I was looking into this too, but I decided to get an iPod. No regrets!

Joe

Depends a lot on the amount of money you want to spend and what your priorities are. Personally, I bought a Sony Clie T415 a couple years back. Works great (yes, Mac compatible, even without the Missing Sync). Palm's offerings weren't so great back then. Nowadays though, I'm more and more impressed with Palm's Tungsten PDAs. They lack the jog dial I've become so fond of, but the styling is nice as is the feature set.

Love my Palm T3 upgraded from a TC... I can now bluetooth my email off my phone's data connection. I use it for games, information (vindigo, avantgo), passwords (splashID), photos (splashphoto) and email (SnapperMail)...

I have a Handspring Visor Prism, which I rarely use since I got an iPod & Sony-Ericsson T616. Both are much easier to sync with iSync and I can easily look up a phone number on them, which is about 90% of what I used the Visor for.

Did somebody say "PDA"? :)

Well, your first consideration is Palm vs. PocketPC. Although you can use a PocketPC with a Mac, it's not for the merely curious. If you are not interested in tinkering and just want hassle-free syncing with your Mac, Palm is the only real choice I can recommend for now.

Assuming you decide to go with Palm, my recommendation would be the Tungsten T3. This is a great (but not top-of-the-line) piece of hardware at a price-point that won't break the bank. It comes with a fantastic software bundle too, although your built-in networking options are limited to bluetooth.

If money is no object, consider the Sony PEG-UX50 which offers both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. However it does have an unusually small screen, lousy stylus, proprietary memory cards, and can only be used in "landscape" orientation. Sony also has a poor track record of Mac compatibility with their PDAs -- it may or may not sync to your Mac without the addition of Missing Sync. (I have not personally tried this model.)

Ok, let us pretend that I do want to tinker (I probably will... sigh) Would a PocketPC be better for that?

If you want to tinker, get a Sharp Zaurus. Linux-based. I always think about PDAs (I still have my Philips Velo 1!), but really don't think I'd need one. Same for a laptop. The only two things I can think of that I could use one for are WiFi for getting an ssh session to my remote shell for email via mutt, and Vindigo, since I live in NYC. So the Zaurus would be perfect for the ssh thing, since it's Linux and has a keyboard, but no built-in Wifi and no Vindigo. Seems that the best thing would be the Sony Clie UX50. Nice backlit keyboard, Palm OS (supports Vindigo), built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, but doesn't have a really good ssh client; yet at least. One guy is working on one, though. So only real downside to that right now is that we're on the verge of Palm OS 6, which will be a total re-do of the OS. Should have a real filesystem, multi-tasking, etc. So I don't want to get a Palm OS device before I see OS 6.

What I really want out of a PDA is a SUPPLEMENT to my desktop, not a laptop, which could be a replacement. I was really hoping that Apple would put something out to supplement OS X, but it doesn't look like it. So right now there's no PDA that meets all of my needs. I think that might change in the next six months or so when Palm OS 6 comes out.

A PocketPC is better at being a "handheld computer" than a Palm is. For example, on a PPC, you can leave one app running in the background and switch to another. Palm OS currently only offers "fake" multitasking for things like playing MP3s in the background.

Of course, you also get all of the bad things that a "handheld computer" entails, including the risk of DLL hell, and so on. Also, PocketPC's interface is less-suited to PDA screen size, being more or less a limited pocket-size Windows computer.

Most Pocket PC third-party software is distributed as (Desktop) Windows installers, so you will need a PC or Virtual PC to install anything beyond what the device comes with.

For a mid-range recommendation, I like the Toshiba e750/e755 (the only difference is the 755 comes with an additional photo viewer application). For the high-end, look at HP's most recent offerings, they look quite good, although I haven't used them.

Because Microsoft licenses all PocketPC handhelds, there isn't much variance between the different models, so you mainly are just deciding between looks, amount of built-in memory, CPU speed, and hardware options such as thumbboards, bluetooth, wifi, etc.

I've been through several pdas, from the Newton to the Psion, a Palm and my current phone, the P800, which is a symbian device. I'd say that if you just need a PDA, the Palm is an okay solution. I don't like the Pocket PC devices. The interface is just too "desktop-y" for my liking, with a normal file structure and stuff like that. Opening directories to find applications just doesn't feel right on a PDA. Also, most of the current wince devices are too big for my tastes and generally don't have a very long battery life.

If you've also got a cell phone, I can recommend the P800 or the P900. The Symbian OS doesn't really play that nice with the Mac (but of course, you can pretend that this is a good thing since you like tinkering). The Symbian phones work with iSync, and you can read and write files from and to them using Bluetooth File Exchange, but that's about it. There are some applications that allow you to do more, but generally, these devices are not Mac-friendly.

They are, however, very nice PDAs and good-enough cell phones.

I ran a bunch of pro's and con's. ... I already had an iPod, still do. I had had an older Palm I thought was of minimal use. ... But I had always wanted a GPS unit. ... Yes there are add ons for the older PDA's, but so what?

I wound up getting the Garmin iQue 360 Palm based GPS unit. And I love it!. ... It is a complete palm as well, so all the old and new Palm software runs. It syncs with my Mac, I use Virtual PC to create several GPS maps, including Topographic maps, as well as street maps.

I have a 256 meg sd card that has about 1 fifth of the United States in both topo and street maps.

I can go anywhere based on an address or a way point and it tells me how to get there, either by foot, bycycle, auto, or emergency routing. I can route to any address in my address book, and I can add new waypoinnts.

I use it on my bycycle and my car at different times, it keeps track of the most recent routes automatically, and you can save all or parts of the routes to named rout files. ... People ask me how do I get from here to wherever and I show them.

I also use the normal Palm software for other things. ..

I just wish it were also a phone. ... Still, it is my favorite, non Macintosh, purchase of all times.

Jack

I guess I should also mention I have a T610 phone and a Garmin eTrex GPS unit ;) So I have no need for a GPS whole unit or a cell phone in the PDA. I would love to have WiFi (with WPA support) and Bluetooth. Ok, they are requirements.

Are there any sites with info on this Palm OS 6?

Rosyna, I would like to know the same thing about POS 6. I hate that acronym. :) There doesn't seem to be anything remotely new about it anywhere, yet Palm is supposed to release it before the new year. When the OEMs integrate it into devices is another story. Since Palm would most likely have OS 6 devices out first, I would be happy with a Tungsten C (my friend has one and it's really nice) except for the lack of backlit keyboard. It really makes a difference. Maybe they'll put out both soon.

I just bought this:

http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600/

Who would use a PDA?

Someone who is mobile.

You HAVE to be "mobile".

I very rarely used my PDA (Palm V, iPaq with MissingSync).

Cell phones (Java enabled or MS SmartPhone) have all the features you can need on the go.

If you travel and find yourself away from your computer then think about getting a PDA.
Else - Save your money!!

Also, Who wants to carry a cell phone and a PDA at the same time?

Thats my experience.

I would have to agree with Vineet, you already have a 17" PB, an iPod, the T610 phone and the GPS unit. I don't think you'll get much out of a PDA unless you just wanna play around with some games. You'd probably be better off getting yourself a 40 gig iPod or something if you've got money to burn =).

I've owned several and my favorite, although I no longer use any of three that I own, is the Newton. It becomes a twofold question: 1) Are you using a PDA for business or pleasure? 2) Do like traveling light and efficient or packed-to-the-gills (both have their merits)?

If you are using the PDA for business, then it is a matter of how you use a PDA for business. For expense reports, I have found no better software than ExpensePlus. For personal monetary concerns I prefer PocketMoney. The Developers of both have long track record and both started with Newton software.

Now to the real issue of traveling light or not. I became so gadget intrenched that I started leaving critical gadget pieces at restaurants after dining engagements (all which were returned) so I decided that less is superior. Depending on your mobile phone provider I have been eyeing and will probably buy the Samsung SPH-i500, with the built-in Palm OS (although is a dated OS and I wish Palm would get off its butt and start working better with other venders) but my provider is Sprint. I constantly record my dining, gas, and business expenses and have a mobile phone glued to my side so for me this is the best of all worlds.

On Palm...they still have a lot to be desired and there are only a few serious business applications that are written for them. So in my eyes if you are not using the Palm for business purposes then you are simply purchasing an expensive toy.

Size does matter when your running through airports, toting meeting notes or flying and driving to a destination. If you are on a long business trip or vacation, you will end up packing all the necessary device transformers to keep said device batteries happy--less is better. I've left battery chargers plugged-in at hotel rooms (those I never received back).

I have never had a reason to post a response on your site until now. Don't just get a PDA for the sake of getting one because you "think" it will be useful and that you're going to use it. I have a feeling you'll never use it.

I mean, think about it. You're running out the door. You grab your car keys, your watch (if you wear one), your wallet, your cell phone and whatever else you normally take with you when you leave the house. Now add a pda to that.

AND when you think you're going to use it, you try to and find that if you had a piece of paper, you would have gotten it done faster. I mean ,you pull it out, turn it on, blah blah blah, wish it had a keyboard because the recognition was so/so and you end up deleting more than you type.

I just want to save you the trouble. I always grabbed it and it sucked and trying to incorporate it into my work/personal life was more of a hassle than a help.

I upgraded my cell phone to a sony ericsson t616 and in february, i'm going to buy the t630 once it's released in the US. It does all I need it to and nothing more. I sync my iCal calendar and my Address Book contacts on it and it's bluetooth and works with my cars bluetooth hands free system. It handles notes (I wished it would let you save more - but they may add that in a new firmware. It plays java and mophun games and has themes, polymorphic ringtones, and a ringtone editor on the phone itself.

My point... save your cash, paper is cheaper and faster to write on.

Two words: Treo. 600.

(I guess that's three, huh?)

Anyway -- best "smart" PDA out there. And I've had 'em all.

I carry a PDA simply because it's smaller than my Graphing Calculator (I bought PowerOne and I use it during school.) It's only other real use is games when I'm doing nothing and reading stuff I download off the net.

PDA? All you need is a decent desktop machine, a 12" Powerbook on the road and a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone like the SE T610 ...

Well, as you can see, you have a lot of choices!

I'll second the nomination for the Treo 600. It's a phone, a Palm-based PDA, and about the right form factor. The Psion devices are also nice but they're considerably larger.

Ron

I like Palm/phone combinations. All the observations about gadget proliferation are true. I would find myself out and about and discover I had brought my Handspring or my StarTac but not both, and I wanted the one I didn't have. When they both broke down in the same week I bought a Kyocera 6035. It's no longer made, having been replaced with the 7135 which is similar to the Samsung SPH-i500 mentioned above. So now I _always_ have both my Palm and my phone when I leave the house (and the recent bonus is, now that cellphones are all so small compared to the behemoth 6035, I have actually had people ask me if my phone was made in Russia).

If nothing else, I've got a database of my DVD collection on my phone, which has already saved me money in not repeat-purchasing, and I usually have two or three novels that I'm reading -- handy for lineups and other boring moments.

Here's what I wrote about ReaderwareAV on my blog:
http://concretewerk.com/weblog/2003/03/08#sofware_i_love_20030308

I'm not promoting any particular model, but I do recommend the combination: a Palm-enabled phone is the way to go.

I use mine to replace what most people call a "planner": I store all names and *addresses* in it (which is nearly impossible w/most phones) and I set alarms for various calendar events that I'm prone to forget. Basic, but very effective. If I was spending I'd probably try a Treo to see if I could eliminate my phone.

rosyna,

if you've got spare cash you can get me a pda :)

I've had two Handsprings and they both broke (the stylus digitizer stopped working). I'm happy with my Palm m125.

I would have bought a Sony Ux50, but the "full" keyboard has not pipe key ( | ), so a Sharp Zaurus might be in order. Shame really.

What does a PDA have to do with Killing The Buddha?