PDA Shopping

Posted by: Dignan

PDA Shopping - 02/04/2005 02:32

I sold my P800 phone because I still think it'll be a while until there's a really PDA/phone conversion. So I have my SE T608 and I like it, but it is not feasible to surf the web on it. So now I'm looking for the PDA to go with it.

Here's what I'm looking for:
-Pocket PC (sorry, that's how I know I can connect with my phone)
-bluetooth a must, and I'd like wireless internet
-inexpensive, preferably less than $200
-not too bulky

Aside from that, it would be nice if it took compact flash, and I'd like it to come with the latest version of pocket Windows or whatever they call it, so I can view pages in landscape.

Any options?
Posted by: CrackersMcCheese

Re: PDA Shopping - 02/04/2005 11:36

Unsure what price it will be there in the US but I really really love my ipaq 4150. Its got wireless, BT, changable battery and its super slim and light. I highly recommend it - and for me to actually like a product it must be good! Of course they'll be other ipaqs that will do the job just as well for less money I'm sure.

But it doesn't take CF cards and I have no idea about the landscape thingy, sorry.
Posted by: andym

Re: PDA Shopping - 02/04/2005 12:18

I've got a Dell Axim x50 wireless. I got it for £248 although it looks like it's nearly £290 now. It's got CF and SD slots, bluetooth and wlan and an xscale running at 520MHz. Very happy with it, Tom Tom runs well on it.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: PDA Shopping - 02/04/2005 14:50

I'd love an Axim x50, but that and the iPaq are both almost twice what I'm willing to spend. It doesn't need to be the latest model, and I was also looking at the Axim x30, but that's still a little expensive.

If I were going all out, I'd get a Loox 720, but that's waaay too expensive

I don't need the latest and greatest, with 620MHz processors and VGA screens (though that would be nice). I just need something that'll browse the web and get email.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: PDA Shopping - 04/04/2005 02:45

Okay, I'm also looking at a different route. I'm also looking at getting a PDA with no wireless capabilities, then adding a CF Bluetooth card. That would let me go with a much cheaper PDA. I really don't need much past something to put appointments in and read email and browse the internet. Doesn't need to be fast. Doesn't need the latest and greatest. Just preferably small, under about $200, and has a CF slot.

That's one approach.
Posted by: mlord

Re: PDA Shopping - 04/04/2005 04:41

I got a Zire72, which is slightly overkill with a voice-memo gizmo and a useless 1mp camera. I think the Tungsten-E is similar, but without those, and costs around US$200 or less. BT built-in, with SD slot (instead of CF slot).

-ml
Posted by: CrackersMcCheese

Re: PDA Shopping - 04/04/2005 08:54

Wow I didn't realise how expensive the Pocket PCs are there in the US just now - maybe it just *seems* a lot due to the exchange rate at the moment.

Looking at Expansys it doesm't look like you've much chance in the PPC area but like mlord says, maybe a Palm?
Posted by: mlord

Re: PDA Shopping - 04/04/2005 11:43

My Palm Zire72 claims to know how to communicate with the Sony-E series models T610 and T68i, as well as "other" Sony-E.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: PDA Shopping - 04/04/2005 14:31

I have thought about Palm, but I've never liked the design of Palm devices before. I never could understand why they'd take up all that space with a permanent writing area instead of one you could bring up if you wanted to.

The thing is, I haven't seen a resource that has described the process to use the T608 as a modem with a Palm. There is a step-by-step out there for the PPC, but not Palm. If someone here knows how you would set up a modem over bluetooth with a Palm, I may consider one (without that permanent writing space). I don't mind going to the store to test it out. I did just that with the PPCs at the local CompUSA, and it worked like a charm. That, combined with the landscape mode on Windows Mobile 2003, made me more attracted to the PPCs than Palms.

But yeah, they're more expensive
Posted by: cushman

Re: PDA Shopping - 04/04/2005 14:50

Quote:
I have thought about Palm, but I've never liked the design of Palm devices before. I never could understand why they'd take up all that space with a permanent writing area instead of one you could bring up if you wanted to.

The Tungsten T3 and T5 both have a DIA (dynamic input area), as well as many Sony Clie devices and the Tapwave Zodiac.

Edit: Forgot to mention that all these devices also do landscape mode, the Tapwave is even natively landscape.

Quote:
The thing is, I haven't seen a resource that has described the process to use the T608 as a modem with a Palm. There is a step-by-step out there for the PPC, but not Palm. If someone here knows how you would set up a modem over bluetooth with a Palm, I may consider one (without that permanent writing space).

Here is one maybe not specifically for your phone, but there are other resources listed in this sticky post on brighthand.com (a good resource for either PPC or Palm PDA users).
Posted by: Dignan

Re: PDA Shopping - 04/04/2005 15:50

The thing is, I'm looking at two extremes. I'm either going to save up and go all out or go as cheap as possible. It looks like the T3s are around $260, which is a bit of cash over cheap

I didn't even know that the Tapwave was a Palm device, but the idea doesn't appeal to me. At the very least, it's a disappointment that the display units in CompUSAs aren't even set up for a real demo.

So that's about it. I'm looking at spending $100 to $200 very soon, or $450 in a while. If I went the expensive route I'm not even sure what I'd get. I keep flipping between the Dell X50v or the Loox 720, but I'd probably end up with the Dell because of the company discount.

Thanks for your help, guys. I don't think that PDAs are very cheap at the moment, so that makes this a little tough, but I appreciate the suggestions.
Posted by: cmtempeg

Re: PDA Shopping - 05/04/2005 16:50

Hmm, I happen to have two PDAs sitting around that I don't use.

1) Dell Axim X5
- Has CF and SD slots
- I have both bluetooth and Wifi cards. Also have a GPS card.

2) Ipaq 4150
- Has SD slot
- Built in Wifi and BT
- More than $200

I agree with Phillip; the 4150 is a really nice PDA. In my opinion, the X5 is sorta clunky... it just doesn't feel as nice as the ipaq.

Let me know if you want more details.