Palm vs other smart phones/PDAs

[Jerry Feldman]

On Fri, 9 May 2008 09:07:08 -0400
"Tom Buskey" <tom at buskey.name> wrote:

> On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 8:54 AM, Neil Joseph Schelly <neil at jenandneil.com>
> wrote:
> 
> >
> > I've been waiting patiently for the finished product.  They've run into
> > more
> > than their share of delays, but continue to make progress.  When the
> > fnished
> > phone (with wifi/bluetooth/accelerometers/etc) is released, I'll surely be
> > picking one up.  I like my Treo, but I'm sure this has far more potential,
> > especially given that Palm hasn't really tried to develop anything new and
> > interesting in years.
> > -Neil
> >
> 
> IMO, the original Palm UI and apps still hold up very well.  I've been using
> Palm with Unix since I got a Pilot 1000.  I have a Blackberry for work and
> my wife uses an iPhone.
> 
> For the basic calendar/address book/ebook/memo, Palm OS holds up very well.
> I can sync with various locations/apps quite easily.
> I find the other devices don't improve on the basic apps and in the case of
> the Blackberry's calendar, fall short.  One of the things I like is the
> instant on quality.  I hit the on button, click on an app and I'm entering
> data.  I can't do that with a laptop.
> 
> Palm hasn't updated it significantly.  They've made a number of abortive
> attempts at modernizing the OS to a Linux based one.  They have added web
> browsing and phone use.
> 
> But they're still around.  Why hasn't someone caught up?

I recently switched from Palm (Treo 650) to Blackberry Curve. I find
the calendar to be excellent. On the Palm I used a third party app,
Datebook 5. Datebook has a number of configuration and search
options,but the option I used most of the time is equivalent to the
Blackberry Agenda mode. The only thing I don't like about the
blackberry is its lack of good synch software on Linux.  I certainly
think the Treo was an excellent PDA/Phone, but some of the features of
the blackberry curve have been useful, such as an integrated GPS and
Google Maps. I also like the password keeper. I had been using the Palm
since the mid-1990s where I had a Palm Pilot Pro. 

One other thing was that on the Treo I had a number of phone numbers
set up for quick dial on the screen. One problem was that when I would
put it in a cup holder on my way to work, sometimes it would call my
wife or daughter, or even in the holster, but that had no bearing on my
decision. I am happy with the Blackberry in that it meets my needs.
While the integrated camera was not a decision point, the Curve really
takes great pictures. I took a few pictures with the blackberry to send
to my daughter from Hawaii, and I have a great one on top of Kilauea.
(The Treo took good pictures too). 

Another advantage of the Blackberry over the Treo is that it appears to
get better reception at home. The Palm and my wife's Razr are useless
downstairs, but I can sometimes talk and most of the time, send and
receive text messages. 


-- 
--
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
PGP key id: 537C5846
PGP Key fingerprint: 3D1B 8377 A3C0 A5F2 ECBB  CA3B 4607 4319 537C 5846
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