Re: [tlug] Recommended keitai or PDA?

[<mikes@example.com>]

Hi there,

I normally lurk on the list, but PDAs are a topic I'm quite interested in
(and enthusiastic about).

I have an Ipaq that I bought in the US a year ago and find it
indispensable.  I'll confess that I'm not a Linux diehard and have no
compunction about using the Windows CE OS, but if you're looking for a
tool, I have been REALLY happy with it.  For obvious reasons (contacts &
calendar, of course) and other reasons such as expandabilty and offline
internet browsing (available with Palms too, I think).  I'll also never
need a walkman/mp3 player or voice recorder again.  I can even watch the
Simpsons on it!

I met someone who had a broadband connection at home and an internet
enabled PDA who said if they were forced to choose between one or the
other, they would definitely choose the internet enabled PDA and I suspect
that I'll agree with him when I finally get around to getting an Air-H
subscription.

My Ipaq actually crashed a couple of weeks ago and HP Japan replaced it
with a brand new one, which, frankly, was a pleasant surprise.  It was
difficult getting by without it - I'm sure you'd find that with any PDA
though.

A lot of newer models also have compact flash slots that'll accept Wi-Fi
cards which would just make them that much more useful.

They're definitely worth the money, I think.  

Regarding keitai... Screw 'em!  I get by just fine with my KDDI
ezweb-disabled piece of crap and, like some of the others on the list, find
inputing anything into it to be an incredible hassle.  IMHO, in a couple of
years, wide spread wi-fi bandwidth will blow any keitai out of the water,
functionality-wise, anyway.

Which brings me to another topic... I was at Yodabashi Camera the other day
and noticed that they had what appeared to be a Wi-Fi transceiver the size
of a very large microphone (for some reason, I think they're called "boom"
microphones) - presumably for hanging off of balconies and whatnot.  Has
anyone on the list dabbled in providing free Wi-Fi bandwidth to their
neighbors/block?  Any experiences they'd like to relate?  I thought it
might be a fun thing to do...

Mike




On 11/29/2002, "dboudrea@example.com" <dboudrea@example.com>
wrote:

>
>
>I will be moving to Yokohama soon, and with all the great info on the list
now
>about digital cameras, surely I could get some advice or recommendations
for a
>PDA or a keitai?
>
>Who uses a PDA (something like a Palm Pilot) all of the time and really
feels
>they need it?  I'm trying to determine whether or not it would be worth it
to
>purchase one or not.  There are many times when I don't feel it's worth it
to
>boot up my pc but I think I've been getting along ok with my "analog" PDA
method
>(a small notepad and pen to write things down).  For those that use their
PDAs
>to schedule tasks and for calendaring, does it really save you time, what
are
>your thoughts?  What are the best things about them, best features etc?
>
>I have similar questions about getting a keitai.  These days, aren't
keitais
>becomming more "PDA-like" in their feature set?  It'd be cool to have a
handheld
>device that could do email, maybe surf the web, find out a train schedule,
and
>just for kicks do voice as well, hopefully without giving me cancer (but
with
>all the other keitais that will be around me in the Tokyo area maybe that
would
>happen anyways).
>
>Also I still need to settle on actually finding a place.  I've been
searching
>Chintai (Able monthly book), went to a fudo-san agent, and the web, but
if
>anyone knows a good place on or near the Sotetsu line please let me
know!
>
>David Boudreau
>
>
>
>
>
>
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