[GRLUG] Android PDA

[Kyle]

>My wife commandeered my iPod touch, which I was using as a PDA.  Do
>any of you use, or heard of, a good android iPod Touch replacement.
>
>The touch was really almost exactly what I was looking for in a PDA;
>small, light, good battery life, wifi, music, games, ebooks, email
>etc.
>
>I like the open idea behind the android OS and the fact that it is now
>getting some steam behind it with, as far as I know, all the apps that
>I am used to on the touch.
>
>
>Share and Enjoy
>Ben


I switched over from my much beloved Palm Zire 72 to a Palm Pre phone recently (currently $29.99 with a new contract @ Verizon).  I love it, especially with the bug fixes in the latest update.  Here are some of the benefits:

1. It acts a lot like an old PalmOS system, but is based on Linux for the core OS and the WebKit engine for display.
2. If you download the SDK, they give you a tool for root access.
3. You can download the Classic app for $20 (last I checked), which is essentially a PalmOS emulator, giving you access to tons of old PalmOS programs.
4. It's programmable in HTML, CSS, Javascript, and recently C/C++ (one of the major selling points for me)
5. Has GPS and a camera.
6. Tethering is included with internet access if you get it from Verizon (normally $40-60), so you can connect to the internet by WiFi through the phone.

Main complaints so far are:
1. It's a bit underpowered if you multitask programs a lot
2. Not as many apps as other platforms, especially PalmOS, without buying Classic

Overall, I'm quite happy with it.

- Kyle