Those of you who do web design: Am I an old fuddy-duddy for objecting to an ad agency design that has 11 px light gray type on a beige background? It's a pain for me to read.

What is this light gray type thing, anyway? Why has light gray become the new black?

Huh. Not a trend I'm familiar with.

I need PDA phone buying advice. Specifically, what are the relative merits of sticking with Palm vs switching to Windows Mobile?

My current PDA runs Palm, and so is all of my 3rd party software for it. (Not a *ton* of stuff -- games, mostly -- but enough that it would be annoying to buy them again. And Vindigo doesn't seem to have a Mac/Windows Mobile version at all.)

That said, there are many many many more phones out there running Windows Mobile! And they're mostly cheaper than the Treo 700p!

Suggestions? My carrier is Verizon, and my current contract runs until December, so switching would be extra-pricey.

What is this light gray type thing, anyway? Why has light gray become the new black?

Beats me. Our designer did it on the beta for our revamped site, and my boss objected strenuously, god bless him.

If I were more paranoid, I'd suggest it was the new "bad design element you throw in to see if the client is paying attention."

Jessica, I'm gonna be honest: Windows Mobile has a LOT of flaws, but at this point I think the flaws in Palm's ANCIENT OS are probably worse, overall. But I still am sticking with the Palm Treo for one reason, that I'm guessing might apply to you as well: without easy access to a Windows machine, installing software on a Windows Mobile PDA is an enormous pain in the keister.

You see, the vast majority of Windows Mobile software is distributed inside Windows-only EXE install files. This despite the fact that there is a perfectly servicable (if a bit primitive) method for installing Windows mobile files that is cross-platform. Some providers will provide access to these CAB files with a bit of digging, and others will send them to you if you request it in an email, but it's a pain, and the install process is not exactly simple.

Of course, for software that you only really have to install once, that's fine. But I never got Vindigo to work, despite tons of tinkering with Missing Sync, and it's not formall supported. Zagat guides would need to be updated yearly, with all of the obnoxious emailing for the updated CAB that entails. And I simply couldn't easily tinker with my programs the way I like. Thus, I sold my Windows Mobile PDA and bought a Treo 650.

If you have a Windows PC available that you can use for installation (and if you want, syncing Vindigo) then Missing Sync does a perfectly good job syncing the actual address book/contact stuff. If that's easy for you, I'd recommend going for a Windows Mobile phone (though make sure to play with it and read up on it before buying). It will also let you shop for Windows Mobile software that IS supported by Macs. But if it's going to be a constant frustration, like it was for me, then you'll want to stick with palm.

But I never got Vindigo to work, despite tons of tinkering with Missing Sync, and it's not formall supported.

I discovered today that Vindigo actually now exists in a download-to-your-phone version, which would bypass that whole issue nicely.

But as for the rest of it, blech. Plus, the Treo 700p is just so damn nice.

I've got a 700p. It is nice.

I can't justify the cost, though. Sorry.

it is true that the Palm OS is really ancient. God, I wish they would just get a new one out.

It's ancient, and flaky, but they really do pay a lot of attention to making it easy to use and intuitive.