Rumor: palmOne "Life Drive" High End Handheld
An anonymous source has provided new info regarding a circulating rumor about a upcoming high end handheld from palmOne. Dubbed "Life Drive", the unit is a speculated to feature dual wireless and a built in hard drive.
The source claims the unit will be the new high end handheld, replacing the aging Tungsten C model. The details are slim but the rumor states it will have built in WiFi and Bluetooth and a 4 Gigabyte hard drive. It will not have a removable battery and is said to be as thick as two Tungsten T5's. Life Drive is likely the code name for the device.
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Two Tungsten T5 thick
Ouch, that seams awfully thick. Now, I have had two Tungsten T's in one pocket before, both in hard cases, so this does seam to be a possible size, but not very practical.
Now, it could be that early prototypes were this thick, but the actual device will be more in line with typical PDA sizes.
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
No mention of the screen, either. If it's to replace the TC -- another SSS (Small Square Screen)?
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
Yes, it has occurred to me that others may need sophisticated communication capabilities. In fact, there seem to be daily complaints about p1's efforts in this department.
That's my point. All those tedious complaints seem to proceed on the basis that everyone wants WiFi/etc and that a palmpilot without such features is next to useless.
I don't agree. Speaking for myself, such gadgets have no utility in day-to-day life (although they may be fun to play with for a while) and I don't see why I should pay for something which likely I will never use. I don't think I am on my own here - some of the best selling units in recent years have no wireless communication facilities at all (excluding IR, that is) - take the TE for instance.
If p1 is sensible, they will continue to offer a range of palmpilots - some with elaborate wireless facilities; some without.
To repeat, I do appreciate that some users (at least those how post regularly on PIC) demand WiFi, but it's not for everyone.
There is marketing angle to consider too. The palmpilot market is pretty crowded. The challenge faced by p1 is to demonstrate to prospective customers how their products are better and cheaper than all the rest. Adopting a policy of merely adding features which others have is probably not the best approach when it comes to product differentiation - 'me too' does not mean 'I'm better' (as Sony's failure demonstrates).
Different strokes for different folks...
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
RE: I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
If you can't handle people who disagree with you, I suggest you unplug your Internet connection, and invest in a nice close-fitting hood that covers your eyes and blocks your ears.
You might even find that you like it.
Too good to be true
The world will end in 2006. Just as it was predicted in the bible along with the release of Microsoft Longhorn.... :p
RE: Too good to be true
UZI4U182@suscom.net
Main PDA: NX70v + WL100
http://clieflash.shorturl.com
Will almost certainly use Cobalt
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
That said, if this were to come out with Garnet, palmOne will get a stern talking to from my mommy.
antoinerjwright.com
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
Cobalt is Nagel's other bastard child that nobody wants (Copland being the other one).
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
I think that Cobalt will be needed for FAT32 support....
Best regards
Tam Hanna
Find out more about the Palm OS in my blog:
http://tamspalm.blogspot.com
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
1) Can you imagine the HD support nightmares?
2) Do you want to have to wait for someone to come out with a POS version of, say, ScanDisk? Or Norton Utilities?
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
Why, though, would you put Wifi and Bluetooth on a Media player though?
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
Why put WiFi in the PSP?
In fact, there's a GREAT reason for a media player to have WiFi: **P2P**! LimeWire, for example, is written in Java! Get it up on PalmOS, boys! Me want my new Doctor Who episodes!!!
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
For this device there is practically no tailoring of the OS involved (unlike the Palm OS for a smartphone, WHICH PalmSource has continually ignored). It should be pretty easy to incorporate.
And it will give the Treo users Wi-Fi like Palm has promised at Roadshows. To bad it isn't built in like every Treo user seems to want. But this way is better, right? Because now Treo users get to fork over another five-hu... I mean now they get 2 cool devices to carr... wait, no, I mean now they get wi-fi.
It would be quite useful. And I strongly suspect that Cobalt will be used to enable simultaneous use of Bluetooth 1.2 WITH wi-fi. Wi-fi access broadcast to your Bluetooth Treo, Tungsten or Zire (or, I suppose you could probably plug it in directly to the Treo too, if you wanted to bother digging the Life Drive out of your briefcase or pocket). Yippee! And wait, that's right. Remember how the new connector can pipe enough power to run and slowly trickle charge the Treo and the T5. Well that will come in handy with the iLife Drive and its huge battery, giving you an extra bit of "life" for your Treo once the battery charge has run down.
Anyway, it does seem odd that they will be expecting Treo users to purchase a second Palm device to carry around.
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
1) Can you imagine the HD support nightmares?
2) Do you want to have to wait for someone to come out with a POS version of, say, ScanDisk? Or Norton Utilities?"
Your're right. I run ScanDisk and Norton Utilities on my 40GB iPod all the time.
/sarcasm
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
You need to convert it to FAT32 for use under Linux as well.
--
This post is ROT26 encrypted. Reading it is a violation of the DMCA
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
Nah, I had it on my HandEra 330 eons ago.
"Your're right. I run ScanDisk and Norton Utilities on my 40GB iPod all the time."
1. That wouldn't happen to be an HFS+ formatted ipod though would it?
2. Unlike PalmOS devices thus far, your ipod actually does have a disk check/repair app built into it.
As it is, it's a bit of a pain when my SD card goes south. No disk util on the Palm. fsck_msdos isn't fully complete in 10.3 on the Mac, so that's no dice. And Linux only sees the CF slot on my multi-slot card reader. So I have to dual-boot it into win98 just to run sandisk, which is about all I keep the '98 partition on there for. All told it's easier to just keep regular backups of the card to an SMB share on either the Linux of Mac boxes. Then when the SD card goes south, I just format it and copy the content back over WiFi (Tungsten C and SMBMate).
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
It'll have a non-removable battery, too, just like the iPod.
RE: Will almost certainly use Cobalt
How sad. Larry Garfield is the only hard hitting journalist
I thought he was a pipsqueek back when we were both using TRGpros and HandEra's, but I gotta hand it to him: he's one of the only people writing about Palms now that has the guts to tell it like it is.
It would be nice to see Larry get a regular monthly column here at PIC to keep us updated on what's going on in the PalmOS world from his perspective. Congratulations on becoming a he11 of a Palm journalist, Larry.
TVoR
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Press release: CUPERTINO, California — February 11, 2005 — Apple® announced today that Steve Jobs will begin selling his own feces to Apple Cultists beginning March 1. Apple's new iPoo™ lineup is expected to easily surpass the iPod shuffle as the company's most popular product. Yes, Apple Cultists can already easily create their own iPoo™, but feces didn't seem cool until Jobs told them it was cool. Remember, kids: the ONLY cool feces is Jobs' highly individualistic, rebellious iPoo™ (coming soon in six different colors/flavors, including the red [hematochezia] and black [melena] U2 GI bleed model)
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
not interesting actually
100Gb in double T5 size is being sold for 3 months in shop near my office. Linux and WiFi there already. It records TV and playes Divx for 5 hours on one charge. It has organizers and office docs working.
Samsung had working 95g phone on Cebit, with 2Gb HDD.
So this Life Drive could only be interesting, if it's less than 180g weight. or it is dead before release.
RE: not interesting actually
I think the Archos uses the same HWR the Zaurus used. If this is so, it offers one thing this "LifeDrive" cannot -- CLASSIC GRAFFITI (not by default; you have to modify the built-in characters).
RE: not interesting actually
I was all set to start migrating from the T3 to this "LifeDrive" until I saw the thickness! Add a case to that thing and it IS a brick--right up there with the NR/NX series Sonys! Non-removable battery is the definite deal-breaker. Heck, I could have lived with a T|C formfactor with an elongated 320*480 screen that was a touch smaller in actual size than the T3/T5.
RE: not interesting actually
I am very skeptical about this having an HD in it. We recently had those headlines here at PIC about the multi-GB FRAM chips. I suspect it'll actually have that. The thickness is most likely due to a *battery*, *not* an HD.
Hey, if you could watch a full ripped DVD on a transatlantic flight and *still not have to recharge upon landing*, would you think that thickness was worth it?
*&^%##@ I gotta start saving pennies Just In Case...
HEY! SOMEONE START A PETITION TO XEROX, DAMMIT!
RE: not interesting actually
Dell and HP models already have dual wireless with an empty slot just waiting for your choice of Multi-GB drives, and yet already get longer battery life (with larger batteries) in a smaller package than my Tungsten C.
Anyway, not going to pass judgment until it's announced. The size won't surprise me though. PalmOne only manages small when it's comparatively under-spec'd.
RE: not interesting actually
Petition PalmOne/PalmSource.
_________________
Sean
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.
RE: not interesting actually
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I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth
Great specs, but it sounds like this thing will be as big as a cinder block.
Let's hope only part of the rumor is true. :)
Arthur
Palm Pilot 1000 > Palm Pilot Professional > Palm III > Palm M100 > Sony Clié PEG-T415 > Palm T|T3