I want a small, wifi connected PDA.
The ideal machine has
1) good wifi
2) email client and off-line email writing/reading facility
3) full feature web browser preferably running Flash (and Air?)
4) calendar that syncs with Brookes Oracle & my MacBook Pro preferably through the Oracle Calendar client (iCal does not cut it – too many intermediate steps afaics)
5) Twitter client
6) external keyboard capability, probably through Bluetooth
7) MP3 Player that syncs with iTunes
8) Photo viewer that syncs with iPhoto
9) “enough” storage (I have 17 Gig of music)
10) audio recording facility
Oh, and fits in a pocket.
I do not really need a document editor or spreadsheet, but viewing doc/docx, ppt, xls/xlsx would be handy
Bluetooth would be nice (see keyboard, above) especially if it enabled the occasional use of a 3G phone for connectivity when there is no wifi
I don’t really want another phone, particularly one tied to a particular network. I don’t want another camera. I am happy with the phone & camera on my SE c902.
I have considered:
– iPod Touch
– HP iPaq 214
– HTC Touch Pro
– SonyEricsson Experia
– various net books
It seems that the iPod Touch has: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and maybe 10
The fact that there is no Flash client for Safari on the Touch means sites like YouTube and SlideShare need their own,separate player and any site that embeds these things won’t play them. Mozilla is not, apparently planning to release Firefox for the iPod Touch/iPhone platform.
iCal is a right old hound. Fine (sort of) if all you have is your own Mac and Touch and a MoblieMe account but sync with owt else, forget it, and it is buggy as @£$%^&
That the iPod Touch/iPhone don’t have Bluetooth just seems mean. A keyboard like the iGo would be perfect for actually writing something like this.
The Windows Pocket PC Machines appear to have 1, 2, maybe 3, maybe 4, 5, 6, 7. They are all let down by lack of storage. I like podcasts.
Windows net books have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9. Unix netbooks don’t do the calendar. And netbooks don’t really fit in a pocket. But the Dell Vostro A90 with 8.9″ screen at £199 is pretty close. I’d just need to carry a small clutch 😉
Interestingly the SE c902 nearly does all the above. If I could connect a keyboard to that phone to write emails I’d probably have what I wanted. It syncs fine with Oracle Calendar, OK no wifi, but 3G, HSDP & WAP. Form factor is a bit titchy but Java is good and Opera is an OK browser. No Flash, admittedly. If I could drive it with all fingers, that’d be great.
Guess I’ll keep waiting for Xmas.
rWorld2 