Since a blog is supposed to be all about the links, I figured it was time that I started getting with the program. Sure nobody’s actually reading the site now, but that could all change one day and I should probably oughta be prepared.

You’re supposed to write what you know, and if there’s one thing I do know, it’s gadgets! Though I’m not generally what you’d call a first adopter, I’m usually at least riding the first wave of acceptance of new technology. A good gadget should make your life easier, and when I spot a new device that does something faster, better, and/or just plain cooler than the old way, I’m happy to ding the Visa on the slim justification that anything that revolutionary has just got to have a payoff eventually.

Take my Palm, for instance. I’ve carried one of these babies in one incarnation or another since my first 3Com Palm Pilot Pro in 1997. For seven years, I’ve marvelled at the sheer volume of usefulness that Palm has been able to pack into this little PDA. Back in the day, when my schedule was much more hectic and changeable than it is now, I mostly just wanted to get rid of the awkward limitations of my bulky Day Runner. The Palm filled the bill in spades, but the thing that kept me hooked was that people were writing applications for the device that turned it into the electronic equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife.

My Palms have been around the world and all over the country with me. With the right software, my palm can be a notepad, a calculator, a multi-time zone clock, a translator, a dictionary, a game player, an electronic book reader, a web and email browser, a car maintenance log, a map, a flashlight, and even a mirror! I’ve been drawn into more than a few conversations with strangers who’ve been intrigued by my tricorder-thingy. I’ve been directly responsible for turning at least eight of my friends onto the devices, and I bet I’ve convinced more than a few strangers, too.

My current pocket companion is the Palm 505, my first color PDA. Though I lust after the new Palm Tungsten T3, with its wide-screen-revealing sliding case, Bluetooth capability and whopping 64 MB of RAM, I’m likely to pass the 505 on to my lovely finance Louise and buy myself a new Handspring Treo 600.

The Treo 600 is part of a new breed of PDA/cell phone hybrid called the “smart phone.” That means that it’s one more step closer towards the gadget-lover’s holy grail: an all-in-one total convergence device. The 600 combines all the great features of a Palm PDA with the convenience of a cell phone. The fact that it’s a cell phone also means that it can browse the web and read email just like a desktop computer. There have been more than a few times in the last year when such functionality would have come in right handy, so as soon as Handspring can get its assembly line cranked up to meet the demand, I plan to jump on the bandwagon and put one of these beauties in my pocket.

Of course, the 600’s high price tag, low-res screen, and low-quality camera may mean that it’s not the device for everyone. And some people swear by the Sony Clie series, which also runs the Palm operating system. If you’re interested in exploring the options, do what I do: Try starting with PalmOne’s Solutions page to see which PDA might fit your needs. Then, check out the reviews at Shopping.com (formerly epinions.com), InfoSync World, BargainPDA.com, and Brighthand.com.

Before you make your final decision, check out Gizmodo.com. This wicked cool site, a mecca for gadget freaks, is the place to check up-to-the-minute news, reviews, and rumors. For instance, I first heard rumors of the updated Treo, the 610, on Gizmodo. Now I can decide if I really need Bluetooth, or if I want to go ahead and splurge so that I can have the 600 in my hot little hands. Decisions, decisions.

When you’re finally ready to buy, use ”DealTime or PriceGrabber to check the latest prices. To make your new palm useful, head over to PalmSource, the official site for over 20,000 PalmOS programs.

I’ll let you know how the Treo 600 works out as soon as I can get my hands on one. In the meantime, I’ll continue to post useful links to product and service pages around the web. Happy gadgeting!

• No Related Post

Tuesday, January 27th, 2004 @ 1:45 am Computer & Gadget Matters
RSS 2.0 Both comments and pings are currently closed.