At 02:02 AM 7/21/01 -0400, Samuel Jacobson wrote:
>I am currently in graduate school and have become enamored with the
>flexibility of the UMP2000/2100.
>[snip]!
>While I am familiar with the abilities of the UMP2000 I have never seen
>thus used an eMate and was wondering what the consensus of this NUG might be
>to which unit (uMP2000/2100 or eMate) would be better suited to a student
>especially since I cannot afford a laptop and, again, am very lured by being
>able to take notes directly into the machine...
I am one person who can say "been there, done that" with respect to what
you're mulling over - I wrote my thesis with Newton technology. Well, I
wrote the text of the thesis (and all the bibliography review/confirmation)
with a combination of the MP2100 and eMate 300+DRAM upgrade (final
formatting was done on a desktop with Adobe Pagemaker and Illustrator). The
MP2100 was useful while in transit (30+ minute Metro ride to the lab) or in
the library stacks while the eMate offered 12+ hours of uninterrupted
untethered typing.
The eMate certainly can do everything you are aware of, though a unit with
the internal RAM upgrade does it better than the stock eMate. HWR is print
only (that's okay - I print faster than I write cursively) and it works
well if you rotate the screen to portrait mode and carry the thing like a
big clipboard. The eMate is also an excellent alternative to a lab book,
since you can type, calculate, scribble and doodle while still having note
management, print capabilities, and security (don't lose the thing though)
on a platform originally designed for abuse by the kiddie set.
Pros: built-in keyboard, slightly larger screen size than a MP2x00,
high-impact plastic case (one of my first experiences with an eMate was
watching a sales rep use one as a frisbee).
Cons: more limiting capabilities if you purchase a "stock unit" (the unit
really works better when the DRAM/Flash RAM module is present), single
PCMCIA slot, speed, size. You can sidestep the constant swap between
storage card (Flash or wait for Paul's upcoming CF support) and modem by
using an external modem (that built-in DIN-8's great) but if you elect to
go the Ethernet route, you're up for the shuffle.
If I had to do it over again, I'd probably still use a combination of both
units, though I'd equip the MP2x00 with a SER-001 daughtercard. YOUR
decision will depend on what's more important to you:
MP2x00: speed and small size, and two PCMCIA slots vs additional cost +
purchase of the keyboard.
eMate: durable platform with built-in keyboard vs speed and larger size.
Regardless of which unit you decide to go with, some essential software to
consider:
- Standalone WorksBetter (Works enhancement, compatible with WriteStuff)
- Landware WriteStuff (Works enhancement, compatible with WorksBetter)
- Catamount NewtNotes (reference management - excellent if you use EndNotes)
Most of the other stuff works on both platforms, though you'll be somewhat
more judicious with what you load on the eMate.
By the way, I still have my eMate (and I'm not selling). One still has to
write documents and it's got a whole lot more battery power than a ThinkPad
(just try to finish that report while flying into Saskatoon).
-- Ivan T. Shaw, PhD http://www3.sympatico.ca/ishaw http://www.ivanshaw.com-- This is the Newtontalk mailinglist - http://www.newtontalk.net To unsubscribe or manage: visit the above link or mailto:newtontalk-request_at_newtontalk.net?Subject=unsubscribe
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