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Are PDAs' dead?

K

KDOG

Diamond Member
Maybe its just me but I don't see why theres' this sudden abandonment of PDAs'. I really don't see any small portable computing solutions that can fill the gap yet. Notebooks are still too huge in that regard. What happened to those mini-notebooks that manufacturers were supposed to come out with? I'm just considering buying a Dell PDA if I can find one cheap (Dell Outlet), but I don't want to be buying into dying technology. Smartphones are cool, but the screens are just too small, don't have all the features and power that PDAs' have and they are just too darned expensive month to month....
 
I had a dell x30 great while it lasted, I stepped on the screen accidentally and she gone. PDA's are fine in my opinion, but most of the draw backs come from using the stylus to have to press every individual letter, smaller screen makes normal tasks somewhat of a pain, and alot of software is not really making pda compatability versions.
 
I found that Pocket PC Phones are much more useful to me. I really needed Internet connectivity (to constantly synch contacts, calendars, and email, and for remote Server access) and a PPC Phone includes this. It's more convenient and it costs less than carrying both a PDA and a phone. Getting full 24/7 Internet connectivity on a PPC Phone only costs $15 or $20 a month extra, versus a LOT more for a PDA or a laptop.
 
I see a TON of people with blackberries now. Basically a PDA, just slightly smaller and no touch screen. Look at the future with the iphone -- a finger touch system may become the wave of the future. Also, more and more (business) people ARE taking a laptop everywhere these days.

Also, PDAs are no longer "wow" toys. Back in the day nerds bought PDAs to wow other nerds. Today, people are more likely to buy what they NEED for work, and the "wow" toys are more often phones or some other type of device (plasma TVs?).

Bottom line, no one wants a plain jane PDA when you can get a PDA/phone with 24/7 wireless internet.
 
I found it useful, but once I got a laptop there was no need. It's a cool toy, but that's all it is to me. I sold my PDA a long time ago 😛

PPC phones I can see actually getting use though...

Niche market still
 
I went with laptop over a PDA. I think improved laptops, and reduced laptop prices are what killed the PDA. Sure a PDA is smaller, but you can do so much more with a laptop that most people think it's worth the extra size.
 
Smartphones (Crackberries, Windows Mobile Phones, Palm OS based phones, Symbian Phones) are what's killing the PDA market. I've seen many of my business colleagues (who all were once heavy PDA users) switch to some kind of PDA / phone hybrid.
 
I use to use PDA's back in the day where the majority of cell phones still had lime green or black & white screens.

Back then, it was the ONLY device that allowed you to do what PDA's are good for, storing contact information, daily planners, minor internet, e-mail, some video watching (Although limited to your storage card) etc.

Now that those features are so integrated with other portable units; along with the fact that most cell phones today can do all of the mentioned above, there's no real utility to the PDA anymore as it use to have. The fact that you have to carry an additional unit around with you along with your cell phone and possibly bluetooth is just too much "pocket space". At least with a laptop you're probably carrying it along with your work, or inside your briefcase.

I for one think PDA's are just now gracefully fading away. Unless they can offer GPS navigation standard on a PDA (On the main model line, not the upper), then I don't see them going anywhere but extinct.
 
They are fading... unfortunately, awfully fast.

I was one of the first adopters - bought a Pilot 5000 from 3Com in a year I don't remember (recall those things?!?). Ever since then, I've upgraded from the 5000 to a III, IIIx, V, Vx, Tungsten T3, and now a T5. Never did buy a LifeDrive or T/X - I think I had hit the limit of functionality - PDA's couldn't do much more that I wanted. Wi-fi needed a larger screen, and the 256Megs or memory or so was plenty.

I looked at the smartphones, but realized the only things I wanted to do with those screens smaller than a PDA was dial numbers. Dunno how people can play games or organize with those things (can you imagine crunching thru a spreadsheet on a BB or cell phone? LOL!). Now, if your job requires you to be on the phone a lot - yea, smartphones/BlackBerry's are very useful. I've tried to relegate checking email when I'm at my desk - I shudder at carrying the Outlook ball-and-weight on the go as much as I dreaded answering calls on the road many years ago.

But in the end, I use the phone for just that - calling people and storing contacts.

I'm right now looking at UMPC's, like the ones from Samsung (the Q1) or TabletKiosk. I need more power than a PDA at this point, a somewhat larger screen, but don't want to go to a laptop. I even still think the 12" laptops are pretty big.

We'll see... it's intriguing that PDA's are going - not sure what's going to pick up the slack.

PM
 
I just bought a palm z22. I use it for shopping, calendar and to keep information I need to have with me at all times. you can't put a laptop in your pocket, but you can a pda. I can't afford a cell phone, so the pda is the only real option. I do carry my laptop but only to school and work.
 
The iPAQ hx4700 is really nice. 4" screen with 480x640 resolution. I just wish it was faster and had more RAM. It has SD and CF slots so it's possible to add in over 16GB of storage.

Input with stylus isn't too bad. It can recognize my (regular style) writing even if I continuously write a line or too anywhere on the screen.

There are GSM CF adapters, but I heard the phone features aren't good on this device.
 
Company loaned me a PDA over the summer, loved it for being a PDA, but I never used any of the features (i.e. messenger, e-mail, scheduling, etc.). I wanted one of my own, then went over the 'what will I use it for?', answer was nothing. Main faults is the craptastic screen size and wide availability of paper. Nothing makes a more reliable reminder than a post-it on your windshield starting with "don't forget you F-tard!". Oh, and battery power was very upsettting. I don't know what the newer models do, but why in the hell can't it save any of your settings if it runs out of juice? I always thought they had some flash memory built in at the very least.
 
my wife and i are going on our 2nd set of pda/phones. no reason, imho to use both so the ppc phone hybrid is the way to go. plus we also have the cingular wireless service for the laptop - in our region have uninterrupted service from phx, az to san diego, up to los angeles on a recent road trip.

and for the price - cingular has a deal now - $49 for the cingular 8125 refurbed. may not be the fastest or the best but for the $$$ you can't beat it. these are replacing our siemens sx66s that are just flat out worn out.

have iguidance and bt gps so good to go there too 🙂
 
As someone else already stated. The SmartPhones killed the stand alone PDA market. More likely thankful were the Treo and Blackberry. The idea that a PDA can have telephony & DATA connectivity features at virtually the same price or less than a stand alone PDA was the light bulb. How many actually carry around PDA anymore? Very rarely do they ever when Verizon,Sprint, TMo, and Cingular have a almost 60 models of Smartphones available.

Convergence was keyword.

UMPC's just aren't ready yet. The only company to actually get it right were OQO with model 02. The rest of the companies, including Sony, haven't figured it out. The other company that is a sleep at the wheel is Microsoft. UMPC needs its own OS backward compatible with the Desktop but not as demanding on the hardware.

The more demanding the OS is on the hardware, the more advanced features in Hardware will be needed. The more advanced hardware needed will start to exceed in cost. Higher the cost of the hardware, the higher cost of the UMPC device itself.

JMO.
 
In the large areas of the country where wireless data service isn't available--for example, Rapid City, SD--PDAs are far from dead. We have 11 managers in our office; 3 of us make regular use of our PDAs. While a Smartphone might be useful, not having true wireless data connectivity is a huge drawback. Verizon is the only major carrier in this area, and their prices reflect the power a monopoly has. We can only hope this will change in the next year or two, as Cingular and T-Mobile expand coverage into areas they won in last year's bandwidth auction.
 
Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
Smartphones (Crackberries, Windows Mobile Phones, Palm OS based phones, Symbian Phones) are what's killing the PDA market. I've seen many of my business colleagues (who all were once heavy PDA users) switch to some kind of PDA / phone hybrid.
Click to expand...

Yep. I had a Palm PDA and a phone. Now I have a Palm Treo.

Last nail in the coffin will be a smartphone with 802.11, VOIP support, and good battery life (and a good integrated MP3 player wouldn't hurt). This is one of those cases where convergence really is the way to go.
 
Originally posted by: Remedy
UMPC's just aren't ready yet. The only company to actually get it right were OQO with model 02. The rest of the companies, including Sony, haven't figured it out. The other company that is a sleep at the wheel is Microsoft. UMPC needs its own OS backward compatible with the Desktop but not as demanding on the hardware.
Click to expand...

Bingo.

Ever since the first time i saw teh OQO i was impressed.
I see now they've got it available w/ Vista.

Awesome little unit; certainly what i'd consider if i ever needed an uber portable system.
I do want to see UMPCs do well though...they just need to somehow get prices down a bit.
 
Look, people shouldn't use pda's as miniature pcs because they are not. The are digital dayplanners plain and simple. Now smartphones are taking it to the next level but people still rarely use them as miniature computers. They use them as dayplanners + contact managers and there is nothing wrong with that.
 
I think they're being coupled into cell phones. Like the T-Mobile Dash, Black Berry Pearl, and what not, they're all being combined into one hand held device.
 
Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Look, people shouldn't use pda's as miniature pcs because they are not. The are digital dayplanners plain and simple. Now smartphones are taking it to the next level but people still rarely use them as miniature computers. They use them as dayplanners + contact managers and there is nothing wrong with that.
Click to expand...

Sometimes, I take my TyTn with me to class along with my ThinkOutside bluetooth keyboard. It's nice to be able to type notes into it like that.

Once you actually have one, you realize what you're actually able to do with them. I can use mine as a portable GPS device in my car, for taking notes in class (it works, but I really don't do it that often) and for playing games, browsing the net, etc. when I'm waiting in line somewhere. It makes a nice PMP too.
 
Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
Smartphones (Crackberries, Windows Mobile Phones, Palm OS based phones, Symbian Phones) are what's killing the PDA market. I've seen many of my business colleagues (who all were once heavy PDA users) switch to some kind of PDA / phone hybrid.
Click to expand...
What he said...
 
Originally posted by: KDOG
Maybe its just me but I don't see why theres' this sudden abandonment of PDAs'. I really don't see any small portable computing solutions that can fill the gap yet. Notebooks are still too huge in that regard. What happened to those mini-notebooks that manufacturers were supposed to come out with? I'm just considering buying a Dell PDA if I can find one cheap (Dell Outlet), but I don't want to be buying into dying technology. Smartphones are cool, but the screens are just too small, don't have all the features and power that PDAs' have and they are just too darned expensive month to month....
Click to expand...

They have evolved to Treos and Blackberrys. PDS are so 1995 lol. 😉

I have a Treo650 and there are a ZILLION apps for it. I guess if you can't be bothered to download the apps it may not be worth it for you.



 
I got a Dell x50 a while back. It's fun for a while, at first, watching movies, playing games, etc. GPS is fun too. But now I got a Nokia E62 smartphone and it doesn't basically everytihng I need it to. Granted, I don't travel - I work from home. So I'm not anywhere near the strong user community. But yeah, like others have said, the smartphone has cause me not to turn on the Dell Axim in probably a year.....
 
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