Posted on Friday, April 27, 2007 11:42 PM
Electronic gadgets can be quite useful if you're into them and know how they work.
Little bits of engineering, enabling you to keep track of your appointments, call a loved one or play a game.
I've always been fond of my Palm handheld, and my private mobile phone is also something I keep close.
Trouble is, it doesn't stop there, as I have an additional phone for business purposes and bought a second-hand PocketPC in Japan last month to tinker with.
Today, I got a BlackBerry from work in order to be able to receive e-mails and calls when on duty.
I kind of feel like I have a gadget overload now:
Sad thing is that I use them all on a daily basis, and that's only the cellular phone and Digital Assistant-section of my collection...
Cheers, K.
Feedback
# re: Gadgeteer
4/28/2007 4:45 PM by
Yech... Get rid of a few of them, seriously. You'll be much happier and less encumbered by all the crap you have to carry around.
Can't you use the Blackberry as a cellphone as well? I thought you could. So use that one as your business phone as well. You may as well start using that number for your personal calls as well, saving you a second device. Just be sure to ask your employer if you can arrange something like that.
5 -> 3
The PocketPC for tinkering really doesn't have to come with you all the time, right?
3 -> 2
Carrying around two PDAs still sucks, but it's better than carrying around five pieces of kit :)
# re: Gadgeteer
4/28/2007 7:41 PM by
PDA's are out of fashion anyway. In a few years time they'll be gone completely as one can easily integrate the functionality with a cellular these days. Anyway, nobody is forcing you to bring that many gadgets with you, so don't expect pitty from me.. ;-)
(happy Treo 650 owner)
# re: Gadgeteer
4/29/2007 11:21 AM by
Cailin: I suppose so, but the business phone is a private prepaid number which I solely got to give to (potential) employers as a home contact.
This number, for instance, is not reachable in countries like Japan.
The BlackBerry indeed has a phone function, but that's already in use as my normal business contact at work. I could put an e-book reader on the BB, but I've made it a habit not to have personal stuff on other people's devices.
So, that still leaves me with 4, if I leave the PPC at home. ;)
Atomsk: "PDA's are out of fashion" Wasn't that something you said about a year ago? ;)
I don't give a rat's arse about fashion though; if it's useful and does what I want it to do, I use it.
As for the Treo650; the screen is too small and it doesn't do UMTS/CDMA, so there.
# re: Gadgeteer
4/29/2007 12:49 PM by
Wait, what? Your employer gives you two phone numbers? One for them to reach you and one for customers. Alright, so have that phone number on permanent *21 to your Blackberry, for incoming calls. When you call them, just tell them that this is your private number (even though it's your employer's number) and ask them never to use the number you're calling from. Problem solved :)
About the ebooks... Does the Blackberry take memory cards? If so, keep'm on there. No private stuff on the work PDA ;)
About PDAs and such... That iPhone's starting to look better and better to me ;)
# re: Gadgeteer
4/29/2007 1:06 PM by
Chigau! My business phone is my own, meant for my personal records at HR and my co-workers. Just to be flexible towards my employer, so to speak.
The BB is my employer's, and is meant for everyone that needs to contact me. Since I'm on the internal help desk, this is limited to people from our company.
*21 costs a fortune, especially on prepaid cards.
As for the private stuff; it's a 7100v, so no memcardslot.
# re: Gadgeteer
4/29/2007 2:55 PM by
The Treo650 is getting old too of course and two years ago UMTS was just starting here. I don't know what I'll get next, probably something Windows Mobile based as Palm is just taking too much time to come up with something new. Anyway, what I said is still true: less and less PDA's are being made. It's not just about fashion: everything is getting more and more integrated.
As for the screen however, the Treo wins hands down: it may be a bit smaller, but at least it's still usable in bright sunlight which can't be said about the lifedrive. Did I mention the (lack of a) keyboard? Another strong point is I actually use the applications I have installed (dictionaries, public transport planners, etc). If I had a separate PDA I would probably just leave it at home/appartment most of the time. Replacing the lifedrive and your prepaid business phone with a Treo 680 would mean about 150g less to carry around.
Anyway, it's always a tradeoff between functionality and portability. With a SLR one can make better pictures, but on vacation you'll probably will make fewer shots as it's such a hassle to carry around.
# re: Gadgeteer
4/29/2007 4:56 PM by
True, the LifeDrive is very hard to read in the sun. A 680 would be an option; I'll compare it to the TX, which is the current probable successor to my LifeDrive.
I don't see the lack of a keyboard as a large problem; Graffiti works for me, and therefor I traded the keyboard for a larger screen.
We'll see what the future will hold; for now, I'll manage. I just have to pick what I need for the day. :)
# re: Gadgeteer
4/30/2007 9:15 AM by
Well, then I'm afraid you're going to have to go and get yourself one of these :)
http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/ALPSMountaineeringRedTail.htm
# re: Gadgeteer
5/13/2007 1:28 PM by
I hope you'll like the blackbarry I gave you for free use untill I may possibly need it back for the guys that do Metro or in case my BB breaks down.
It's a step up from the 7100. Crappy keyboard. Shizzle design.
According to sources at Rim, there will be a new UMTS blackberry out this year. Based on the 8800 (so, with microsd slot, GPS function, editing office docs, mp3 player and basically, anything else a PDA has).
I'm waiting for that to hit the market. hopefully just before April 2008. So I can upgrade for a few Euro.
# re: Gadgeteer
5/13/2007 1:29 PM by
Blackberry -_- I should go to bed before 5am or else stay in bed after 08:30