Looking to buy a PDA need some suggestions

[mashinhead]

I wanted to buy a pda, that works well with MAC. So far i've only been looking at palms, (the zire 72 is the top choice) because i don't know if using sony or hp, will cause me problems with a mac.

I like everything about the zire 72, except using the stylus to right in that little box letter by letter.

Basically what kind of pdas do ppl on this forum use and how do you like them.

also i know the tungsten t5 is coming out next week, anyone have and clue on the features of that. is it better to wait. Any pda help or experiences would be appreciated.

thanks

 

[Eevee]

I have a Tunsten E and it's working well with my Mac. Heard from others that Tunstens are better than Zires, but again advices from co-workers.

All Palm PDAs should work well with Mac. Unless I am wrong, PDA (or Pocket PCs) from Hp and Sony do not work with Mac since they use Windows operating system (someone correct me if I am wrong).

 

[KingSleaze]

I have a Tunsten E and it's working well with my Mac. Heard from others that Tunstens are better than Zires, but again advices from co-workers.

All Palm PDAs should work well with Mac. Unless I am wrong, PDA (or Pocket PCs) from Hp and Sony do not work with Mac since they use Windows operating system (someone correct me if I am wrong).

I have a Tungsten C, works fine with my Mac, even when I got it before upgrading to OS X (small print on box, unseen at the Apple Store)
Sony does make some PDAs that use the Palm OS.

 

[joshua_msu]

I have a Tungsten C, works fine with my Mac, even when I got it before upgrading to OS X (small print on box, unseen at the Apple Store)
Sony does make some PDAs that use the Palm OS.

All of Sony's PDA's use the Palm OS. However, they are getting out of the PDA business last I heard, so you wont be seeing too many more models from them, or much support for them in the future. Also, most newer PDA's with Windows will work with OSX.

 

[joshua_msu]

In reply to the original post, I prefer the Palm T3, but the T5 should be an improvement. It all depends on what your intended uses are. There are probably more programs overall for a Palm, but that is changing. If you are going to be big into media usage on your PDA, the Windows version cant be beat. I would look into anything Palm (the company) for a Palm OS PDA, or HP for a Windows PDA. Good luck.

 

[ocellnuri]

Oh! I thread I can reply to! PDAs have been a hobby for me for about 4 years now... I guess that's something to be proud of or embarrassed about... not sure.

I currently have a Sony Clie NX80V that syncs awesomely with my Powerbook. Many people will tell you, including Sony itself, that to get a Sony PDA to sync with a Mac, you need The Missing Sync: a $40 application. This isn't completely true. All basic conduits can be synced using the Palm Desktop software. However, to be able to mount the memory card as a drive, you will need The Missing Sync. I accomplish this with a $20 Lexar JumpDrive Trio, which is like a thumb drive without any built in memory, that accepts MemoryStick, SD, and MMC cards.

I am personally probably going to grab a T5 when it comes out. I'm looking forward to having Bluetooth connectivity between my Powerbook and my Palm. However, it should be noted that the T5 will be a PalmOS6 device. This is significant because with the release of OS6 PalmSource (The company that makes the Palm operating system) is discontinuing official support for OSX. This does not mean that handhelds will not work with OSX, though it does mean that The Missing Sync will be required. The company behind The Missing Sync has been working on a new OS6 version and should have it out when the T5 launches. Personally, I'm optimistic that PalmOne (The Palm hardware company) will work out a license agreement with the makers of The Missing Sync, and the app will be bundled with all PalmOS6 handhelds released by PalmOne. I'm not basing this on any source, this is purely my personal speculation.


So I'd say the handhelds you want to look at are the Zire 72, Sony TH55, Tungsten T3, and the Tungsten T5. I'm throwing the TH55 in there because it's an awesome handheld that can be had pretty cheap now, with a built in camera, 320x480 screen, and awesome form factor. The only downside I see is that it doesn't have Bluetooth.

If you get a Zire72/T3 now, it will support OSX out of the box. If you wait for the T5 you will get much better hardware but may have to pay $40 for software to get it to sync up with the Mac.

 

[Jimong5]

I have a zire 71, and if i get annoyed by grafitti, I usually bring up the on screen keyboard. I like the 71 for a camera and datebook. oh, and solitare.

 

[dross]

I have a Treo 600 and it is by far my favorit PDA. I love the fact I only have one device and do not look like Batman with a utility belt. I use it to get my mail as well as all the Palm OS Stuff.

 

[zelmo]

I currently have a Palm Tungsten T3, which I love. Graffiti is actually pretty intuitive once you get the hang. I catch myself writing like that sometimes, and have to correct myself. The T3 syncs flawlessly via cradle or BT with my Macs. I have used Palm HotSync, iSync, and even MS Entourage as my conduit, and they all work fine without any additional s/w. The voice recorder is pretty handy to have (never thought I'd use it), and even mp3's sound good with decent 'phones. Highly recommend.

Don't know much about the T5, but you can't go wrong with the T3.

 

[zelmo]

I have a Treo 600 and it is by far my favorit PDA. I love the fact I only have one device and do not look like Batman with a utility belt. I use it to get my mail as well as all the Palm OS Stuff.

The Treo 600 seemed kind of unwieldly to me, although I sure hear what you say about a utility belt. T3, cell phone, iPod, Gameboy SP...still have a slot open for that Sony PSP when it comes out next year, though

 

[iSaint]

I have a Sony Clie that I owned before I switched to Mac. I used Entourage for mail/contacts, etc, and all I had to do was download Palm Desktop and make some switch in Entourage and all is syncing well!

I hear, too, that Sony is getting out of the PDA business, so I'll probably go back to Palm once this one gives up on me.

 

[ocellnuri]

Just to clear things up about Sony,

They released, at least a couple months ago, that they are exiting the PDA market in the US and Europe. They are still developing new handhelds in Japan, and a return to the US/Euro market is not out of the question, though doubtful in the near future.

I don't see this as a reason to avoid current Sony inventory though. The halted development of new models in the US/Europe does not make current models stop functioning. They are still awesome handhelds and give you a lot of bang for the buck. In fact, the bang/buck is going up as stores clear discontinued inventory of handhelds and accessories. Prices are very low right now for very awesome hardware.

 

[Bye Bye Baby]

T£ all the way

I use a T3 with my powerbook and it work perfectly. I sync everyting, even documents to go and it works like a dream. The T3 scree is awesome.

 

[mashinhead]

blackberry

WHat about the blackberry 7100t, is that a pda substitute?? does it have all the pda features??

 

[mashinhead]

Oh! I thread I can reply to! PDAs have been a hobby for me for about 4 years now...

WHat about the blackberry 7100t, is that a pda substitute?? does it have all the pda features??

 

[Mechcozmo]

Blackberries are not so good, need Missing Sync.

I have a Tungsten T, which works great. I sync it in-class via bluetooth, forget to charge it for a week, and it has a great screen. I do have a SD card(cheap) and the RealOne Player (free) so I can play mp3s w/o my powerbook.

 

[question fear]

WHat about the blackberry 7100t, is that a pda substitute?? does it have all the pda features??

blackberry is lighter on some of the pda functions, though they've been doing more lately.
but blackberrys are phone/email first, pda second.
any palm is pda first, connectivity second (or for a treo 600, equal)
if you need a PDA, with calendar and to do and lots of little programs to manage your money/mileage/time, then get a palm or pocket pc.
To use a pocket pc with a mac, you can use either pocketmac or missing sync....pocket pcs have some more whiz bang features although palm is catching up....go to a store, compare them for size, screen, and what you need....need wifi and lots of storage? rihgt now pocket pc is your best bet.
Need lots of progams, and nothing too fancy? Palm will cover you through 99% of your PDA needs, evne up to add-on wifi and bluetooth if you want it later.
It's all about what you need and how you're going to use it.

 

[zv470]

I'd wait... at least wait for a month and see what the T5 brings, then... you could always pickup a cheap T2 or T3 on clearance.

I've got an old Clié SJ20, surprised at how long it's lasted, I was waiting for it to die, and it hasn't, damn, Well... be interesting to see what the new T5 does and looks like.

p.s. I don't use Missing Sync with my Clié, because Palm Desktop works fine with it.

p.p.s. not buying another Sony product in my life. I wish my Clié would die so I could live in a Sony-free zone.

 

[AoWolf]

I have a tungsten T that is an ex apple store demo. Its a great little handheld except for the fact that I have yet to find a practical use for it. But then again I am 15. I would say wait for the t5 and if you don't like it pick something up on ebay as they have some great deals...

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Is there still a market for PDA's? Surely most phones can do all those functions and more, while being about the same price.

 

[cr2sh]

I have a T3 which I use with my Delorme Bluelogger mostly for navigation... it works well but I've never been too satisfied with its sync features.

Also the Palm OS leaves a lot to be desired... maybe I just need more practice with it, but whatever happened to closing and application? Where does it go?

 

[hcuar]

I have a T3 which I use with my Delorme Bluelogger mostly for navigation... it works well but I've never been too satisfied with its sync features.

Also the Palm OS leaves a lot to be desired... maybe I just need more practice with it, but whatever happened to closing and application? Where does it go?

I agree, the Palm OS sucks. Sigh... I kinda like the Windows PDAs better.

 

[5300cs]

I wanted to buy a pda, that works well with MAC. So far i've only been looking at palms...

In my experience, Palm is the easiest to use with Macs. PocketPCs are OK (I have an iPaq) but it's still windows so you're gonna get a lesser quality product. Also good luck with syncing




You could always go with a Newton Takes a little time to get them setup for syncing, but it's not impossible

 

[ocellnuri]

Also the Palm OS leaves a lot to be desired... maybe I just need more practice with it, but whatever happened to closing and application? Where does it go?

But you see, this is what's so great about PalmOS. Everything is stored in active memory, so you never "close" a program. You just execute the code and the program is brought up to the screen. All code always resides in RAM already so loading "bringing data into RAM" and closing "flushing data from RAM" is not needed. Instead of thinking of it as closing one program to open another, think of it as switching applications. Much like when you have Safari and Mail both "open" on your Mac, but you have "closed" them, hiding them from the desktop. As soon as you click on the icon on your dock, they spring back onto the screen without a delay.

 

[question fear]

Is there still a market for PDA's? Surely most phones can do all those functions and more, while being about the same price.

i guess it depends on the person. I sold my palm for a nice digi cam and use my phone for occasional reminders...but to each his own. Some places, I think PDAs exist for the status symbol...

-carly