PDA Reviews

This yo-180 is quite good, the screen is a 5*18 lines, the keyboard is smooth and responsive... For that price, it's a good deal. I'm happy with it...

Except one thing, Sharp announces a PC-Link. In fact this is just a backup utility with no possibilities to update or upload massives data from your PC (one by one only).

They need to improve this Pc-Link software...

Yes, the PC interface cable and (slow) backup and address entry software comes with the unit!

The To Do list nicely sorts entries by alphanumeric priority, so you can organize by categories like B for Buy or M for Movies, as well as use priority levels 1 thru 9.

Fits nicely in your pocket, with a keyboard which is quite usable for typical short entries.

The calendar's monthly display shows morning and afternoon appointments at a glance.

I'm completing software to speed up the slow backup and to allow importing and exporting entries. Email me if you would like to test and comment on the utility.

This is a great Electronic Organizer. Size just right for coat or shirt pocket. Good memory size for most users. Very Light in weight. Has good size fonts easy to read. The note function is great, pleanty of lines to put a lot of information. Only down side is software that comes with product is sub-standard can only backup data. Can not update calendar or lookup phone numbers on your PC from information downloaded from this unit to your PC. Upside this is a new product and hopefully software is in the wings.

If you're 30+ years old, you may have fond memories of playing with the Atari 2600 -- the home video game system that was popular long before Nintendo, Sega, or even Microsoft were household words. This card takes seven of the games from that old system and puts them...well...in the Palm of your hand. This card is also supposed to work with Pocket PC and certain cell phones, but I've only played it on a Palm Zire 71.

The most important thing to note is what games are included -- the "Features" section of the listing on Amazon is incorrect. This card does have Asteroids, Breakout, Centipede, Missile Command, and Pong -- but instead of Combat and Tempest you get Adventure and Yar's Revenge. The Editorial Review includes the correct combination of games.

So what are the games like? As nearly as I can tell, they're identical to the old console version. In Adventure (one of my old favorites, and the grandparent of games like Legend of Zelda), the screen flickers if you have too many objects on the screen at once, just like it did on our television set years ago. Pong is...well...Pong. The games look, feel, and sound exactly like they used to years ago -- I'm not certain, but I suspect they're using the exact same code, running under an emulator.

It's important to note, however, that these are clones of the 2600 version of the games -- not the arcade versions that were out at the same time. So Centipede is just a square block, not a little mushroom shooter. Missile Command has one missile silo, not three. But unlike in the arcade, in this version of Asteroids you can choose to play with your choice of special options -- hypserspace, shields, flip, or nothing. If you're expecting clones of the arcade, you'll be disappointed -- the 2600 had nowhere near the power of the arcade games of its day, and that's reflected in what you'll see here.

I do have a few complaints about this implementation. You can only adjust the volume level before you start a game -- if you want to change it in the middle, you have to quit your game and start over. There is a pause option (as there was on the 2600 console), but if you end up back at the application launcher, you'll lose your place in whichever game you were playing. Two of the games included -- Pong and Breakout -- are almost impossible to play with a joystick (which is why the 2600 had paddle controllers for these games -- too bad they couldn't have let you use the stylus to simulate the paddle).

Speaking of controllers, there is no configuration option available -- your 5-way navigator is your joystick, but I've accidentally pressed it down when I didn't mean to, and fired at a bad time. Your four application buttons are also fire buttons, though they all do the same thing (the 2600 controller was a single joystick with a single button, so this is just fine). Still, I'd love the freedom to remap buttons if I want, if only to prevent a press on the 5-way navigator from firing unexpectedly.

CONCLUSION

If you grew up playing the Atari 2600, then this will be a trip down memory lane. I spent an hour playing Adventure -- I just couldn't put it down, despite pitiful graphics and simplistic gameplay. Nostalgia buffs will love this!

But if you're part of the Nintendo generation, or the old 2600 games hold no special memories for you, then you'll probably be disappointed in this release. Look for modern versions of some of these games from iambic and astraware to really take advantage of the horsepower of your modern platform.

This game card brings back the childhood days of Atari that's for sure, the gameplay is just how i remember it and tons of fun!
I'll be the one to verify this works with Pocket PC 2002 and works flawlessly with my Dell AXIM X5. the only problem with this game seems to be the controls. on the X5 it uses the middle curcular button for "navigation" which can be a bit sloppy at times, but all in all this is a great investment to pass the time on commutes and "spare" time during your day!

The Cleaners clean very well. The screen protectors do protect. The carrying case is redundant. But, as with Cracker-Jacks, there is a prize in the box-- three absolutely super finger-tip
stilus-substitues for clicking and dragging on the handheld's screen. Leave out the carrying case and charge $10.00 for the package and it would be a heck of a deal that would still provide CompanionLink a huge profit.

The two-step wet-dry pads do their cleaning and polishing jobs effectively.

The protector sheets, just a bit small for the Casio Cassiopeia and perhaps some other PDA's, were nevertheless easy to apply. And the air bubbles common to such sheets were fairly easy to work out.

The finger styluses are a pleasure to use; I do wish there were a way to attach the styluses to the carrying case when not in use, to prevent loss. An inventive buyer could use the enclosed Velcro sticker -- intended to hold the PDA to the case -- on the styluses instead.

My only concerns involve the pricing of these PDA accessories:

Since most PDAs are sold with carrying cases, I think that enclosing one in the starter kit is unnecessary. It further jacks up the price of the already overpriced cleaning pads and styluses.

Overall, a very good product with big built-in profit margins.

...kinda dorky looking. Why not buy the economy pack including this thing, a pocket pen protector, and roll of adhesive tape for the middle of your eyeglasses. You'll be all set!

This thing is realy nifty. A must have for any PDA user! A stroke of genius!

This case is very convenient if you only want to carry your palm, three cards and five bucks with you. The case will not fit much more than that. It is very well made and durable but the tight fit does not make getting to your cash or your stylis easy. I'm still looking for the perfect Palm case.

Finally a stylish case for the m100 with a zipper seal! But, no easy access to stylus. Fairly easy access to hotsync. Why can't someone design one of these cases with a stylus holder, zipper, leather, and a good strap/velcro to secure it? The velcro on this is a bit small, but this case is better than all the others because the fit is good and it has a zipper.

I've read two of the paper books in this module & looked forward to having compact versions to carry with me.

Pro's The books are organized into sections which open up like outlines; you can add your own bookmarks; and you can annotate (write a note) attached to any text.

Cons: Covey Technical Support knew nothing about this Module, so I couldn't get ANY information about it in advance.

There is only one font-no bold face, and you can't change the font size. Figures & graphics are important in the originals ( think of the Circle of Influence,Weekly Worksheet). All are absent here, but the text STILL refers to them, which will make some sections incomprehensible to new readers and will frustrate old ones.

This boring format seems so unnecessary: why didn't the creators adapt a format for Palm OS -like iSilo-that can accommodate graphics & mixed fonts?

As an added irritation: You can only copy one paragraph at time to the clipboard, presumably to discourage piracy. So,you can't easily transfer favorite sections to regular Palm Apps to read with more congenial fonts.

Bottom line: I can't believe the Covey name is on a product of such low quality. The original books will fundamentally change your life: buy them instead.

This is great! I use it all the time for school!

I am a second year medical student and with the purchase of my new visor I couldn't wait to get my new harrison springboard module. Alas, it was [amt] which is pretty stiff and not much in the way of reviews to really know if it would be worth my student loan money. So here are the goods for all those who just can't decide to blow the [amt] or not. The good is that it has a pretty cool search, with spell checker. It is well organized and good for looking up differentials and giving you some tidbits. Unfortunately, it is totally a companion manuel, aka it really lacks alot of info and you are going to have to look up stuff in the real book to find out anything. It is a pretty nice module but just not worth [amt] in my eyes. If it was half that I would highly recommend it. I actually think the washington manuel is a better module as it has more information on treatment.

Harrison's for handspring is great. I'm a medical student and this product helps me on the wards on a daily (hourly) basis. It's more concise than the real Harrison's (thank god), but still contains all the essentials: differential diagnosis, pathophysiology, management, treatment... It is easy to use, and you can search for an explicit topic or pursue a more general signs/symptoms route. The springboard module is great because it doesn't take-up any memory. I'm currently in my first rotation and I've already impressed my attending and resident with a few gems....

ADEMAS DE SER UTIL PARA TU VISOR, TIENES UNA PLUMA

I've been craving a pen/stylus that would fit into my Visor for a while. I almost never go anywhere without my Visor, and I usually don't need a pen because I use the Visor instead, but when I do need a pen, I realized that it would be really convenient to have one built into the stylus.

I bought another brand first, one that supposedly worked with both Palms and Visors. I should have known better. The designs of Palms and Visors are different enough that the stylus in question went INTO the stylus slot on my Visor, but it was incredibly difficult to pick it out again. I returned it to the store.

I found this Handspring-specific stylus/pen online, and decided to take a chance on it. Overall, it works nicely. It does have a few downsides, though. When you insert it into the stylus slot, if feels loose going in, which is a little unnerving. However, after weeks of use, including a trip to Taiwan and back, I had no problems with the stylus actually sliding out. Another minor drawback is that this stylus/pen is actually lighter than the regular stylus that comes with the Visor. So at first it feels a little funny in your hand. However, I've gotten over that almost completely. Finally, there is no way to replace the ink cartridge, so when it's out of ink, you have to either chuck it, or just use it as a regular stylus.

Still, I recommend this to anyone who would really enjoy the convenience of having a pen for occasional use built into their stylus. One particularly nice feature is that the cap of the pen can be placed on the top of the stylus (notice the nub on the top in the picture?) so you don't lose it while you're writing.

Opened the box.
Slid the m505 into this case.
Attempted to adjust the fit.
Showed results to co-workers.
Co-workers were polite and kept the laughing to a minimum.
Returned case.

Great case - easy to use and to remove from belt. Only hassle is having to remove my m505 to hot sync and charge. The case would be be perfect if it had holes for the cradle.

The flipcase design protects my Palm IIIc quite well. Hopefully it will shield my handheld from drops like the one I just experienced with my Palm IIIxe in a Palm case. Unlike the Palm case which requires you to remove the unit from the case, leaving it vulnerable to drops, the Rhinoskin Combo Leather Flipcase allows you to swivel the case and detach it from a holster clip by pressing a latch on top of the clip. The unit appears to be quite sturdy, feels good in the hands, has space for credit cards or business cards, and provides easy access to the stylus, as advertised.

Opened the box.
Slid the m505 into this case.
Attempted to adjust the fit.
Showed results to co-workers.
Co-workers were polite and kept the laughing to a minimum.
Returned case.

Great case - easy to use and to remove from belt. Only hassle is having to remove my m505 to hot sync and charge. The case would be be perfect if it had holes for the cradle.

The flipcase design protects my Palm IIIc quite well. Hopefully it will shield my handheld from drops like the one I just experienced with my Palm IIIxe in a Palm case. Unlike the Palm case which requires you to remove the unit from the case, leaving it vulnerable to drops, the Rhinoskin Combo Leather Flipcase allows you to swivel the case and detach it from a holster clip by pressing a latch on top of the clip. The unit appears to be quite sturdy, feels good in the hands, has space for credit cards or business cards, and provides easy access to the stylus, as advertised.