Comments on: Wichita Schools Standardize on the Palm TX

Wichita Public Schools is standardizing on the wireless Palm TX handheld computer for its seventh-grade technology program, Palm announced today. The school district purchased nearly 730 Palm TX handhelds as part of a major renovation of its technology curriculum for middle schools.
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Palm TX in schools.

VampireLestat @ 4/10/2006 7:54:57 PM # Q
Absolutely fantastic news.

The Palm TX is the world's best handheld and teaching kids early how to be organized and efficient in managing daily responsibilities is very constructive.

With Windows Mobile, the kids would likely never seriously integrate mobile computing into their lives.

RE: Palm TX in schools.
Timothy Rapson @ 4/10/2006 9:05:21 PM # Q
VL:
This is the state requiring teaching of special creation. They are already cutting edge. Of course they rejected the OS that has all that garbage than Palm Os promised years ago with Cobalt and never quite got around to delivering.

RE: Palm TX in schools.
hkklife @ 4/10/2006 9:35:48 PM # Q
Vampire;

Don't you consider the T5 the world's best handheld?

The TX has a slower CPU, no drive mode, no internal storage drive, crippled Bluetooth, and a smaller capacity battery. Aren't all of those negative factors when comparing it to the TX?

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX

RE: Palm TX in schools.
VampireLestat @ 4/11/2006 1:02:43 AM # Q
The TX has a slower CPU, no drive mode, no internal storage drive, crippled Bluetooth, and a smaller capacity battery. Aren't all of those negative factors when comparing it to the TX?

I once considered the T5 and TX to be sidegrade equals. But recently I had to return my TX for repair because the speaker broke. I then noticed I misse my WiFi.

I use WiFile to grab files on my T43 IBM Thinkpad.
I now do all my Hotsyncs by WiFi.
And I found my surfing pages like cnn.com or the weather straight from my bed either late at night or in the morning. Or I could be in bed reading an ebook or listening to an MP3 of my favorite talk radio shows and I would need to do quick Google search. The TX is great for that.

The CPU speed is just fine. It even plays 320x480 full FPS movies. For the rare movies that require just a tiny bit more power, I simply used PXAcloxer and set 416mhz.

Drive mode: Well... I copied over the Drive mode files from my T5 and use that. But you are right, that has to be put back in future Palms since not everyone knows how to hack the files like that.

No internal storage, not really an issue. I now use 1 x 1GB, and 1 x 2GB SD cards.

BT, never use it to be honest.

Smaller battery? Never noticed. Battery life is very good imho.

And finally, a MAJOR factor is the new lower cost. The T5 cost me 599$cad and the TX 399$cad. I like the lower cost of ownership. If I have to buy another one, it is affordable.

Hey, did you guy see Futureshop.ca is selling the LifeDrive for like 349$ CAD now? :-\ Is it due to end of life or just a store liquidating its own inventory?

RE: Palm TX in schools.
VampireLestat @ 4/11/2006 1:16:48 AM # Q
In conclusion, the TX is a bit better than the T5.

But I really wish Drive mode and the T5 "Files" file manager came with the TX. I don't like the idea that user's who don't know how to hack ROM files will not enjoy the full potential of the TX.

RE: Palm TX in schools.
Timothy Rapson @ 4/11/2006 8:18:04 AM # Q
I wonder how often you use drive mode?

In considering a TX, I have thought that it offers no drive mode advantage over a T5. If I were to get one, I am certain that I would just carry my little card reader and use that to transfer any file I wanted to get to a desktop. That is as easy to carry as a cable and if I am going to most newer desktops they already have SD slots, so I would need neither the cable nor the card reader, just the card itself.

Do you use a card reader, desktop sd slot, or cable more?

RE: Palm TX in schools.
VampireLestat @ 4/11/2006 2:34:55 PM # Q
I use Drive mode a lot to transfer daily talk show mp3s over to my SD. However, I am slowly trying to get the habit of using WiFile for that. But I still havent found a way to share my SD with my Thinkpad; which drive mode does.

I already have a card reader I can plug into my laptop. But, I am trying to get rid of all superfluous cables and peripherals. I am trying to clean and simplify my IT setup.

That is why I am trying to reduce all equipment to:

1- IBM Thinkpad (my model does not have a built in SD)
2- Linksys WiFi router.
3- Palm TX
4- 4-in-1 printer/fax/scanner/copier

So all that to say that I do use the SD Drive Mode utility from the T5. Palm left it out of the TX either because there was a license fee or they felt users do not use it enough.



RE: Palm TX in schools.
hkklife @ 4/11/2006 3:20:51 PM # Q
vampire;

Get one of those new Sandisk Ultra II + SD cards wth the built in USB port. It feels a tiny bit fragile but it works very well and can be used on nearly any computer, anywhere.

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX

RE: Palm TX in schools.
VampireLestat @ 4/11/2006 9:05:18 PM # Q
Thanks for the tip.

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7th Graders? I hope they buy hard cases

JPT|X @ 4/11/2006 10:07:07 AM # Q
I hope they are buying hard cases with them - I imagine a 7th grader can be pretty rough on a pda.

RE: 7th Graders? I hope they buy hard cases
hkklife @ 4/11/2006 10:23:52 AM # Q
And screen protectors....ever see that pic that's circulated online of what happens when you use a ballpoint pen on a Palm V? Not a pretty sight. I remember when Nike Air shoes were just becoming fasionable when I was in school and the thing to do was puncture the exposed air pockets because it was "neat". Since kids haven't changed much since thenI fear greatly for the screens & fragile power buttons of those TXs.

Whatever happened to the school in Raleigh/Durham NC that had standardized on the Palm IIIc? I wonder how long those lasted/held up...

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX

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OLPC

Surur @ 4/11/2006 11:13:53 AM # Q

Ironically the One Laptop Per Child may run Win CE in the end...

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

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Now, now

WCSPC Manager @ 4/14/2006 4:18:01 PM # Q
Now, now. I'm an 8th grader. But when I was a 7th grader, I got turned on with Palms. I used my Zire 72, and had a hard case for it from the start and a month later got screen protectors for it and later PDAs I have. I'm extremely careful with them, and try to show kids at schoo how useful they are, and fix/sell them to people.

I think the Palm OS is best for students my age, but for myself, I'm Windows Mobile Powered nowadays.

The TX is a great handheld though, though I prefer my HP iPAQ hx2415 (WM2003SE, BT, Wifi, 520mhz) over it anyday. I got my girlfriend to buy a TX, and she's very happy with it.

Overall, that's pretty awesome.

Zire 72, Zodiac, Kyocera 6035 (sold), Kyocera 7135 (had issues), Compaq iPAQ H3650 (sold), Treo 650 (for free cuz of my 7135!) HP iPAQ hx2415

RE: Now, now
SeldomVisitor @ 4/14/2006 7:07:51 PM # Q
> Now, now. I'm an 8th grader...Zire 72, Zodiac, Kyocera 6035
> (sold), Kyocera 7135 (had issues), Compaq iPAQ H3650 (sold), Treo
> 650 (for free cuz of my 7135!) HP iPAQ hx2415...

13 years old and that's ALL you've had so far?

Sheesh.


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Palm as a learning tool

JohnJackson @ 5/11/2006 9:14:09 AM # Q
The Palm Pilot is an great learning tool and the TX with it's larg screen and wireless is perfect for students to have in the classroon and to take with the everyware they go.

An example of educational use is the site

http://www.handheldclassics.com

The site is for the study of Classical Greek and other languages using the interlinear method.

Texts of Homer the Bible etc. can be read in Greek and taken wherever you go!

Help is needed to enter more texts for this Project

John Jackson
http://www.handheldclassics.com

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