Slashdot

Well, I think I've found the most incredible girl in the world. She reads slashdot, plays computer games, but that's not her life. We spent about 6 hours talking last night and it was the most entertaining evening I've had in a long time. And she paid for the movie. Anyways, a great evening, a great girl, and I hope for many more nights like last night...

Well, tomorrow it arrives, and I must say I'm quite ready for it. It's been OK since I've had this loaner, but I'm ready to kick some ass with the NZ90.

By the way, what's with the categories for the front page? I mean, the article about The Lord of The Rings had 5 -- LoTR, Media, Entertainment, Books, and Movies. Why? Could not the LoTR represent all of the above?

Ok, so my NZ-90 didn't come in. Apparently because it's on clearance, it's hard to get in on time. So they had to set up a store transfer from one that has one. In the meantime, I'm dying here. I missed 3 appointments, almost forgot an important meeting, and haven't kept any notes in class. It's really sad to realize just how dependent I am on my PDA. The manager I'd been dealing with was really understanding and told me to go grab a PDA off the shelf to use until the other one came in. I had to pay up front for it, but she gave me 50 bucks on a gift card, so I got that back, and I just return it when the other one comes in and I'm good.

So, I got the Sony TJ-25.

Picture

This is one amazing PDA. If I wanted a basic pda, this would be it. The button layout is outstanding, with an integrated scroll wheel instead of an up/down button, and the hold switch is a nice addition. The screen is brilliant and crisp, I almost forgot about dedicated silkscreen for the grafitti, but it's not bad. It's really slim, yet keeps the memory stick slot which you'll need since it only has 16 megs of RAM. I have to say, the Clie Launcher is perhaps the worst Launcher know to man. I immediately installed ZLauncher, which I'd read a lot about, and I love it. It's a very necessary addition to a Sony PDA. Back to hardware, the TJ25 doesn't have a real speaker, nor a headphones jack. That's reserved for the TJ35 -- and for 50 dollars more, I don't think the basic user would cry over losing it. Also, there's no cradle included, that again is reserved for the TJ35. If you're like me and you like to use your PDA at your desk at all, you will miss this. One more thing, the included screen cover is perhaps the worst design I've seen yet. It's a somewhat flexible cover that attaches on the side by a couple of sliding hooks. Unfortunately, if you carry it in your pocket, as I have been doing, as you slide it in your pocket the cover slides off. Terrible design, and thus an aftermarket cover is required. Sony, think about this one again...

You want this PDA if you loved the Palm Vx and are looking for a colour version. It's slim body and bright screen are a killer combo. Also, if you're thinking about getting into PDAs, you'll like this. It has the nice screen, but none of the extra stuff (bluetooth, wifi, etc.) that you may/may not use. Also, there is rumoured to be some wifi memory stick cards and also digital cameras, so you can play too if you want :)

One last note, there is no removable battery, it's got a screw covering the plate -- why they did this I'll never understand. People want to be able to switch out their batteries if they're out for a while, as I occasionally do. Oh, one more thing, the stylus is telescopic so that it's half the height so that it can fit in the top half of the PDA. It can be uncomfortable for writing, and we'll see how it lasts for a week.

I can't wait for my NZ-90, it'll be double the size and weight and have 20 gazillion more gadgetish things about it. I'm such a nerd...

Well, I don't think 4 hours went by after I wrote my last journal when I had the "what was I thinking?" thought. When I was leaving the store, the manager for the computer section said that she could order me a Sony PEG NZ-90 for me and it'd be here in about a week. Mind you, this was while I was walking out the door with a T3.

Now, I am hooked to my PDA with an IV. Without it, I kind of sit in a corner and wonder what meeting I'm missing. So when I had the chance to walk out of the store with a PDA, that was worth it's weight in gold. However, after it all wore off, I realized the T3 is not what I want. Let me tell you who wants a T3:

You want a T3 if size is a big issue to you. The thing is incredibly small, and yet has the biggest screen I've seen on a PDA in person. The screen truly is incredible -- viewing some pictures on there was exciting, the first time I can say that since owning a PDA. The T3 is also your PDA of choice if you look at large amounts of data in a spreadsheet or in the notepad. The horizontal viewing is absolutely awesome, something that cannot be emphasized enough. I'm waiting for all PDAs to have this. Also, if you have any bluetooth items, the T3 is your PDA. Palm has done the best job with creating an interface that is beyond simple. The T3 is not your PDA if you like the "Gee whiz" factor. After it slides out, people say "so what else does it do?" and you struggle to explain bluetooth and how no one really uses it yet. Now, coming from a Pocket PC with built-in wifi, I was crying at this point. People thought I'd taken a step back, and I really felt like I had. Although this is a beautiful PDA, it's not my PDA. Not anymore. If I had gone straight to this from my Vx, I'd be on cloud nine. But I've tasted the ridiculousness of PDAs, and I can't go back.

So I ordered the NZ90. This baby sells for about 600 bucks retail, and I have no idea how Best Buy has it for just over 400. This thing has a 2.0 megapixel camera built-in -- and I've been meaning to buy a digital camera, so this fits in just right. This review talks about how great the camera is, and that was an integral part of my decision. I wanted a camera that I'd always have with me, but it being a part of my PDA -- _and_ it being good quality is like heaven. Although it only runs PalmOS 5.0, I figuere that's new enough to play with the big boys. Oh yeah, it has bluetooth in it too. Oh yeah, it has a compact flash card slot for wifi. Oh yeah, it feels like a Pocket PC :) So, I only have to wait seven days -- next Thursday. For those of you who are PDA users too, you know how I feel when I won't have it for a week. Hopefully this pad of paper I'm carrying around will suffice. Heh.

Oh, I must say, Best Buy is amazing. I bought my Toshiba e740 off of ebay from some guy in Pennsylvania who had gotten the Product Service Plan with it, and I've gone through a few e740s, a T3, and now I'm on my 5th PDA with this Sony one coming in. All for 69.99. And it's only been a year, I still have 2 more years with this plan. So kudos to Best Buy, I will always buy your PSP becuase I know you will honour it.

Okay. Let me give you a little background. When I was just a high schooler, I started using a PDA. I used the top of the line...Palm Vx. This thing was a beast, it had 8mb, and was the best of the best. It had a 2 week battery life and was sleek and sexy. I think that is the best PDA ever developed hands down.

I had that Vx until my sophmore year of college. Right before finals in the Winter it was stolen in the library. So I started looking on the internet for the most awesomest PDA out there. Mind you, this was when Palm was in it's slump and was making the crappiest PDAs ever. I was almost certain they would stop making PDAs and just focus on the OS. Then I heard about the Toshiba e740, with built-in wifi. This was the first PDA to do this, and since my school has wifi, it was love at first sight. Just think: slashdot while in class, Messenger while in class, etc.

What I didn't count on was the abysmal battery life, the incompatibility with linux, and the larger size of the pda. I had that for nearly a year, and over that year I have had it replaced 3 times and I've grown to hate ActiveSync. I was starting to eye the new breed of Palms and PocketPCs. And my Toshiba died once again.

So I take it to Bestbuy, where I have a Service Plan for it, and told them I wanted a new PDA, I hate this one, it's a piece of crap. I about crapped my pants when the guy said, OK, go pick out a PDA 500 dollars or less. So I did. I picked the Palm Tungsten T3.

Now, I'm really worried about the lack of wifi. I mean, it's kinda like "once you go black you cant..." you get what I mean. Luckily I won't have to sacrifice mp3 playing or that may have been the last straw. Needless to say, I'm really excited about this switch, and I'm looking forward to being able to stay in Linux a lot longer now since I can sync it in there. I will be givign a little report now and then about what I like/dislike coming from a Pocket PC device.