11:51 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Web IS, Inc will be releasing a public beta of its fantastic PIM software Pocket Informant 2005 somewhere between the next days/weeks. There is not much information regarding new features yet; however, it has been confirmed that PI 2005 will - last but not least - feature a timeline view.

Pocket Informat 2005 will go under the codename 'Palladium'. Some screenshots are attached to this post.

11:36 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

WebIS Mail is one of the most promising email clients for Pocket PCs. You can now download version 2.06 from PocketGear.

I am still waiting for the final 2.1 release which is expected to be released by mid-March. The beta version of 2.1 fully supports high-DPI VGA, offers speed improvements, a 3 pane view in VGA mode, a multi-page view, GMail Pop3 SSL support, and many bug fixes.

04:56 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Our PalmOne fans from Mexico had the opportunity to chat with PalmOne director Ignacio Gallego. You can read the main part of the interview (in Spanish) over at Montalvo's site, or study the log of the entire chat at PDAMexico.net.

The Treo 650 will be available in Mexico in the first week of April. You'll be able to buy either the uncrippled retail version, or get one through one of the available carrier plans.

12:19 PM by Bob Russell in Miscellaneous | Lounge

Let me start with a bottom line observation... I love a fast computer and I love a fast PDA. And it's not just a matter of wanting the "best", or being worried that my task will take a total of a few seconds more. Those waits really add up.

How many times have you been doing software upgrades or trying to make some software work on your PC or PDA, and you find the whole day is gone because of all the resets and reboots and even waiting on the user interface to go from step to step? I, for one, see precious time slipping out of my grasp because of that sort of thing. If computers were truly "zippy" it would be a lot quicker to get stuff done. And isn't that the bottom line? I'd be willing to even give up a lot of functionality.

I was working with some text files using Notepad on my Windows desktop PC and I realized that I generally use Notepad instead of MS Word whenever possible, despite the lack of features. In fact, there's a huge difference in capabilities, but I prefer Notepad. It's easy, fast, snappy and the text files are compatible anywhere.

That example explains much of what I like about PDAs (aside from the obvious -- portability.) More true of Palm PDAs than PPC, but they are generally quick and snappy and the apps are relatively simple to learn and use even if they have a lot of capabilities. I like the Zen of Palm that remembers to make the user experience more important than the feature set. Most of the time I can use a PDA (like Notepad), and sometimes I need the full blown PC (like MS Word.)

But with the growth in feature sets and the market demands, is simplicity and zippy response time going to be a casualty in the portable electronics wars? Might be my imagination, but it seems like hardware sped up during the "Clie age" and things went better for the user. But now software is starting to outpace hardware again. I hope not. I don't even like that 1/2 second wait for a response! It may not seem like a big deal, but it takes your mind off of what you were doing and puts your attention on the device instead.

And I don't want to have to buy the fastest PDA out there to get a responsive user experience. Let's face it, there are a lot of things that are slower on a PDA than a desktop even if you aren't talking about a lack of keyboard or the small screen.

The good news is that when battery/fuel cell technology improves, a lot of the hardward constraints may start to disappear also. You just might be forced to hold your pda with a glove so you don't burn yourself on all the heat put out by tiny devices with big power requirements. There are already warnings not to use laptops in your lap if you're a male who wants to procreate!

07:11 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Mini Mozilla, also known as Minimo, is being ported to Windows CE by lead Minimo developer Doug Turner (we reported). From Cnet I just gathered that the Windows CE version, which will run on all popular Pocket PC devices, is set to debut this summer. Cnet quoting Doug:

"The first release to the general public will be in about four months," he said. "We are hoping to be producing nightly builds starting at the end of March. Nightly builds are...for quality assurance and those that live a bit dangerously."

Until now, Minimo has been built only for Linux-based PDAs. If you are a Windows CE developer, you can partipiate in the new project and contact Doug at dougt[at]meer[dot]net.

06:33 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Linux - just a buzz word, or is there more about this system which could, according to some market observers, become an established force in the mobile world?

From LinuxDevices we learn that a growing need for complex requirements for internetworking between packet-based and other kinds of voice and data networks will put embedded Linux on an increasing number of mobile devices in near future.

It's only been about two years since Linux started becoming a significant factor in mobile phones, an arena that has been dominated by Symbian, Microsoft, and proprietary operating systems. With the burgeoning complexity of mobile phones, feature phones, and smart phones -- plus increasing time-to-market pressures -- there's a clear movement toward off-the-shelf, third-party operating systems based on industry standards, and Linux figures to be a major beneficiary of that trend.

Some companies, such as OpenWave, expect Linux to be a "2006 product story." Recent developments, such as PalmSource's acquisition of China MobileSoft and the adoption of several of its software products certainly make us want to believe this. On the other hand, some analysts are more sceptical. Neil Strother, a senior analyst with InStat/MDR, thinks that while the cell phone market might hold great promise for Linux, the platform will not just walk in and take over. "It's a crowded field," Strother says of the smart phone market. "Linux could struggle just because it has some formidable foes against it. That's not to say it has no future."

Some related links:
Linux for Embedded Systems?
Linux in Embedded Systems - The Windows side of the story
Microsoft Now Leads in PDA, Embedded OS
Embedded Linux becoming 'disruptive force'

My question to all Mobileread readers: Do you believe embedded Linux will become a disruptive force in the mobile world within the next 12 months? Make sure to participate in the poll!

05:15 PM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Rumor has it that PalmOne will be bundling WiFi Cards with the Zire 72 and Tungsten T5 PDAs. That's about a $130 value, but more importantly it would demonstrate PalmOne is realizing the importance of WiFi capability.

The rumor has popped up on several sites already...
http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmad...ifi_sd_ca.html
http://www.brighthand.com/article/pa..._Wi-Fi_SD_Card
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000333033018/

03:26 PM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Portable Audio/Video

Recent rumors of new iPod devices to hit the market soon were confirmed by Apple today. Regarding the iPod mini, the company lowered the price on the 4Gb model and introduced a new 6Gb version. It also launched updated versions of its color-screen iPod photo device with new slim 30Gb and 60Gb models. The new models should be immediately available at Apple stores.

For a 4Gb iPod mini you will now pay $199 (before $249), while the 6Gb model will sell for $249. For the 30Gb and 60Gb iPod photos you have to shell out $349 and $449, respectively.