVD-ROM/CDRW in USA - DVD-RAM/R/RW in Japan
7.5 hour battery
No idea how good/bad the graphics card is
Good linux compatibility. No support for the SD card slot. Immature driver for the Intel wireless chipset. Everything else seems to work fine under linux, but I have not tested a few things like the modem.
US version: ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/toughbook/s
Japan Version: http://www.dynamism.com/w2/
... in the PSION Revo-size casing with builtin GSM phone and headset jack socket, which along with BlueTooth connectivity and Unicode support in the OS make my perfect palmtop dream machine. It doesn't even have to play DVDs... :-)
Now, mod me down freely. My karma can't get any worse...
He did mention USB 2.0.
+++ATH0
Well, I for one want a PDA that is just that a PDA period. Preferably with the battery runtime of 68k based Palms, OLED LCD OR B/W LCD any other type of LCD just doesn't cut it in sunlight.
Processor: decently fast, 200M most likely an ARM variant
OS: simple yet with the capability to handle more advanced tasks & apps... (PalmOS did this admirably from 3.1 up, light on resource usage yet fairly powerful. It's a PDA not a subnotebook/notebook/PC) OS should be in FLASH ROM, mask ROM is no longer an acceptable option.
Apps: standard faire, address book, calendar, memo pad, email reader/writer, ebook reader, machine code compiler(e.g. OnBoardC), etc.
Wireless: WiFi. (I don't have ANY bluetooth devices and would prefer WiFi capable devices over Bluetooth in any wireless comm enabled equipment -> range & bw)
Storage: should have SD and/or CF memory expansion.
Alternatively:
Personally though beyond this, IF I were to look for a combo replacement of notebook/PDA I'd probably look at tablets. I like pen interfaces, they run "real" OSes, and have decent size screens/weight/horsepower/etc. The drawback is that they are a little largish, look fragile, and are very expensive for their capabilities as compared to similarly powered notebooks.
Preferably this tablet would NOT have an integrated keyboard, but would have an optional module or "sleeve" with a keyboard, additionally I think that I would prefer most of the comm busses to be part of an optional module with, perhaps, only USB2.0 or IEEE1394 plus power as standard connectors, plus the module expansion bus. (As a side note a "virtual" keyboard might also be a good alternative to a physical keyboard module...)
OS: unfortunately I'd think that it'd have to be Windows XP tablet edition, as I doubt that Linux based OCR is all that hot yet. (Everyone send handwriting & printing samples to OCR developers }:)
Wearables: If direct retina display technology ever became commonly available these would most likely end up being the best option as the form factor could be drastically altered since accomodation of a physical display would no longer be required. (The current mini projection screens just don't cut it...)
Final notes, as implied above, I really don't want cell phone, GPS, camera, etc. integrated into any of these machines as they a) add cost, and b) give me functionality that I find dedicated units perform MUCH better. (Cell phones you can actually just keep as I find them to be incredibly annoying.)
The Sidekick (AKA Hiptop) Not complete, but it's basically a PDA..... And a phone. Most Palm devices don't allow you to make a cell call from anywhere in the USA. Sidekick 2 will add a built-in camera and speakerphone. Now all it needs is a 20 gig hard drive.
Everyone isn't linear/serial. Some of us are parallel, and still more of us are massively parallel.
The point, in many cases, with a PDA is not "put something in here to remember it later" but is "collect information to be used later".
For example...I want to know, for my taxes, the deductions I'm allowed for using my vehicle for business. I could write everything down on a pad of paper, and then at the end of the year, I could input everything into a spreadsheet (hope there aren't any errors!) and get the numbers I need. Or, I could collect the data at the point its created (the car) and automatically have a running total, any day of the year. This then feeds into all sorts of decisions...say I see a used car in September that I might want to buy...how do I know if it makes financial sense without knowing exactly how much my current vehicle is costing me? Then, at the end of the year, a couple clicks and my deductions pop right into my tax program. That's just one small example.
Can I dream for a minute? I want a machine that would be different things at different times. It would function as a typical PDA when you wanted that.
When plugged into a port on your computer it would do more than "hot synch" - it would be an auxillary drive where I could store files I wanted to transport, it's display would act as an accessory display for the computer (in my case, displaying RSS feeds). It would also share the computer's peripherials when docked with that machine. A host application installed on the PC would allow me to do things on the PDA from the desktop and would allow me to "push" some applications on to the PDA.
When docked in my car, it would peform computing functions related to the car or serve up MP3 files to the stereo. It would track MPG and tell me when my car was due for service and, it would read those cryptic error codes.
When in contact with a wi-fi service, I could get a VNC connection back to my primary computer.
The IR port could intercommunicate with printers and other IR equipped machines so that a presenter could "beam" me a copy of the presentation.
Accessories for it would include wireless keyboards, mice, and other computer like peripherials. It would have a USB 2.0 port and perhaps even a firewire port.
The designers would make the machine open in the sense that they would publish everything about the interfaces allowing designers to build other cool peripherials. It would be open enough to allow ports of Linux or Windows CE to the machine.
Oh, and it would also be a phone and a "real" GPS unit.
Sounds like he wants a Psion Revo Plus or 5mx.
Jaysyn
There is a war going on for your mind.
I'm a bit demanding in my PDAs. First, I look for a speedy CPU. I like the capability of looking at pictures on a SD card that I just took. Second, expansion. What kind of expansion does it have? Is it worth the investment? Will this be rendered obsolete by the company a month after release? *coughSonyCliecough* Then, a high res screen is just necessary. I enjoy reading e-Books and playing high-res Bejeweled on my PDA while waiting at the doctor's office or a long line. Then I look for wireless connectivity. Bluetooth or WiFi basically, with capability to connect to a cell phone or have the cell phone integrated. I look forward to the Treo 650 for that.
Not to sound like an ad for portabase, but I'm putting more of my life into it every day, it seems.
I want a small handheld primarily to remote admin other machines on the net, as well as using it for network testing etc. ./ers want more from their PDA then just using outlook and IE :-) *nix gives you a lot more muscle in networking. :-)
SSH and NX/VNC will be the primary applications on the handheld. So these are my requirement:
1)QUERTY keyboard It is impossible to do anything with moderate amount of textural input without one. Try ssh, email, IM with a keyboardless PDA for a while and you will see.
2)Network connectivity WiFi is a must. 3G will be essential if outdoor work is needed. Thought 3G data service is basically non-existent in my area now.
3)Linux/*nix WTF can you do with that crippled mobile windows? I am sure that
Ya, sure size, LCD res, battery life are factors as well, but as long as 1-3 is fullfilled I am tolerative on others
i want an updated treo 300 with a better processor, sd slot, and bluetooth. maybe 802.11 too.... can the two co-exist on one device? i would assume so, but so far every pda i've seen has one or the other (or neither). must be too bulky still.
and lastly, a swappable battery. that was the biggest thing i missed when i upgraded from my samsung i300 to the treo.
If I don't put anything here, will anyone recognize me anymore?
When I was carrying a PDA (a Palm IIIc), I used it mainly for word processing and for the calendar function. Now that it's busted and I'm carrying a cell 'round, I wouldn't buy another until it at the least integrated cell phone functions. I don't need to browse the web while in a cafe or a train, but I don't want to carry two gadgets with me.
One function I'd love for word extrusion is a projectible keyboard. I forget where I saw this, but the idea is that, rather than carry around a foldable or roll-up keyboard, the PDA itself projects an image of a QWERTY onto a flat surface (such as a table, or desk, or a piece of paper on the table if the table is a dark color). It also senses when you "touch" the "keys" and you just type away.
Of course, holographic monitors are beyond current tech. For now.
Can you imagine a world where the only calculator you could buy came with 100 buttons and a graphic/plotting display?
Many persons find a use for a simple four function calculator with a one line display. So what has happened to the simple PDA with a black and white display that uses AAA batteries?
Neither Palm nor Sony nor anyone else makes an inexpensive 'commodity' PDA anymore. Lightweight and thin with a display large enough for my old eyes to read 16 lines of text. Runs weeks on cheap AAA batteries. Is this too much to ask?
i'm curently deployed overseas in iraq and i use a pocketpc as a mobile ip-phone, i downloaded a thing called x-lite for it and hooked up some wireless routers to run it off of, picked up an 802.11b flash card, and it works perfectly, its actually the only usefull thing i have done with it since i first got it a little over a year ago, and the one thing it lacks is the same that is lacking in all the pdas(pocket pc's at least, i don't bother with palms because they don't run the software i need), a microphone port...sure it has a headphone port and thats definitly nice, but a microphone port would definitly be a plus so i could talk without holding the thing up to my face, its impossible to smoke a cigerette like that...i could go with a bluetooth headset, but i think a definite plus in future pda's could be a microphone port
Everyone on here seems to be thinking inside the box. Let's leap outside, and see what we can do. Bluetooth headsets for audio are available now (monaural, at least). I wear glasses anyway, so I'd like a Bluetooth video monitor with eye tracking. With fast eye tracking, a small monitor resolution can provide a large visual space.
Then, add a Bluetooth inertial sensor on a finger or several to replace keyboard and mouse, especially if the sensor system provides tactile feedback.
Now the processing system can remain "comfortably" and safely in a pocket, bag, or briefcase, or even strapped on the arm like the "Predator". Shape and other parameters can be freed from the handheld form factor constraints. (It might even include a flexible heatpipe to an external radiator, for hi-pro versions, though that does seem excessive for most users.)
Gratuitous geekjokes:
"Is that a banana in your pocket, or are you just surfing Slashdot?"
"Geeks are like bikers - they both have hot metal between their legs."
[Old SF story, from the 40's or 50's concerned how the very first portable wire-recorder, called Poo-Bah (Gilbert and Sullivan) start out as the first audio note-taker and gradually expanded in capability and power, providing expert advice and eventually getting wired right into the user's brain - and then, via radio links, sharing data and becoming the "Evil Computer Network That Takes Over The World - BWAHAHAHAHA!!" Interesting, this story included all the major concepts of modern mobile tech, some 50 years ago - before magnetic tape. Talk about prior art!!]
The processor and other components could even scream bloody murder if anything is separated too far from its partner components. The screamer's a good idea, which I should patent - every bluetooth component should include the ability to complain audibly, e.g. a piezoelectric tweeter, to help prevent misplacement or theft. Of course headwear will also have to not be too loud when it's attached to the head... This could also be triggered by a bluetooth signal, so when you do misplace it, you can have it squeal [and/or light up, why not?] so you can find it. If someone else patents this, consider this as prior art. Actual implementation, via vibrator, piezo transducer, trad. speaker, etc. is straightforward. Does Bluetooth include a standard command for this, like "alarm" or "findme"?
It's easier to be a result of the past, but more fun to be a cause of the future! http://www.spacefinancegroup.com/
"Love heals scars love left." -- Henry Rollins
256 greyscale LCD (to conserve power) with decent resolution/size so that text would be readable at arm's length w/o being bunched. Having the option for interchangeable color/greyscale LCDs at time of purchase (or after purchase) would also be nice, but not really necessary, IMO
SD, CF, and possibly a PCMCIA slot for expansion and storeage
chicklet buttons/keys (or something like them) with generic/programmable function - none of these fairly useless "application" buttons which just take up pocket real estate most of the time. It would also be nice to be able to have an easy mechanism by which I can assign them (for instance, have one of the buttons be 'enter' or 'ok', another for 'open the sound recording software and start recording' - the zaurus 5500 which I have comes close to this)
IR and probably bluetooth - for more expandability, but also potentially for a...
fully-typeable, non-cramping keyboard - I don't care if it's built into the device somehow (doubtful it could be easily achieved), or independent (similar to the pocketop). I don't want to have to learn a new, proprietary input method to enter text at a reasonable speed on a portable device.
at least 5 hours of operational battery life, because I don't want to have to recharge it daily
the ability to blank the screen and still have the machine running (the zaurus can do this, but it's hindered still by battery life. I should be able to run the device -all day- while performing audio/text input in this mode)
a sturdy design with screen protection the zaurus, as well, is decent enough in this dept. for me, with a plastic 'shield' purchaseable seperately
as compact a design as possible - it should only be marginally larger than the screen itself, with maybe 1.5cm at the bottom/side/whatever for buttons. depth of the device isn't -too- important, but no thicker than, say, 3cm. That might be a bit too thick - I don't have a ruler, and my brain doesn't often use metric. Maybe more like 2.5cm.
the ability to run linux - this is important for me; I'd prefer if it were a linux device, as I think the software that comes for linux PDAs is awesome. it also allows me to use the machine for a lot more than just keeping notes, as linux is quite versatile.
mininum specs somewhere around 250MHz ARM (Xscale 400MHz would do nicely), 64Mb RAM (96M would be nice), 32M internal storeage - this seems perfectly reasonable to expect for $400 or so, what with the fairly insignificant price of memory and the ever-decreasing cost of hw production
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
I'd like a module that lets the unit be a DMM (digital multimeter) and perhaps an O-scope, frequency counter, and function generator.
Being a USB peripheral and initiator would be nice as well. (So that it can control other devices.)
Open source libraries for the buit in devices would be nice. A free software emulator for developing programs on the desktop would be nice as well.
The perfect PDA/MP3player/PortableHardDrive. Start with a device like the Archos Gmini 220 MP3 Player/Portable HD. Combine it with the Sharp Zarus to add standard PDA applications, and WiFi connectivity. Throw in a GSM cell phone with GPS and digital camera capability and you'd have one really cool all-in-one device.
Subnotebooks vs. notebook
In the US, the typical usage model does not usually include habitual 'lap' or 'palm' usage. Typical means the average joe in the average white collar job. Typical does not include field work.
We drive everywhere, so there is per-capita not much usage in transit. Not even as passengers in cars (HOV in LA is only 2 and it is still usually moving well).
Air travel has a little table, so a fuller notebook is fine.
At home, at work, at starbucks, usage is on a table or desk, often plugged in to AC.
So the truth is, w/o much bus or train usage, the subnotebook tradeoff is hard to justify over a full notebook. By tradeoff I mean price and space (screen and KB). 1900x1200 in 15" is actually useful for real work, but 1024x768 in 12" is marginal.
Now solid-state vs. rotating disks is a more compelling tradeoff I'd like to see get affordable.
Of course, it depends on what you'll use it for. Many folks have PDAs in the Palm mould, and for light use (contacts, agenda, to-do lists, synced to a desktop) they obviously work well for lots of people.
Where the Psion really scores, though, is use beyond that. It's more than just a PDA in that sense -- I prefer to call it a 'pocket computer', as it's a full machine in its own right. I use it for umpteen things -- PDA stuff, but also email, route planning, reading books and other reference material, SMS messages, software development (Java, Perl, OPL). It has a full word processor, spreadsheet &c, and I've used it to write technical articles for publication. I connect it to my GPS to get moving maps and navigation. Of course, I've also got lots of games, though the only ones I tend to play much are Infocom adventures, crosswords, and Scrabble.
I have a library of novels and other books, and I find the screen comfortable enough that I read far more books on it than on paper. I also have a serious dictionary and thesaurus -- now they're always to hand, I find I refer to them much more than I ever did the paper ones. I also have a cut of the IMDB, and when I get a larger CF I'll put the whole of Wikipedia on it!
But my most-used application is a fairly specialist one: an Off-Line Reader (OLR) for the CIX conferencing system. My messagebase currently has over 200,000 messages in over 400 topics, taking up over 100MB, and it's great to be able to read new messages when I'm stuck on trains, staying with friends, on holiday... And of course the touch-type keyboard makes it easy to write my replies. Plus I use my mobile phone to upload replies and download new messages. (Disclaimer: I'm co-author of said OLR. Written entirely in OPL. On a Psion.)
It's really in a market of its own -- the trouser-pocket size makes it more portable and available than most subnotebooks, and yet the power and keyboard make it more than a PDA.
It's more than just a tick-list of features -- it's in the way they're put together and made into a useful package. But the important ones for me are: touch-type keyboard, long battery life (tens of hours), CF storage, IrDA, trouser-pocket size. If I could add anything to it, I'd probably want: Bluetooth, USB, sharper display (colour not necessary), headphone socket, and a bump in processor speed and internal memory wouldn't hurt.
Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.
What I'd like is a reader device. Something with a decent screen, lightweight, rugged, with a little memory good for storing a few books (like 8MB), a few buttons (pg-up/pg-down and similar), and barely enough processing power to display them.
I've been using my pilot IIIxe for that purpose, but it has such a small screen that it's evident it was not designed for that.
As far as a general purpose device, I'm just fine with my IIIxe. It cannot play mp3 or ogg, but I can get other devices to do that. Same thing with number crunching, it's a "satellite" system after all.
BTW, I'm 100% with the idea of modularization, why have 1 device that does everything plus the laundry, when you can have multiple little devices and wires/bluetooth/whatever?
GPG 0x1B479C78
I don't want cameras, mp3 players, phones, etc. in a PDA either, I want an electronic notebook.
bangalore whore?
Sturdy Case
Small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket
Integrated Items Required (Must Haves)
Cellphone
Wi-Fi
Blue Tooth
Ability to play MP3s or similiar
GPS
Upgradable Storage
3 megapixel digital camera
Upgradable OS
Those who can do... Those who can't get a certification from Cisco or Microsoft.
I've just moved to an Orange SPV C500 from an iPaq 5455. The only thing I miss from the 5455 is WiFi. but everything else I need (MP3 / Ogg, mpeg, reasonable mail client and browser, VNC, Camera & Vidcamera, FTP, Document reader, Calendar and Addressbook) is in the smartphone.
....oh yeah, that won't work here as it's an MS smartphone :)
Most of it can be done with freeware or ships as standard as well.
http://www.modaco.com/ may have some details on when they will be in the USA.
What I want is a good physical interface that has, in order of priority:
5-way thumbpad or scroller, like the new Palms and Sonys.
Transparent cover - this one's so simple, you wonder why more companies don't do it. Give it a transparent screen cover so you can pull it out of your pocket and look stuff up using just the buttons on the bottom without having to flip the cover and get the stylus. I love this about my Treo 90, just wish it had a 5-way arrow key.
Full screen use - if it uses Graffiti, have the bottom of the screen usable, instead of having a permanent graffiti pad. Like on PocketPCs and high-end Sonys.
Keyboard overlay on the Graffiti pad - if the above is too expensive, just put a keyboard overlay on top of the graffiti pad.
High-res screen - doesn't have to be color, just sharp.
Physical keyboard features - if it has a keyboard like the Treos, make sure it can be touch-typed! The Treo, Palms or Sonys don't have the little nub on the keyboard that allows for touch-typing. Also, why do they use Qwerty, instead of Dvorak or somthing better? It's not like making it Qwerty removes the learning curve for thumb-typing, they may as well make a more efficent design.
Ignore all these other posers, they don't know what they're talking about. Here are the ultimate requirements for a palmtop:
. Mid-size keyboard so I can sit down and actually do something useful with it.
. Completely open architecture and specifications so Linux/*BSD can be made to run on it without worrying about those stupid closed-hardware vendors who think their designs are so precious they refuse to document them.
. PCMCIA slots so all the existing PCMCIA hardware will "just work" in it.
. Smartcard slot with proper documentation.
. Bluetooth
. USB
. Water resistant/proof.
. Full-aspect ratio, full-colour screen (640x480 at a minimum)
. 1GB RAM
. CompactFlash/CFII/etc slots for simple storage
. Tiny hard drive--60GB minimum
. GPS built-in
. Antenna attachment
. Wi-Fi-based remote display capable (for those of us that want to use those neat glasses so other people can't look over our shoulders or a full-screen display, say)
. Wi-Fi based remote keyboard/mouse capable (for when I'd like to use a full-size keyboard in, say, a library.)
. Ridiculously long battery life.
. Hardware-based random number generator.
. AM/FM/etc radio receiver.
Nothing else is really necessary. If someone wants a cellphone, get one that can do the above. If someone wants some other specialised device, fill their boots.
The point is that current laptops are horrendously heavy to lug around. As a computer I'm actually willing to carry around with me, the dimensions need to be small, but large enough to accommodate a keyboard with keys big enough for normal fingers to type on and a screen with a proper aspect ratio.
If I want to make it inconspicuous by slipping it into my coat pocket, let it be small enough I can do so.
All these other people who are whining about specific applications--they're being unrealistic. If you build a mini laptop which is open-architected, all that stuff will come on its own, in time.
Things I could use this device for:
. Wardriving/walking/chalking.
. Programming remotely.
. A temporary storage area for pictures from my digital camera/mobile storage unit for other files.
. Writing remotely.
. Personal organizer.
. Hacking
. Home-away-from-home comfort device
The Atari Portfolio, circa 1989, is still the easiest-to-type-on handheld "PDA/computer" that's ever been made...including that Apple Newton thingy, by the way. The Zaurus comes in a distant third...and nothing I've used recently comes close to the Zaurus.
Without decent input capability, most of my remaining "desired PDA functionality" can be handled by a programmable wristwatch.
While not a truly tiny subnotebook, people stop and drool over my Panasonic Toughbook CF-T2. 2.x pounds, 10" screen, reasonably-full-size keyboard, but distinctively smaller and more convenient than the standard laptop monstrosity. I've been stopped in cafes, on the train, in the airport, etc: "Wow! Where'd you get that?? Cool!".... is it really a question of buyer demand... or producer profit / ease of manufacturing / Bigger Is Better marketing (incorrect-) mindset?
One thing I've always wanted and still does not seem to exist is a LOUD speaker. I'm very happy with my UX50, but like all other PDA's, if an alarm goes off and the device is on the other side of my house, I may not hear it. My Motorola pager has a little piezo speaker that I can hear a few hundred feet away - just include that into a PDA!
It's got built-in 802.11b, and USB host. As it has a strategically placed microphone and speaker, it also works as a VoIP phone.
In addition a radical new feature such as this would make a true ipod killer.
Cheers,
bamph
There are tons of features I want in a PDA which have already been mentioned. But after owning two, I have found that eventually I quit carrying them around because they aren't rugged enough. I had to replace my first Handspring Visor because I dropped it and cracked the screen. I need a PDA that is rugged enough for me to put in my back pocket, like my wallet, and sit on it all day. :) This also means it should not be too bulky - the size of my Viewsonic V37 is about right.
If I am going to carry it every day, it needs to be able to take daily use and abuse.
The C860 has SDIO it just doesn't come with a driver out of the box. C-Guys are going to release a driver for their SD wifi card. http://www.c-guys.com/index.htm After that comes out I wonder how long it will be till someone comes up with a general purpose driver.
I bought one a couple weeks ago - It has many of the features people on this thread are asking for - video playback, mp3, two SD slots, SD IO, great gaming performance and control layout - and excellent price for the features. I am loving the thing, superb toy, I mean, work tool.
The problem is that it has one rather stunning shortcoming for a high end PDA - Inability to travel.
Lets put it this way - I just found out that tapwave sell a 'travel kit' for $49. 'Odd', I think, why would you need a special travel kit for a PDA? One of the travel plugs I use for my cell phone, my old PDA, my laptop etc should do fine.
Until, out of suspicion, I checked the charger that came with the Zodiac - it supports 100 to 120 volts only.
This is something of a surprise - Why, tapwave? Here's a suggestion - for future releases, provide a real charger.
To everyone else - Wonderful product. Buy it. But if you do a lot of travel (like me) understand that you are going to have to factor in the hidden cost of a 240v to 110v adaptor on top of the unit, or the cost of the Zodiac travel kit.
It's especially annoying for me, because I actually don't live in the US - I'm just here for a couple of months - And before I leave, I'm going to have to get one of these travel adaptors. Ouch.
I find most of these comments in line with where I was five years ago.
I only own one Palm now, I used to own several PDA's. I don't even use the one I have to keep up with my calendar. Hotsyncing is a clunky workaround for ubiquitous connectivity.
Instead of alpha geek status -- I find that I need less and less to get my job done. Back end services are getting smarter, wireless access is becoming more ubiquitous. I am more interested in cheap disposable technology than an expensive toy. The Nintendo DS is more interesting to me than the Samsung Nexio.
The ideal palmtop for me needs to have a VGA port able to output at least 640x480 or greater (for presentations, without having to carry a laptop) and at least one, preferably two mini-USB ports for keyboard and mouse (and also usable for charging and data transfer).
I would expect to be able to hook up external VGA, keyboard and mouse and start using it like a desktop. Ideally, with bluetooth+ and appropriate software, future versions could automatically connect to your handheld environment when you walk up to a desktop computer, but that's probably a way off.
The palmtop should have a mini-keyboard with clamshell case design and mini-VGA (at least 640x480) color screen usable for watching movies. It should have built in speaker, mic, and separate headphone and microphone jacks. The audio jacks should be accessible with the case closed (e.g. for jogging). The screen should power off when the case is closed but leave the CPU running. A separate power button inside the clamshell case should suspend/instant resume.
Storage should preferably be solid state to avoid motion damage, at least 10 Gb built in, with option to extend with CF and SD.
CPU should be fast enough to handle speech synthesis and recognition but able to scale back power when heavy processing is not being done.
The device should be rugged enough to withstand a drop from 3-4 feet (pocket to waist level), and water resistant to e.g. rain while jogging. It should have a (possibly removable) belt-clip on the back.
Battery life should be at least 24 hours continuous use, but a week of day use (e.g. 80+ hours in blocks of 12 or so) would be nice.
All this should be crammed into a device at least as small as the zaurus 5500, which I carry with me regularly. Phone capability should be built in (with microphone and speaker positioned conveniently for such), and Wi-Fi would be nice, but could be an add-on using the CF slot.
I don't expect to see this device in the near future, but it is the direction I hope to see palmtops heading. When it does arrive, it will probably be out of my price range for a while, but if a device like this cost around $200, it would sell. Don't expect to see it manufactured at that (or any) price until significantly more miniaturization occurs, though.
So, to summarize, The palmtop should be small enough to carry all the time, but have all the capacity needed for multimedia files and a complete set of desktop software, and all the CPU needed to run it. When desktop computers or projectors are available, the handheld should be able to interface with them using standard ports (instead of having to have a docking station).
Life's a lot like money-- you spend it, then it's gone. Spend wisely.
What I wan't is something to replace the phone/pda/gps/mp3/cam combination that you "need" to carry around in atleast 2-3 different units today. I only want to have one device in my pocket.
:)
It should definatly be possible to use WIFI from it, as VoIP world-domination is getting closer (i have my regular phone on VoIP)
It should have cell-phone, for use when the network is out of range
GPS for remembering where the hotspots with free WIFI are.
MP3 for having something to listen to
Syncing with major calendar apps, mail, browser and all that should of course be in there too.
Atleast a low-quality camera, because all the smart teen-agers has one
SLOGEN [ http://ungdomshus.nu : Sebastian cover music]
Right now, there are no PDA/phones out there that really satisfy me. The Treo seems way too flimsy--I want a clamshell that protects the works. The Kyocera 7135 comes close to what I want, but is a bit on the chunky side, has no keyboard, and the screen resolution isn't that great. (Though I guess I could live without a keyboard, since I can deal with the Clie.) I've also heard that they're not that great a phone...but hey if you offered me one for $150, I'd snap it up.
Great men are almost always bad men--Lord Acton's Corollary
Just modify the Treo 600 with the following:
- A removable battery.
- An internal 2.4 GHz antenna
- Bluetooth module
- 802.11b/g module (unlikely to ever happen)
- WPA support
- a 480x640 screen, with a Zaurus-like stretch feaure for the keyboard
- Long range IR
- A better camera. Increase the resolution if you want, but please, boost the light sensitivity. It sucks for indoors shots.
- More memory. Much more memory. Like... 128MB total?
- A jog dial
- Voice/video capture built in
- Keep the SD slot. I like it.
- The fastest ARM chip they can cram into a Palm OS5/6 device
- Hotsync/charge via Mini-USB port.
And it should collapse to be no larger than my Treo 600. While I can't use the keyboard in this theoretical mode, at least I'm not carrying a surfboard in my pocket. Usable enough, but with enough versatility to work as a real personal computing device no matter where I am.
Raptor
"Procrastination is great. It gives me a lot more time to do things that I'm never going to do."
I've used the Fujitsu Lifebook for over 2 years now, and I truly love it. It's obvious that these little guys haven't taken off, as I still get comments about it.
Yes, I like how light it is. It's got all the ports and drives I need. The keyboard is a little small and funky, but thankfully, I didn't learn how to touch type properly (becuase the right shift is in the wrong place, I'm told.).
While the weight difference is nice, 3-4 extra pounds wouldn't kill me.
There are two things I truly appreciate about it.
1. I can use it on airplanes. I'm a bigger fellow, and when I want to use a full-size laptop, I end up resting it on my stomach, making a V that I reach into to work. With this guy, I can always use it, even when the person in front of me has put his head down to the point of wanting a neck massage.
2. LOOOONG battery life. Since the screen is smaller, and I take out the CD/DVD drive (instead, installing whatever I need right on the hard drive with a software emulator), I get 7-9 hours of solid use out of it. This gets me overseas without worrying about running out of juice. I appreciate not having to be selective when I use it. This has been the greatest benefit.
When this dies, I plan to get another subnotebook.
Well, I've been using a variety of PDAs. From extinct Newtons to modern smart phones. I've liked a lot of the gadgets, and still own a few of them. They all have their pros and cons, and some are better suited for other tasks than others. And people do have different needs, so your milage may vary...
About a year ago I sumbled upon my old Psion 5mx (actually a Ericsson's version of it)... ...and I fell in love, again. I don't know why I even abandoned it. (Well, maybe because I like gadgets, and am always looking for a new one.) But this old PDA found it's place in my pocket/backpack, again.
It has a touch screen, IR, serial, CF-card slot, VERY stable multitasking oprating system, and all the gizmos you'd expect from a modern PDA. But it does have one gizmo that sets it apart (at least for me) - the keyboard! This thing really has a keyboard that you can type on. No, it's not a desktop, or even a laptop, but neither ot those can fit in my pocket, and neither of them can last two weeks on a single pair of batteries!
Yes, even this awesome PDA does have it's drawbacks. I could do with a better display. I don't need color, but excellent contrast. Also I would specially like internal Bluetooth and a WLAN would be a nice addition too. I do realise that they suck the batteries dead FAST, but when do I need them, I could stand the heavy load of carrying extra pair of batteries.
If all else fails, pull the plug and get out...
The Life is out there...
i picked up at tungsten t2 around the turn of the year and i have to say that it is a real joy to carry around (as if that sentence doesn't reek of corporate shill-ism). instead of foaming at the mouth, here's a list:
:( side plug- if you have a palm device, definitely check out plucker! http://www.plkr.org/
- great battery life- nimh rechargeable pack built in, just like god intended
- pretty durable
- mp3 player is great to have, but sadly it sucks up a good bit of cpu time, even though it can be run in the background. as a result, other actions take a big hit.
- lots of games for when i'm bored (in fact, i might have to get one for my girlfriend since she is addicted to monopoly)
- plucker lets me read cached web pages anywhere- great for theonion, dailystrips, bbc news, theregsister, and others. sucks for slashdot
- lack of wifi sucks rocks (and apparently the upcoming sdio wifi card will not support the t2! wtf.).
- presence of bluetooth still baffles me- what could i possibly use it for, besides syncing wirelessly (which doesn't lend itself to charging at the same time)? bluechat with a random person at starbucks? i'll pass.
- display could use a little more rez, but other than that, its color and brightness are great
- audio memo recorder is very handy when out and about. i.e. i'm in costco at the dvd section, i just hit the trigger and say "netflix.. runaway jury... matchstick men... kill bill 2".
so basically, give me 11b and i'm happy. i'd buy a palm treo if i was mr. moneybags, but between the base price and the monthly bill w/data, it's still a little ridiculous imo. besides, i think if i had web connectivity in a pda, i'd probably use it more when at a hotspot/home/office then on the road via dialup anyway. having both would be super cool though.
side note, i was at a verizon store here in maryland and they had a treo 600 fired up with data service etc. it was kinda nice to be able to kick the tires, pull up your own webpage on it, etc.
I ummed and ahhed for ages before finally ordering a Psion 5mx, and it does everything I need it to, other than play Doom(1)
c or e
;-)
It might not have been the greatest device for trying to write my lecture notes into (sometimes that small keyboard was just too small to keep pace with a lecturer), but you could happily play a nice 'shades of grey' port of doom on it. Probably the most impressive bit of software i ever saw running on that little beast.
http://www.bioeddie.co.uk/main/emulators.htm#en
or was that just bait?
This UID is 7651 digits too high to subjectively infer IQ from.
I've ALWAYS dreamed of some sort of futuristic PDS that has everything, including the screen real estate. I figured the only way to make it really work without having to squint your eyes. Why now have it produce some sort of 3D holographic screen that you can touch "in the air" as your input. Now this would be bad-ass!
Go check out a Psion Revo -- it's got no backlight, which makes the screen clear enough to be readable in dim light (but not at night, don't kid yourself), and it has *no* problems with direct sunlight. ...posting to last week's story, wondering if this will ever be read.
"Good news, everyone!"
Here's my killer app: A handheld w/ a fast processor, color screen and the following: -phone -WiFi -Hard Drive -Digital Camera Oh, and a GBA emulator available for it. Throw in a hard, waterproof case that holds my credit cards and licence, too and I don't need anything else. Grab this on my way out the door and that's all. There's a iPaq that does quite a few of these things, but only works on T-Mobile. As far as I know, there's no WinCE GBA emu, either. I'm sure it'll be around in a few years. With all those features, perhaps if I start saving now I can afford it then.