The PDA Saga

My PDA arrived today. A total of 2 days after I ordered it. Now that's quick. For those who need confirmation of the fact that I'm a nerd, look no further than the fact that this is a big enough event that I've decided I needed to dedicate a backtracked journal entry to it. But really, it was a big thing, having spent so much time shopping for it.

I made a rather hasty decision to buy it. I had been holding out for a PDA/cell phone all-in-one device, but I was getting tired of waiting (it's been a good 9 months wait for Sprint to produce something). Then I saw an article on Tuesday about Sprint committing to a Bluetooth phone over the next month, so I decided what the hell, let's go with a PDA-bluetooth phone combination. I'll get all the same features as the all-in-one device, but additionally I'll get a more powerful and expandable PDA, and I also won't have to lug a PDA around whenever I only need a phone. So, we'll see if I made the right decision as time goes on.

In the meantime, I got a Dell Axim for $250 off the Dell refurbished site. It's a PocketPC, which I chose over Palm mostly for the handwriting recognition software. I was thinking I wanted something with integrated Bluetooth and 802.11 (like an iPaq 5400), but that would have cost me $700 just for the PDA. Instead, I purchased CF cards for Bluetooth and 802.11, which gives my Dell the same functionality for a much cheaper price ($140 for the two cards). And I still have my SD Card slot for extra memory. Just for kicks, I also added a GPS receiver for $170. I've already been testing it, and I like it a lot. Pretty accurate, and I love the voice directions (turn right here...).

So now I'm learning how to use my PDA and adding all sorts of software. It'll probably take me a little while to get everything on there. But it's going to be sweet—handwriting recognition so I can jot down poems anywhere; games (lots of free things, plus SimCity 2000 and Age of Empires); Nintendo emulator; DOS emulator; Atari emulator; photo albums (goodbye bulky wallet photos); MP3 player (I bought a 256MB card just for MP3s); dictionary; scriptures; and so on. And there's tons of E-books available for it (including the entire Shakespeare library). The GPS stuff will be really nice in London, as well.

Now, if only I had a Bluetooth cell phone.

Posted May 02, 2003 (12:08 PM) | Comments (1)