[Bob Russell]

Well, it's only a few more days till Sunday morning, when I fly to San Jose for the PalmSource Developer's Conference. I can't remember the last time I was so excited about attending any conference or event. And as you may have seen noted on various Palm-related web sites, there will be an opportunity for conference attendees to purchase Palm devices at a discount of up to 40%. While quantities are limited, it's likely to be an opportunity for me to get a Palm device once more. I bet they have a few LifeDrives in stock also!

So with this decision point fast arriving, it puts me in quite a quandry. What to do? I'd like to upgrade my under-$200 Toshiba e405 PPC, primarily to get a better screen. But I'm reasonably happy with the device. It's well-designed, solidly built, small, zippy, has long battery life, holds plenty with external SD cards, etc. I'd like HiRes+ or VGA, but I can wait if I need to. And, additionally, if I stick with my Toshiba, I already have all the accessories and software also.

But if I do upgrade to a "luxurious" screen resolution, what are my basic options?

As far as VGA PPCs, I'm not convinced that VGA is well-enough integrated into PPC software to make my happy. Plus WinMobile5 didn't impress me as much as I expected it to. I don't know that I like the soft key concept and the focus on integrating it with the smartphone OS. Next generation models may take a while to come onto the market anyway.

With regard to the LifeDrive, it's a little heavy, and there are reports of limited battery life, and sluggishness or hesistation due to hard drive spinup. Those issues are a concern, both for general usage and for media playback. But, hey, it still looks really nice, and the "just right" PDA model doesn't exist anywhere yet. I'm frequently drooling over all the LifeDrive pictures and spec sheets, because it's got a lot to offer. Even the smaller touches are nice, like the mic. And how about that hardware button for instant landscape/portrait switching? Not to mention that awesome optional metal case? Doesn't seem to add any bulk and makes it like a flip cover top. Very nice.

Which brings up the following quick aside... Why doesn't PalmOne use a flip cover in the first place, like my wonderful old Sony Clie SJ33 did?! Or at least supply us with one of those fitted plastic sleeves like what evolved in the calculator world, which can be slid onto the device as a cover, or slid onto the device upside down to leave the top open. It can easily be removed completely if not wanted.

And, finally, there's the T5. It's no slouch itself, despite rumors of instability, so it makes another nice alternative with a great screen. No integrated WiFi, but I don't absolutely have to have either 4gig or WiFi. It's a bit cheaper than the LifeDrive, probably has better battery life, and I suspect that most of the reported bugginess may be manageable with the right choice of software kept to the most up-to-date versions.

What to do? What to do?... Your suggestions and thoughts, please!