[Justin W. Williams]

Ok, gang. After two glorious years with my Handspring Deluxe Visor, its time to get a new PDA sometime soon. Here is what I want:

* Color
* 802.11b support so I can connect to the airport (i want it built-in, not an add-on card)
* Minimum 8mb memory
* Mac Compatible (well duh)

I understand PalmOS 5 is gonna have 802.11b support in it, but I dont really understand that. Don't people already have wireless add-ons for their pda's?

Thanks for the help, guys. You rock

[Sealobo]

Sounds like it would be something made by Apple

I seriously doubt if the PDA that you want will connect with Mac via Airport. I mean it's nothing impossible but it seems that BlueTooth is a more proper way to do it. I think this is one of the reasons why Apple has started implementnig the BT technology into the Mac.

[jclarkv]

DON'T look at the new Sharp Zaurus. I made that mistake at the local office supply store and walked out the door with a brand new one. $500, like a PocketPC device but no Microsoft! I liked the appearance and speed of the linux-based OS. It looked a lot like OS X to me. Yes, you're right, there's no software, but the same was true for MacOS X a year ago. It comes with Opera 5 built in and I ordered the 802.11b CF card ($107).

Like I said, DON"T go look at it. (http://www.sharp-usa.com/products/TypeLanding/0,1056,112,00.html)

I have a Kyocera SmartPhone (think Palm VII with a cell phone), but have been absolutely unispired by what Palm has done recently (like how long it took them to come out with a Palm Desktop for OS X). I was in the market for an iPaq, but was waiting for the conduits.

[Matsu]

What does anyone really NEED a PDA for?

Just keep using the handspring, it likely does everything you honest NEED, and even that isn't really anything that couldn't be done with a pen and paper agenda.

Originally posted by Matsu:
<STRONG>What does anyone really NEED a PDA for?</STRONG>

I need one that can do (or be):
� Mobile phone
� Email
� GPS
� Electronic Drawing pad
� Sinch via Airport
� Perhaps instant message
� Perhaps store data on removeable media
� Firewire port

[shatten22]

Get a Newton.

It:

can synch via Airport
can act as a drawing pad
can use handwriting recognition (still the best)
has a battery that lasts forever
was made by apple

it even synchs up to iTunes now.

Originally posted by shatten22:
<STRONG>Get a Newton.

It:

can synch via Airport
can act as a drawing pad
can use handwriting recognition (still the best)
has a battery that lasts forever
was made by apple

it even synchs up to iTunes now.


</STRONG>

Other than the Airport synching (awesome, I didn't know it could do that!) and the drawing pad, the Newton doesn't fit any of my criteria. From what I remember, It also doesn't fit in my pocket very well. Something pager-size would be great (and probably possible, not including the ports).

[robodweeb]

Originally posted by shatten22:
<STRONG>Get a Newton.
...
can synch via Airport</STRONG>

Can you point me to more info on this, eg a website? Is there a PDF viewer for NewtonOS?

I've been putting off buying a PDA for more than a year, in the hopes that Apple would surprise us, but it's getting harder to hold out. While I agree that Apple shouldn't compete directly with Palm/Handspring, I think Apple could make a truly superior and useful device that is an adjunct to a home-based G4 digital hub. I don't need to edit videos as I move around in life; I do need to be able to access information at home and use a mobile device to help me capture new information (from notes to audio recordings to still pictures) I collect as I do my life stuff (work, school, fun).

Nothing else seems to do what i need to do ... at least Newtons are relatively cheap on eBay. If I could connect via Airport to a TCP/IP network and I could read/annotate PDF files, I'd get a Newton.

[Justin W. Williams]

Originally posted by Matsu:
<STRONG>What does anyone really NEED a PDA for?

Just keep using the handspring, it likely does everything you honest NEED, and even that isn't really anything that couldn't be done with a pen and paper agenda.</STRONG>

I use my PDA for everything, but I hate pumping batteries into my Visor. I'd rather have a rechargeable one, but I don't want to get one w/o the features I REALLY want.

And the thing I dont like about bluetooth is that it isnt as far of a distance as 802.11b (at least i think thati s what i read).

[Walter J. Ferstl]

Hello robodweeb,

for wireless ethernet (802.11) and other very top-of-the-line capabilities on the Newton platform, check out this Slashdot article:

Slashdot | Long live The King of PDAs http://slashdot.org/apple/02/04/03/0....shtml?tid=100

This article also refers to MP3 on the Newt, collaboration with Mac OS X, up to 10 GB of internal storage, etc.

Amazing. Take that, iPaq, Jornada, ... :-)

Regards,

Walter.