Boy, they just keep making cool gadgets that I feel compelled to by. Given the incident, I have found myself without a PDA for at least a fortnight, a situation which I do not enjoy. Now, mind you I have more often than not been in this very situation but I find that I am actually moderately more productive with a small peice of technology telling me what to do and where to do it.
I also like to foster convergence in all things that I do. I was one of the first people to own a Sidekick, and I liked the hell out of it, however it couldn’t sync with my desktop, and that made me sad.
My Tungsten C was great, it had WiFi, it synced (sanc?) with my Outlook account at work. The only draw backs were that I couldn’t actually check my Exchange account on it without spending money for some 3rd party products, and it wasn’t a phone. Plus, I broke it.
Now I am thinking about getting either whatever Palmone introduces after the Treo 600, or the newly announced HP iPAQ Pocket PC h6315.
Let’s list the pros and cons of each.
First the Treo 6xx (remember this is a fictional device, I am not considering the Treo 600, which is available now):
Pros:
- Uses the uncluttered Palm OS
- Great Design
- I am familiar with Palm products
- Software for the Mac
- Not run by Microsoft software
- Good size that packs a punch
- Integrated Keyboard
Cons:
- Doesn’t sync with Exchange natively
- Doesn’t Exist yet
- Might not have Bluetooth and WiFi
- No free terminal client for Windows Machines
OK, and now the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h6315:
Pros:
- It exists, or will on Aug. 26th
- Complete Exchange Intergration
- Bluetooth, WiFi, and GSM/GPRS, this thing is connected (and it can be connected to all three at the same time)
- Terminal Client
- Give me a chance to learn the Pocket PC
- User Replaceable Battery
- Has a little camera for taking pictures of random crap
Cons:
- Microsoft® Windows® Mobile™ 2003 for Pocket PC – Phone Edition
- Looks a little bulky
- No Mac software
It is a tough choice. I am going to wait until I see the HP in person before I decide, and by that time PalmOne may announce a new Treo that will have me drooling more than the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h6315 has.
4 responses to “PocketPalm?”
My Verizon contract is up in October, so I am thinking along the same lines as you. Please post what your decision is. I am waiting with bated breath for the Treo 610. The HP looks bulky to me, too – like my old Kyocera Smartphone.
The other issue I had with the Smartphone was that it was difficult to use the PDA while I was on the phone. The headsets back then weren’t as good as today’s, so it was really limiting.
Well if I got the iPAQ, which I am leaning to, I would also get a Bluetooth headset, so I can look like a complete geek.
That way I would have both hands free to do whatever I want on the PDA, or anywhere else for that matter.
Good Grief! One of the longest Blankbaby posts in recent history is all about whether or not to buy a product that doesn’t exist yet. I’m curious, Scott–do you own any electronic device that doesn’t begin with a lower-case “i?”
Mithras–aren’t you a lawyer? If you’re billing me for a phone conversation, you damn well better be giving me your full attention and not playing around on a PDA 😉
Here’s a recommendation. There’s this great thing called a Franklin Planner. It has no blue teeth and doesn’t sync with Outlook, but you can sit on it, step on it, throw it against the wall, and leave it out in the open without fear of someone stealing it. It even has a little ruler in case you want to measure something.
Well my Powerbook doesn’t even have an ‘i’ in it.
Franklin Planner? I know you are from Amish land, but the rest of us are in the 21st century! I need a planner that I can break very easily, and that has to be plugged in.