PDA for mac

Matt,

I'm currently looking for a new PDA myself. I did a search in the forums archive and found this thread:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?threadid=11584&highlight=best+PDA+for+a+student

I hope this helps you in your decision making process.

Deryk

 

Hey Deryk. Could you check that link? I couldn't get it to come up, and I'm interested in the whole PDA discussion...

Thanks!

 

Any palm will work, using The Missing Sync from MarkSpace (I use a Clie NX70V. Works fine with iSync, Palm Desktop, etc).

Any WinCE device will work as well. See my response to a similar thread today in the general tech discussion forum.

Neither will work out of the box, except perhaps the Palm Computing devices (the Tungstens).

If the device has bluetooth, you can use bluetooth between it and OS X, no problem.

 

I own the Tungsten C. It's much more powerful than the T|T and has a brighter screen. It has Airport built in and a superpowerful battery. Bluetooth isn't there yet but will be via third party at least. It has a much larger ROM than the T|T that it should be upgradable to OS 6.0. The keyboard is very nice. It's a little pricy but it's worth it. Hope this helps.

 

Uh, MCL, *lots* of PDA's work out of the box with Macs. I've owned two Sony Clies and have never needed the Missing Sync. It just depends on the particular model you are using.

elo

 

He just failed to put in the address to the link. It's the same as the text so all you had to do was copy and paste it. Here it is though to save you the work.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?threadid=11584

 

Errr...."lots" of PDA's don't work out of the box with Macs. Palm IIIs don't. Original Palms don't. Palm V's don't. Handspring Visors don't (none of those will without a version of Palm Desktop >=4)

WinCE 1.0 devices don't. WinCE 2.0 devices don't. Current WinCE (nee PocketPC) devices don't. Linux-based PDA's (e.g., iPaqs running familiar Linux, the Sharp Zaurus) don't.

I hear the Psion 3 series had good compatibility pre-OS X. You can pick one up at my local Microcenter for $20 if you're feeling nostalgic.

But, hey, those are just the ones I own and have tried with OS X and Palm Desktop (of course the WinCE devices didn't work with PD; there's no equivalent from Microsoft for OS X).

Yes, a few Clies and existing Palm Computing (and old Handspring) devices will work with the current version of Palm Desktop. This wasn't always the case, and for certain Clies, it's still not the case (hence the need for Missing Sync).

The only PalmOS devices OFFICIALLY supported by Apple and Palm Computing under OS X are the Tungstens and (I believe) the Zires.

 

Where did you get that from???

Palm Desktop 4 has been out for Mac OS X for almost two years, and for Handsprings (officially) for the last year. All visors and Treos are supported by Handspring under this version (http://support.handspring.com/esupport/html/downloads_table.jsp). Additionally, Palm supports all Palms back to the original PalmPilot (http://www.palm.com/support/macintosh/mac_desktop.html) on version 4.1. I fail to understand what you mean by "OFFICIALLY supported"; it looks official enough to me....

 

"Officially supported" means just that: The vendor will provide support for the device in the situation under discussion (i.e., syncing it with OS X). The other Palm Computing devices you mention are no longer manufactured, marketed, or sold, and Handspring is no longer manufacturing or selling the Visor line, and the Treos are slowly dying as well, having lost all but the 270 and 300.

Therefore, the only PalmOS devices actively supported and marketed as OS X compatible are the current Tungsten line. Sure, you can USE older PalmOS devices with the current version of Palm Desktop, but good luck getting support from the vendor with issues regarding the older device, Palm Desktop, and Mac OS X. This is what's meant by, "officially supported".

Sony doesn't advertise their devices as OS X-compatible. Nor does Handspring. That leaves Palm Computing. They currently only make and sell two versions: The Tungsten line, and the Zire line. Palm Computing and Apple have worked together to ensure compatibility, and both companies market their products as compatible with each other (see Apple's efforts to include the Tungstens in the initial iSync release).

 

I'm still hanging around the PDA market place for now because I expect that it will improve...

 

Re: PDA for mac

Matt...

It's subjective again. I have a Palm m515 and it worked great, my sister has the m130 (about 200 bucks) and it also worked great with Palm Desktop 4 and iSync.

If you are just looking to keep track of Contacts and Calendars go with the m130.

MacBoyX