[Apple_John]

I am going to buy my first PDA and in very tight budget. Thinking to get a Palm w/ MMC slot (m125?), which one(s) I should consider and work well w/ OSX?

For now, it will just a replacement for pen and paper. Later, I might want to hook up with GPS (possible?? ).

ps. I do not need it to play music or cell phone, just a good reliable, durable and stable PDA should do the work for now.

[SupahCoolX]

Any PDA by Palm or Handspring will work fine with OSX. Sony's have some issues, and don't even try to sync a PocketPC with your Mac.

Basically, look at the price point and see which has the features you want most (like wireless internet vs color screen, etc).
For future expandability, you may want to get a Handspring. They have modules for the Springboard slots for GPS, MP3, cell phone, memory upgrades, and much more. Check <a href="http://www.palmgear.com" target="_blank">www.palmgear.com</a> for a list of modules.

You'll be fine with a Palm or Handspring. They're both reliable brands that work well with the Mac. Just find a price and see which model fits your needs best. Note, however, that I would shy away from Palm's m100/105/125 units because their screens are even smaller than normal Palm-based PDAs. This would be fine if they made the whole unit smaller, but they're about the same size as all the others on the market, so I see the smaller screen as a drawback with no good tradeoff benefit.

<small>[ 07-11-2002, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: SupahCoolX ]</small>

Handspring's springboard modules are on the way out, as is the Visor series. Handspring doesn't promise OS X compatibility either.

When you say a very tight budget, just how tight do you mean? Used Vx models are cheap now, as is the GPS unit for them. The only problem there is that you need a USB/serial converter which'll cost you between $30 and $40.

Don't forget that you're eventually going to want to purchase some of the shareware you'll try out on it.

[rambo47]

I'd say the Palm V series is the way to go. Nice size, lots of apps, and good price. The Palm organizers do only a couple of simple things but do them well. Calendar, Address Book, Notes, ToDo List. Ease of use is a huge point in favor of the Palm. I'd skip the color screen units. For color, the PocketPC organizers are the kings. But with a Mac you will have a devil of a time syncing and downloading apps.

I love my Palm Vx for all the reasons above, plus the extra memory over the base models. Try to buy a more advanced PDA than you initially need, that way you can grow into it. Nothing more frustrating than runing up against the storage limit of your handheld when you're trying to have some one beam you a cool new game.

As for the Palm M-125, it has no infrared for beaming. Major drawback.

[klinux]

No no no, the only Palm OS handheld I will consider is one made by Sony. Why consider anything else? Then again, my PDA is a MS PocketPC.

[NDBounce]

My recommendation is the M125 if you want/need the expansion slot.

I have a GPS on a Visor...I do not recommend that at all. For about the same price you can get a GPS unit, with a much better display. I think the GPS's almost need a high res display, my experience is that the screen on a Palm/visor is too limited to make the GPS useful.

If you don't anticipate using the expansion slot, a Palm Vx might be the way to go. But there is the issue of getting a cradle for it. My experience has been the smaller the better when it comes to PDA's. My experiece is realisticly if you are just using it as an address/calander, etc, you won't have to worry about space. 8mb should be planty. I have a model with the expansion slot mainly b/c there are a few palm paks that I wanted (including the atlas) b/c I travel and am as good with directions as the MS Office Assistant is at being helpful.

Anyway, decide on your budget & needs, and make the decision.