Re: [NTLK] Palm negative comments (was eMate vs Alphasmart Dana)

From: Jeremy Wood (woodjd_at_whitman.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 05 2002 - 08:43:32 EST


I would like to second the non-rabid nature of Palm device criticism. I
too have used both extensively, and eventually abandoned my Handspring all
together. I used a plain vanilla Visor, with no additional software except
for the driver for my Stowaway keyboard. I used it to take notes in class.
Nothing else. Nothing fancy. After loosing a couple of lectures worth of
important notes, I put it in a drawer, only to be taken out occasionally
to play with the cool keyboard (how i wish it would work with my newt!)

I refuse to use a laptop to take notes in class, because I would feel like
a giant dork. This year, I stumbled upon my dad's old newton 2000 in a
different drawer. He had purchased it when new, but found it limiting
compared to his powerbook and it got little use. He loaned it to several
colleagues over the next couple years, but it eventually ended up in the
drawer. I had essentially forgotten about it.

Now, I use it every day. And it's a joy. Because of the efforts of the
great people in the newton community, with ethernet support, NewtSync,
etc it's easier and slicker too use that I remember it "back in the day."

It has never lost a single note. It can print directly to the laserjets on
campus. If I bite the bullet and put in a wireless card, i could print out
my notes at the end of class, and pick them up in the computer lab on my
way out the building.

These are the kind of things that make the newton hold its own against the
current crop of devices, especially because of how smooth and integrated
the experience is, *even* using all these brand-new third party drivers,
etc.

Even using a keyboard on my Visor felt like a horrible hack. Using
ethernet on my newt is perfectly natural.

Right, it's 5 in the morning, my econ paper isn't done, and i just wrote a
page about a goddamned hunk of green plastic.

Jeremy

PS: i love my goddamned brick of green plastic!

-- 
This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries
List FAQ/Etiquette/Terms: http://www.newtontalk.net/faq.html
Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Wed Jan 01 2003 - 10:01:51 EST