PDA Shopping

[DaddyTorgo]

God, the PDA market is so fragmented it's pissing me off. I'm looking for one for work/personal use and clearly trying to stay under $500.

Any suggestions?

Things that I'm looking for/points of view that I have/questions

• i THINK that I'm looking for one with an integrated keyboard...UNLESS someone can tell me that they know of a good bluetooth-keyboard that is as compact as the PDA and works well/doesn't take a long time to setup/doesn't look really awkward. i know this limits me a lot.
• I am currently with Sprint PCS, so if you're looking at a smartphone it would be the PPC-6700 (at 449 I would say this would be out of my price range hopefully), or the Treo 6500 (although the lack of Wi-Fi in the Treo is dissapointing for something so pricey to me...$350).
• As alluded to in the previous bullet-point, if I'm going to be shelling out well north of $300 I would want integrated Wi-Fi in the device.
• I think I am pretty much looking at a Palm Tungsten-C, but I really just want to know if anyone has any opinions about the Tungsten-C/has had any problems with it.
• I'm thinking the Tungsten-C is probably what I'm shooting for because for ~300 it has the Wi-Fi and the Bluetooth and the PDA aspects, and I have purchased a new cellphone within the last year so I am up-to-date there.
• If I do purchase a Tungsten-C is there a way to transfer the licenses for the programs that I do have to the new Tungsten-C? Things like Datebook and stuff.
  

I also wonder if I might like the Windows Mobile interface more than the Palm interface (which I never quite got used to). This I will have to test out for myslf at BestBuy or something in the coming days.

Help guys?

[DaddyTorgo]

dola

what about a HP iPAQ H5555 and a wireless keyboard? That is cheaper...any thoughts guys?

[oliegirl]

I just bought the HP iPaq rx1955 and I love it! My favorite thing is that it's Windows based...it runs a tad slower than the Palm OS device I previously had, but is so much more user friendly. It is loaded with WiFi, not sure if it's bluetooth capable or not, but I am pretty sure there is a collapsable keyboard that can be purchased. I paid $300 at Circuit City and then radii bought me a $70 leather case as an early birthday gift (it hasn't come in yet so I can't give a review).

My only gripe was this: the first unit I had would not turn on after it had been off for more than 2 or 3 hours. I returned it to Circuit City and swapped it for a new one. No problem for the first couple days, but then I had the same problem. I contacted HP via their live chat and was told that there is a bug that causes this to happen when you use a memory card. He gave me the link to the patch and said that would fix it. Had the same problem the next day so I contacted them again, was told there is a patch but he had given me the wrong one...downloaded and installed the second one and have had no problem since then. Just seemed that if they knew there was this problem, they should include the patch on the install disc, or when you register the product (as I did), they should send an email with the explanation of the problem and the patch...but other than that I've had no problems

[DaddyTorgo]

thanks oliegirl. really...i didn't know that one had wi-fi. WiFi is a fairly huge demand for me in terms of a PDA, just because WiFi is exploding everywhere and it'd be nice to be able to use it.

And 300 is around what I'd like to spend, maybe a touch more than I'd want to, but certainly not bad .

The Windows-based OS is MUCH more user-friendly than the Palm OS, which is one of the things pulling me away from a Palm towards probably an HP.

[oliegirl]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

thanks oliegirl. really...i didn't know that one had wi-fi. WiFi is a fairly huge demand for me in terms of a PDA, just because WiFi is exploding everywhere and it'd be nice to be able to use it.

And 300 is around what I'd like to spend, maybe a touch more than I'd want to, but certainly not bad .

The Windows-based OS is MUCH more user-friendly than the Palm OS, which is one of the things pulling me away from a Palm towards probably an HP.

Glad to help...and I can tell you that the WiFi is very easy to use. There are ways to manually set it, but all I did was take it out of the box, hit "wifi" and click connect...we have wifi at home and so does one of our neighbors. It brought up both networks and asked which one I wanted to connect to. I've tried it out at other places (not a b&n or other place I know has service though) and it will always pull up all the available networks wherever I am.

One other possible gripe...in the files, I can't get subfolders to show up. I.E: it comes installed with folders labeled work, personal, etc...I renamed them as I wanted, but when I tried to put folders from my laptop onto the ppc, they wouldn't show up. However if I moved only the documents in the folders, no problems. Not sure if it's something on my end or what, but since I only have a few documents I want to carry with me, it's not something I am worried about investigating...but if you want to put lots of docs on it, you might want to look into that.

[sterlingice]

ping: tk, owner of like 3 or 4 Palms

SI

[Ben E Lou]

I'm thinking of making a move in this area, too. Wi-Fi and mobile telephone service would be a must for me. It is hard to understand why the Treo doesn't have Wi-Fi.

[oliegirl]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

I'm thinking of making a move in this area, too. Wi-Fi and mobile telephone service would be a must for me. It is hard to understand why the Treo doesn't have Wi-Fi.

There is a new Treo out, I think the 700...and I think the guy told me it had WiFi. I stopped at Cingular when I was having problems with the powering on, thinking I would have to return the second device and was considering just going with a phone/pda combo. They were out of stock, said they flew off the shelves...might be something to look into.

[DaddyTorgo]

the fact the treo doesn't have wifi pissed me off too, or that would be what i would have gotten. but since i just upgraded my phone in the past year i'm guessing i'll stick with seperate deveices. i've been looking and found some nice deals online and i may spring for one of those tomorrow after i go out and play with a couple models at best buy/circuit city.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

God, the PDA market is so fragmented it's pissing me off. I'm looking for one for work/personal use and clearly trying to stay under $500.

Any suggestions?

Things that I'm looking for/points of view that I have/questions

• i THINK that I'm looking for one with an integrated keyboard...UNLESS someone can tell me that they know of a good bluetooth-keyboard that is as compact as the PDA and works well/doesn't take a long time to setup/doesn't look really awkward. i know this limits me a lot.
• I am currently with Sprint PCS, so if you're looking at a smartphone it would be the PPC-6700 (at 449 I would say this would be out of my price range hopefully), or the Treo 6500 (although the lack of Wi-Fi in the Treo is dissapointing for something so pricey to me...$350).
• As alluded to in the previous bullet-point, if I'm going to be shelling out well north of $300 I would want integrated Wi-Fi in the device.
• I think I am pretty much looking at a Palm Tungsten-C, but I really just want to know if anyone has any opinions about the Tungsten-C/has had any problems with it.
• I'm thinking the Tungsten-C is probably what I'm shooting for because for ~300 it has the Wi-Fi and the Bluetooth and the PDA aspects, and I have purchased a new cellphone within the last year so I am up-to-date there.
• If I do purchase a Tungsten-C is there a way to transfer the licenses for the programs that I do have to the new Tungsten-C? Things like Datebook and stuff.
  
  

I also wonder if I might like the Windows Mobile interface more than the Palm interface (which I never quite got used to). This I will have to test out for myslf at BestBuy or something in the coming days.

Help guys?

Ok. My experiences/recommendations...
I've owned 4 Palm's and one PPC:
Palm IIIxe, Palm m505, Dell Axim x5 (first generation), Palm Tungsten C, Palm TX.

As an operating system, I generally prefer the Palm OS to the Pocket PC interface, partially because it's been much more constant. The PPC OS has changed many times, and each time it changes, it's not backwards compatible. The other reason I like the Palm OS is that it's much easier to restore in case something goes awry, and is much quicker than a PPC OS.

Though I haven't tried it yet, I've heard nothing but complaints about WM5, the new PPC OS, particularly in its stability. I cannot vouch for this personally, it's just the buzz on the street from power users.

If you've already got a Palm, I'd recommend you stay with that if for no other reason than for the convenience of being able to move over all your software and data easily. MOST programs will work on your new device if you use the same HotSync ID as on your old device. Some are device-specific, but I've never had a problem contacting a developer and asking for a re-send, explaining the situation.

What are you looking to do on the device? If you're looking for a gaming PDA, you're better off, IMO, getting a PPC. If you're looking for straight PDA functions and office-type functions, either will work just fine, and as I said, if you already have a Palm, I'd stick with that.

I would NOT recommend the Tungsten C. I have one (though I don't use it anymore), and though it was a wonderful device, it had a few annoying flaws, the most critical of which was that it has a weird design with the internal wireless card. The card is poorly mounted, and quite often becomes disconnected within the device, rendering the WiFi nonfunctional. In the 2.5 years that I owned my T|C, the WiFi only really worked the first few months. I'm on a T|C user list, and many other users have the same problem. Some have, like me, just ignored it (I use the PDA for other functionality mostly). Some have sent it back to Palm and gotten replacements. Some have fixed it on their own. But since wifi seems like a priority for you, I'd recommend against it.

I do really love my TX. It's been nothing but a dream for me so far (knock on wood!). I have the Palm Universal Wireless keyboard so that if I have to do extended writing on my Palm (which I've done in the past, as I wrote part of my thesis on a Palm...), I can use that. Otherwise, the new Grafitti isn't bad and works well enough for me.


In the end, it comes down to what features you really want and what quirks you can't live with. Either a Palm or PPC at this point would be a solid buy, as the market has grown competitive enough to pretty much ensure that any crappy product gets panned and quickly phased out. As I said, if you already have a Palm, it's easier for data stuff to stay within the platform, but if not, it ends up being which makes you happier. Go to Best Buy or CompUSA and test out a few, see which screens you like, etc.


Good luck
/tk

[GreenMonster]

I have the 6700 and its the greatest phone/pda combo ever.. Save your money and get this phone. I live in an EV-DO area and have gotten 700kbps+ downloads.. The keyboard works well and the only bad thing about it is the battery life, but an extra battey solves this as if one runs out you don't lose your data, its saved in ROM.

Best THING is that I only have to carry one thing, not a pda and a phone.. Plus with the 1 gig miniSD it makes a great mp3 and video player.. The slingbox client comes out soon, and I will have my cable TV anytime on my phone..

[oliegirl]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

the fact the treo doesn't have wifi pissed me off too, or that would be what i would have gotten. but since i just upgraded my phone in the past year i'm guessing i'll stick with seperate deveices. i've been looking and found some nice deals online and i may spring for one of those tomorrow after i go out and play with a couple models at best buy/circuit city.

I would highly recommend purchasing from Circuit City, I've read many horror stories about Best Buy and their return policy and customer service (or lack thereof)...when I returned my ppc to CC, they literally asked NO questions, just took it, got me a new one, printed the swap receipt and sent me on my way. I didn't even have to fill out any stupid forms or anything.

[DaddyTorgo]

the 6700 is gorgeous. it gave me nerd-wood. but it's way too expensive. sprint LOVES to shaft existing customers...i could get it for like 230-240 as a new user, but as an existing user it's like 500.

Really tk? That's too bad about tht T|C . Bummer. The T|X is possible I suppose. I never really got too "into" my Palm, as it was an older model and I never ended up finding a case I liked.

I don't anticipate doing much gaming on my PDA, it's more for PDA functions (calendar especially) and of course just some silly WiFi fun.

I plan on going out tomorrow and playing with a few things to see which I enjoy most. But I guess I'm thinking T|X (although those I think may be pricey, but i havn't REALLY checked the price on those) or a ipaq 4155 or 3715 or 3115.

thanks tk

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by oliegirl

I would highly recommend purchasing from Circuit City, I've read many horror stories about Best Buy and their return policy and customer service (or lack thereof)...when I returned my ppc to CC, they literally asked NO questions, just took it, got me a new one, printed the swap receipt and sent me on my way. I didn't even have to fill out any stupid forms or anything.

oh i don't intend to buy from BestBuy. I only go there to play with things. Honestly I probably won't buy from CC either...more bang for your buck online. But yes, CC is MUCH better than BB.

[GreenMonster]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

the 6700 is gorgeous. it gave me nerd-wood. but it's way too expensive. sprint LOVES to shaft existing customers...i could get it for like 230-240 as a new user, but as an existing user it's like 500.

Really tk? That's too bad about tht T|C . Bummer. The T|X is possible I suppose. I never really got too "into" my Palm, as it was an older model and I never ended up finding a case I liked.

I don't anticipate doing much gaming on my PDA, it's more for PDA functions (calendar especially) and of course just some silly WiFi fun.

I plan on going out tomorrow and playing with a few things to see which I enjoy most. But I guess I'm thinking T|X (although those I think may be pricey, but i havn't REALLY checked the price on those) or a ipaq 4155 or 3715 or 3115.

thanks tk

I know the price is very high.. for the extra $150 you will gain the following..

Unlimited EV-DO internet access for $15 a month, making WIFI almost pointless although it has that too..

Only having to carry 1 combo device instead of 2 devices..

400mhz processor with the ability to overclock to 624 is the fastest they have out now.. It won't be outdated soon, most are still catching up..

Windows Mobile 5 isn't as bad as others say, I love it..

Pocket Internet explorer is much better than any phone browser internet experience, you will be able to post at FOFC from your phone...

Try it for the 14 days at Sprint, and for all the things you are looking for you probably won't be returning it..

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

oh i don't intend to buy from BestBuy. I only go there to play with things. Honestly I probably won't buy from CC either...more bang for your buck online. But yes, CC is MUCH better than BB.

Same here. BB and CC are great to play with stuff, but if I want to buy them, I'm going online. It's usually cheaper, though it is pain in the ass to return stuff (yet they seem to take things back easier than BB does, for one).

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by GreenMonster

I know the price is very high.. for the extra $150 you will gain the following..

Unlimited EV-DO internet access for $15 a month, making WIFI almost pointless although it has that too..

Only having to carry 1 combo device instead of 2 devices..

400mhz processor with the ability to overclock to 624 is the fastest they have out now.. It won't be outdated soon, most are still catching up..

Windows Mobile 5 isn't as bad as others say, I love it..

Pocket Internet explorer is much better than any phone browser internet experience, you will be able to post at FOFC from your phone...

Try it for the 14 days at Sprint, and for all the things you are looking for you probably won't be returning it..

Oh I want the 6700. No question. But my existing Sprint phone is like...8 months old. And I dropped like $200 on that. I can't justify dropping another $500 to the bastards at Sprint who are all about shafting their existing customers in favor of luring new customers.

The 6700 does have all the features I could possibly want, that's true. Wait...I could get a 14 day trail of it? Wow...that might be cool/worthwhile.

But I really don't know if I can see myself shelling out $500 for something that has phone functionality when I just spent $200 on a phone 8 months ago...considering I could shell out $300 for a seperate PDA now.

Does that make sense?

[Desnudo]

My only advice is to make sure you get the belt holster when you buy it for quick draw access.