A handheld for a newcomer : asking your advice

Archived from groups: comp.sys.palmtops.pilot (More info?)

Eudes Malcor wrote:
>
> Hi mates,
>
> I'm planning to buy a handheld, but I don't really know what's the
> best one, the best price, the bests features, etc.
>
> Do you have some informations about your devices ? What if you could
> buy one now : would you take the same, another one ? Mine would be
> merely for personnal use, but if it proves its usefulness, it probably
> would come softly into my professional life...

Way too general of a question... Like asking "What's the best car?"

What are your needs? Game playing? Document editing? Just a phonebook
or calendar?

How about price limit? Are you willing to spend $100 or $1000?

Etc., etc., etc.

Notan

Archived from groups: comp.sys.palmtops.pilot (More info?)

Thanks a lot to you, Bob, I'll study this and answer all of this
questions. 1000x thanks !

Eudes

Bob Harris <harris@zk3.dec.com> wrote in message news:<harris-02FEA7.21464628062004@cacnews.cac.cpqcorp.net>...
> In article <7fd0a11c.0406280638.4e4eb155@posting.google.com>,
> eudes_malcor@stalag13.com (Eudes Malcor) wrote:
>
> > Hi mates,
> >
> > I'm planning to buy a handheld, but I don't really know what's the
> > best one, the best price, the bests features, etc.
> >
> > Do you have some informations about your devices ? What if you could
> > buy one now : would you take the same, another one ? Mine would be
> > merely for personnal use, but if it proves its usefulness, it probably
> > would come softly into my professional life...
> >
> > Thx in advance.
> >
> > Eudes
>
> I suggest you wonder over to 1src.com and read some of the forums for
> the different models of Palm OS based PDAs.
>
> Me, I started my PDA life with a Handspring Visor Edge (2.5 years), and
> currently I have a Sony CLIE TH55 (I expect to have it for at least 2 to
> 3 years).
>
> If you really really do not know what you want from a PDA, you might get
> a throw way PDA. That is to say, an inexpensive PDA, like the Zire 21
> and plan on replacing it within a year after you have learned that you
> want to do more than it can do, but now you have an idea of what you
> really nead.
>
> Do some homework (at 1src.com) and then buy a more advanced PDA that
> will do what your research says you will be happy with.
>
> Do you want WiFi? The PalmOne Tungsten C, the Sony TH55 and UX50.
> Do you want Bluetooth? Several of the PalmOne Tungsten models, and
> several of the Sony models have Bluetooth.
> Do you want a cell phone, then maybe the PalmOne Treo 600.
>
> Do you want to try and use it as an MP3 player? Then you want to be
> able to accept very large memory cards?
>
> Do you want to take pictures? Zire 71, 72, Sony UX40, UX50, TH55, Treo
> 600. Do you want to be able to take short videos?
>
> Do you want to display pictures (family for example)?
>
> Do you want a voice recorder?
>
> Do you want vibrating alarm?
>
> Do you want to play games?
>
> Will you use it a lot or just a few minutes a day? battery life comes
> into play here. Web surf'in, ebook reading, MP3 playing, game playing
> will keep the PDA on for long periods of time, so a longer battery life
> is an advantage. If you are just going to use it as an address book and
> a calendar to remind you of events then a few minutes a day is most
> likely your normal use and any battery life would be OK. NOTE: If you
> get into using a PDA, then you will use it more than just a few minutes
> a day.
>
> Do you intend to carry it with you all the time. This will affect how
> you use it and integrate it into your life. If you want to carry it
> with you all the time and keep in on your person, then size will matter.
> If it is too big and heavy, then it will be more difficult to keep it
> with you. If you have it with you, then using the alarms to do more
> than just tell you that you have to go to a meeting will be possible.
> Like reminders to do things when you get home at night. Like long term
> reminders, like car inspections, or birthdays, holidays, 6 month dentist
> appointments. You can use it as a wake up alarm.
>
> Will you want to keep passwords and other sensitive information on it
> (get an encryption application; there are a lot of them available).
>
> Do you want to read on it?
>
> Do you want to use it for office documents, Word, Excel (Docs To Go).
>
> Do you want to read PDF files on it (Adobe Acrobat reader for Palm).
>
> Do you want to read web pages off-line (Plucker, iSilo, Avantgo,
> MobiReader).
>
> Again, I strongly suggest you go to 1src.com and search the forums to
> see what other people are doing with their PDAs and what features are
> available for the different PDA models.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Bob Harris