Since I lost my wallet several weeks ago, I decided it’s time to switch from a DayTimer to a PDA. One of the things I miss the most of my DayTimer is that there were no copies of things I wrote down in it. So, it’s time for me to go electronic now.
Some features I’d like in a PDA are:
– 802.11b (WiFi) support
– 2 cards support
– Can run Linux
– Chinese support
– Bible software
– GPS
Some PDAs I’ve investigated:
iPAQ 3900
– 3950 – $649
– #1 PPC PDA
– Only 1 slot (SD)
– Best screen
– Non-replaceable battery
– Tons of cards supported
Toshiba Pocket PC e740
– $599
– Built-in WiFi
– 2 slots
Casio E-200 Cassiopeia
– $599
– 2 slots
Sharp Zaurus SL-5500
– $399
– Linux only (No PPC)
– 2 slots
– Replaceable battery
– Not many cards supported
– Built-in keyboard
Though the Toshiba is nice in that it has built-in WiFi, I don’t trust first technology products. So, that one was scratched out.
The Casio is OK. But the iPAQ and the Zaurus stands out.
The iPAQ has tons of cards that you can get for it. But, it’s quite expensive, unless I go with a 3700 or 3800. And it only has a SD slot. In order to have CF, I have to get an expansion pack (another 50 bucks).
The Zaurus is really appealing to me as a Java programmer. It has Java support built-in and a large developer community. Also, it’s based on Linux. Having both a CF and SD slots is nice. Also, it has a built-in keyboard. The major limitation is that there are very few add-ons for it. And best of all, it’s much cheaper than the others.
General:
PDA Street
PDA Center
PocketNow
Comparisons:
Epinions
2002 Model Comparisons
WiFi:
WiFi
iPAQ:
iPAQ 3900 Review
iPAQ Linux
ZDNet Price Search
Toshiba:
Toshiba e740
ZDNet
CNET
iPAQ 3920 vs Toshiba e740:
ZDNET