Which handheld?

[Tormod]

I am currently the proud owner of a battered but solid Palm Tungsten E. I use it basically as an ebook reader (I read about 2-3 hours per day on it) and as a calendar/task manager gadget.

However, all the reading is wearing out the multidirectional button which is used to turn pages. I have used the Palm in basically all directions (you can change the orientation of the text on the screen) but I estimate that it will last another 3-4 months at most. The battery has also seen better days, and seems to be factory replacable only.

Looking at the market for handhelds there are so many gadgets out there. I don't really need the raw power of, say, the Dell Axim v51, nor do I need a phone like the Palm Treo. I wouldn't mind wifi abilities though, and expandable memory. Perhaps listen to music and watch a movie, although this is not the primary goal (ebooks are). Size IS important, smaller = better, but I wouldn't mind a *slightly* bigger screen than the Palm E.

The Palm Lifedrive is too big and clunky (plus I dislike units with harddrives) and I am looking at the Palm T|X as the most likely candidate.

It is however not new. I wonder if anyone know if Palm is coming out with something like it soon?

I also think that built in memory chips will grow pretty soon. The T|X has a meagre 128MB and although that is easily expandable with a memory card it would seem strange not to have units with at least 1GB RAM. I can only guess that more built in RAM means more battery drainage. I don't see how a memory card solves that problem though, since the first thing to be disconnected when my Palm E gets low on battery is the expansion card.

So...any recommendations for a good PDA with ebook capabilities? With "ebook" I mean that it must run ereader - http://www.ereader.com/product/browse/software - since that's the format that all my ebooks are in.

I am looking to buy the PDA when I go to San Francisco in March so there's still time for me to do research...I just want to make sure I get the most bang for my bucks.

[Jay-qu]

I have an iPAQ pocket PC, its good, never used it for ebooks though.. it plays me mp3's and vids aswell, I had to stick a Gb SD card to make it usefull though but its never done me wrong

[Tormod]

Which iPaq do you have? Seems to me there are tons of models.

[Jay-qu]

lol, right you are

Mine is an old one, it is in the H3800 series. This one has bluetooth but all the newer ones have WiFi and some have phones built in!

[CraigD]

Originally Posted by Tormod

I am currently the proud owner of a battered but solid Palm Tungsten E. I use it basically as an ebook reader (I read about 2-3 hours per day on it) and as a calendar/task manager gadget.
…
I am looking at the Palm T|X as the most likely candidate.

If you’ve been happy with your Tungsten E, I’d bet you’d be as or more happy the Palm T/X.

But enough about Tormod’s handheld woes – I’ve woes of my own!

I’ve been in a “battery bind” for half a decade – I’m still using a Handspring Visor Deluxe, because I’m accustom to its battery life – 50+ hours of reading or medium-intensity calculating, using NiMH rechargeable AAAs – and the ability to swap batteries in an emergency with anything with AAAs in it. From conversations with owners and a couple of test sessions, every newer handheld I’ve considered has nowhere near that life, nor easily removable batteries.

Visors are crappy, fragile handhelds - being a bit rough, I’ve been through several of them. Fortunately, they can be had these days – remanufactured only – for about US$50. I’m uncomfortable with personal electronics that need to be “fed” more often than I (like most healthy H.Sapiens, I can go several days without “recharging”), or require “food” that can’t be quickly scrounged from common places.

My basic handheld requirements are

• The output capabilities of paperback book. I should be able to read an entire book without needing to recharge or reload anything
• The input capabilities of a small paper notepad. I should be able to write text and draw simple graphics on it without plugging it into anything
• The computing capability of a good programmable calculator, such as a TI-89
• The alarm capabilities of a good electronic watch, such as a Casio Databank. It must be able to remind me when I need to do things at any future date/time.

I’ve been hoping for the past 6 months that a device using E Ink Corporation’s or similar epaper (other than the Sony Reader, which all reports indicate will be festooned with odious DRM firmware, and have little or no ability to run any sort of user-written program) will appear. The pricier Philips (iRex) iLiad might fit my needs – it’s said to have DRM-free support for many file formats, and if it has an easy-to-use SDK, programming languages for it should be available, or I could even write my own.

It’s hard to beat epaper for battery life – in principle, it only needs power when the image it displays is changed. It’s ill suited for animations or video, and, though prototype color epaper exists, all the firstgen devices appear to be black/white only. It’s an exciting, but young technology.

[Tormod]

Originally Posted by CraigD

But enough about Tormod’s handheld woes – I’ve woes of my own!

Hijacker!!!!

I’ve been in a “battery bind” for half a decade – I’m still using a Handspring Visor Deluxe, because I’m accustom to its battery life – 50+ hours of reading

50 hours! I have 2 Palm V's and doubt I could get more than 20 out of either of them. They are dust collectors now, though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_V

My basic handheld requirements are

• The output capabilities of paperback book. I should be able to read an entire book without needing to recharge or reload anything

I have looked at a lot of the current models on the market (online, not actually seen or held them yet) and am so far NOT impressed. One reason I've been so happy with the Palm E is the miniscule size. The Sony reader as well as some of the others I've seen look way too large.

What I'm looking for is something that *replaces* the book and lets me read without having to turn the pages, yet fits in a small pocket.

That said, I don't have the need for your other stuff. And yes, I too would love a battery life that would last at least one book (which for me would be about 15-20 hours on average per novel, I think, maybe more).

It’s hard to beat epaper for battery life – in principle, it only needs power when the image it displays is changed. It’s ill suited for animations or video, and, though prototype color epaper exists, all the firstgen devices appear to be black/white only. It’s an exciting, but young technology.

It will only be useful when it comes in much smaller sizes - or when it can be expanded. Like a normal book - actually flip it open!

[alexander]

what about a Sharp Zaurus?
full querty keyboard, touchable display, slot for a wifi card. linux... even ethernet over USB support :P
Those are wicked cool... actually my friend won one, and i was like, wow, like a mini notebook...

[Tormod]

Originally Posted by alexander

what about a Sharp Zaurus?
full querty keyboard, touchable display, slot for a wifi card. linux... even ethernet over USB support :P
Those are wicked cool... actually my friend won one, and i was like, wow, like a mini notebook...

The Sharp USA site says they are no longer available. anyway it's probably a bit large for my needs. Interesting gadget though - although similar to a Palm Treo AFAICS.

[CraigD]

Originally Posted by alexander

… full querty keyboard …

Thumbpads, external keyboards, and the like are inventions of the devil (especially those ugly, too-big to be a phone, to small to be a PDA Treos!), meant to steer the faithful from the true path of stylus-based data entry. Resist! (plus, I’m really slow at thumb typing, and think I look much less cool doing it than stylusing)

[alexander]

oh no, did you look at this one? http://www.sharpusa.com/products/Typ...56,112,00.html
those are really ugly and ugh....
i was talking about the sl-c700, c760, c860 models... seems though that it is no longer available, even in europe... that stinks, those were really cool

off to find another viable alternative for you...
it seems that sony clie is a similar device to the zaurus (the good old one) but it runs palm os, however it does come with an integraded wifi and bluetooth as well as a camera, mp3 player, web browser, email client and all that fun junk that i would rather have in a c860 form, but i cant because sharp dont make them anymore... although from what i read, the browser that comes with the sony is better then opera or konquerer that runs on the zaurus (although i dont see why compiling FF is an issue... except time) over all i think its a viable alternative, people seem to love it, oh and you can hotsync it with linux as well as windows and os x... it will cost though, but so did the zaurus!