Given the current market conditions, I know that Holiday shoppers are searching for the best bargains. So I decided to put together a little list of which PDA-related gifts will allow you to give the most fun and quality for the least money. Given the low prices, this could be the year that the PDA really breaks into the mainstream. They're certainly small enough to make a great high-dollar surprise in the Christmas stocking!
Sony CLIE S320
For bargain hunters, there is currently no better choice than the Sony CLIE PEG-S320 running the Palm OS. Of all the Palm OS products, none has so much power and expansion capability for the price. At its introduction a few months ago, it was already a bargain at US$199, but now it's widely available for US$169. Its spec list is top of the line for monochrome units: 8MB RAM, 33MHz Dragonball processor, rechargeable Li-ion battery, Palm OS 4.0, and something few competitors have, a Jog Dial. It has all the basic features that make the Palm m500 desirable, but at half the price. It's also small and easy to hold. What I'm more impressed with is its incredible speed. Data and programs flash to the screen with speed that most Palm OS devices do not display. And then there's the REAL backlight, something no other device in this price range has (most other Palm OS devices send light through the pixels instead of around them, a worthless solution in low light). Some reviewers have complained that the scroll button on the S320 is hard to use, but I'm not in agreement. I carry my S320 quite often, using it to read books, and it's never been a problem. The S320 has unfortunately been eclipsed its color cousins the N610C and N760C, likely the reason for its lower price. But the S320 is the perfect device to introduce anyone to handheld computing, or even to upgrade them from an older handheld. I actually prefer the S320 to the color units.
It's main rival, the US$99 Palm m100, while also inexpensive, has only 2MB RAM, a much slower processor, requires batteries and has no expansion. The m105 comes closer at US$149, with 8MB RAM, but it still doesn't have the speed, expansion, or upgradeability that the S320 has. The only way to roughly equal the S320 is with the US$199 Palm m125, which was just reduced from US$249. What the m125 has that the CLIE S320 does not is a cradle, something that will indeed cost US$59 (it comes with two cables, one for charging and one for syncing). What pushes the S320 back over the top is OS upgradeability and its great, super-contrasty screen.
Other deals: The Palm Vx is also a great deal at many retailers for US$199. It is still regarded as the pinnacle of PDA style, its lack of expansion notwithstanding. Its screen remains my favorite, rivaled, incidentally, only by the S320 mentioned above.
And I can't neglect the Handspring Visor Deluxe, still popular two years after its introduction. You can get brand new units, available in blue, ice, and black, for US$129, direct from Handspring's website. The only problem with the Visor Deluxe is that it still runs OS 3.1. To get Handspring's latest OS, 3.5.3H, you need to look at the Visor Neo at an also reasonable US$199.
But I have to come back to the Sony S320 as the greatest bargain, since none of these other devices rises to the level of complete modernity and versatility for such a low price.
This just in: The price of the Visor Edge has been reduced from US$299 to US$269 for the Holidays, starting Sunday, December 9. If you have a little extra money and a fashion freak on your list, you have to get them one of these. And there really is no other color that will do but the red one. It's the deepest, most beautiful red anodize you'll ever see, perfect for Christmas. There is no pda that is more distinctive, period. www.handspring.com
Cases
Case Techworks
For that Sony S320, you might want to pick up a nifty case from Case Techworks. I chose a nice leather case with a belt clip in Basic Black for US$39.95. The unit is held in place pretty securely by the leather pocket (I don't like Velcro solutions to hold the device), and a wrap around snap closure protects the screen. There's a place for business cards and the hard flap that protects your handheld from the rivets on your jeans also moves out of the way so that you can HotSync the device while its in the case. Other colors and many case styles for different devices are available from their website. www.casetechworks.com
RhinoSkin
For really heavy-duty protection, look no further than RhinoSkin.com. Their aluminum and titanium cases come in many different forms for a wide variety of handhelds. Some are simple, beautiful clamshells, reminiscent of Haliburton luggage, and others are made with thicker, no-nonsense titanium slabs that are bent into virtual vaults for your handheld.
Peripherals
Charger
For the user of an older Palm brand handheld, like a Palm III or Palm VII, check out the Charge-N-Run from Pellico Systems. This little translucent blue device slips on the top of the existing cradle and provides pass-thru charging to the special NiMH battery pack that replaces the usual AAA alkalines. US$39.95. www.chargenrun.com
Expansion cards
More and more modern PDAs--Pocket PC and Palm--have some kind of expansion port built in, and the memory cards and peripherals that fit them are usually a lot less expensive than the PDA itself. This will require a little work on your part, however, since there are several different expansion standards, depending on the device. You'll have to slyly ask them about that PDA you've seen them with, pretending to want to get one yourself (we can't imagine having to pretend, but then you see what we do for a living). After you find out both the brand and model number, you can say, "Doesn't that have some kind of expansion slot?" Then listen carefully for the following words: Compact Flash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick, and No (this means that they have an older unit without an expansion slot-but don't worry, there's still an option here for most Palm OS products).
For all of the above options, including "NO," there are at least memory cards, and quite often there are peripherals like cameras, GPS modules, MP3 players, and modems. We can't give you anything approaching a complete list, but visiting the website for the brand of handheld your friend owns and clicking around a bit will usually reveal a great list of products that will work.
As we said, if there are no expansion slots, most PDAs can also be expanded through the same port they use to connect to a computer. MP3 players, wireless and wired modems, and even the MemorySafe from Northstarmobile.com are all relatively inexpensive items that will widen the eyes around the tree.
Among our favorites are Handspring's Eyemodule 2, with 800 x 600 resolution and extreme ease of use. Just slide the module into any Visor and you can quickly snap pictures without having to load any software from a PC; it's all in the module. You can even take time delay pictures. Pretty cool. It's available direct from Handspring for US$199.00 Or you can check out the lower-res Eyemodule (320 x 240) for only US$79.95.
Palm users can get the rough equivalent for their product from Kodak, with their three PalmPix snap-on cameras (640 x 480). The original (US$74.95) works with the Palm III, Palm VII, and Handera products, and with a special adapter (US$19.95) can also work with the Palm V. The PalmPix m100 (US$74.95) works with its namesake. Both are a bargain in a quick snapshooter.
Sony's not left out of the fun, with their new Memory Stick Camera Module for US$149. It's available on their website. We haven't tested it, but it looks like a fun little device, though it takes images of lower resolution than either of the above solutions, at only 320 x 240.
Oh, there's a lot more, but that's all I've time for. It's the holidays, you know! For those with an urge to shop, visit www.palmgear.com, www.handango.com, or visit the company sites:
www.sonystyle.com
www.handspring.com
www.handera.com
www.palm.com
www.samsung.com
www.kyocera.com
And don't forget the big guys: My favorites among them are Office Depot and Warehouse.com.
May you and yours have a very happy and safe Holiday. Any questions or suggestions of your own, please visit our forum and post them for all to see.
-Shawn Barnett
Questions? Comments?
