PDA Reviews

I have had experience in both the Palm and Pocket PC fields, owning a Palm Vx and HP Jornada 525. This Jornada 680 is a REMARKABLE machine. The Windows CE is very similar to the normal Windows.

One important thing to think about before buying: Do you want to spend about $600-700 on a new one or spend about $250 for a new and used one on ebay.com? I bought mine there NEW for $260!

The display is wonderful, even though 256 colors. The keyboard eventhough small has many standard features of a normal keyboard. For normal typing, it is not to great, but for touch typing its great. It has a Compact-Flash slot and PC card slot for LAN, etc. It has a 56k modem which is a real rocket.

I have given 4 stars for the small keyboard, which is not a real problem. A MUST for busy people!

I was looking for a "micro notebook" like machine. Pda utilities were important. being a "unix" programmer, some type of terminal was also quite important. I have used a few of the "palm size" machines and found them undesirable. (im always poping up the little tap on keyboard, AND,when entering numbers, 99% accuracy (hand writing recognition) doesn't quit cut it). I also was not going to spend over $500, and not get some kind of word processor. Using Hpvx, i have a beautiful, portable, always ready,telnet machine, that does wp, excel, email, and internet... and the color is Great. The battery last. Really last. better then 8 hours, even when using the modem.... Am i Satisfied ??? Im thrilled!. it not tiny, but its always with me, and i have become quite dependent on it.

This Jornada 680/680e very good devices but just i can't get the accessory on Malaysia then make me not confidence to use it , but now i still using it just finding and finding for the accessory ! Hewlett Packard need to make more accessory for it and continues to product this Jornada ! Very good deivices , Them must continues it ,if not very wasted to discontinued this product and make us who have thie Jornada 680/680e have no accessory to buy ! Then how we can use the device for a long long time ? Hope that HP will continues this deiveces!

Thanks!

I've owned Palms (and even Pocket PCs) almost as long as they've been around. I was very excited when I first saw a Palm in color...the Palm IIIc. Paid the price and got it home only to be disappointed with the look of the screen with the big pixels and the poor visibility outside. Tried an HP jornada for some time and loved the color, hated the OS. So went back to a plain Palm. Finally the Sony came out. Beautiful color AND high res! This was what I wanted!! And I've not been disappointed. Let's look at the pros of this device:

1. Excellent color screen indoors and out
2. Good MP3 player
3. Memory stick expansion so you can load tons of programs, songs, and now video too
4. Nice looking device
5. Good stylus
6. Excellent battery life
7. Decent buttons
8. Nice software bundle

Cons
1. Memory stick is proprietary and expensive (but Lexar sticks are fairly cheap)
2. Sony support not real great
3. Newer models available

Why should you choose this model over some newer ones? Well, you might be able to get a better price on it, and the battery life is unmatched by newer ones. If I were buying a new Palm. I probably would get a newer one. But I have yet to see a model that truly has convinced me to switch.

The Sony Clie N760C is a great PDA with fantastic resolution and is great for playing MP3s. However, if you really want to use this as an MP3 audio player you must buy a 128 MB memory stick (an 8 MB memory stick is included) or else you could only play a couple of MP3s. Also, I have found that video files play very choppy. I do not know if this is the program's fault or the PDA itself. The Clie's major problem is its digitizer and digitizer calibration. I have talked to countless other Clie N760C users and most of them (me as well) have had repeated digitizer misalignment problems and errors with the digitizer calibration program. Other than that, the Clie N760C is great. Its strong points are picture-viewing, games, organizational-purposes, and MP3 playing.

Sony's Clie PEG-N760C is (or was) a winner. It is well made, easy to use, an met all my expectations. The MP3 player is outstanding in musical quality. Sony made a big mistake in dropping this item from their product line. The camera works well, but suffers some from low image quality. This is probably a software issue - hopefully Sony will rewrite the camera software.

Fitted and metallic BUT doesn't close. This causes no problems unless the Palm is being tossed around in your bag, in which case it flaps open and the Palm screen is exposed to who-knows-what. I recommend the RhinoSkin.

I bought the Palm V Hard Case Special Metallic Blue Edition and I love it. I like that the color is unique and not a boring black or grey. It also protects the Palm V really while still keeping it nice and slim. I can easily slip it into my pockets with the case and not feel all bulky. I read the other reviews before I made my purchased and I have to admit. I was a bit concerned with the fact that the case does not fully close and people complaint about putting it in the cradle with the case. I noticed the case not fully closing as soon as I received it, but it really didn't bother me or interfere with anything. Also, I've had it for about a month now and its not that noticeable and I think it actually closes better now that it is broken in. As for the cradle. I have my cradle near the edge of the table so it was no big thing for me to slide the Palm V in the cradle with the case; it just needs to be at the edge so the case does not hit the table. If it wasn't easy for me to put it at the edge, it would be annoying. Overall I am very happy with the case, I had looked at other cases, but most of them added additional bulk which made it difficult to carry. This one is great - Great Look and does the job well - protection.

When I bought my Palm a couple of weeks back, I figured I couldn't just live with the cheap cover that came with it. I wanted something that would protect my cherished investment. When I saw that Palm offered the blue hard case, I had to get it.

The blue case is stylish, durable, and slim. The item is made from a hard plastic with two blue anodized metal plates placed on the front and back. A plastic pin holds the Palm in place. You have to be careful, though. If you monkey around with it too much, it might break. If you're careful, it will last for a long time, just don't be too rough slipping it on and off.

If I was going to stop here, I would've given this item 4 stars. Here's why I'm giving this item 5 stars. I've dropped my Palm accidentally twice. Both times the Palm landed flush against a hard surface (A wood floor and concrete). Both times, my Palm was unscathed and worked perfectly thanks to the hard case. It's already paid for itself. I only feel bad now because I spend $40 on it, instead of waiting for Amazon to offer it for less than $30. It's well worth the investment.

Casio's Cassiopedia is a very nice unit. Is it the best value available? Well it could have been, but unfortunately they scrimped in a couple of key areas. I base this on what I feel is their closet competitor, the Compaq Ipaq. The first thing you'll need to do after purchasing the Casio is run down to the store and purchase a very expensive MMC card. You'll want to pick up at least a 32mb card (currently between $76.00 and $99.00). Now you'll have some breathing room to work in. The Compaq comes with this additional memory with the purchase price. The last feature that is a little disappointing is the TFT backlit feature. Because of the basic design, the Ipaq does a much better job in very bright conditions. But get your Cassiopedia in a little shade and with the 65,000 plus colors you'll blow the Compaq Ipaq away. In conclusion, I guess there's pluses and negatives with most very thing, and if you don't mind having to immediately spent another $100.00 to get the space you'll need the Cassiopedia is the better unit. I would argue that the Compaq Ipaq is probably the better value.

The Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 is undeniably the best PDA/PocketPC on the market today. It has a vast number of programs: telnet, finger, ping, internet explorer, e-mail, irc, aol instant messenger, word, excel, access, notepad, transcriber (no graffiti to learn, it recognizes anyone's natural handwriting and converts it to text just like this you're reading now), and so much more. If you are a programmer or web designer, you must have this PDA/PPC! It's also great for listening to MP3/WMA audio and playing video clips and movie previews, storing pictures, scanning the Pocket Bible, and so much more. MMC is the future of compact memory technology..., it will replace compactFlash within the next two years guaranteed! It will support modems, network cards, cameras, and of course memory with projected sizes above anything CF Cards can imagine. (according to the MMCA group). Do yourself a favor and get the CASIO EM-500! It is the next best thing to a laptop!

I've had mine for three years. I did buy it new, though. I have been eyeing the Dell Axim, but since there is nothing wrong with my Casio, I can't find any reason to switch.

If you want a put-in-a-shirt-pocket PDA, this isn't for you. If you want or need a keyboarded device, this is the only choice without adding external keyboard. For me, that means it's the only choice. Contrary to the review, it is really difficult to touch type on it. It's got a large form factor, but I can carry it in a pocket (but I'm a size 56;)

You can find the Jornada external keyboard on eBay once in a while (part F1275A.) If you find one, snap it up! It works with an additional free driver from HP, and it adds six times the functionality.

The bad news: The product is discontinued. Additional NiMH batteries (proprietary design) aren't available on HP shopping. HP Parts told me they're backordered, but I did get mine in 24 hours.

The worse news: WinCE/Pocket PC devices are not supported by the software manufacturer after a new revision comes out. As another reviewer mentions, much "Windows CE 2.0" software will NOT run on Windows CE for Handheld PC (H/PC.) Don't expect much additional software to come out; companies just won't have a profit motive to support an obsolete platform.

The good news: There is a LOT of software out there now that works. You just need to find a good forum like Raul Lucky's web pages to help know what works and what doesn't.

The better news: With my Jornada 720 I can just take the unit along and have great functionality as a PDA. Between the add-on keyboard, Accurite 20 GB hard drive which slots into card slot 1, a 64 MB Compact Flash Card, Ansyr's Primer PDF reader, and other goodies which aren't necessary (1 extended batt, 1 reg batt, docking cradle, external charger, etc. - it seems like a lot but really isn't) I have no need of a laptop. I've even got most of my CD library burned to the external HD. I don't need an MP3 player, either. In short, this is much more than just a PDA with lots of flexibility and expansion capability.

The best news: With the flexibility of the system I've always got it with me, in the configuration for whatever I'm doing. It takes a little learning, but far less than the MessagePads did, and I suspect less than your average first-timer using a PDA. This is really more than a PDA, though it is less than a laptop. And with the lower price points, it's even sweeter. If I had the ready cash, there wouldn't be any of them for sale here, because I'd have them as backup units. :)

I'm expecting (batteries willing,) to be using it until Pocket PC 2010 comes out - at least. :)

The HP Jornada 720 does everything I need to do for on-the-road computing. Checking and responding to e-mail, surfing the net, taking meeting notes, drafting memos and other documents, and accessing all those usual organizer functions. I now leave my heavy and bulky laptop brick at the office and take the 720 instead when traveling for business or pleasure. Lots of bundled software tools are included making the Jornada 720 a versatile machine. It's flexible allowing for expansion and scalability. I especially like adding PCMCIA Type II, compact flash and smart cards. The audio recorder and built-in speakers are also nice. The standard 32 MB of memory is an improvement over the older 600 series models. The improved Windows for HPC OS will be very familiar to Windows NT/95/98 users and the sync capability makes the 720 a logical extension of my desktop machine. Some minor drawbacks: it is somewhat pricey compared to the Jornada 548 and other Pocket PC handhelds; the keyboard (although nice) is a bit tiny. I use a two-finger or two-eraser heads poking technique to minimize keyboard errors. Great battery - 9 hours! I do love it!

I wrote an entire novel on this trusty machine - and was able to throw it in a backpack, bike to the library, pull it out and work. Loved being able to sit in my living room and write, also. ActiveSync works perfectly. Infrared works perfectly - sends documents directly to my printer AND I am able to use it to store data from my Quicklink pen.

I LOVE THIS COMPUTER! I am upset that HP discontinued this line...If you're looking for a TRULY portable computer (and don't require all the extra bells and whistles of a laptop) that syncs up beautifully with your desktop - THIS IS THE COMPUTER FOR YOU!

Navy blue velvet swirls give this case a feminine, non-geeky look snazzy enough for evening wear. My Visor fits snugly inside along with about 7 credit cards and a driver's license. There's room for about 15 bills in the folding money compartment. More than that and it's too thick to zip.

To secure the Visor in the case, the hard cover is slipped under a wide nylon strap and then the Visor is snapped in. No Velcro, easy to snap out, but no more hard cover protection over the buttons and screen. So don't overstuff the case, squeeze it over the buttons, or put it in a tightly packed briefcase, or you may accidentally turn the Visor on.

The outer case is stiffer than a typical wallet, and fits comfortably in your hand while open, serving as a mini desk while using the Visor. Since the case is too stiff to completely lay flat, I prefer to snap the Visor out when I'm working at my desk. I don't have trouble removing the stylus, but I have small fingers. It might take a little practice if you have sausage fingers or long nails.

This is a good quality product. It completely encases my Visor, so it is better protected from water, dust, or the lint in my briefcase. If only there was room for my lip gloss.

I have this Visor case as well as the Hawaiian print version. I love them. They make it easy to identify my Visor if I've left it laying next to my husbands. It's fun to be able to coordinate the Visor to my purse or outfit.

It protects the Visor well. My only problem is that occationally it's hard to get the pen out of the Visor. It's not difficult enough for one not to purchase it, however.

1. Protection: This case protects the visor from all sides because it zips up; There is little point in getting a carrying case that does not protect your visor in this way, especially if you carry your visor in a purse/bag where it knocks against stuff. 2. Size: This case is of the smallest I've ever seen for visors. It is only just big enough to fit the visor, and has a couple of pockets so you can use it as a wallet if you wish. Nothing else. I needed a protective case that did not add to the size and weight of the PDA. 3. Attachment: You use the protective cover of your visor to secure it into the case, and you can store it face-up or face-down (more secure during storage/travel). Besides the fact that I didn't want velcro on my visor I like the fact that I don't have to give up protecting the screen during travel because most cases are not hard enough to prevent the visor from turning on accidentally. 4. Price: The best. Similar cases range from $25-40 at least. ... 5. Look: I love the leopard print, but INCIPIO offers other, less abnoxious, patterns as well.

Navy blue velvet swirls give this case a feminine, non-geeky look snazzy enough for evening wear. My Visor fits snugly inside along with about 7 credit cards and a driver's license. There's room for about 15 bills in the folding money compartment. More than that and it's too thick to zip.

To secure the Visor in the case, the hard cover is slipped under a wide nylon strap and then the Visor is snapped in. No Velcro, easy to snap out, but no more hard cover protection over the buttons and screen. So don't overstuff the case, squeeze it over the buttons, or put it in a tightly packed briefcase, or you may accidentally turn the Visor on.

The outer case is stiffer than a typical wallet, and fits comfortably in your hand while open, serving as a mini desk while using the Visor. Since the case is too stiff to completely lay flat, I prefer to snap the Visor out when I'm working at my desk. I don't have trouble removing the stylus, but I have small fingers. It might take a little practice if you have sausage fingers or long nails.

This is a good quality product. It completely encases my Visor, so it is better protected from water, dust, or the lint in my briefcase. If only there was room for my lip gloss.

I have this Visor case as well as the Hawaiian print version. I love them. They make it easy to identify my Visor if I've left it laying next to my husbands. It's fun to be able to coordinate the Visor to my purse or outfit.

It protects the Visor well. My only problem is that occationally it's hard to get the pen out of the Visor. It's not difficult enough for one not to purchase it, however.

1. Protection: This case protects the visor from all sides because it zips up; There is little point in getting a carrying case that does not protect your visor in this way, especially if you carry your visor in a purse/bag where it knocks against stuff. 2. Size: This case is of the smallest I've ever seen for visors. It is only just big enough to fit the visor, and has a couple of pockets so you can use it as a wallet if you wish. Nothing else. I needed a protective case that did not add to the size and weight of the PDA. 3. Attachment: You use the protective cover of your visor to secure it into the case, and you can store it face-up or face-down (more secure during storage/travel). Besides the fact that I didn't want velcro on my visor I like the fact that I don't have to give up protecting the screen during travel because most cases are not hard enough to prevent the visor from turning on accidentally. 4. Price: The best. Similar cases range from $25-40 at least. ... 5. Look: I love the leopard print, but INCIPIO offers other, less abnoxious, patterns as well.

Navy blue velvet swirls give this case a feminine, non-geeky look snazzy enough for evening wear. My Visor fits snugly inside along with about 7 credit cards and a driver's license. There's room for about 15 bills in the folding money compartment. More than that and it's too thick to zip.

To secure the Visor in the case, the hard cover is slipped under a wide nylon strap and then the Visor is snapped in. No Velcro, easy to snap out, but no more hard cover protection over the buttons and screen. So don't overstuff the case, squeeze it over the buttons, or put it in a tightly packed briefcase, or you may accidentally turn the Visor on.

The outer case is stiffer than a typical wallet, and fits comfortably in your hand while open, serving as a mini desk while using the Visor. Since the case is too stiff to completely lay flat, I prefer to snap the Visor out when I'm working at my desk. I don't have trouble removing the stylus, but I have small fingers. It might take a little practice if you have sausage fingers or long nails.

This is a good quality product. It completely encases my Visor, so it is better protected from water, dust, or the lint in my briefcase. If only there was room for my lip gloss.

I have this Visor case as well as the Hawaiian print version. I love them. They make it easy to identify my Visor if I've left it laying next to my husbands. It's fun to be able to coordinate the Visor to my purse or outfit.

It protects the Visor well. My only problem is that occationally it's hard to get the pen out of the Visor. It's not difficult enough for one not to purchase it, however.

1. Protection: This case protects the visor from all sides because it zips up; There is little point in getting a carrying case that does not protect your visor in this way, especially if you carry your visor in a purse/bag where it knocks against stuff. 2. Size: This case is of the smallest I've ever seen for visors. It is only just big enough to fit the visor, and has a couple of pockets so you can use it as a wallet if you wish. Nothing else. I needed a protective case that did not add to the size and weight of the PDA. 3. Attachment: You use the protective cover of your visor to secure it into the case, and you can store it face-up or face-down (more secure during storage/travel). Besides the fact that I didn't want velcro on my visor I like the fact that I don't have to give up protecting the screen during travel because most cases are not hard enough to prevent the visor from turning on accidentally. 4. Price: The best. Similar cases range from $25-40 at least. ... 5. Look: I love the leopard print, but INCIPIO offers other, less abnoxious, patterns as well.

Navy blue velvet swirls give this case a feminine, non-geeky look snazzy enough for evening wear. My Visor fits snugly inside along with about 7 credit cards and a driver's license. There's room for about 15 bills in the folding money compartment. More than that and it's too thick to zip.

To secure the Visor in the case, the hard cover is slipped under a wide nylon strap and then the Visor is snapped in. No Velcro, easy to snap out, but no more hard cover protection over the buttons and screen. So don't overstuff the case, squeeze it over the buttons, or put it in a tightly packed briefcase, or you may accidentally turn the Visor on.

The outer case is stiffer than a typical wallet, and fits comfortably in your hand while open, serving as a mini desk while using the Visor. Since the case is too stiff to completely lay flat, I prefer to snap the Visor out when I'm working at my desk. I don't have trouble removing the stylus, but I have small fingers. It might take a little practice if you have sausage fingers or long nails.

This is a good quality product. It completely encases my Visor, so it is better protected from water, dust, or the lint in my briefcase. If only there was room for my lip gloss.

I have this Visor case as well as the Hawaiian print version. I love them. They make it easy to identify my Visor if I've left it laying next to my husbands. It's fun to be able to coordinate the Visor to my purse or outfit.

It protects the Visor well. My only problem is that occationally it's hard to get the pen out of the Visor. It's not difficult enough for one not to purchase it, however.

1. Protection: This case protects the visor from all sides because it zips up; There is little point in getting a carrying case that does not protect your visor in this way, especially if you carry your visor in a purse/bag where it knocks against stuff. 2. Size: This case is of the smallest I've ever seen for visors. It is only just big enough to fit the visor, and has a couple of pockets so you can use it as a wallet if you wish. Nothing else. I needed a protective case that did not add to the size and weight of the PDA. 3. Attachment: You use the protective cover of your visor to secure it into the case, and you can store it face-up or face-down (more secure during storage/travel). Besides the fact that I didn't want velcro on my visor I like the fact that I don't have to give up protecting the screen during travel because most cases are not hard enough to prevent the visor from turning on accidentally. 4. Price: The best. Similar cases range from $25-40 at least. ... 5. Look: I love the leopard print, but INCIPIO offers other, less abnoxious, patterns as well.

Navy blue velvet swirls give this case a feminine, non-geeky look snazzy enough for evening wear. My Visor fits snugly inside along with about 7 credit cards and a driver's license. There's room for about 15 bills in the folding money compartment. More than that and it's too thick to zip.

To secure the Visor in the case, the hard cover is slipped under a wide nylon strap and then the Visor is snapped in. No Velcro, easy to snap out, but no more hard cover protection over the buttons and screen. So don't overstuff the case, squeeze it over the buttons, or put it in a tightly packed briefcase, or you may accidentally turn the Visor on.

The outer case is stiffer than a typical wallet, and fits comfortably in your hand while open, serving as a mini desk while using the Visor. Since the case is too stiff to completely lay flat, I prefer to snap the Visor out when I'm working at my desk. I don't have trouble removing the stylus, but I have small fingers. It might take a little practice if you have sausage fingers or long nails.

This is a good quality product. It completely encases my Visor, so it is better protected from water, dust, or the lint in my briefcase. If only there was room for my lip gloss.

I have this Visor case as well as the Hawaiian print version. I love them. They make it easy to identify my Visor if I've left it laying next to my husbands. It's fun to be able to coordinate the Visor to my purse or outfit.

It protects the Visor well. My only problem is that occationally it's hard to get the pen out of the Visor. It's not difficult enough for one not to purchase it, however.

1. Protection: This case protects the visor from all sides because it zips up; There is little point in getting a carrying case that does not protect your visor in this way, especially if you carry your visor in a purse/bag where it knocks against stuff. 2. Size: This case is of the smallest I've ever seen for visors. It is only just big enough to fit the visor, and has a couple of pockets so you can use it as a wallet if you wish. Nothing else. I needed a protective case that did not add to the size and weight of the PDA. 3. Attachment: You use the protective cover of your visor to secure it into the case, and you can store it face-up or face-down (more secure during storage/travel). Besides the fact that I didn't want velcro on my visor I like the fact that I don't have to give up protecting the screen during travel because most cases are not hard enough to prevent the visor from turning on accidentally. 4. Price: The best. Similar cases range from $25-40 at least. ... 5. Look: I love the leopard print, but INCIPIO offers other, less abnoxious, patterns as well.