3.0 GHz machines now available...

[gcutler]

I see from the Gateway and Dell sites that 3.0 GHz is now here. Not that I'd go for one of those, but a well stocked (but nothing extravagant) 2.0 GHz system is nicely priced just below $1K.

[Steve Mehs]

While I'm perfectly happy, well almost, on a P3 700Mhz machine. I wouldn't mind a faster processor (P4 @ 1.7-2.0 GHz) for the Macromedia and slew of Adobe programs I run, but really I don't think I could ever utilize a full 3GHz. Right now I'm more focused on wireless, I think I'll just skip a laptop and get a IPaq, now running at 400MHz with the Intel XScale processor. I am so glad HP didn't cut the Ipaq PDAs!

[Nick]

3.0 gHz? Wow!!!

That's 3,000,000,000 clock cycles per second! Gives me a headache just trying to comprehend that. :eek2:

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
While I'm perfectly happy, well almost, on a P3 700Mhz machine. I wouldn't mind a faster processor (P4 @ 1.7-2.0 GHz) for the Macromedia and slew of Adobe programs I run, but really I don't think I could ever utilize a full 3GHz. Right now I'm more focused on wireless, I think I'll just skip a laptop and get a IPaq, now running at 400MHz with the Intel XScale processor. I am so glad HP didn't cut the Ipaq PDAs!

Steve,

I was supporting IPaqs at my last job. They are really nice machines. But you are paying a premium for the privledge. My old IT director got all the add-ons (to handle multiple PC Cards, etc) By the time he was done turning it into a mobile laptop it was quite expensive and quite heavy and bulky.

If anything HP would cut their Jornada WinCE Pocket PC devices, as the Ipaq was more cutting edge, more popular and more likely to include future sales.

Make sure that the Ipaq can handle what you want. Granted with ability to archive stuff so easily, unless you need 10GB of data on the machine at all times, the IPAQ would probably be pretty good. And if contacts, calendar, class notes and a bunch of MP3s are your goal, an Ipaq (with alot of storage) would be a nice thing to have.

At the office, the Ipaq was the king of the PDAs, it was like a status symbol. The guys who weren't even fully utilizing their Jornadas or Palms were still begging for IPAQs as replacements for this old devices.

I'm glad I replaced my 700MHz with a 2GHz before I got the DVD-RW drive. While recording or burning the DVDs isn't a big difference, the ENCODING of the files to DVD format is very CPU intensive. I have a 1GHz machine that I sometimes use for Redhat and my notes test server and sometimes I will network over thr AVI file and do the encoding on the 1GHz, the speed difference is very noticable. But not everyone is doing that stuff :D

[Steve Mehs]

At school our network admin(no S) (thats right as in one person that overseas 700-1K PCs through out the district) has an Ipaq and the functionality of Windows Pocket PC is incredible for those little devices. Bulkiness isn't a real factor. If I were to get a laptop I'd opt for a fully loaded desktop replacement (provided I had unlimited funds :D) But yeah, one of the biggest cons about the Ipaqs is that it comes with hardly any extras, according to PC World and PC Magazine. A while ago, I almost bid on an old Compaq Aero CE device but at the last minute didn't.

Trivia Time - What was the first 'modern' prototype PDA, who manufactured it and in what year?

The Apple Newton in 1993 Info from ZDTV

[gcutler]

Newton by Apple? Late 80s?

[gcutler]

Got the year wrong, could have sworn had a Palm Pilot at that time??? Oh Well... Do I get half credit?

[MarkA]

For a handheld I have a Sony Clie. If I was getting a laptop, it would be an Apple PowerBook G4 with everything. Unless money was an issue, then it would be an Apple iBook reasonably configured with a 14.1" panel.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Nick
3.0 gHz? Wow!!!

That's 3,000,000,000 clock cycles per second! Gives me a headache just trying to comprehend that. :eek2:

What I really need are a dozen of those, without hard disks or video cards and with gigabit ethernet (for my renderfarm). :D

[Steve Mehs]

Originally posted by gcutler
Got the year wrong, could have sworn had a Palm Pilot at that time??? Oh Well... Do I get half credit?

I did it all from memory, but just checked

Sorry :) But yeah why not, you get 1/2 credit :D

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/PDA.html

The field of PDA was pioneered by Apple Computer, which introduced the Newton MessagePad in 1993. Shortly thereafter, several other manufacturers offered similar products. Today, one of the most popular brands of PDAs is the series of Palm Pilots from Palm, Inc.

I believe it was in '96 when 3Com spun off Palm.

This was discussed in a very informational TSS episode a few years ago about Apple being ahead of it's time.

[gcutler]

Since I switch jobs alot, or the companies I work for (if I stay long enough) like to move people around. My memory of working on a device usually matched sitting at a particular desk. (which usually give me a specific year) And my memory of Job/Desk range for the first 3Com built Palm Pilot was probably 94-95. So if Newton was released in 93, either it was just 1-2 years ahead of its time, or there was something no right about it (was it PC compatible???, that would have been a nail in the coffin)

[Nick]

"...there was something not right about it..."

1. Like a lot of groundbreaking products, Newton was ahead of its time.

2. It was an Apple product which doomed it to a niche market.

3. It wasn't PC/Win compatible.

[Richard King]

I have the basic Handspring Visor and it really does everything that I need a handheld for. The Handspring replaces my old Palm IIIe that I dropped and broke a while back. When I got over the sticker shock to replace the screen, I went out and bought the Handspring. I have a few add on programs, one for my checkbooks which is quite nice, and another for keeping track of mileage. I used to download a bunch of news stories through AvantGo when I hotsynched, but didn't use that enough to take up the memory and decided to dump AvantGo. I just picked up the portable keyboard for it at Staples for $29.00 reduced from $90 or so. :D

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs

This was discussed in a very informational TSS episode a few years ago about Apple being ahead of it's time.

While the newton may have been first in hand held PDA technology, it was not first in electronic portable PC connectible organizers.

IIRC, the Seiko datagraph was introduced around 1984 to 1985 and was compatible with the commodore and I think apple II. It was a PDA on watch with 2K of RAM, phone book and calendar.

I remember seeing this in a christmas Commodore Microcomputers magazine for about $200.

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Nick
"...there was something not right about it..."

1. Like a lot of groundbreaking products, Newton was ahead of its time.

2. It was an Apple product which doomed it to a niche market.

3. It wasn't PC/Win compatible.

I think #3 was most important...As with the iPod, you can use it with a WinPC, so even if you have no purpose for Apple, the iPod crosses over if it fits your needs for Mac and WinPC users (so 99% of the market)