just a whim about getting a handheld...

just wondering if there was anything that met the basic requirements:

exelent battery life
accepts sd cards
not too expensive (companion to a laptop)
wifi, of course
high resolution is a must (webpage viewing)

note: i dont know anything about handhelds. never owned one, dont know if its for me.

Your best bet on everthing except battery life is the Dell Axim x51v. I had to buy a spare battery so I could swap out on extended road trips.

That's the least expensive 640x480 you can get--I haven't checked prices lately, but I'd guess you can get one with coupons, etc for $320-$370.

If that's too rich for you, you can probably get a decent deal in some forums on a used x50v. The main difference is that the x50v has WM2003SE (older, more stable). The x51v has WM5 (newer, less stable, some software compatibility problems). You can probably get a used x50v by itself for ~$225-$275 depending on condition. If there is a package deal the price will go up from there.

Be careful! I got the PDA, then a screen protector, then a spare battery, then the keyboard, then a case, then a MicroDrive, then a bluetooth GPS with crappy software, then good software--Do you get the idea? They're addictive!

ehh, ill ust avoid it all together untill i have an actual use for one

thanks for the answer though!

I am seriously interested though. As much to function as a portable library as anything else. All the Zelazny and Feist and Chalker books at my immediate beck and call.

You'll want to have a high quality screen and either spare batteries or a long battery life.

Actually, it sounds to me like this thing might be better for you dgk:
http://engadget.com/2006/01/06/sony-reader-details-and-pics/
http://www.cnet.com/4831-11405_1-6412950.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4586800.stm

It sounds to me like they have an innovative solution to the battery life problem--the reader only requires power to flip pages--not to display them. Sounds like an electrified etch-a-sketch to me, but I didn't look into it that closely. Going for something like $400. 6" display is a big deal. The biggest PDA (iPaq 4700) has a 4".