Re: NTLK Smackdown! (eMate vs. 2x00)

From: Michael Manthey (Michael_Manthey@MagicVillage.de)
Date: Mon May 08 2000 - 15:28:06 CDT


Michael J. Husmann wrote:

”just like the MP2x00, the eMate supports bit depths up to 4, i.e. 16 levels of gray”

The OS should, and the manual confirms support of 16 shades of grey, but the screen looks different. At least, as far as I can tell from mine. The backlight seems different, as well.

Concerning the keyboard:

"This is a matter of taste, of course, but I believe few people would agree with you on this. I for one prefer the eMate's keyboard (I have both an eMate and an MP2100 with an external keyboard) -- it's easier to type on, and it's much less noisy."

Well, that's not how I feel about it. The external keyboard is noisy, to be sure, more like the Cherry-keyboard on my PC in the office; yet I can type faster on it. The eMate's keyboard gives me a somewhat cramped feeling (I have large hands), and it's not as comfortable as the Powerbook I had been using before.

"the eMate's battery is soldered in...
No, it isn't. You need a Torx-8 screwdriver to open the battery compartment, though."

Sorry, if I was wrong on that one; it's what I was told several times when asking for a spare. Have you ever seen a replacement kit? Couldn't get one over here.

"if it runs dry. There is no way of just replacing the internal battery by a pack of alcalines from the next drugstore...
I never ran into this type of being on the road with my eMate."

I did, on at least three occasions. I do extensive travelling for business-purposes, and if you are in several meetings one just following the other, it may happen that you are on the wrong side of the table, just away from the socket in case of need. ;-)

"While I love my MP2100, I am spending more time with the eMate, mostly because of its keyboard. These days, most of the stuff I write for macmagazin is written on the eMate, whereas I use the MP2100 mainly as an organizer. For me, the eMate offers nearly everything I would need a Powerbook for (including internet access), which is why I don't need one."

D'accord: if you do writing of this special kind, the eMate gives you enormous reach. With the Powerbook I had to have a close look on battery-life, and it was no use (or against etiquette) in meetings.
The eMate is very limited, however, if you need communicability and data-exchange: sorry to say that, but spreadsheet-support is very very poor, the PSION is miles ahead on that one (not to mention a Powerbook).
I do prefer a combination of PSION and MP 2000 these days, with business (word-compatible) documents and spreadsheets on the Psion and all the PIM-stuff and notes on the MP 2000.
No one is offended by pen-taken notes in a meeting, so my use of the MP 2000 is more than 98% pen-input (as in this mail).
For prolonged work with spreadsheets, a laptop is indispensible (or you'll hurt your eyes).

Michael
This mail sent by Michael Manthey, Melatengürtel 92, 50823 Cologne, Germany, ++49 221 5107445, using Simple Mail on Newton MessagePad 2000.
******************************************
This NewtonTalk Message brought to you by:

EVOTE.COM, the ESPN of Politics on the
Internet. Visit EVOTE.COM for all the latest
news on Campaign 2000!

Visit http://www.evote.com today!

******************************************

Need Subscribe/Unsubscribe Info?
visit http://www.planetnewton.com

******************************************



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jun 01 2000 - 00:00:07 CDT