Why the backlash against PDAs'?

[KDOG]

As I understand it, there seems to be a backlash against PDAs', that everything is going smartphone. I don't understand the smartphone craze. I mean their neat, but I don't see how they replace a PDA. They're smaller, less capable and crazy expensive. Also, where are the mini-notebooks? I remember Sony had one a while back. I'd like to see more of them...

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: KDOG
As I understand it, there seems to be a backlash against PDAs', that everything is going smartphone. I don't understand the smartphone craze. I mean their neat, but I don't see how they replace a PDA. They're smaller, less capable and crazy expensive. Also, where are the mini-notebooks? I remember Sony had one a while back. I'd like to see more of them...

imho i think the pda/phone combo is where it is at. i have been using one for ~1yr and will never not have one. they do everything the pda does with the addition of a phone. i am really surprised they haven't caught on more.

thus the reason i am not too impressed with the iphone - i have been using that idea for sometime - nothing new

 

[Penth]

backlash against PDAs is they don't have a phone and they're not well connected. Many (if not most) people who have a use for an organizer like that also have a need to be connected.

PDA phones are too expensive an big. I tried out the Cingular 8125 and thought about getting the 8525, but I just let it sit around because it was so bulky. Smartphones are really nice though. I'm waiting for the successor to the Cingular 3125 that has GPS and 3G data.

 

[bob4432]

man, the 8525 is sweet. that will be my next phone. i agree they are a bit large, but they do so much. with my "old" sx66 and a bt gps i have everthing i need for navigation (iguidance - ms pocket streets is week compared to iguidance) and all connections necessary. granted an internal gps would be nice but i like the bt i have as i can hook up and external antenna if the need arises, but being that it is sirfIII it usually never is an issue

 

[DaveSimmons]

Most people buy a PDA and find it's a third-rate MP3 player, weak at games, not very good for web browsing, painful for note-taking, and that entering appointments with a stylus is more trouble than printing them out from their PC or using paper and pencil.

In short, most people don't get much value from them and they gather dust.

My Axim x3i is a cool toy, but I don't actually use it for anything except an ebook now and then. And for that I'd rather have a 6x9 thin tablet with better battery life.

A beefed-up Sony PSP with 256+ MB RAM, 8+ GB storage and a slide-out keyboard might also be acceptable

 

[Matthias99]

I actually just picked up a Treo 700p (on sale now from Sprint.)

It does everything my old Tungsten T did, but it's also a cellphone and is about the same size/weight. Hence why I didn't just want another PDA. I didn't see the point to carrying around both a PDA and a phone anymore now that there are some decent ones on the market.

Now, if I can just get ActiveSync working with our exchange server...

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Matthias99
I didn't see the point to carrying around both a PDA and a phone anymore now that there are some decent ones on the market.

I own both the top-end Dell PDA and a PPC6700 PDA Phone. Both are Windows Mobile 5.

For me, there's no comparison. I needed Internet connectivity on my PDA and the PDA Phone gave it to me. The PPC6700 is an awesome PDA and a "decent" phone. The screen isn't "quite" as nice as my Dell VGA PDA, but I can live with it in exchange for the 24/7 connectiivity with my network and with my Exchange Server. Adding Internet to a PDA makes it into a bulky, short-battery-life, device.

And I paid the same price for the PPC6700 as for the Dell. The 24/7 connectivity is only $15 a month on top of a "normal" cell phone contract.

 

[corkyg]

Think Blackberry, Treo, and Blackjack, etc. The game has changed. Built-in Internet connectability is now the standard. The PDA is yesterday's news.

But Palm has several products - but convergence is clearly indicated. It's what the market wants.

Palm

 

[Pale Rider 1]

I have a Treo 650. I admit I haven't used it as much as I thought I would.

Currently I use it for Email, calendar, GPS/Map and address book.

Sprint is my service provider. The unlimited data plan is I think reasonbly priced.

One neat thing is I can use my phone as an Internet connection for my notebook so I am online anywhere I can get cell phone service.

I didn't pay an arm and a leg for my Treo; I purchased it used for less than a new regular cell phone.