June 05, 2003
Tungsten C tempts
I'm always on the lookout for the perfect handheld from which to take notes, read and communicate. These days, what I read has links to other sources, so wireless is essential. Writing on paper doesn't cut it. My PowerBook, at 5.4 lbs, is still too big for walks to my local hangouts. The Tungsten-C may be the answer.
Upside: A keyboard is a must - it's faster and more convenient than graffiti 1 or 2. The beefy 400 mhz cpu zooms through large documents and graphics. The screen is 320x320 and absolutely gorgeous! The 64 mb RAM seems roomy. Bundled web and email software are good. Wi-fi is way faster than cellular or bluetooth and will synch briskly with my Powerbook. I can add an SD bluetooth card! Voice over IP is a possibility this summer - not sure what that's worth yet, but still.
Downside: the TC is nowhere near as sexy as the Zire 71. No camera. Mono out for some unknown reason (a user review claims you can stick a mono-to-stereo adapter in and get stereo out). At .7 inches thick and 6.3 oz, it's bulky and heavy by Palm V standards. No almost always-on cellular wireless. Web browsing is slow compared to wi-fi on my Powerbook. Finally, I'm worse than broke and $450 sounds like a lot right now... but, the Dow broke 9000 yesterday so maybe my financial fortunes are on the verge of a sudden turnaround ;-). Hope springs eternal.
Bottom-line: The TC is the one... until the next "one" comes along any day now. Non-vapor close contenders are the Sony Ericsson P800 cell phone - no keyboard, the new color Blackberry - too corporate? and color Danger Hiptop - cheaper. Gadget freaks of the world, please weigh in on this dilemma. Should I stay or should I go?
Posted by tokerud at June 5, 2003 01:05 AM | TrackBack