Re: [NTLK] Palm LifeDrive

kevin_ondre@vermontel.net wrote:
> Ok, just found out about another candidate...
> the Palm LifeDrive, anyone own one?
> is it any good? this is my last unit to consider...I cant take anymore.
>

I don't own that model myself, but I understand that it's well-done. The
screen is is a nice size, compared to other Palm devices.

Coming from a Newton, you're likely to be sorely disappointed in battery
life. It will be measured in hours rather than months. Depending on how
regularly you use it, it would need to be charged once every one to
three days.

Also, most Newton users I've known spit fire and blood at the mention of
any single-character recognition system like Graffiti. If you can get
past this prejudice, it will double or triple your input speed with just
a little practice. There is a learning curve tho.

Stability will depend on the software you run. PalmOS is getting a
little old and developers try tricky things to get around its
limitations. You can certainly count on an unexpected crash/reset two or
three times a month, more if you have an unfortunate software combo.

I'm not convinced that the hard drive is really a benefit. Spinning
platters in portable devices is just generally a bad idea. Ever try to
take an iPod (not a nano or shuffle) running? It's worse than with a CD
player! With 4GB SD cards under $50 these days and 8GB SD cards under
$100, I think I would stick with a TX+a big SD card rather than a
LifeDrive. I was hesitant about the drop in processor speed, but I have
only barely noticed the difference going from a 400mHz device to 312mHz.

Also note that palm.com is listing the LifeDrive as "end of life" and is
not selling them any more. Maybe there will be a replacement model,
maybe there won't.

HTH,

Steve

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