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BasketofPuppies · Apr 9, 2007, 05:00 PM

Dell stops selling Axim handheld | CNET News.com

Yeah, they were declared years ago when 1) everyone realized that they sounded like good ideas but nobody ended up using them and 2) mobile phones started doing everything PDAs did, but you could still buy a PDA. With Dell dropping out--who was buying these things?--you're pretty much limited to Palm, and for years Palm has been pushing its Treo line far more than its phone-less devices.

analogue SPRINKLES · Apr 9, 2007, 05:52 PM

Ya when was the last time Palm came out with a non-treo PDA?

All I can remember is the life drive 2 years ago.

mac128k-1984 · Apr 9, 2007, 06:12 PM

I don't want to say its old news but there's been a rumor about dell giving up on the PDA now for almost a year. I can understand why, my company got me a blackberry and it does more then what my Axim did.

Even Palm is hurting and may sell to motorola or another firm who's interested in getting the treo line.

olePigeon · Apr 9, 2007, 09:51 PM

Maybe it's because 3 of the 5 Axims we bought broke. That's just my theory.

BRussell · Apr 9, 2007, 09:58 PM

I'll take an iPod "PDA" if it's a phone-less iPhone.

red rocket · Apr 10, 2007, 05:55 AM

Stupid smartphones, the elite will always use PDAs.

Last time I went out with my Newton, people in the supermarket were giving me all kinds of curious looks. Jealous, I bet. Jealous and scared. Nobody's going to phone me up to interrupt my workflow, losers! Ha ha!

Aron Peterson · Apr 10, 2007, 06:22 AM

The Palm Vx was damn good though for what it did. Most importantly it didn't try to do too much and that's why it was so popular. Web browsing on a PDA is plain time consuming even on an iPhone. Scroll, scroll, scroll, squint, scroll, squint, select hyperlink. No thanks.

DigitalEl · Apr 10, 2007, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson

Web browsing on a PDA is plain time consuming even on an iPhone. Scroll, scroll, scroll, squint, scroll, squint, select hyperlink. No thanks.

Agreed. that's the least-interesting aspect of the iPhone to me. I guess I'll have to see to believe that you can have a useful web experience on a +/- 4-inch screen.

mac128k-1984 · Apr 10, 2007, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson

. Web browsing on a PDA is plain time consuming even on an iPhone. Scroll, scroll, scroll, squint, scroll, squint, select hyperlink. No thanks.

I agree, My phone and my blackberry can surf the net, but the question is why??? The screen is too small, navigation is difficult and the web browsers are too limiting.

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson

.The Palm Vx was damn good though for what it did. Most importantly it didn't try to do too much and that's why it was so popular.

But that simplicity or zen as the palm folks like to call it, also spelled its doom. Other devices that did more and looked more polished started eating into their marketshare. Once smartphones matured the big question there was, why carry a pda to hold my contacts, phone numbers appointments when my phone can do the exact same thing and it has a (mini) keyboard to boot (at least some of the models).

Aron Peterson · Apr 10, 2007, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by mac128k-1984

But that simplicity or zen as the palm folks like to call it, also spelled its doom. Other devices that did more and looked more polished started eating into their marketshare. Once smartphones matured the big question there was, why carry a pda to hold my contacts, phone numbers appointments when my phone can do the exact same thing and it has a (mini) keyboard to boot (at least some of the models).

Yeah, it was the phone that killed the Palm. The Treo was just too ugly to carry on the success that the Vx had. All Palm had to do was keep the Vx exactly as it was, add slim phone circuitry inside and include a hands free kit. Palm would have had an iPhone quality device out long before now if they kept things simple. LifeDrive? How stupid was that?

Dakar² · Apr 10, 2007, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by BRussell

I'll take an iPod "PDA" if it's a phone-less iPhone.

I'll take that left over PDA less iPhone off your hands.

MaxGuru · Apr 10, 2007, 08:15 AM

In healthcare, many nurses and physicians use PDAs as handheld computers. They are great for quick retrieval of reference information. I think there is still a market for a handheld computer but with margins so thin on hardware it is hard to make it profitable.

While business people can move to a smartphone and not lose functionality, a smartphone is overkill for those who don't need a phone. Smartphones aren't as convenient or easy to carry (in their current Treo-type form). Every time I turn on my Tungsten that interface just screams 1999.

My hope is someone will create a backwards-compatible device that will have the coolness of the iPhone interface with the functionality to develop and install specialized software optimized for handheld use.

mitchell_pgh · Apr 10, 2007, 08:36 AM

When the PDA was king in 1999, laptops were still very expensive at that time. With the price of laptops now easily surpassing the sub $1000 price, there is a constant "well, for $XXX more, I could get a laptop!!" barrier.

Also, the PDA (as it always has been IMHO) is nerdy. A laptop isn't.

Dakar² · Apr 10, 2007, 08:37 AM

Tablet PC is the new nerdy?

Person Man · Apr 10, 2007, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

When the PDA was king in 1999, laptops were still very expensive at that time. With the price of laptops now easily surpassing the sub $1000 price, there is a constant "well, for $XXX more, I could get a laptop!!" barrier.

I am NOT going to carry around a laptop in my office or in the hospital. The reason I carry a PDA is for quick access to information when I need it, and it fits in my pocket.

Aron Peterson · Apr 10, 2007, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Person Man

I am NOT going to carry around a laptop in my office or in the hospital. The reason I carry a PDA is for quick access to information when I need it, and it fits in my pocket.

The best device for quick information I keep in my pocket has unbeatable lightness and never runs out of power - paper notes

Person Man · Apr 10, 2007, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson

The best device for quick information I keep in my pocket has unbeatable lightness and never runs out of power - paper notes

ha ha. I use paper notes as well, but they're not quickly searchable like electronic records are.

shifuimam · Apr 10, 2007, 09:49 AM

I really like my Axim X51, aside from two things:

(a)When I boot my computer into Linux, if the the Axim is connected, it freezes
and
(b)My stupid employer uses Lotus Notes but won't certify and license the third-party software necessary to sync with it.

However, when I was still in school (and working for said school), we used Exchange and I used Outlook to manage my class assignments, and it was great.

Plus I can play Text Twist on it.

analogue SPRINKLES · Apr 10, 2007, 10:09 AM

I've seen the treo's and they are so fat and clunky I can't understand what anybody likes about them.

Aron Peterson · Apr 10, 2007, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Person Man

ha ha. I use paper notes as well, but they're not quickly searchable like electronic records are.

They are! Business related notes in back left pocket. Personal notes in back right pocket. To-do list in wallet with cash. Girl's telephone numbers in the trash when they're not looking

peeb · Apr 10, 2007, 11:07 AM

Data entry on the run is still a good use for pdas.

analogue SPRINKLES · Apr 10, 2007, 11:46 AM

I knew Palm and PDA's were in major trouble when the much talked about Palm OS6 that was due 5 years ago never saw the light of day. To make matters worse Palm even started using Windows OS and sold the Palm OS to an asian company.

Apparently they are working on a Linux OS but I don't think it will make PDA's any more useful.

Palm prepping its own Linux-based OS - Engadget

In a few years PDA's will have a very very specific and small niche for data entry/lookup without cellular capabilities.

By that time all smartphones will look something like the iPhone and be a PDA without people ever thinking of them as PDAs or marketing them as such.

moonmonkey · Apr 11, 2007, 06:38 PM

HP's current PDA's are very good, but it took a long time for that to happen.

lpkmckenna · Apr 11, 2007, 06:45 PM

I'm still using my Palm Tungsten T5 as an ebook reader. Frankly, I can't live without it. Maybe the iPhone will be a capable ebook reader. We'll see.

Aron Peterson · Apr 11, 2007, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

I'm still using my Palm Tungsten T5 as an ebook reader. Frankly, I can't live without it. Maybe the iPhone will be a capable ebook reader. We'll see.

Do you mean for .lit files?

nonhuman · Apr 11, 2007, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by BRussell

I'll take an iPod "PDA" if it's a phone-less iPhone.

I'd take an iPhone if it was an iPod-less smartphone.

All I really want is a smartphone that will easily sync my contacts and calendars with my Mac, allow me to easily edit and add new things to them with the phone, make calls, have internet connectivity and a good, plain-old IMAP client, have bluetooth, and maybe the ability to run third party programs (Like SSH. An internet connected device that runs SSH would let me pretty much do my job from anywhere as I could just SSH into my server and code in Emacs if I needed to. VNC/ARD would also rock.). A Blackberry would do most of what I want, but I've used them and don't really like the interface. A Windows Mobile device would do it all, but I don't want to have to use Windows. An iPhone would be perfect (assuming the touch screen keyboard thing works well), but I have no need or desire for the iPod capabilities, and I don't want to use Cingular (though I'm considering the possibility of getting one through work).

lpkmckenna · Apr 11, 2007, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson

Do you mean for .lit files?

I avoid .lit files. I usually convert .txt to .pdb with PorDiBle. Then I read them with eBook Reader. Or I'll just read the html with the browser.