Buffistas

You always think harder is better. Maybe next time I patrol, I should carry bricks and use a stake made out of butter.

Buffy ,'The Killer In Me'

Buffistechnology 2: You Made Her So She Growls?

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Jessica - Jul 17, 2006 10:55:38 am PDT #8519 of 10003

And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

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.

DXMachina - Jul 17, 2006 11:07:35 am PDT #8520 of 10003

You always do this. We get tipsy, and you take advantage of my love of the scientific method.

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.

Theodosia - Jul 17, 2006 11:10:53 am PDT #8521 of 10003

'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"

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."

Gris - Jul 17, 2006 4:36:27 pm PDT #8522 of 10003

Hey. New board.

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.

Jessica - Jul 17, 2006 5:54:12 pm PDT #8523 of 10003

And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

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.

Tom Scola - Jul 18, 2006 12:51:36 am PDT #8524 of 10003

Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.

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

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

le nubian - Jul 18, 2006 3:44:24 am PDT #8525 of 10003

"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."

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

Tom Scola - Jul 18, 2006 3:47:19 am PDT #8526 of 10003

Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.

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

le nubian - Jul 18, 2006 4:08:43 am PDT #8527 of 10003

"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."

yeah, with some help from 3rd party software developers...

§ ita § - Jul 18, 2006 4:17:08 am PDT #8528 of 10003

Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

Which is how it should be done, really.

My big beef with the Treo is that at least when I researched it before, there wasn't a way to do voice-activated dialing.

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