Rumor: Tungsten T3 with 320x480 Screen

Almost positive this one is real, though I think it is a long way off if the T2 hasn't been released yet.

Clie NX60 - emailMassman82@PDArcade.com/email

Looks real! I could not see any pixel discontinuities that would indicate Photoshopping.

Maybe by next March the Bluetooth will change to Wi-Fi *quickly offers prayer to Tech Gods*

I don't need WiFi on al PDA. For me Bluetoot is more important in my work.
It would be nice if Sandisk would get the SD-Card on the Market.

I agree completely. I've used Wifi on my Handera 330 and while it was interesting, I stopped using it because it was complete overkill.

Who's truely going to use that level of speed on a PDA? It's certainly not worth the power demands that WiFi makes. Sure, if I were downloading attachments, the speed of WiFi would be welcome, but the processor speed on most PDAs can't handle that kind of data flow. I think Wi-Fi in the consumer PDA market is completely hype. I work in an MIS shop and have a couple of guys that have Toshiba PDAs with WiFi built-in and both say they hardly use it.

My complaint would be more along the lines that there are no bluetooth cell phones in the CDMA market. Sony-Ericsson was going to come out with the T608 for Sprint and it was rumored that a "rev. 2" version of the T606 for Verizon might have Bluetooth. But with Sony-Ericsson leaving the CDMA market entirely, both are in doubt.

But this T3 looks so sweet. It looks like they reallyt did it right.

I was a college student and have since graduated recently, and having actually *deployed* some of the network infrastructure while there, I know plenty about campus connectivity. However, give me an application that WiFi works better for on a PDA versus Bluetooth.

What you are clearly referring to is portability with your laptop, not portability with your PDA, just like I was comparing in the original post. When I say that when you're in a WiFi spot and there are tons of computers around, usually that means you can use one of them. If for some reason you can't, how is a PDA going to replace the functionality of a computer? And what exactly does that have to do with anything WiFi / BT related? My point was that WiFi does work on PDAs, but it's inherently limiting since PDAs themselves are so highly mobile and are very often in places where WiFi is nowhere to be found.

Tell me, what is the difference between using WiFi or BT to check your mail once you have it all set up properly? Or look up an address? Or do some light web surfing? There is none, on a PDA. The only difference is that with BT, you are the access point. You can leave campus and not break the connection. WiFi is constrained to bubbles. Perhaps large bubbles (such as the case with certain campuses), but do you live in one completely, all the time?

I'll be the first to admit that there are some hurdles prior, such as proper data service plans and a connectivity device, but after that, bluetooth is a much more complete solution to what a PDA's functions are. It's strange; WiFi should be the niche device for PDAs, while BT should be more of the standard, but people seem to have it backwards in their heads. I can only attribute this to (again)

1 - lack of experience with BT
2 - the pervasivness of WiFi

I have serious doubts about your experience with BT, because, as another person posted, those who have used both have realized that WiFi on a PDA is not all that useful once the uber-factor has worn off, even in very well covered areas. What you do on a PDA is very different from what you do on a desktop or notebook, and 99%of those functions do not require high bandwidth or constant connections. What they do need is access when you need it, at a moment's notice. WiFi cannot always provide that.

And one more time, I'll say it; WiFi on a PDA is *not* a negative, it just shouldn't be as important as people are making it out to be, unless you only use your PDA for TCP/IP connectivity (BT is much more than that) and not PIM functions (such as sending phone numbers to be dialed to your phone), you only use your PDA in WiFi access areas, and you never use your PDA for connectivity anywhere else.

Yes, there are some who would really like to have it.

But give me Bluetooth. WF has too many penalties for most of us. Let it come on an SD card or a drifferent model. Most buyers of most PDAs will never miss WF, so let Palm and others design a separate one for them.

Can't wait to see if this makes it to market.

______________________________
An armed society is a polite society.

Given the delay of the WiFi SD cards, it seems to me Enfora should have this OUT NOW and rake in the dough!

http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=5213

I would have to say I would love Wi-Fi. I currently have no location that can service Blue-tooth, and were looking at wi-fi for our network(Students&Teachers with wifi laptops). It is not a speed issue, just the fact that I want access to our network. I personally would love for my PDA to replace my laptop, and wi-fi would be a step in the right direction. I would settle for a wi-fi SD Card however. I currently own a Tungsten T. I can see the potential of Bluetooth, but wi-fi would be better in my situation and don't wont the bulk of a Tungsten C, plus I want sterio. Just a thought. Bluetooth is cool, just can't use it. I could definately use wi-fi.

"Life is a Cookie"

...not for function, but for space.

W-Fless PDAs certainly outsell those with W-F, and BT enable PDAs probably outsell W-Fless as well.

I don't want to pay size or cost penalties for W-F, but I do find BT to be very useful.

So make the PDA for the majority, and a separate version (as they have with the W and C.

When the day finally does come that there are no penalties for including it, then by all means, toss it in.

______________________________
An armed society is a polite society.

I think your viewpoint in part depends on where you live. From what I've seen/read, it appears that WiFi has taken off to a massive extent in the USA, with widespread coverage in businesses, colleges, and shops (eg Starbucks). Bluetooth on the other hand has a much smaller market penetration, mainly due to the prevalence of CDMA mobiles.

In Europe on the other hand, WiFi has been slower taking off (there's certainly no coverage anywhere at my university), whereas mobile use is widespread - a vast percentage of the population own one (>95% of students I would guess) and they're all GSM mobiles. Many GSM mobiles now come with Bluetooth connectivity built-in, therefore for European users it's arguably more useful to have a PDA with BT rather than WiFi.

However, as others have already mentioned it's not a competition between the two standards - they've been designed for different uses. In view of the increasing power of PDAs though, lots of people use them at times as a laptop replacement - therefore they are fulfilling two different roles and probably need to have both WiFi and BT connectivity.

Cheers

Alan

I use a Tungsten T with bluetooth conectivity to various gadgets - and in my opinion, the WiFi unit and the T fit two different categories. Which is probably why Palm chose to make and market them as such. The TT with bluetooth is ideal for road warriors, connecting to GSM/GPRS for data, Bluetooth GPS units, etc. Look at http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=4642

The Tungsten C fits the bill for campus type usage, wharehousing, etc. - kind of like a laptop replacement (which is why it comes with a keyboard).

Of course it would be smart with both in one unit - then we could have the best of both worlds - but bluetooth and WiFi would still serve two different purposes!

Whether this rumor is real or not, I agree. (But I'm hoping that it is a fake.)

Although I love my Tungsten|T and how the slider gives it a more compact feel, but after daily use since the day I purchased it (at launch), I'm getting tired of opening/closing for jotting down small notes. Are there any T|T owners that still like the slider?

I think I'm done with moving parts on a PDA, unless it's to open the screen, at least for now.

Jim

I like the slider. Or rather, I like having the smaller form factor that the slider enables. I have Graffiti anywhere and it's great for quick notes. Mostly though, I use the TT for viewing information that I enter or sync through a computer, so I don't find myself opening the slider much at all since I bought it.

Ditto. Fit this machinery in to a Palm V-like form factor and it's what I have been waiting for. While that form factor doesn't work for a unit with a camera or a keyboard it should work well here.

Frankly the novelty of the slider has worn off for me.
Basically everytime I use my T/T I NEED the grafitti area whether is entering data or just for navigation... I don't need the extra step of
sliding it open EVERY time!

I would like to see all the functionality of the T/T... PLUS the 320x480 screen with virtual grafitti... PLUS more memory... PLUS a thinner/sleaker
form factor and NO slider. That would be a great PDA!

PS: did I mention Virtual Grafitti, NO Slider, and SLIMMER Design?... ;-)

But hey, thats just my .02 cents!

Ok, I don't own a T|T, so don't flame me... but if you don't like sliding your unit open each time you want to use it, whats to prevent you from ALWAYS leaving it open?

I guess I'll be the only one to state, "Who cares?" :P

I rarely open the slider, because OKey and NewPen cover 99% of my input requirements into the T|T. I've even written pages of notes without opening it once. I am not the biggest fan of the slider, however, I *LOVE* how much more compact it gets when closed. That will be the big disappointment for me if the slider disappears.

Maybe they should make two models, one with the slider and one without?

The slider will be gone next year when the *Zire* gets that screen.

But, of course, by then, every CLIE will have the screen too.