Word: psion
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...will get you MP3 music on your handheld, and Palm's wireless Net access is just the beginning of what promises to be a huge trend in portable computing. Like everything else in personal technology, there's no single standard for handhelds, with the Palm, Windows CE devices and Psion all going their own ways. You'll have to compare and decide for yourself, but one thing is certain: every generation is quicker, with more software to make PDAs truly personal...
...different from most people--4 million folks use one of 3Com's Palms, after all. I assume many millions more are sitting on the e-fence (ouch!) deciding whether to get one or a device that runs the rival Windows CE or even the respectable dark horse, the Psion 5mx. If I were buying a PDA, though, I'd probably get Handspring's new 5.4-oz. Visor, which you'll be able to purchase next month online at the company's website, handspring.com I say probably because, though Handspring finally gave specs for the Visor last week, we need...
...being hasty. Who knows if the thing will really work? Still, I'd hate to be 3Com. Its venerable Palm line is under siege from an army of cheap digital assistants that run the competing Windows CE operating system. And last week a dark horse arrived from Psion Inc., a company based in England whose palmtops are especially popular outside the U.S. The 12.5-oz. device is the Psion 5mx ($549, list) and runs on a clever 32-bit operating system called Epoc, which has legions of devotees, just like Palm's OS. Epoc, you should know, was developed...
Unlike other palmtops, Psion has a built-in keyboard; others use handwriting recognition for data input, which many people (like me) find tedious. However, while my stubby fingers fit comfortably on the keys, the action was sticky, and I frequently found myself retyping words. Still, I would definitely consider buying a 5mx, especially if I were a globetrotter. But since I'm not and I know what's on the horizon, I'm just going to wait...
...only Philips Electronics has actually licensed Psion's software for use in a smart phone, but the software has a compelling advantage: Symbian is charging just $5 a phone, while Microsoft charges computer makers $25 for each device that uses Windows CE, according to analysts. Jan Ahrenbring, an Ericsson vice president, adds that Microsoft's operating system "really wasn't applicable for mobile," but Microsoft maintains that the software is modular and can be customized to suit customers needs. South Korean manufacturer Samsung has produced the prototype of a Windows CE phone that it plans to market next year...