Ab_Normal

Turn to the dark side! I bought my first Palm PDA in 1996; it quickly replaced my Franklin planner. Right now I'm using a Visor Handspring; the only downside is it doesn't have rechargeable batteries. (The MP3 player really sucks the power.) Since I don't need to sync to Microsoft products, the Palm OS works just fine for me.

Bookman

Another Handspring user here. If you buy a Palm OS system, be sure and head over to www.palmgear.com and get some useful applications.

Love my Handyshopper.

Bookman

lisarea

I got a Visor Deluxe within a couple weeks of their introduction, and then upgraded, years later, to the Edge. The only real difference is that it has a rechargeable battery and it's slimmer, but dang blang, it was worth it.

My son has a Deluxe, and I gave my little bro my old one, and not a one of all three has ever had a problem, even with all the banging around they've taken from my spazzy family.

Despite concerns about the future of the expansion modules for these, I still strongly recommend the Handspring models I've had experience with.

Gooch's dad

I went through several models of Palm PDA's, which kept breaking. I had 2 with screen problems. While waiting for a repair return on the 2nd one, I went down to Best Buy and got a Handspring Visor Deluxe and got the warranty too.

Good thing I did, because that unit gave up the ghost within a year, and I now have an equivalent model Handspring (Edge, maybe? Clear case).

I will probably buy a keyboard for mine soon also. I use it *all* the time.

Ab_Normal

I couldn't tell you how many times I've dropped my Handspring. There are a few cracks in the case, but it's otherwise in great shape. "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking" would definitely be appropriate...

I'd love to upgrade to a color Visor, but we've got to get sewer in to the house before August. Waah.

fuct_okc

I like this one.... Toshiba 2026 ...

Bill Snedden

I have owned a PDA for about the last several years. I started with a Palm Pilot (when they were still owned by 3Com) and graduated to a Palm III, then a Palm Vx, and now own a HP Jornada 567.

I made the move from the Palm to the Pocket PC because at the time the PPC seemed to be more versatile (more memory, slicker functionality, video and sound support, etc). However, I've recently decided to switch back and will be purchasing a Palm Tungsten T w/in the next couple of months.

I would go with the majority of posters here and recommend the Palm Zire if you're really not sure whether or not you'll like it, or, if you're pretty sure you'll want to stick with it, any one of the color Palm, Handspring, or Sony versions. What the PPCs have in extra features has now been all but nullified by advances in the Palm platform and hardware, and it comes at the cost of usability (IMHO).

Regards,

Bill Snedden

Putney Swope

I've had a palm for years. My latest was a Palm Vx. When it started acting up, I found a new one on eBay (since they no longer make the Palm Vx) but this one came fully loaded with a hard and soft case, foldable keyboard and modem. However, I have a few peripherals (like a GPS with mapping software), so I stayed with it. The nice thing about Palm is that if you upgrade to a newer model later on, the software and data can come along.

Color is overrated. I need to check a phone number, not play Recon. In notepad, I have a list of my DVD's transfered from Excel on the laptop. Now I never buy a DVD that I already have.

The programs I use every day are:
Calendar with eminder alarms
Phone Listings
Memo Pad
To Do List
Time Tracker (timer for project billing)
Password Keeper (I like this one because it keeps everything encrypted, even when backed up to the PC)
Freecell
Shanghi

It will change your life. Plus it's cheaper than electro shock therapy.

Clear! {jolt} Hit him again {jolt} On the temples this time. {zzzzttttt}
Do you smell anything burning?

MacPrince

I have a HandEra 330 that I got for my birthday two years ago, and I love it. I asked for it in particular because it had the best combination of innovative features of any Palm handheld at the time. (CompactFlash and SD/MMC slots, voice recorder, high res screen, virtual Grafitti area, backlight that actually works). It was a little tough to work with at first, as it's designed for use with a PC, not a Mac. (the cradle uses a serial port, which my PowerBook is distinctly lacking) However, with one of these, that situation was remedied easily enough.

And now, with Apple's iSync, my desktop address book, my online address book and the HandEra's address book are all synchronized.

What I mainly use:

• Address Book
• Calendar
• Due Yesterday (GREAT free assignment tracker app)
• Voice Pad (for the voice recorder...mainly for covert recording)
• some misc. games (to pass the time when I need to)

There's a bunch of other stuff loaded on there, too, but I don't use it too much.

gilly54

I guess I'm the lone Dell Axim5 owner, so far. Big, sharp color screen, 64 Mb of bult-in storage, 32Mb of built-in program memory, built in MP3 player, and the battery lasts a week between charges.

I bought a 256 SD card because I do a lot of graphics and Power Point presentations. Using a Dazzle card reader, I go between my work and home computers. I've also hooked up the Axim to a presenter to do a presentation. At 400 MHz, it is pretty fast. All for $300.