[egghead]

Hi,

I've been needing to get a handheld to take on trips when a laptop is too big and bulky. The main issue is to have something that is WiFi capable.

I was considering getting the T5 + WiFi card from Palm. I looked at one at the store, and the screen seems awfully dim to me. I'm also worried about losing the WiFi card, as it is external and has to be stored separately when it's not in use.

The other options are the old Tungsten C (built in WiFi) but it's old and bulky and quite expensive compared to the T5 combo, or something running Pocket PC (iPAQ or Dell) and use the Missing Sync workaround for connectivity with my Mac at home. Has any body tried to do this?

Any comments would be welcome.

Thanks,

Nike

[southtdi]

I used the Pocket PC for quite a while using PocketMac. Version 4 fixed most of the issues that were a major problem in the past. Never really had any problem with it other than being a little flaky sometimes with the information it synced. It would sometimes make duplucates. Later updates solved this more and more.

[JHromadka]

What are you going to be using the device for? I'm partial to Palm devices, but depending on your needs, a PPC may be a better choice. I think the T5 would be a better value for a Palm device. Did you adjust its brightness up when you were in the store?

[galarneau]

If you're looking for WiFi, PPC devices are a better deal than Palm's.

I would prefer to have a Palm, however, as bluetooth connections to a bluetooth cell phone is all the connectivity I need.

You mentioned wanting to use the handheld when taking a laptop is too big and bulky. What exactly do you want the handheld to do? Replace the laptop? For what purpose? If you're honest and realistic with yourself as to what you are going to actually do with the handheld, picking a model is pretty straightforward.

IMHO, using a handheld to replace a laptop is an exercise in futility. At best you can check your email and look at some simple web pages.

[ajprice]

Depends on how long you can wait around before getting one, but there is a Wifi Palm with a hard drive on the way, called Life Drive or Tungsten X, depending where you look.



Bluetooth, Wifi, 4Gb Drive, 64Mb RAM, 320x480 screen, 416 MHz Intel XScale. $499

It is apparently as thick as 2 T5's though ("Is that a lifedrive in your pocket or...")

[Paco500]

I had tungsten c for a while, and after the novelty of the WiFi and keyboard wore off, it became a bit of a disappointment. I find it to be too big and too limited in functionality. Add to that that they haven't updated it in ~2 years, it's not a great product.

I prefer almost everything about Palm to PocketPC, and I love my Treo, but if you are looking for something approximating a laptop replacement, I really think you are better off with a PcoketPC. They can be flakey and downright frustrating, but they are much more of a "hand-held computer" as opposed to a PDA, where Palm excels.

[midwinter]

I second that. I have an iPaq 1945 and a wireless keyboard and it really does work well as a laptop replacement for light duty (word processing and email). The only problem with it on the Mac end is syncing, since you have to lay out $$ for pocketmac or the missing sync.

With that said, my wife's T5 is sweeeeet, and I'm thinking of replacing my ipaq with a T5 simply because the Mac integration is superior.

Wifi on a handheld still leaves a lot to be desired, and those cards EAT battery life.

[driven]

I've got a Treo 650 if you want the cell phone also. It's not much more than the T5. I'm thrilled with it.

Keep in mind though ... no WiFi ... there are hacks for a WiFi card, but they are not officially supported. It does have cellular connectivity though and with Sprint it's $15 for unlimited data.

[zolagol]

just got my treo 650....phone, calendar, web, email, cam, video, and mp3 player....all in ONE!....

awesome.....just awesome....!!!

[driven]

Congratulations!

Which carrier did you go with? Sprint? Verizon? Cingular?

[Simon]

I love my Treo 600. I'd never pay it's suggested list price (as a phone it's just standard, as a Palm it's not more than a Tungsten E, and the camera sucks beyond imagination), but I got a barely used one on ebay for about a third of the original price. Great deal, great gadget.

[zolagol]

to expect to use the camera on any phone as a digital cam is not very practical...i don't even use my treo cam as my secondary...it's my "silly fun spur of the moment picture taker"......

driven, my carrier is Rogers Wireless....

[driven]

The camera on the Treo 650 is light years ahead of the one on the 600. It takes pretty nice pictures considering it's a camera phone.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Get the life drive that comes out tomorrow.

[outsourced]

PocketPC. It has handwriting recognition so you don't have to learn how to write all over again.

I had a Palm once -- it just sat in the drawer. And it was mainly because of Graffiti.

Of course, I keep comparing these devices to the Newton MessagePad -- today nothing even comes close.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by outsourced

PocketPC. It has handwriting recognition so you don't have to learn how to write all over again.

Ya and we all know how well that works.

[outsourced]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

Ya and we all know how well that works.

Well, at least it's available. But, then again, keyboard is probably the best input method anyway -- at least until voice recognition is available.

[Maneki Neko]

I've never had good luck at all syncing a PocketPC with my Mac. I've tried both MissingSync and PocketMac, each sucked in it's own unique way.

ActiveSync is hands down, the WORST sync architecture I've ever worked with.

[driven]

ActiveSync sucks equally bad on the PC platform. :-)