Has the notebook-to-handheld conversion begun?

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Laptops are very much alive

..and well.

I can certainly attest that there's something appealing about being able to carry a PDA (a Tungsten T5, in my case) and a foldable keyboard to a meeting, but it doesn't work out well in a lot of situations. For one thing, I wouldn't be able to access e-mail from my T5, even with a Wi-Fi card. Our VPN hookup requires a USB hardware key, which obviously won't fly with a handheld. Even without this hurdle, you've still got other problems: How would I join a WebEx session with a handheld? (With my laptop, I can not only join the session, but I can save the presentations. This comes in handy at meetings, where I can save a presentation directly, rather than having to rely on note-taking.) What laptop-like productivity I do get from my Palm is due almost entirely to the addition of a keyboard (which came free with mine). Handhelds are very -- well, handy -- but they're not yet acceptable good laptop replacements.

I think there are two things that could make PDA's decent laptop replacements:

1) Desktop software needs to be installable on a handheld. If I can leave my laptop at home and not miss anything, that's what I want.

2) A PDA that projects its own virtual keyboard (such as the VKB Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard does, only make it integrated into the PDA). Input needs to be much better and faster to replace a laptop, and you shouldn't need to buy another device for it. (And don't hand me any of that thumb keyboard nonsense. If my thumbs need exercise, I'll buy a PSP.)

Posted by: bhartman36   Posted on: 08/03/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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