Comments on: New PDA32 Details and Review Roundup

Despite being announced over a year ago, Aceeca's first consumer-oriented handheld, the PDA32, has seen a rather bumpy road to production. While the handheld's Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity options remain unavailable, several base-configuration, production-ready units have left Aceeca HQ and ended up in the hands of reviewers for real-world testing.

Last year, Tam Hanna posted a series of size and screen comparisons but had very little to report as far as day-to-day usability of the PDA32. Since then, French Palm OS software developer Luc Le Blanc, creator of the Auriga, has taken a preproduction PDA32 along for a week of cave exploration in France. He was quite impressed with the overall package and has written up his findings alongside some detailed specifications and some benchmark figures.

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needs modern browser

linds @ 1/19/2011 12:07:27 PM # Q
I think without a modernized (web kit) browser this is a fail. The opera browser had potential but wasn't quite up to snuff.
RE: needs modern browser
hkklife @ 1/19/2011 12:22:44 PM # Q
Ditto. In fact, i would not be surprised if they ended up canning the BT & wi-fi options entirely and basically just promote this as a cheap, durable, big battery unconnected device.

A shame Palm couldn't have licensed the TX tech to someone like Aceeca to continue to build and improve upon it. As it stands now, you have a brand-new device (PDA32) that is superior to the 5+ year old TX in some ways and drastically inferior in others.

Right now it looks like the TX is still the superior device but that is assuming you still have a brand new or mint condition TX sitting around.

If Aceeca can somehow get the PDA32's ROM in decent shape (faster performance & landscape mode), make the wi-fi & BT options available and offer it in a black housing, it'd be a much more appealing device.

PDA32 pros:
-Faster, more modern (more efficient?) CPU
-Enormous battery
-Brighter screen with richer colors
-Flashable ROM + built-in backup utility
-Available factory-fresh "new" now with promised long-term availability
-Mini-USB connector for universal cable & charger availability
-Much better build quality+much more durable body & buttons
-High-power IR port
-(Hopefully) eventual 802.11G wireless
-No NVFS, so speedier performance


TX Pros:
-More overall storage memory (100mb+ free out of 128mb)
-FAT32, so natively 4GB SD card compatible & SDHC via software
-Standard wi-fi & BT
-Standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack
-Thinner/lighter + more stylish
-Full assortment of hard buttons & stylus tip-size reset button + better stock stylus
-Much better software bundle (Versamail, Blazer, DTG, PTunes)
-NVFS for no risk of data loss
-Athena connector to utilize many legacy Palm handheld accessories
-Screen can be rotated to landscape mode
-Fully compatible with nearly all apps updated in 2004 or later. No compatibility issues due to lack of hard buttons

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: needs modern browser
LiveFaith @ 1/19/2011 3:09:02 PM # Q
Where's the lizard with his shipment of buggy whips? Good grief, using a device like this with no WiFi or BT would be excruciating.

Surely, the OS was given to them and not charged for. It has a few good things about it, but I just wonder what the meeting room discussion was, where this group of "business people" actually came away thinking this idea could make money? I would love to hear it.
Pat Horne

RE: needs modern browser
linds @ 1/20/2011 8:57:05 AM # Q
I agree, who are they marketing too? I mean they have their business line of handhelds and this one is supposed to be a consumer device. If I would happen to want a good Palm device sans bluetooth and wifi I would go buy a M500 on ebay for $20. If I wanted a device with bluetooth and wifi I wouldn't buy this without a modernized browser aka webkit.


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