Technology pda confusion

[deleted59964]

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here's what i'm deciding between

dell x51v - fastest, best screen, most expensive
palm t|x - pretty fast, plays nicest with mac, 2nd best screen
hp ipaq rx1950 - slowest, smallest, lightest, cheapest

expected use : crutch in clinical years😳

epocrates
dictionary
antibiotic guidlelines
clinical medicine guidelines
... medical stuff, dont want music/games etc. but wifi is important

i was thinking the better screen would be good for looking at diagrams, flow charts, and anatomy images

any advice?

 

[deleted87716]

Palm.

Using your criteria, it's not the most expensive, nor is it the cheapest; it's fast enough for you; and it plays nicest with your Mac (the Palm OS is also more "Mac-like" than WinMob, which you'll likely find appealing.)

 

[emeddo]

I love my palm TX

 

[Hodad]

Harrison's too for iSilo.

And my Palm TX is my best friend.

 

[southerndoc]

I love my palm TX

My T5 is pretty buggy and can be slow with PEPID and ePocrates re-sync'd, but I still love it. Hopefully the TX is more stable.

When is Palm releasing a new PDA? It's LONG overdue!

 

[deleted59964]

both the top range dell and the palm t|x have been around for ages. (last update to the dell was minor) - no doubt they will be updated the week after i buy.🙄

thanks for the advice everyone... T

I still dont know whether I should just make it easy and get a palm that works nicely with mac OS, because i'm tempted by the vga dell, and I can probably get around the compatability issues using crossover/parallels/ or if absolutely necessary - bootcamp.

does anyone have a pda with a vga screen? is it a big advantage? what apps does it make a difference to?

 

[spinosum]

does anyone have a pda with a vga screen? is it a big advantage? what apps does it make a difference to?

Let's put it this way -- once u have tried the VGA screen to read texts like those in iSilo, there is no return to other screens.

I have a Dell x50v, and I can tell u the VGA screen is just superb! If u read a lot on ur PDA, it's better off getting a second hand VGA device.

I also own a Palm TX, and here are some pros and cons for ur reference:

Palm TX
Pros
1. Speedy (almost instantaneous when u execute a program)
2. Simple (for newbies, its the best bet... no hassle with MS environment!)
3. Big and clear screen, with big fonts! Nice to look at, but can't compared to a VGA device
4. Good battery life
5. Light weight and slim form factor

Cons
1. Non-replaceable battery
2. No CF slot
3. Rumor about Palm discontinuing the OS, and changing to Linux

Axim x50v (similar to x51v)
Pros
1. VGA screen (this is the only reason I bought this PDA)
2. MS environment (personal taste!)
3. CF and SD slots (more room for expansion)
4. Changeable battery
5. More and more softwares now for WM OS
6. Can be used as a recorder (not in Palm TX, unless u mod it)

Cons
1. Heavier
2. Sluggish performance (coz of the VGA display)
3. Short battery life

There are of coz more to all that, but just to mention a few here. But afterall, it's ur choice -- ask around a few more friends, and try out their PDAs, u will find the one suits u the most! 🙂

 

[deleted59964]

thanks for your view spinosum, you are in a rare position to critique the tx vs the axim!

do photo's look a lot better on the vga screen too? ... i'm thinking it'd be nice to have a collection of anatomy images i could review when needed during my clinical years.

PS: It's surprising the palm is faster in use, is your dell the 624MHz model??

 

[spinosum]

do photo's look a lot better on the vga screen too? ... i'm thinking it'd be nice to have a collection of anatomy images i could review when needed during my clinical years.

The photos look sharper in my x50v, and the colors are brighter too. But it totally depends on how the photos are taken initially. Most of the time, there is no much difference viewing photos in Palm TX and x50v. They both look good! Afterall, u dont want to have 7MP pictures for all the clinical photos u shoot, and u will then need a 8GB CF card for that! ;P I edit and size down all my pictures, so that I can have more storage space.

What anatomy images are u talking about? U mean to take cadaveric images? Or just images like those in Netter's? I would recommend u to try out Netter Anatomy Flash Card by Medical Wizard --
http://www.medicalwizards.com/client/productdesc.aspx?productid=62
And it is good in both platforms.

PS: It's surprising the palm is faster in use, is your dell the 624MHz model??

Yeah, my dell is running at that speed. And another thing, u cant use Skype in a Palm at the moment! 🙂

 

[DOctorJay]

get a treo

 

[southerndoc]

get a treo

Some of us are anti-Treo because we hate smartphones. Battery life sucks on most Treos.

I like my Moto RAZR. Fits in my pocket very easily. I have my PDA because it has a larger screen, is faster, has more memory, and doesn't have the keyboard (I hate the keyboards on Treos - I know, most people love them).

 

[DOctorJay]

my treo 650 battery lasts longer than ANY cell phone I've ever owned. the 680 will have less battery power when it comes out however.

I used to think the smartphones were clunky and pointless, now I have one, and will not switch back! I do like the T/X though and would have bought that if I didn't go with the treo.

J

 

[emeddo]

My uncle is a developer for Palm and he says all their focus right now is smart phones and they have little plans for future PDAs without that technology.

 

[southerndoc]

My uncle is a developer for Palm and he says all their focus right now is smart phones and they have little plans for future PDAs without that technology.

We gather since Palm has yet to release a new PDA.

That's OK. Palm is looking to be a doomed company anyhow according to many analysts. Since abandoning their niche with PalmOS and migrating to Windows Mobile, there is less incentive to buy their products. As a consequence, more people are looking at other Windows Mobile devices, such as HP. Many companies are in the final stages of testing for their own smartphones, which will be a big damper in Palm's smartphone sales.

So, Palm has essentially shot itself in the foot and within 5 years will likely be folded.

 

[deleted59964]

re treo
i never really considered a treo, i have a nice small phone and dont want to have to carry my pda when all i want is my phone - and vice versa - convergence of phone and pda just isnt what i'm after - though i'm sure they are great for many people.

Re images
yeah i plan on having a mix of dissection photos and netter - with the resolution optimized for the pda (allowing a bit of zooming).

re dell vs palm
i had another look at the tx and at a friend's dell x51v, the resolution on the dell looks nice - but i found a deal on a palm that was $100 off and included a leather case - that was enough to sway me.

i think i would have been happy with either - they are both very impressive compared to pda's i'd seen a few years ago. Despite the dell's better resolution, in the end i liked the size of the palm's screen and it seemed noticeably less bulky. And i dont have to work around the hassle of win mobile software not being available for mac (eg epocrates).

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

 

[deleted87716]

my treo 650 battery lasts longer than ANY cell phone I've ever owned.

Agree. I've never had any battery-life issues with my 650.

 

[Shroom]

So, Palm has essentially shot itself in the foot and within 5 years will likely be folded.

I heard the same thing... 5 years ago.

 

[southerndoc]

I heard the same thing... 5 years ago.

Not from business analysts though.

 

[deleted87716]

Not from business analysts though.

"Business analysts" have been predicting Palm's imminent demise since practically the beginning, rather like Apple.

Palm is working on a new version of the Palm OS based on Linux. Once this is available, I would expect new hardware announcements. Meanwhile, they're not totally standing still...they announced the Garnet-based Treo 680 about a month ago: http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo680/index.html?sssdmh=dm13.119752

 

[southerndoc]

Palm is working on a new version of the Palm OS based on Linux. Once this is available, I would expect new hardware announcements. Meanwhile, they're not totally standing still...they announced the Garnet-based Treo 680 about a month ago: http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo680/index.html?sssdmh=dm13.119752

Palm isn't. ACCESS (they insist on capitalization of all letters in their company name) is working on the new ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP).

Palm stated it's interested in ALP, but hasn't confirmed yet they are going to incorporate it.

It looks like Palm is becoming another Microsoft slave and will be catering primarily to the Windows Mobile, Windows CE, Pocket PC, or whatever name du jour is in favor.

 

[deleted87716]

Palm isn't. ACCESS (they insist on capitalization of all letters in their company name) is working on the new ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP).

Of course. But the fact that a replacement for the aging Palm OS is in the works is the important point.

Palm stated it's interested in ALP, but hasn't confirmed yet they are going to incorporate it.

Well, of course they haven't. They're a hardware vendor...why shouldn't they hedge their bets?

It looks like Palm is becoming another Microsoft slave and will be catering primarily to the Windows Mobile, Windows CE, Pocket PC, or whatever name du jour is in favor.

They have one product running Windows Mobile, and it's available in a Palm OS version, as well. That hardly makes them Microsoft's "slave."

 

[southerndoc]

Of course. But the fact that a replacement for the aging Palm OS is in the works is the important point.



Well, of course they haven't. They're a hardware vendor...why shouldn't they hedge their bets?



They have one product running Windows Mobile, and it's available in a Palm OS version, as well. That hardly makes them Microsoft's "slave."

Sorry, for some reason I thought the 680 was offered with Windows Mobile.

 

[deleted87716]

Sorry, for some reason I thought the 680 was offered with Windows Mobile.

Not according to the specs page...it runs Palm OS® 5.4.9.

There may be a 680w in the works, who knows? 😉

 

[TexasBoy]

*deleted* accident

 

[deleted77919]

get a treo

I rather like the treo, and will need a new phone about the same time I need to get a PDA (before MSIII). However, I need wifi and there aren't any good wifi solutions for the treo. Why can't they just include wifi? Oh, right, because then cell phone companies would have a harder time pushing things like EVDO. I don't need EVDO. I do need wifi. Grr . . .