Subject: Re: Your chance to spend someone else's $$$! 
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Reply-To: chris@chrism.demon.co.uk
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Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 21:36:47 +0000

In article <1992Dec22.042540.22754@vpnet.chi.il.us> cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us writes:

>Everyone should have my problems.
>
>For tax reasons I need to spend about $850 by the end of the end of
>the year, and I have decided I need :-) a palmtop. (PDA?  Whatever.)
>
>I consider PC data exchange a necessity, so the cost of a
>"Connectivity Pack" or equivalent should be included.
>
>My primary use for this will be multiple-project management.  With two
>jobs and multiple tasks at each job, I need something to remind me of
>impending milestones / deadlines.
>
>Next priority would be maintaining a list of contacts:  Name, Company,
>Phone number, and freeform notes.  Need to be able to search for
>things like "The guy in California with the laser".
>
>While I don't plan on playing Lacrosse with this thing in my pocket, I
>don't want to have to baby it, either.  (Then again, perhaps I could
>project some game stats...)
>
>The Newton isn't out yet.
>
>I've played with the HP95, the Psion 3, and the OZ-9600.
>
>If you had to drop $850 on pocketable computer hardware in the next
>week-and-a-half, what would _you_ get?  Where would you get it?
>
>Email or post; I read this group daily.  I'll post my shopping list
>first thing next year.
>
>-- 
>----------------------------------------------------
>Gordon S. Hlavenka           cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us
>Vote straight ticket Procrastination party Dec. 3rd!
>

Personally I'd go for the Psion 3 but, heck, I'm biased, I already have
one and love it!

I used to have a Sharp 8200 but I ditched it - it's a real fancy organizer,
but, at least IMHO, it ain't a computer.  I must admit I haven't seen the
9000.

The HP95 is DOS compatible but I consider that to be a positive
*disadvantage* I'm afraid.  There are very few, if any, DOS apps you can
actually run on it sensibly because of the screen size.

The Psion uses a multitasking operating system that WORKS.  You can play
a game of chess (Psion chess - *highly* recommended!), leave it "thinking"
in the background whilst you consult your diary, write a memo, download
a file from your PC, etc.  It uses Microsoft's "flash RAM" filing system -
a fully DOS compatible file system - and, with the addition of the "3Link"
comms cable simply sees the PC or Mac's disks as additional disks attached
to it, and vice versa of course. (ie, no special procedures for file
transfer - just plug in the cable and do "copy a:\*.* c:").  It has a
useable keyboard and a good screen.

Best of all, at least for the purposes I bought it for, it's a proper
computer too.  It has an excellent built in programming language (OPL)
which is a form of structured BASIC.  For more serious software development,
you write in C on a PC and transfer the compiled code to the Psion via the
comms link.

As far as software goes, it has a good diary, a reasonable "word processor"
which is Microsoft Word compatible - complete with Styles, Outlining, etc,
and a *wonderful* 123-compatible spreadsheet.  Both Psion and 3rd parties
make a wide range of other software for it.

Anyway, enough said - I'd get the Psion (but you might have guessed that
already..... )

Chris
-- 
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| Chris Marriott                           | chris@chrism.demon.co.uk    |
| Warrington, UK                           | BIX: cmarriott              |
| (Still awaiting inspiration              | CIX: cmarriott              |
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