Are PDA's worth it?

[Illah]

Hi Guys,

I was thinking of getting an MP3 player when I noticed that mid to low end PDA's are priced similarly. With a 128MB mem-stick I could hold a decent amount of MP3's on there, AND have the added bonus of a PDA.

Then I started noticing the Cell, PDA, MP3 player combos like the Treo 600 from Handspring...nice!

So then I started thinking, is this really useful, or is it excessive gadgetry

So for you owners of PDA's, are they useful? I'm a busy guy, but so far I've been able to manage. Does a PDA really make much of a difference? I honestly don't think I need one, but considering the price is so close to a regular MP3 player I don't mind sacraficing some storage to have some good features. After all I don't need 25 hours of music on a 20GB MP3 player...what, am I going to be riding the train downtown THAT long?

Thanks,

--Illah

 

[Subaru]

Well, I got a Motorola MPX200 smartphone, and I think that this phone is good enough. For a price of $200-300 (on ebay), you can get one of these nice flip phone, with a memory slot. Lucky for me, I got the sandisk 512mb deal back then for $90. These phone are great and the capacity is good enough because I'm not interested into the 5+gb of storage.

I'm happy with 512mb for mp3. Also, they even have window media player so you can watch movies if you put it in there, and I have to say the screen is great but it's too small for the movies.

Well, it's took me a while to look around but I ended up with this phone.

 

[Illah]

Wow, that one looks nice! Never looked into those. I like that it's small, I don't want to be loaded with hardware everywhere I go.

--Illah

 

[Supchaka]

I've had lots of those gadgets... the novelty wears off after awhile and you dont use them anymore. I've owned like 3 different PDA's, 5 different digital cameras, and 4 different mp3 players. I usually end up selling them after a couple months.

Hell, just today I picked up a 128mb MP3 player out of impulse... I played with it for 30 minutes, and said, what the hell am I doing? I already returned it.

 

[PhoenixMDM]

I have a Sharp Zaurus SL-5500. It's a cool thing to play with, can be handy testing wireless networks and stuff, but I never use the PDA functions of it. Occassionally I use the built in MP3 player, but usually i just use my MP3-CD player, since the PDA eats batteries for breakfast.

Like the last guy said, the novelty wears off those all-in-ones quickly.

 

[eab]

I got a palm IIIc. Now it dosn't play music but you asked for my opion on PDAs. I like mine. I have started puting my contacts on it as I don't own a cell phone. I put my school secdul on it and can look to make sure I am not busy when I am planing something. The thing I use it for most is reading ebooks. Books I got off gunteberg project website or kazaa ( I already own the books) I also you can play some ok games. With the newer palms though you can play some really good games. I am disapointed with the battery life though. For mine if I get two days of average use I am doing good. I personly prefer devices that run on disposibal AA or AAA. Thats just me though.

 

[Subaru]

That's why everyone should ge something that integrated in every-day uses. Like me, I know that I will not get bored of my phone for a while but it will last for a while because I need to use the phone functions. But it's always cool to have the other functions around and the mp3 one is a totally hot functions for riding the train.

The best part of this phone is, you can listen to mp3 and when a call comes in, you can switch over with a button on the headset to answer it and when you're done, you'll just press the button to switch back. How nice is that?

 

[Deathknight]

Well many, myself including, think PDAs are indespensible. I was carrying my PDA with me everywhere I went, but when I started carrying my cell phone everywhere is when I decided it was too much to carry. I have been using a treo 180 for the past year and I love it though.

Its amazing how you can grow to depend on a PDA. Phone #s, addresses, directions to people's houses are only the begining. You can get some amazing software for PDAs, that makes life even easier. Around xmas time I love having wish lists for all the people I need to shop for all in my PDA. For that rare occasion I don't buy stuff online its all right here at my disposal.

Converged devices like the treo are awesome because you are more likely to use the features when they are all combined into 1 gadget that you always have on you.

 

[specific]

I just posted my Zire71 for sale in the 'fieds.

why?

Because I can't use it at work. That's was my main reason to buy it, then i was informed of the stupid rule. It's to prevent theft of accessories by employees, and i can't do anything about it.

I like it, though. I know i'll get another. This time, a phone/pda, when T-mobile adopts a better one.

 

[skab]

I got a PalmIIIc two years ago, will never be without it, over 400 POC's with phone #'s, addys, two years of daily diaries so far, 50 different memos, sync with my desktop and my notebook. I looked at some of the phone combo's but my company pays for my cell so what they get is what I get. I love being able to just write what I want to put in, Thniking I might try handheld PC and maybe leave my notebook at home next. By the way I run a road construction crew and am usualy over 200 miles away from home, no music function so a charge lasts for 2-3 days.

 

[attack]

Very interesting thread, keep the comments rolling people...especialy info about the handspring treo 600. In the past I've dismissed a PDA as novelty gadget that wouldn't be usefull at all. But the more and more I think about it, the cell phone integration is ideal. I do carry a cell phone religously so if everything were integrated I'd be pumped. Only thing keeping me from the treo 600 is the 450 price tag....maybe if it was 200 I'd splurge, but as always I'll just have to "wait"

 

[specific]

The phone combo is what i'm after, too. I need one with Bluetooth, WiFi, camera, mp3 playback, flash card mem expansion............... is this asking too much?

 

[CalsonicGTR]

As in my sig, I have an iPaq 1940 that I recieved for a birthday gift. It had been indispensible to me. I am not the most organized person in the world, and this device has helped me lots. Plus, its a great MP3/Game Player, although it's standard memory is kinda smallUnfortunately, the screens arent strong enough, since I have managed to break my screen twice

 

[Subaru]

The phone combo is what i'm after, too. I need one with Bluetooth, WiFi, camera, mp3 playback, flash card mem expansion............... is this asking too much?

Well you can try the SOny P800 or P900. These things cost alot but they have all the options you had asked for!

Also, look into the Samsung i600 and Nec 525.

 

[Crash893]

personly i think that they arent were they need to be yet

in like 1 2 years they will be but right now they seem to do 3-4 things half ***'ed

the only problems i see though with getting pda as a mp3 player would be

1) storaeg
2) battry life ( its running alot mroe like a beefer cpu and a better screen
3) easy to use ( pda will undboutly throw some complication in there for you)

 

[Top Hat Theater]

I've owned a Palm m505 since it was introduced and I can't imagine living without it now. The software you install on your computer makes it easy to enter new events and update your To Do lists. The lists and whatnot you generate can be printed off in a hard copy form too with just a couple of clicks. Battery life is pretty good too as I've run mine without charging it for a week (not continuously on, of course).

~THT

 

[specific]

Well you can try the SOny P800 or P900. These things cost alot but they have all the options you had asked for!

Also, look into the Samsung i600 and Nec 525.

yes, they cost a lot!!

 

[Illah]

Yeah, the Treo600 is my ideal, my friend has one and it is NICE. That's what got me started with this thread

Still, that motorolla looks good to me. Cheaper and less complex - I don't really play games on them anyway. So Subaru, how's the battery life on that thing? I charge my Samsung daily so as long as it can last that long with all the goodies I don't really care.

--Illah

 

[Subaru]

Battery wise for the motorola for me is 2.5-3hrs but I never even got it to run out because I be home before it even hit the last bar. This is, 1 hour commuting to and back from work, plus phone usage. BUt it's always good to get two charger, I have one at work and one at home.

 

[Subaru]

Also, if you're still interested in the Motorola Phone, Amazon.com have this phone for FREE if you sign up for ATT 2 year contract or $50 with a 1 year contract.

Just check out this fatwallet forum to see how people do it.
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/mes...readid=249400&highlight_key=y&keyword1=mpx200

Or go directly to it:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/wireless/B0000DIXEV//104-6939616-5323943