Travel Technology - New Palm Device Bluetooth Wifi 4Gb May 18th

Amazon pre-order

see

http://www.mobilepipeline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=162800033

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000000042450/

let the bashing begin

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0009JMT38/qid=1115331780/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl23/002-5341672-0698447?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846

Bashing? OK :)

Absolutely NOTHING about this device seems appealing. 4Gb is nothing nowadays, and the rest of the capabilities look right out of a 2 year old PocketPC. Palm has lost its innovative touch.

but its smaller....and its consumer cross-platform.

The 4Gb is built in and can be supplemented with SD card. What is there for Dell?

Why doesn't it compare favorably to say the Axim X50v?

but its smaller....and its consumer cross-platform.

The 4Gb is built in and can be supplemented with SD card. What is there for Dell?

Why doesn't it compare favorably to say the Axim X50v?

Smaller? Nobody has seen one in real life, so till then we can't be sure.

"Consumer cross platform"? What do you mean by this? It sounds like Palm marketing talk for something really simple...

4Gb built in kind of scares me, it means that there is a non-removable 4Gb drive in this thing that can (and potentially will) break...

The Dell Axim also has space for an SD card.

Why it doesn't compare is because it doesn't offer anything new, it is being marketed as some amazing "life altering" device, when in reality it is nothing more than a beefed up Tungsten with a MicroDrive. For me the Axim would be a wiser choice, it is faster, has a screen resolution twice the quality of this 'Lifedrive" and has the multimedia capabilities like all other Windows Mobile devices, that kick the pants off anything Palm has. Video and audio on a Palm is a terrible experience, it always has been, and only just now is Palm slowly trying to enter that market. WindowsCE devices have been playing movies since the very first Philips Nino back in the late 90's and have been doing high-res video on popular codecs like DivX since as early as 2002.

I would too prefer a cheaper price and CF slot along with a SD slot rather than the built in 4Gb microdrive. The Palm does have a SD slot.

If this product does well, perhaps we'll see a slimmed down version.

I just meant with the Palm I can cross sync with both Windows and Mac. I just didn't want to bring up the Mac with you too :)

I was going on specs vs. actually seeing the PDA

I would too prefer a cheaper price and CF slot along with a SD slot rather than the built in 4Gb microdrive. The Palm does have a SD slot.

If this product does well, perhaps we'll see a slimmed down version.

I just meant with the Palm I can cross sync with both Windows and Mac. I just didn't want to bring up the Mac with you too :)

I was going on specs vs. actually seeing the PDA

The PocketPC can be synced perfectly with a Mac as well. Several third party applications take care of that.

Gizmodo article on it:

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/pdas/palm/index.php#palmone-calls-lifedrive-mobile-manager-102785

I agree with them, the whole "digital everything" concept they have sounds like a marketing dream, in reality it is of course total BS and something pretty much every PDA has always been able to do.

I smell faliure written all over this product.

As a long time Palm user and supporter, back from the US Robotics days, I'm tiring of Palm's latest blunders. Gee, they finally get a device with Bluetooth and WiFi - somthing they should have had a couple years ago. This is just more repackaging of old technology.

If this was released with Cobalt (the new OS) I would maybe blink an eye, but I'm yawning right now. I was waiting to see what Palm was going to do with this release as I'm in the market for a new PDA. Me thinks I'm going to buy an Axim X50v now.

As a long time Palm user and supporter, back from the US Robotics days, I'm tiring of Palm's latest blunders. Gee, they finally get a device with Bluetooth and WiFi - somthing they should have had a couple years ago. This is just more repackaging of old technology.

If this was released with Cobalt (the new OS) I would maybe blink an eye, but I'm yawning right now. I was waiting to see what Palm was going to do with this release as I'm in the market for a new PDA. Me thinks I'm going to buy an Axim X50v now.

My sole problem with the Axim is lack of in-store device to play with, dropping $400 on a device without seeing one in real life sucks. BUT, we have one here in the household, and absolutely nothing compares with it, the display is simply amazing.

What's the difference between regular flash memory and "secure digital"?

What's the difference between regular flash memory and "secure digital"?

SD aka Secure Digital is just another memory format, it was invented by Panasonic and was originally meant to be a flash memory format that included rights management on the chip, but in 99.9% of the devices it is just used as regular memory.

I just meant with the Palm I can cross sync with both Windows and Mac. I just didn't want to bring up the Mac with you too :)


My Palm Tungsten C will already do that. I sync it to my ibook and my Compaq laptop all the time, and there's never been any problem. Because the palm desktop software runs on both laptops, and it is what talks to the Palm, they aren't tied to any one platform. I'm not aware of that being a special Tungsten C feature, so I have no idea what the Palm marketing people were trying to say in the specs about that.

However, I'm still perfectly happy with my current Palm, which I don't use as a datebook/addressbook/organizer, but rather as a portable wifi websurfing device. Don't see anything in the new one to entice me to upgrade.

Yet another device doomed for failure. Very few people are willing to shell $500 for a glorified PDA, as evidence by lagging sales for all makers/models at this pricepoint.

By contrast there is a huge market for PDA's in the $200-300 range as evidenced by the historical popularity of the Palm V, Handspring Visors, etc. But sadly it has been years since Palm has given anyone a good reason to upgrade these devices.

Apparently they think we will all jump to buy the newest Tungsten or Treo no matter what the cost. :rolleyes:

I guess it is only a matter of time before Dell eats their lunch, just as it did in the PC market with Compaq, Gateway, etc. Dell's models are still a little pricey, but like PCs they will drop over time and include many more useful features.

They just don't get it at Palm. Which sadden me as I really prefer Palm OS. :(

Is it so hard for me to want a cell phone (flip phone, very small) with Palm OS, have a 100 GB hard disk, 5MP video camera that shoots also video, infrared, CF slot, bluetooth, wifi, MP3 player and it costs around $100 :rolleyes:

:p

That thing will never make it

For not much more money at all I can get a brand new laptop with wireless and the rest. I can synch it with my current palm when I want to carry a palm around.

two better detailed reviews of the lifedrive

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/palmone-LifeDrive.htm

http://www.bargainpda.com/default.asp?newsID=2525&review=palmOne+LifeDrive

I'm a Palm and PalmOS fan, so maybe I'm biased in thinking that it looks pretty good (at least compared to my now three-generations-old Tungsten T). My other impressions after seeing their website:

Is it an actual (mechanical) hard drive? ... puts something with moving parts into something so small that is prone to being dropped at least once or twice? Why not just put 4 GB of NVRAM?
Width and height are pretty much the same as the opened up Tungsten, but it's so thick!
Will battery life suck as badly as it does on my Tungsten and will it do stupid things like let the battery run down to nothing very quickly if you leave BT on or have the little flashing appointment reminder thing in the corner going?

FewMiles..