RAD,
...your enthusiasm for handhelds is amazing. I am now the proud owner of a Jordana 548. The $449 deal was pretty good coz they threw in a free $99 Stowaway keyboard. Why did I get the Jordana? - 2 reasons: the Casio was too big to fit in a shirt pocket, and the color IPaq crossed my $500 limit. Anyway, I hope to have this sucker handy at all times. One more question: where did you pick up the airport maps? Did you just go to individual airport websites and download the GIF's? That sounds like a lot of work...

A free stowaway keyboard? DUDE, you SCORED! Way To Go! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

The are lots of people at PalmGear.com that create these things specifically to share with others. On the Palm OS platform, there is a program called FireViewer that displays compressed images. I got LAX, ORD and DEN there. For example, I created tiny lists of UA Red Carpet Clubroom locations for Palm OS and posted them on Palmgear. There have been just over 1,000 downloads so faron PalmGear, and nearly 200 on Handango.com. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

Handango.com does stuff for both Palm OS and Pocket PC. I highy recommend both sites for Palm OS, but don't have much experience with Pocket PC.

Question for you: how does the form factor compare between Palm Vx and the Jordana?

RAD

I'd look at the battery lifetimes for whatever devices you consider. When I bought my pda (about two years ago) the Windows-based devices blew through batteries like there was no tomorrow. I don't know if that is still true or not. I carry my Palm V all week, and charge it up on weekends....I've gone almost two weeks without a recharge. And I don't have to buy batteries for it!

Obviously, I like the Palm, but agree that you should get what fits your needs. Obviously, I also don't feel I urgently need wireless internet, though I've played with it for free on my Sprint cell phone for the last six months (sanyo-4500). I'm not terribly impressed.

Incidentally, I understand Sprint now has a digital cell phone with integral Palm capabilities AND wireless internet. I haven't actually seen one myself yet, but am interested in cutting down the number of devices I carry.....

Mike B. in OKlahoma

You can get the free Stowaway keyboard with any HP 500 series pocketpc at most retailers (compusa, circuit city, hpshopping.com) at least until june 7.

RAD: in terms of form factor, the Jordana is thicker and heavier than a Palm V. However, it is not bulky, and can be carried comfortably. Since it has a scrolling wheel on the side, I can easily read long web pages or documents using just one hand (no need to tab the scrollbar..just use your finger on the wheel). I also found that PocketPC's can be made to change their orientation from portrait to landscape, which is very helpful when editing spreadsheets etc... (obviously the stowaway keyboard can't be used when in landscape mode.)

MikeBinOK: I think the Sprint PCS device you're referring to is the Kyocera phone. It is a wireless phone with a built in Palm handheld. Basically the phone dial is on top, and you can flip the top open to reveal a full Palm V underneath... If you want to check it out, visit kyocera.com or just go to Comp USA . They have those on display.

Although Palm's VII has wireless built in the iPaq offers true flexible wireless solutions. With it's pc-card adapter it offers GSM data, Wireless Lan and many other wireless cards, it's standby time is short but the pc-card adapter has an extra battery built in to power the card. I have been using an iPaq for over a year now and am very happy with it after being a true palm fan (a Vx).

Something I haven't seen mentioned here yet is IR capabilities. Most of the phones in Europe and some in the US have IR data capabilities. What does this mean? You set the phone on the table near your Palm/Wince and it becomes your "modem." I checked email at a London outdoor cafe with a Palm V and Nokia cell phone...no cables, no mess, people at the same table didn't even notice.

Stateside I've done the same thing using a Motorola Timeport, but needed to carry around a tangle of wires. Phones are changing fast and I bet there are more IR phones w/data services cropping up daily.

Not sure how it's done on Wince, but for palm you need the Mobile Internet kit:
http://www.palm.com/software/mik/

WinCe (or PocketPC) does not need extra software for IrDa communications, all of these machines have a "generic IrDa" modem pre-installed.

I love the Ipaq!

I had used a clamshell (full keyboard) Handheld PC and it became an appendage to me.

MY PocketPC (The Compaq Ipaq) is just great! I use it for everything.

Joe.