Palm PDAs - latest suggestions?

I know this has been talked about before, but not recently and times change.

So, once more, what are your current thoughts on the ‘right’ PDA to buy?

I ask because, much as I love my Sony Clie, the damn thing eats electricity. I think the problem lies with the colour display, which I never really use - especially if I’m travelling, which is when recharging is a problem.

Is there anything out there with a monochrome screen, and/or replaceable batteries? I use most of the 15Mb I have available right now.

Can you have 2 PDAs with one username and synch them all to each other?

I’ve seen instructions in older Palm manuals about when you are using more than one PDA and/or more than one desktop … using the same profile name. It works, it’s just that you have be careful about editing/adding/deleting the same record on multiple devices … the best way to have the Palm always overwrite the desktop on one handheld and then make the other one configured to be overwritten by the PC … or … er … ah … You just have to figure out a system and sitck with it, otheriwise you could get your data into trouble … but yes, it does work technically.

Thanks.

Just looked at the palm desktop software - you have to tell the PC what to do with a particular username, not tell the PDA what to do with the PC.

Actually I was more concerned with being able to use my Oxford Dictionary on two PDAs without buying it twice.

Yes i have the same concern with using Supermemo. Still waiting for an answer from them before I buy it.

How about the Sony Clie PEG-SJ20? It has a monochrome screen with 320x320 resolution. That should be good enough for reading texts and is easy on the battery, even with the backlight on. It also doesn’t cost that much, at least on eBay you get get it for under $100.

I second that suggestion – I just picked up a monochrome Clie (I think it’s an SJ-22?? or 20? Anyway it’s what was described above). I still use my color Clie kind of as my “primary” device, but keep more text-intensive stuff on the second one. My universal wireless keyboard fits both, and I only sync the color one to my computer – anything I need to transfer between them (they both have the same user name) I do via MemoryStick. Works fine so far.

I made a little page on Chinese on PDA’s … it’s only a start … but people who have experience with using Chinese on PDA’s may always mail/pm me to update it and make it a more valuable source …

seba.ulyssis.org/thesis/pda.php

seba,

The Chinese software I use on my Palm is here:

waterworld.com.hk

It allows me to use Chinese whenever I want without it taking over the English OS. It can be turned on and off. It has never failed me.

Which PDA OS’s have unicode support? Any one familiar with this? I would like to create my own dictionary for a PDA. Have the ability to easily add entries, English/Chinese, bopomofo, pinyin, etc.

Konglong

I already have such a program for sale, if you want. But you sound like you may be a programmer yourself, so maybe you’re not interested.

The Oxford E<>C now allows you to add your own custom dictionaries and entries, BTW. http://www.pleco.com

I don’t know of any Palm OS that has Unicode. As far as I know, Chinese systems are all add-ons so far, but I haven’t really done much with OS5 as I haven’t had time. So I could be behind the curve on this one.