Selling The Jornada
In case anyone wants to buy an HP Jornada 567 with a Pocket Keyboard and 3 replacement styluses, I’ve got mine up for sale on eBay. You can bid on this one-owner Jornada by clicking here (or at least see what the latest bid is at!).
Personal Commentary About The Toshiba e740
Lately I’ve been seeing a bunch of crap on another Pocket PC website (one with a really good discussion board) and basically people have been dumping on the Toshiba e740 for various reasons. There was a post on this one board where a guy wanted to buy one of the new XScale iPaqs, but had some concerns. Here’s my response (his comments are in italics, my response follows):
1). XScale problems - is it just the Toshiba?
XScale problems? There ARE no XScale problems. These devices are just as fast as the 206 MHz Pocket PCs but just don’t have the benefit of software that has been written to take advantage of the XScale architecture.
2). CF - I am still loathe to think of sleeves. Silver Sliders are pricey.
Get a Toshiba e740. They’re small, fast, have a good screen, and they have both a CF slot and SDIO slot built in. I refuse to buy anything with a sleeve anymore, and I was so irritated with HP/Compaq’s decision to dump the Jornada line that they’ll have to come out with something REALLY impressive before I’ll consider another HP product.
3). Removeable/backup batteries - with backup ‘emergency’ Flash RAM, might not be an issue…
Once again, think about the Toshiba e740. Not only can you buy additional removeable batteries, but one of them is a 2500 mah battery that can really extend the operating time of the device. The extended capacity battery does make it a bit thicker, so if you’re not a fan of weight you can just buy a bunch of the standard removable battery packs and pop ‘em in as needed. One more thing, the e740 has a built-in backup battery than will retain settings, etc… for a while if you do happen to drain the battery pack and don’t have a spare.
4). Price - WTF is Compaq thinking? $750 for any PDA is nuts. I could almost see $650 for the wireless and $599 or $550 for the 3950, but DAMN these are overpriced. The cheapest I’ve found a 3950 for on the net is $623, and they’re not in stock.
Advantage, Toshiba e740. Are you beginning to see a trend here? I got mine for $569 on the web and that includes 802.11b wireless and two slots. If you buy that overpriced HP iPaq you’re still going to need to buy a sleeve and a CF 802.11b card unless you’re hot for Bluetooth. The standard sleeve will run you about $40 and a good low power CF 802.11b card will set you back about $140, so on top of that expensive iPaq, you’re going to have to spend a LOT more money.
5). Quality - are the bugs fixed, yet? I’ve seen some scary reports on the 3800 series with SD speed and more.
No comment. Just note that I haven’t seen any “screen dust” in my e740 like I did with my original iPaq H3650 and my HP Jornada 567.
I frankly have no idea why some people have been so openly hostile towards the Toshiba e740 or even the e310. They’re both damned good Pocket PCs! Once Microsoft and the software developers come out with a patch and/or new software that takes advantage of the XScale chip and the ATI Imageon video chip, the e740 is going to look even more impressive.
Press Release: Bachmann Software and Anycom Announce Bluetooth Printing Solution for Palm OS Devices
NEW YORK (June 26, 2002)–Today, Bachmann Software and Anycom, Inc. announced that Bachmann’s Bluetooth-enabled PrintBoy Anywhere software will be available with Anycom’s Bluetooth printer module. PrintBoy Anywhere allows Palm OS users to wirelessly print their data via Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows devices to communicate without the encumbrance of cables. As the leading producer of Bluetooth data products, Anycom markets a Bluetooth printer adapter that allows users to upgrade a parallel-based printer to be Bluetooth-compatible. The combination of Anycom’s print adapter and PrintBoy Anywhere will provide Palm OS users equipped with Bluetooth-enabled handhelds to easily print their information to read, share or exchange.
“After recently announcing our new PM-2002 printer module, we are pleased to partner with Bachman Software to distribute their new PrintBoy Anywhere software enabling Palm OS device users to print to any parallel printer,” said Tom Pocsics, Anycom, Inc.’s president.
“As the first company to demonstrate Bluetooth printing from a Palm OS device, we are very excited to have established such a strategic distribution partner in Anycom,” said Dan Reuvers, Bachmann Software’s vice president of business development. “We expect this agreement to be an ideal means of getting our solution to the people that need it.”
A free trial version of PrintBoy Anywhere software will be distributed with each of Anycom’s Bluetooth printer modules. PrintBoy Anywhere will also be available for sale from Anycom, with an expected MSRP of $39.99 each. PrintBoy Anywhere is available at www.anycom.com, or www.bachmannsoftware.com. Current users of PrintBoy Deluxe may upgrade to PrintBoy Anywhere (including Bluetooth and network printing support) for $14.99 at Bachmann Software’s website.
About Bachmann Software & Services
Bachmann Software & Services is a leading provider of software products and development services for handheld computing and wireless applications. Based in Sparta, N.J., the company primarily develops applications for the Palm OS platform. Its premier products include PrintBoy Developer Kit, which provides a standard text and graphics printing engine that can be used by virtually any Palm OS application, and PrintBoy, a suite of applets that allows users to wirelessly print highly readable output of most information stored on a Palm OS based device. Bachmann also produces the InfraReady adapter, designed to convert virtually any printer’s parallel port to accept an infrared beam. The company’s newest product line, FilePoint, extends many of the “Windows-style” file management conveniences to Palm Powered devices that desktop users have long enjoyed.
Bachmann has also been a leading contributor to the overall Palm Economy by producing over 50 products on the platform. The company has been engaged by many Fortune 500 companies to develop mobile computing solutions. The company’s president, Glenn Bachmann is also the author of the book, “Palm Programming; The Authoritative Solution,” published in 1999.
For more information, visit www.bachmannsoftware.com.
About Anycom, Inc.
Anycom is leading the world in Bluetooth wireless technology solutions by having released the first compact flash card, the first printer module, having had the largest Bluetooth infrastructure deployment, having the world’s first true early adopter customer, and having the first Bluetooth distribution application deployment. Anycom is the only company fully dedicated to Bluetooth and the only company with a full line of Bluetooth products guaranteeing compatibility and connectivity for any device you have.
Sony PEG-T665C Announced!
Sony announced the newest of the PalmOS based Clie line of multimedia PDAs, the Clie PEG-T665C. This is a very THIN unit (.5 inch thick!) that is powered by a 66 MHz Dragonball CPU, with 16MB of RAM, a 320 x 320 x 16-bit display, MP3 playback capabilities, a Lithium Polymer battery and (of course) a Memory Stick Slot. The PEG-T665C is expected to sell for around $400, and you can pre-order one from www.sonystyle.com. Sony has finally gotten on the thumb keyboard bandwagon, announcing the PEGA-KB20 as well.
At this point in time, Sony is the premier PalmOS PDA manufacturer. They’re doing things with the Dragonball CPU and PalmOS 4.1 that Palm and Handspring would never dream of. The NR-70 series is almost enough to make me break down and buy one, and with this new low-priced unit (my guess is that they’re competing directly with the Toshiba e310) they could give the Pocket PC market a run for the money!
Press Release: Kyocera Wireless Corp. Extends Converged Device Leadership with the Kyocera 7135 smartphone
Palm Powered? communicator adds features including high-speed data, color screen, an expansion card slot, MP3 player, and A-GPS
June 2002 (Newstream) — Kyocera Wireless Corp. on June 24 announced the Kyocera 7135 smartphone, the widely anticipated successor to its critically acclaimed QCP? 6035 smartphone. The Kyocera 7135 features a small, lightweight clamshell design and CDMA2000 1X technology that enables data speeds of up to 153 kbps. The Kyocera 7135 also offers a high-resolution screen with 65,000 colors, Assisted GPS (A-GPS) technology, and an expansion card slot compatible with both MultiMediaCard? (MMC) and SD? card standards, allowing users to add memory, specialized applications or accessories. An onboard MP3 player lets users download and listen to songs in CD-quality stereo sound, while a separate external display allows for caller-ID while the phone is “closed.”
The Kyocera 7135 also incorporates a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, silent vibrating alert, two-way SMS text messaging, Eudora? email, and three modes of Web access (HTML, Web Clipping and WAP). The numeric keypad allows easy, one-touch access to contact and calendar data as well as messages or the web. Featuring Palm OS? v4.1 and 16MB of on-board memory, the Kyocera 7135 offers the complete functionality of a Palm? organizer and supports thousands of applications written for the Palm OS platform.
“The Kyocera 7135 sets a new standard in the converged device category, a category that Kyocera pioneered with the release of our QCP 6035 last year,” said Skip Speaks, president and chief operating officer at Kyocera Wireless Corp. “The refinements and unique features available in the Kyocera 7135 come at a perfect time to harness the great potential of new high-speed third-generation wireless networks. For consumers and enterprises alike, the Kyocera 7135 is the right tool to stay connected, entertained and organized.”
“The Kyocera QCP 6035 was truly a ground breaking product for customers and carriers alike. The arrival of the new Kyocera 7135, with its revolutionary new data capabilities, will significantly broaden its appeal,” said David Nagel, CEO of PalmSource, Inc., the maker of the Palm OS. “The new 7135 smartphone fully demonstrates how the open flexible nature of the Palm OS can provide solutions that solve real communications needs.”
The Kyocera 7135 features the familiar Palm applications launcher, with Smart Keys? for the Address Book, Date Book, Messages, and Web browser. The convenient Tap-n-Dial feature allows automatic dialing of contacts directly from the Address Book. HotSync? technology lets users synchronize information between the smartphone and a personal computer via a USB or serial connection. The smartphone also has an infrared (IR) data port at the top of the phone, for rapid beaming of information to other IR-enabled devices.
“Converged devices are capturing the resources from a growing number of device vendors as well as the growing interest from consumers and mobile professionals,” said Kevin Burden, program manager of IDC’s smart handheld devices research. “It will take a carefully engineered product — one that combines speed, power and expandability without sacrificing style or price — to be a leader in today’s rapidly evolving convergence market.”
The Kyocera 7135 is a trimode Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless phone, operating on CDMA PCS (1900 MHz), CDMA cellular (800 MHz) and analog cellular networks. The device measures approximately 3.97 in. x 2.43 in. x 1.17 in. (100.8 mm. x 61.6 mm. 29.7 mm.) and weighs approximately 6.6 ounces (186 grams). A user-replaceable standard lithium (Li-Ion) ion battery provides up to 3.5 hours of talk time and up to 160 hours of standby time in digital mode. Commercial availability of the Kyocera 7135 smartphone is expected in the fourth quarter of 2002, as leading North American carriers complete their rollouts of CDMA2000 1X networks.
The Kyocera 7135 for the Enterprise
The Kyocera 7135 is a highly capable platform for enterprise applications due to its CDMA2000 1X data capabilities and expandable memory. The phone supports browsers with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to provide security for confidential data, ideal for enterprise information management, mobile workers and m-commerce. Users also can access corporate or personal email accounts using the integrated Eudora email client. The Kyocera 7135 also acts as a wireless modem to provide data/fax capabilities for personal computers using a serial data cable.
About Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc., which acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated’s CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000. Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA handsets and accessories for customers worldwide. Based in San Diego, the company is ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified and has won city, state and federal awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling practices. For more information, please visit the Kyocera Wireless Corp. web site at http://www.kyocera-wireless.com.
About Kyocera Corp.
Kyocera Corporation, the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2002, Kyocera Corporation’s consolidated net sales totaled US$7.78 billion (JPY 1,034,574 million) with net income of US$240.25 million (JPY 31,953 million).
Kyocera is a registered trademark of Kyocera Corporation. QCP is a trademark of Kyocera Wireless Corp. Eudora is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Palm OS and HotSync are registered trademarks and Palm and Palm Powered are trademarks of Palm Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.
Like Linux? Get Yourself A Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 Cheap!
Several readers wrote me e-mails to pass along the information that BestBuy has reduced the price on the Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 Linux PDA to $399 - a drop of $200. This type of discounting usually indicates that one of two things is happening; one, the product might not be selling well and they’re yanking it from the shelves, or two, the product is about to be replaced by a newer, better, faster, more capable device. My guess is on the latter, since Sharp has had a model of the SL-5500 with a built-in digital camera on the market in Japan for several months. Anyway, this is a fantastic price on a very nice PDA, and if you’re a Linux user this could be your chance to get a device that features your favorite OS!
HP iPaq H3900 Series Announced
As we anticipated the other day, HP has announced the new iPaq H3900 series Pocket PCs. You can find more information about them by going directly to the HP website here. No word on when the devices will be widely available in retail outlets…
Palm OS 5 News From Last Week
In my hurry to post some information about my new Pocket PC, I neglected to provide news about PalmOS 5 that came out last week.
To start out with, everyone’s probably very interested in when they’ll start seeing XScale-powered PalmOS 5 devices. We’re not sure, but a recently announced agreement between Palm and Taiwanese manufacturer Asustek may provide some details. Palm has contracted with Asustek to build 200,000 devices based on the XScale chip and PalmOS 5, but the agreement calls for the devices to be shipped the first quarter of 2003. That means that the PalmOS 5 devices that are supposed to hit the market later this year will probably continue to run the Dragonball processor series, possibly the 66 MHz chip used in the Sony Clie NR-70 series.
The next news has to do with the default browser for OS 5 devices. As you’ll remember, Palm announced a web browser earlier this year that was supposed to ship in April, but it has yet to see the light of day. It now appears that they’re going outside Palm for this software, with Palm announcing a multi-year agreement with Access Systems America to make NetFront 3.0 the core web browser technology for PalmOS 5 devices. NetFront is made up of a set of modules containing Internet mail, a web browser, a PPP driver and a TCP/IP module. The browser includes support for JavaScript, cookies, web printing and multiple languages and there may also be support for plug-ins that provide features such as streaming video and SSL security.
HP XScale iPaqs To Be Announced Tomorrow?
CNET has reported that the new XScale powered iPaqs may be announced as early as tomorrow. For those of you who are iPaq fans, this is big news despite the fact that the current Windows CE OS and all of the included applications are not written to take advantage of the speed of the new CPUs. Expected tomorrow are the H3950 and H3970. These models will be virtually identical, featuring a 400 MHz Intel PXA250 XScale processor, 64 MB of RAM, a 240 x 320 16-bit transflective display, SD slot, built-in (non-replaceable) Lithium Polymer battery, and a new consumer-grade IR port. The 3970 will differ from the 3950 in that it will include built-in Bluetooth. The devices will ship with the usual assortment of built-in and add-on software, with one new addition - remote control software from Universal Electronics that will let you use your iPaq as a “universal remote” for all of your home theater gadgetry.
Pricing is going to be much higher on these devices, which is a mystery to me since they don’t even include a CF sleeve or built-in CF port. It is expected that suggested retail on the 3950 will be $649, while the 3970 will top the iPaq price list at $749. Sorry, but I think HP is starting to price themselves out of the Pocket PC market. Considering that I just bought a Toshiba e740 for $569 with the same processor, same memory, a replaceable battery, and built-in CF Type II and SD slots, I’m wondering if HP is trying to cash in on the iPaq’s popularity by taking consumers for as much as they can.
More First Impressions About The Toshiba e740
I’ve had a few hours now to play and work with my new Toshiba e740, and so I decided it’s a good time to post some more first impressions about how the device operates, looks, feels, etc… Not only that, it’s lunchtime, I’m at work, and I don’t want to work through my lunch!
* I’m not thrilled about the crappy little slipcase that Toshiba provides, but it will protect the device until I get a real case. At least they provide a slipcase; some of the manufacturers don’t even go that far any more!
*It feels good in my hand. I read a lot of eBooks on the way to and from work, and so I’m constantly holding the device in one hand. I couldn’t do this with my iPaq or old Jornada 540 series Pocket PC. The Jornada 567 was a lot more comfortable, and the e740 ranks right up there with it. It even has plastic inserts on either side of the device that are rougher than the polished metal case, so it’s fairly easy to grip - not as easy as the Jornada, but close.
*The wireless networking works great! It took me no time at all to get connected. I just turned on the device, went to the Wireless Utility, then had it scan for my access point. Within a few seconds it returned some information and showed that I had medium signal strength, and I was immediately able to open Pocket IE and look at stuff. I also fired up MSN Messenger and chatted with my wife for a few minutes; that was cool. Did you know that you can set up a peer-to-peer “Ad Hoc” network with two or more of these devices? Cool!
*I’m not sure how good the battery life is going to be. So far, I’ve charged the device up, done about a half hour of wireless work, done two IR syncs, read an eBook for 30 minutes on the way into the office, and looked at my calendar a few times, and the battery is down to about 70% capacity.
*The screen is beautiful. It’s bright, it has good contrast, and seems even more readable than my Jornada screen. However, it doesn’t look like there is an ambient light detector on the device, so it has no way of knowing when it can shut down the “front light” - that could hurt battery life.
*USB sync seems much faster than on the Jornada. Don’t know why, but it just flies through the sync.
*The device slides very easily into the sync cradle and mates right up to the USB connector in the bottom of the cradle. One slight problem, though - several times when I’ve gone to pull the e740 out of the cradle by the top of the device, I’ve accidentally shut off the power as the on/off switch is located on the top. Ooops.
My next tests with the device will come this weekend as I try some more wireless browsing, see if I can somehow get to my MSN mail account, and load additional software onto it. Stay tuned!
Got The Toshiba e740!
Well, I’ve got the e740 and so far, so good! It easily found my 802.11b network at home without having to do any configuration work, although I’ve found that my wireless hub seems to be having problems - it figures, I get a cool wireless device and my wireless network is having problems now… I think my 3Com hub is having heat-related difficulties, as every time we get into really warm weather, it seems to die on me. Arrrrgggghhhh.
The first thing that hit me about the Toshiba e740 is how small it seems. Pocket PC devices always seem much larger than PalmOS devices, and this is definitely runs contrary to that trend. It’s a very slim, very light device, with a screen that is very readable - it seems to have more uniform lighting than my HP Jornada did with no fading in the corners.
Speed-wise, it seems very snappy. I haven’t had a chance to load many music files onto it yet, but certain functions seem to happen immediately. I had a lot of fun going into Pocket IE and surfing some sites, most of which came up very quickly as long as I was close to my crappy 3Com hub. If I can ever get my desktop (which uses a wireless connection that is now dead…) to work on the network, I am going to load Bitstream’s ThunderHawk browser for a more realistic web browsing experience. Update - the e740 isn’t one of the supported devices for Thunderhawk. I sent ‘em an e-mail and said I’d love to be a beta tester…
I won’t be putting too much on the site tonight, but expect to see more about my first experiences with the Toshiba e740 in future editions of the PCPocket Blog on PCPocket.com and PDAntic.com!
A Palm Named Dana
In what seems to be either an obscure acronym or a tribute to X-File FBI agent Dana Scully, AlphaSmart Inc. today announced the Dana, a laptop substitute running PalmOS 4.1 that is destined for the educational market. This vaguely reminds me of the ill-fated Apple eMate, which was a Newton with a keyboard that appeared to be very popular with elementary school students and Newton geeks alike, but was axed along with the MessagePad 2100 (can you sense my remaining hostility about the cancellation of the Newton?).
Dana comes with the standard Palm apps, as well as AlphaWord (a full-featured word processor with spell checker and thesaurus), PrintBoy from Bachmann Software (burned into ROM!), Palm Reader, QuickOffice from Cutting Edge Software, and trial versions of other Palm apps. The screen, as you can see from the picture at left, is 3.5 times as wide as a normal PalmOS handheld screen - 560 x 160 pixels. That extra width can come in handy when using WritePad for virtual Graffiti entry. Dana also has two USB ports for hooking to printers or PCs, two SD/MMC slots for expansion, an AC adapter port, and (of course!) IRDA.
It’s a heavy little hummer, weighing in at 2 pounds. It comes in an ABS polycarbonate case, so I guess they’re expecting the little monsters at the local elementary school to drop ‘em off the top of the slide in the playground. No pricing information is available, but you can get on their mailing list to receive information when it is released later this year (in time for “back to school” purchases!).
Toshiba e740 Wireless-Enabled XScale Pocket PC Is Officially Announced
Considering that you’ve been able to buy the Toshiba e740 XScale Pocket PC for almost two weeks, it comes as no surprise that Toshiba has finally announced the release of the e740. You can actually visit their website and see the device, or even order one if you’re so inclined. Mine is in transit from BestBuy.com, and is expected to show up tomorrow. Unfortunately I’m going to a baseball game tomorrow night and have a work function on Tuesday night, so my “first impressions” might not get published until Thursday. Of course, Blogger Pro is acting up again so publishing anything is becoming a hassle tonight… (By the way, the archives will probably disappear until they get this problem fixed).
CompUSA.com is showing the device (FINALLY) but it’s listed as back-ordered. BestBuy has ‘em in stock, but they’ll probably run out soon. They raised their price from $569.99 on Friday to $599.99 with a $25 mail-in rebate today. Weird… MobilePlanet is showing them as being available on 6/21/02. Amazon.com still isn’t listing them…officially.
There have been some nasty comments on other websites about the e740, most bemoaning the fact that the new 400 MHz XScale chip doesn’t seem any faster. My guess is that Microsoft and Toshiba have chosen to have the device run at essentially the same perceived speed, but have scaled the power of the chip back to help with battery life. Who knows for sure? We’ll probably see an OS patch out soon that will bump up speed in some applications.
The big thing I’m looking for is the wireless connectivity. If it’s easy to set up with my 3Com 802.11b gear, I’ll be a happy camper. If it’s a pain in the ass to get it set up and working, you’re going to hear a lot of gripes from me.
Another Really Small Windows XP/Linux/Unix PC
As longtime readers will remember, I have a lust in my heart for the OQO ultra-personal computer, a device that won’t be coming to market until at least late this year (if then…). It’s a small Windows XP device that is roughly the size and weight of a PDA. Well, I was surfing around and found another very small computer, and this one is actually closer to reality (you may be able to order one by late summer 2002).
It’s called the Tiqit eightythree, and although it’s a bit larger than a standard PDA, it’s still pretty damned small for a PC. The devices weighs 19 ounces, has a full 640 x 480 screen, PCMCIA and SD slots, includes a 10GB HD and 256MB of RAM, and has 5.9″ x 4.0″ x 1.1″ dimensions. It also has a built-in keyboard, which probably accounts for a lot of the size. These folks ought to take a look at the latest generation of thumb-boards before bringing this device to market. The battery life isn’t that great either - 4 hours expected. But remember - this is a first generation device, not the result of many generations of progressively skinnier and more energy efficient PCs.
Tiqit also has a device you can order if you’re interested in having a really small, full-power PC. It’s called the Matchbox PC, and you can order one from Tiqit’s website for anywhere from $997 (for the device alone) to $1,562 (for the MPC with a 1 GB MicroDrive). Since 1 GB MicroDrives can be had for much less than $565 now, buying the stripped model and supplying your own MicroDrive is probably the best idea.
Based on the very preliminary information provided for both the OQO and Tiqit devices, I’m inclined to think that OQO has the advantage. Their device weighs less, it has built-in wireless networking, and by using the Transmeta Crusoe CPU they’ve really pumped up battery life. OQO is also providing their design to other manufacturers - they have no intention of building and marketing their devices, leaving that to established PC players instead. The war of the first really handheld PCs should be a fascinating one to watch!
i705 Troubles: No Notification Of E-mails
I’ve been having a “problem” with my Palm i705 for the last couple of days. Usually, when any e-mail arrives I have the device set to flash the red LED on top of the i705 to let me know I’ve received mail. Unfortunately, for some reason mail isn’t getting to me. I’ve tested this by sending multiple e-mails to my Palm.com address, but it never notifies me that they’re available. If I go in and tell the i705 to “Get Mail”, it will obediently go out and get it for me, but that’s NOT what an “always-on” messaging device is supposed to do. I guess if I have time this week I’ll have to call Palm and find out what the heck is going wrong.
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Joy of Tech!
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MacLevelTen
