Suggestions and thoughts needed for new PDA

[tim]

My Palm Tungsten E is on its last legs, the touch sensitive screen need calibrating twice daily, the buttons don't all work, and Avantgo is closing down. Avantgo is basically an offline web browser, it downloads optimised versions of websites or blogs for me to read anywhere - the Tungsten E has no wireless at all.

I use it for simple things - calendar, phone book, shopping list, random notes, and browsing the offline web from bed. The apps I use are a dictionary, a currency converter, a blog/rss/feed reader, and worldmate which does time zone conversions, packing lists for holidays, that sort of thing. Other things i'd like are sync with the cloud so I can pull my calendar up from anywhere, WiFi access, a decent web browser, and a really simple shopping list/todo pad just like the Palm todo list. I like a decent sized screen and don't much mind how big it is, but I want a handheld not a netbook, something easily held with one hand. I don't want a smartphone, I have a good phone and I like my phones nice and small, which makes the screen too small to use as a pda.

The Palm Pre won't be available for at least six months on GSM networks. Plus like I said I don't want a smartphone.

I've tried Windows Mobile and I really don't like it. I don't know why, it just sucks to use when coming from Palm.

I've thought about the iPod Touch, but I don't know much about it. It seems interesting, it can run iPhone apps, it's a good size, and does work as a phone using WiFi/Skype if you want it to. At around NZ$500 the price is ok too. I can probably get apps to do anything I could possibly want, and I can write my own. I'm not an apple fanboy though, while i'm not adverse to them if there was another option i'd probably take it.

The Android platform sounds interesting, but it'll be a couple of years before it's really mainstream, plus PDA are a dying breed so I doubt anyone will bother releasing one. Smartphones and netbooks seem to be where consumer tech's heading.

Does anyone have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions?

[jgrussell]

I decided to go from the Palm to the iPhone. It does everything I want and then some. I'd definitely look at the iPod Touch since it has essentially all the same features. I'm no Apple fan in particular, but I love the iPhone as a PDA (the AT&T network in the US sucks).

[crn3371]

I was cleaning out my desk today and came across my old Palm IIIe and started getting nostalgic. I've often thought about replacing it as I'm like you in that I just want my phone to be small and only used for calling. I've basically come to the same conclusion as you that the only real non phone alternative is the iPod touch. I believe it will run all of the same apps as the iPhone so I'm sure getting it to emulate your Palm should be fairly easy. I'm a Mobile Me member so having it sync with my Macs at home is a cinch. I'm not sure if Mobile Me is compatible with PC's so I don't know how that synching would work.

[MaxxuM]

Wow, that sounds exactly what an iPhone or Netbook would be good for. An 8GB iPod Touch goes for around $180, it has all the apps you mentioned but I don't think the Touch has Skype ability since it doesn't have a mic w/o an added connection.

I have a few friends with the G1 Android phone and I like it - but I still like my iPhone more :) The G1 has horrid battery life though so I would only recommend one if you aren't going to be away from power. I think it's WiFi that drains the thing quickly so if you have it off then the battery will last longer.

PDA's are going the way of the dinosaur. I would look into an iPhone or iPod Touch. The 8GB Touch is not the greatest option IMO, but it's very affordable.

[tim]

I guess I just want a small portable computer, and the iPhone Touch is probably the best around at the moment. I don't mind that I can't use Skype or anything, I have a phone for that. A netbook without a keyboard with a touch sensitive screen would work too.

How's text entry on the touch? Is it an on screen keyboard, handwriting recognition, or what? For people who've used Palm PDAs in the past can you get a todo list like the old Palm one - basically categories, one line per item, and a checkbox to mark is as done?

Given the 3rd gen isn't far from being released i'd be crazy to buy one right now.

[MaxxuM]

I believe you can use a touch stylus (like Pogo Stylus) designed for touch screens - but from what I've heard the writing apps are not all that great. Typing is faster once you get the hang of it, at least for me.

[Tee Why]

I'm in the same boat, I have a Palm tunsgten something or another but seeing as Palm doesn't make PDA now, only smartphones, the iTouch seems to be the only option.

I hear the 3rd generation is being announced June 6th and that it's suppose to have a camera like the iPhone.

I guess we'll see in a few days but when my palm dies or the programs I have on it expire, I'll probably get the 3rd generation iTouch.

[EiTheL]

I use my iPod Touch as my PDA, I have it sync with google calander and google contacts so its all synced with the web (my gmail account), plus you can get loads of apps for various things

There is one app called helios sun calculator or something and its very usefull for photography because it tells you at what time of the day will the shadow be x feet long (or meters) and a whole bunch of other things.

[tim]

Sounds like the iTouch is a pretty good option. So you just use an on screen keyboard to enter data? Sounds like a pain in the ear. But otherwise it should do everything I want - web browsing, contacts, calendar, and i'm sure I can either find or write a good to do list app.

Android might be cool if I could wait a year, i'd quite like a command line on my pda!

[EiTheL]

Personally, typing isn't that much of a prob for me (on the ipod touch), but with the 3.0 update, you can use the horizontal keyboard with every app so it'll be easier to type.

Then theres the spell corrector, which in some cases is annoying (it changes f*cks to ducks, and makes your message change from aggressive to cute), but I can type fast and miss some letters and have spell corrector check it for me.

Also I would consider it a nice tradeoff, keyboard for the app store, as the number of apps is extremely extensive and covers basically everything

[tim]

Good to know, thanks :) The iPod Touch will probably be the computer for me, especially if there's a new generation released soon. I'm away for a week, if a new iTouch is released in the next week can someone post me a link please?! :)

[EiTheL]

Well they are anticipating a new iPod touch within the next few weeks (or months) that will come out with the 3.0 software update

If/when the link comes out, the link will always be http://www.apple.com :P
If the ipod touch is on the front page then it is out, if not, then its not, but i'll give ya a heads up when it does (If I remember...)

[Tee Why]

Well, the new iPhone is out but a buddy was looking at the time line for iTouch updates and he said the last two were in September. Since the 6/6/9 announcement seemed to be only about the iPhone, I suspect that the iTouch may be updated in Sept.

[EiTheL]

Naw, cramming 3.0 update, iphone 3Gs and the ipod touch would have been WAYYY to much for that keynote, so it'll be announced at another keynote or somewhere else earlier.

Also for marketing reasons, I think they'll release it before September to make it an ideal go-away-to-college gift

[Marloon]

iphone / ipod.

[tim]

Thanks guys, I think i'll wait for the new touch before I bother to buy one. No great hurry, my old PDA will struggle on for a few more months.