[tycheung]

so, am thinking of getting a new PDA. My old one seems to have sprouted wings.

Was looking at the latest offerings by Sony and Palm...looks like Sony is going out of the PDA business.

My main question is, though - there are models that offer Bluetooth and models that offer 802.11b - both advertised as being able to connect to the Internet with given hotspots...my question is - which one is better, i.e. more useful/versatile? From what I know, I'm guessing there are way more 802.11b IP hotspots than Bluetooth (Bluetooth IP? never heard of it till now). Am i correct in this, or are Bluetooth IP access points more prevalent that I thought? I'm thinking a model with 802.11b would be much more useful in terms of email-checking/web surfing capability. i could care less about wireless syncing and all that.

Also - are any of these worth it or should I forget about the Clies and Tungstens and just pick up a Treo smartphone?

any insight welcome,

thanks,

Tyler

[veryniceguy2002]

Originally posted by tycheung:
so, am thinking of getting a new PDA. My old one seems to have sprouted wings.

Was looking at the latest offerings by Sony and Palm...looks like Sony is going out of the PDA business.

My main question is, though - there are models that offer Bluetooth and models that offer 802.11b - both advertised as being able to connect to the Internet with given hotspots...my question is - which one is better, i.e. more useful/versatile? From what I know, I'm guessing there are way more 802.11b IP hotspots than Bluetooth (Bluetooth IP? never heard of it till now). Am i correct in this, or are Bluetooth IP access points more prevalent that I thought? I'm thinking a model with 802.11b would be much more useful in terms of email-checking/web surfing capability. i could care less about wireless syncing and all that.

Also - are any of these worth it or should I forget about the Clies and Tungstens and just pick up a Treo smartphone?

any insight welcome,

thanks,

Tyler

Haven't heard of internet hotspot using Bluetooth before (Bluetooth only has range of 10 metres or 100 metres). There's more 802.11 access nowadays (at least in western countries).

The question is, how often are you going to use to surf the web, and are you using it in the public or around your house?

The good news is, you can get something like Tungsten W (with 802.11b built-in) and buy a Bluetooth SD card to get Bluetooth, or get a Tungsten T3 (with Bluetooth built-in), and get a Wi-Fi SD card (available in September). Best of both worlds?!?!

Not sure if you would be happy using Treo smartphone to surf the web... it may be more expensive use the mobile/cellular network to surf the net than 802.11.

[f1000]

Originally posted by tycheung:
My main question is, though - there are models that offer Bluetooth and models that offer 802.11b - both advertised as being able to connect to the Internet with given hotspots...my question is - which one is better, i.e. more useful/versatile? From what I know, I'm guessing there are way more 802.11b IP hotspots than Bluetooth (Bluetooth IP? never heard of it till now). Am i correct in this, or are Bluetooth IP access points more prevalent that I thought? I'm thinking a model with 802.11b would be much more useful in terms of email-checking/web surfing capability. i could care less about wireless syncing and all that.

As a former Tungsten C owner, I can tell you that the novelty of Wi-Fi browsing on a mini-screen soon wears off. Reading tiny text and navigating mangled webpages gets to be cumbersome.

Get a BT cell phone that you can use as a GSM GPRS modem, instead.

[f1000]

Originally posted by veryniceguy2002:
The good news is, you can get something like Tungsten W (with 802.11b built-in) and buy a Bluetooth SD card to get Bluetooth.

Don't you mean Tungsten C? Also, I thought the BT SD card didn't work with OS 5 devices?

Originally posted by veryniceguy2002:
or get a Tungsten T3 (with Bluetooth built-in), and get a Wi-Fi SD card (available in September). Best of both worlds?!?!

I'd be surprised if the Wi-Fi card ever made it to market. It's been vaporware forever.

[tycheung]

actually, it's more about checking email than browsing...the main thing i'd use it for is for the handheld reference stuff (mostly medical/healthcare) and the PIM apps.


the other thing is...around Boston, there are a bunch of free 802.11 spots, which might make things a bit more useful.

looking through the offerings, i kind of like the tungsten t3 the best...but it's bluetooth, not 802.11. don't know anything about the treo, but the ability to carry just one gadget instead of 2 is appealing.


my cell phone i've had for a while - It's a nokia something or other - forget what it's called but it's that GSM phone that Claire Danes uses in Terminator 3...it's getting a tad beaten up but still more or less works. got it for phree as long as i ponied up the $10 to switch my plan to GSM a couple years back which wasn't bad...was going to wait until the holiday season to see what nifty deals would pop up as that's when my 2 yr plan or whatever expires.

[f1000]

Ah, looks like there is a Wi-Fi SD card solution,

http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=7053

How could I have doubted a veryniceguy?

[tycheung]

it seems like it sucks batteries like no tomorrow, though...

[veryniceguy2002]

Originally posted by f1000:
Don't you mean Tungsten C? Also, I thought the BT SD card didn't work with OS 5 devices?

Yes, I do mean Tungsten C Too many Tunsten models nowadays
f1000 may be right whether the Bluetooth SD card can work on Palm OS 5... I thought that I saw a third-party Bluetooth card that works?!?! Need to do a bit more research on that.

Originally posted by f1000:
I'd be surprised if the Wi-Fi card ever made it to market. It's been vaporware forever.

It's available next month (September) from PalmOne:

http://www.palmone.com/us/products/a...s/P10952U.html

[Link]

802.11 is the way to go for internet. Bluetooth is only good for syncing. IF that.

Given the fact it makes a horrible mousing interface I can't say much good about bluetooth