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OuterNotes Gadget Reviews: PDAs and Accessories
http://www.poewar.com/articles/pda.htm Articles like "Handheld Writing: Using a PDA to Improve Your Productivity" illustrate why John Hewitt's Writer's Resource Site remains a stellar writer's site. Mr. Hewitt quickly and clearly details how his Palm OS-powered Handspring Visor eases contact and e-mail management, research and note-taking. And while he calls his PDA the "best tool for writers since the word processor and the Internet," he does allow that it's still better to jot down flashes of inspiration rather than write entire articles on them. There's also basic information on two other alternatives, the Palm IIIc Handheld (which also runs Palm OS), and the Windows CE-powered Compaq Aero 1550. Having used both OSes myself, I'll add that for now, the Palm devices' lower initial costs and more freeware -- especially that which converts native Microsoft files -- make them a better buy for anyone looking to buy a new PDA or upgrade an older model. --Sudeep Arya MSNBC Writer Chucks Laptop for iPAQ in Paris http://www.msnbc.com/news/503877.asp "Leave your laptop behind," Gary Krakow, MSNBC's resident gadget reviewer, urged road warriors, and to prove it, he recently set out for Paris armed only with his trusty Compaq iPAQ. Although only 5.1 inches by 3.3 inches by 0.6 inches and weighing only six ounces, the iPAQ H3630 packs a 32-bit, 206- MHz Intel StrongARM processor, 32 MB of RAM and 16MB of ROM; with it Krakow was still able to surf the Web while simultaneously streaming live audio from MSNBC, downloading e-mail, connecting to his office and enjoying the view of the Eiffel Tower! If you're one of the lucky few who have put off buying a PDA, you're going to enjoy this review; others will be wishing for a way to trade-in their current handheld for this $499.00-dollar gem. --Max Kovins ZDNet Gives the Palm VII a Thumbs Up... http://www.zdnet.com/special/wireless/stories/pipreviews/0,11471,69521,00.html Can't get a handle on the number of competing Palm devices out there? ZDNet rates this $450.00 model as the best out-of-box, easy-to-use wireless connectivity currently available. Radio-powered Internet access via the BellSouth network lets you quickly access e-commerce sites and check POP3, IMAP4, and Hotmail e-mail accounts through its Web-clipping feature. --Peggy LeTrent ...And Finds a Stylish, Stylus-less Alternative http://www.zdnet.com/special/wireless/stories/pipreviews/0,11471,70609,00.html If styli aren't your style, this gadget's 4.5 MB of onboard memory allows high-powered wireless paging, messaging, e-mail, and Internet query services from a 1.2" x 3.75" x 2.8" package with a small QWERTY keyboard. A combination charger/infrared receiver connects to your main PC, and the included TrueSync Software package allows connection with Palm organizers, Windows CE devices and Yahoo's Internet-based Calendar and Address Book. Paging, e-mail and voice mail requires two-way service with Skytel, PageMart or Office Depot, but the impressive feature list makes this $350.00 device worth a view before your spring for a Palm-type organizer. --Peggy LeTrent A Portable Keyboard for Your Palm Devices http://www.thinkoutside.com Folded up, Thinkoutside's Stowaway measures a pocket-sized 3.6"x5.1"x.8" -- but can be quickly opened up into a notebook computer-sized 13.8"-wide keyboard that connects to your hotsynch port and draws power directly from you PDA (you can view a RealVideo, WindowsMedia, or Macromedia demonstrations on the site if you don't believe us). While this $100.00 gem lacks the best tactile response, it has garnered a coveted PC Magazine Technical Excellence Award -- and is sure to be a hit this holiday season. --Peggy LeTrent The Qbe Tablet Crosses Desktop with a PDA... http://sysopt.earthweb.com/reviews/qbe/index.html If Moses had had Acquess Technology's Qbe Tablet, we'd have more than ten commandments! At 14" x 10" x 1.6", the Qbe (pronounced "cube") Computing Tablet is a little larger than a legal pad, but can hold and do quite a lot more. With Windows 98, 96MB of RAM, an Intel Celeron 400 MHz or Pentium II 400 MHz Processor and a 6.4 GB or 10 GB ATA/33 Hard Disk Drive, you truly have the power of a desktop in your hands. The flat-screen display offers touch screen capability (the on-screen keyboard can be activated by stylus or finger), voice command and text input and handwriting recognition; an external keyboard and mouse is also included. Other accessories include a 56kps modem, an Ethernet link, a 24X CD-ROM, a FireWire port, a built-in 270-pixel resolution digital camera that allows for video conferencing, and a magnetic Smart Card reader. But even with the two-hour lithium-ion battery, running the Qbe at full steam ahead will run it out of steam in about an hour. And at a price ranging from $2,995 to $4,495, depending on configuration, it makes the C-Pen look like a bargain. Still, it's an ambitious piece of technology, and reviewer Robert Richmond does a masterful job of noting its innovations and impracticalities. --Max Kovins [Editor's OuterNote: Although we don't usually review technology sites, I've watched the System Optimization Site this review was taken from grow from a few very practical blue links -- they helped me rebuild many a PC -- into a stellar content site. It should be your first choice when you're favorite tech isn't handy.] ...And IBM Seems To Have Done It Even Better http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2673916,00.htm Finally, a notebook computer that combines the best of both worlds! The TransNote from IBM gives you a mini-ThinkPad notebook and a fold-out "ThinkScribe" scribble pad that will translate and record all of the notes you write on paper directly to the PC. Thanks to transceivers beneath the pad that actually track the movement of the pen, the handwriting-recognition technology will transmit your written information into a text file. The entire $3,000-package comes wrapped in a portfolio-like cover that let you use the paper pad or the notebook itself (which packs a 600MHz Pentium III chip from Intel, a 10.4-inch touch screen, 64MB of RAM and a 10GB hard drive) individually or in tandem. --Max Kovins ZDNet: Microsoft's PC Tablet's a Bitter Pill http://www.zdnet.com/special/stories/comdex/0,12245,2653505,00.html ZDNet writer David Coursey takes takes Bill Gates to task in this scathing essay on why using Microsoft's recently unveiled PC Tablet is biting off more than we can -- or need to -- chew. Coursey criticizes the Tablet's bulky 8"x 11 x 2" dimensions, its two-pound weight, its overlarge screen, and the still-unresolved bugs lurking in the works. He argues instead for including voice recognition in lieu of handwriting recognition and keying on more compact, Palm device-sized tools. --Max Kovins OuterNotes is produced using the OuterForce Platform, which allows publishers to easily recruit and manage remote and freelance content creation and export it into their publishing platform of choice. For more information, see http://www.outerforce.com. Copyright 2000 by OuterNotes and Trotta Media, Inc. All rights reserved. OuterNotes is a trademark of OuterForce Systems, Inc. Return to OuterNotes Home |