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possible apple-based pda? me want

S

solus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 27, 2003
8
0
I'm looking at Pocket PC's and Palm OS based PDA's, and I'm ready to purchase in a few days. However, I would just *love* it if Apple made a PDA with their own OS on it. Has anything about this been rumored yet?.. iPDA..something (sorry, thats corny). Any chance that it would happen, and how long? I don't wanna waste more on Msft, but they seem to have the better and more powerful product in the PDA industry right now. Palm OS's greatest feature is also its greatest weakness - its simple.

At least my PDA can be a mac until I get enough for a powerbook! (then I'll be a switcher!)

-Tarak Upadhyaya
 
It seems that every time we get a fresh batch of newbies, we get a fresh batch of this thread. I don't mean to be rude or anything, they are just getting on my nerves. It doesn't look like Apple is going to make a PDA.

P-Worm
 
Not to be confused with me. I don't care about PDAs. When Jobs said "no PDAs" I believed him.

Interesting name newbie. ;)
 
Pocket PCs are complicated - that is their feature, and that is their weakness. At the end of the day, you want one-button sync.

A PDA is a tool like a calculator - you don't want or need a complicated calculator. I use a Palm III with rechargable AAA NiMH batteries. They last a month. If they ever go bad I can always get new ones. Used Palm IIIs go for about $50; the new b&w Zire is about $100 and uses AAAs too.

Don't get any PDA (or digital camera) that has a non-user-replacable and/or custom battery. You might find yourself in Yerevan, Armenia, needing a replacement.

The Newton is a good choice too, and not because it was made by Apple. Two reasons: (1) The Newton uses flash memory. Battery life is only about a week (rechargable NiMHs) but you will never lose any data. (2) You can see events and tasks on the same screen ("Agenda"), unlike other PDAs which have an artificial separation between to-do-list and calendar functions.
 
And the Newton can play mp3s, send e-mail, surf the web, allow you to write with a keyboard, surf wirelessly, and about 2 dozen more things that most PDAs of today are only now able to do. Of course, you don't get a color screen, but who cares, right? :)

Regards,
Gus
 
Where are newtons available. I googled it but keep getting stuff about software downloads, etc... Ebay?
 
Apple isn't going to make a PDA, but we'll probably see "Digital Lifestyle Devices" pick up more and more PDA functionality (al la the iPod). But if you want a PDA, the Newton is the way to go.
Originally posted by solus
Where are newtons available. I googled it but keep getting stuff about software downloads, etc... Ebay?
Click to expand...
Since Apple hasn't made them in years, eBay's the only place you'll find them.

But don't just buy the cheapest Newton! Besides making sure that the Newton you bid on is in good working order, you need to consider the model you buy.

The Message Pad 2000 and 2100 were the last models and they have the best handwriting recognition, the best Newton OS (which is a fantastic OS), and the best features. They are however, bigger than your average PDA.

You should stay away from the earliest Newtons, like the Message Pad 100, because they have laughable handwriting recognition.

The one other Newton is the eMate. This was an education-only device and has a clamshell iBook-ish look. It has a keyboard as well as a stylus-controled screen. Its feature-set is comparable with the MP 2000 and 2100, but it's not really a PDA because of its size. Also, an eMate in good working order is incredibly hard to find.

Lastly, know that if you want to sync a Newton with a Mac produced in the last five years you'll need to shell out even more money for a "Legacy Port" adaptor. They aren't particularly cheap, though...

http://www.everchanging.com/ provides Newton-syncing software for OS X and more info.

This must sound like a lot of work for a PDA, but the Newton really is a fantastic device.

EDIT: Keyspan makes the kind of Serial Port adaptor you'll need. It's $79. http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA28x/
 
Get a Palm-based PDA, not PocketPC unless you don't mind charging it up every day or two.

Sony and Palm make a great PDA. Palm was falling behind, though. I just don't see the need for Apple to make a PDA unless they would make it available for the PC as well, thus broadening their market. And even then, the market is already saturated. I don't know what else Apple can offer that is simpler than a Sony PDA. I don't see anything wrong with them, and their scroll wheel......brilliant. :cool:

And lay off the noob. He doesn't know about who has posted what in the past. And we were all once "newbies" as well. ;)
 
Originally posted by pyrotoaster

You should stay away from the earliest Newtons, like the Message Pad 100, because they have laughable handwriting recognition.
Click to expand...

I had a 120 with the 1.3 upgrade abd the handwriting was OK. But, if you could find one with the 2.0 upgrade, it should work very well for you. It helps to have neat handwriting.
 
I have a Palm m515. It's great for everything I do. I can sync with iCal and the Address Book on my Powerbook. Then sync than info to my iPod. I also downloaded "My Checkbook" from Versiontracker.com and you'll never go back to manuelly balancing your checkbook again. I also have a biligual dictionary and 2 versions of the Bible on there. Not to mention hordes of games. DataVis makes a good Word/Excel compatible program for the Palm (note there are 2 seperate versions for the PC and Mac, so if you're going to switch -- wait until you do). The m515 has neither MP3 playback nor a built-in camera. You must decide for yourself if those features are truely worth it.
 
PDA's are dead tech. What can a PDA do that a next-gen cell phone can't do?

Pocket PC is a different story. But PDA's are on their way out.
 
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