Need some geek help.

[katoranger]

Anyone recommend to me a small wifi capable device? There is plenty of hot spots around Atlanta and I don't want to pay for the service for a smartphone or an aircard for the laptop. Something I can easily carry around and has a qwerty keyboard.

Allen

[Jim]

you can get a wireless card for the laptop for under $50 (probably $20 if you find one on sale), I don't know that you'd find any sort of device to browse the web on for less... An iPod touch or something would work, but that's going to cost more...

[katoranger]

I have built in wireless in the laptop, just want something easier to carry around and just pull out of the pocket and check email and chinariders.

Allen

[IronFist]

blackberry?

[Jim]

well if you're in the market for a music player as well, an ipod touch would be great... I don't know what else, I don't keep up with the gadget scene because I don't like to spend money on that sort of thing very often...

I'm sure someone will have something to suggest.

[Cal25]

I just got a Dell Axim X30 off Ebay for my geocacheing. It is a pocket PC with a Windows OS, has wifi and bluetooth built in. You could get a roll up or portable bluetooth or infrared keyboard to go with it. I got mine for about 68 bucks shipped. Havent had much of a chance to get alot of use out of it yet but so far it has met all expectations for me.

[kmoore]

check into the asus eeepc its very small 7 inch screen and it gives you all the features of a regular laptop with built in wireless except it has no drives ie floppy or cd drive but it does have a sd card slot and it runs on linux os or can be upgraded to windows xp.. i bought one for my sons 4th birthday thinking it was a toy but boy wasi wrong. it will do anything my big laptop will do.

http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=24&l2=164

[SpeedSouth]

I recently picked up a Nokia N810 Internet Tablet.

It has WiFi, runs on Linux Maemo so it's open source and user supported. Plenty of apps and useful features....and it's about the size of a cell phone.

Here's a picture I took of mine on top of a magazine for size referrence -

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k163/drgweb/misc/PICT0008.jpg


I got mine used on ebay for less than $300, and I'm quite pleased with it so far. Hope that helps. :)

[katoranger]

Thanks. The price of the dell sounds good. I have seen the little asus computers. Thought about getting one of those, bit it is still on the big side for what I am thinking.

Interesting being able to use it for geocaching. Will have to look into that.

Allen

[winnipegmike]

A psp or nintendo ds also have wifi/browser capability, and they are pretty cheap.

[katoranger]

I am watching some the dell axims on ebay. They look to be the most promising with the optional keyboard.

Cal have you tried to ebay from it? I am curious to see if I can manage my ebay from it? One of the primary functions it would need to do for me.

Also the PDA functions would be nice.


Allen

[Cal25]

I havent actually got online with it yet. Just had it for a little over a week. It has windows explorer though just like all my other puters. Dont see why you could'nt do it. I will have to get online with it and navigate around on EBay and find out and let you know.

One strike against it though, In bright sunlight, the screen is a little harder to see.

[katoranger]

I read a comment about being able to login into secure websites with PDA type devices. Just wanted to know if it works before I plunk down some money for one.

The lastest version is the X51 and those are not too bad in price.

Allen

[Cal25]

We have a wireless connection here at work. It is secure and the AXIM sees it. I have'nt bother to go to the IT guy and ask for the key to log in. I will try and find a hotspot on my way home.

The X51 has a larger screen I think. Still learning about the Axim but It does apear to do much more than the pda did. It has windows media 10 to play video and will play MP3's

[katoranger]

The x30 may do everything I want for less money. I am watching some of those too.

Allen

[Kawazacky]

I believe the Asus is labelled as "Easy to work, Easy to play" or something like that....


BEWARE! it's NOT easy.

I've had one for about a year. They are very cool and portable, but their wifi is complete junk. Check out the "pending" issue (google it). Mine fails to connect to a lot of free wifi due to some driver conflict or something or other.

Simple "updates" can end up deleting programs unless you know ahead of time to "pin your repositories." That sounds like an unpleasant medical procedure to me. All I know is that a download of "Firefox updates" created a headache that lasted for months due to crappy Flash compatibility problems.

Basically, as far as I'm concerned, unless you have a lot of patience to learn Linux, stay away.

Mine crashed last night after hours of trying to fix various bugs that came as a result of trying to fix problems created by the company's official upgrade packages.

The Windows ones may work just fine. You can also install Mac OS 10 on them, but you do run into a few bugs with that process.

[BillR]

I read a comment about being able to login into secure websites with PDA type devices. Just wanted to know if it works before I plunk down some money for one.

The lastest version is the X51 and those are not too bad in price.

Allen
Hi Allen.
I've used the Dell Axim 30 at work and it will do what you have asked here. I used it to keep up on e-mail and watch our patient tracking board over the web.
Our department used them for web-based patient survey tools.
PDAs are not "ideal" for web-surfing (IMO), not enough screen, but it will get the job done.
If you've got the key, you can get to secure Wi-Fi points.
I have not found a way to hook-up via an SSL VPN connection (just switched the secure wireless to require the VPN, and the software won't run on a PDA platform).

I'm currently using an HP iPAQ 2410 that my boss "gave" me.
"It won't turn on or run for more than 10 seconds. I'm done with it. If you can fix it you can have it :!: " That was 3 years ago. :lol:
I use it for e-mail (Outlook Web Access at work), data storage/retrieval (I've loaded lots of PDF reference materials for my job (nursing) and e-books (usually have 4 or 5 loaded) for leisure reading.
Throw a 2 gig SD card in it and you'll have plenty of storage. I only have a 128meg in mine and it's only about half full.
I just logged onto my Ebay account and I could place bids and work my lists without problem. I was able to easily log onto my Yahoo e-mail, but Comcast didn't like it too much.
I think I can get there, just never worked at it since I do my Comcast e-mail at home on the desktop.

Both the Axim and iPAQ easily fit in your shirt pocket, making them very portable. That's what I like most when comparing them to a small laptop.
They're both fairly rugged too (bending over in a patient room and they fall out :wink: )
Hopefully helpful,
Bill

[kmoore]

I believe the Asus is labelled as "Easy to work, Easy to play" or something like that....


BEWARE! it's NOT easy.

I've had one for about a year. They are very cool and portable, but their wifi is complete junk. Check out the "pending" issue (google it). Mine fails to connect to a lot of free wifi due to some driver conflict or something or other.

i will not argue or defend this post but will say that i bought my 4 year old son one and he uses the installed linux software better than he navigates windows and it never fails to connect to any wireless network. it also is more rugged than my real laptop. this little laptop has been dropped kicked and abused (after all it belongs to a 4 year old) and since it has the solid state flash drive instead of a true hard drive there is nothing to damage. and the weight at only 2.2 lbs is excelent. only thing i have against it is the battery life 2.5-3 hours

[katoranger]

Bill, thanks for that report. I just want something to use to check my email etc conviently without dragging a laptop around. I drive alot a work, but I am usually within a few minutes of a hotspot.

Looks like the x30 may be the machine for me.

The little laptops would be great, but just too big yet. Also the x30 is in price I would be willing to pay.

Allen

[BillR]

Very welcome.
I had a laptop along with the iPAQ and used the iPAQ more frequently.
Quicker boot-up, way less to tote around :D
I found hotspots everywhere.
Bill

[BillR]

Hey Allen,
UberGeekdom :!:
Gotta mention this device.
Our docs use it in the OR.
Full XP. Fits in a digital camera case (that's where one of the docs carries his). Bad thing: 2-3hr battery life.
http://www.chinariders.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10434&g2_serialNumber=2
Currently on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/OQO-Handheld-Table-Notebook-Computer-w-XP-Tablet-ver_W0QQitemZ170292760696QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLaptop s_Nov05?hash=item170292760696&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50#ebayphot ohosting

Bill

[Kawazacky]

The eeePC from ASUS is very tough. That's why I bought it - a shockproof, miniature computer is excellent for motorcycle road trips. I do like the portability and reliability of my laptop in that sense.

If all you want to do is play Mr. Potato Head or use wikipedia, the eeePC is indeed easy. It is not easy to do other things. It's not configured to play DVD movies on an external drive - you have to program that function in yourself. Mine would not even read USB ports when I first bought it - I had to program that function in as well. If you want to play more complicated games than Solitaire, you have to get into a lot of geek talk to do so. It requires a knowledge of Linux programming to fix the problems brought in when you update the computer through the company's official upgrade process.

I'm not arguing or fighting with anyone either. I do like my eeePC most of the time, but they rushed them to market without polishing the product as much as they should.

[katoranger]

That would be cool, but the battery life not so good. Also not in price category I want to spend. I think I can get an x30 for less than $60 if I wait.

Allen

[Cal25]

You have shared with us some of your ebay conquests. I have no doubt you will find a good deal like this one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-Axim-X51V-624-MHz-BT-WiFi-Pocket-PC-PDA_W0QQitemZ300284291376QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPDA_s_ Pocket_PC_s?hash=item300284291376&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A15%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[JimmyFingers]

I use a EEEpc cuz it fits nicely under the seat storage. Used it quite often with no problems on my trip to AZ last summer. It is built like a rock.

[BillR]

That would be cool, but the battery life not so good. Also not in price category I want to spend. I think I can get an x30 for less than $60 if I wait.

Allen
I know what you mean. If I was buying another for myself, it would be exactly what you are looking for.
That's why I still have the iPAQ and am glad it has continued to work, you can't beat "free". :wink:
Bill

[knothead]

Check out the mips 400 on geeks.com... $160 netbook... I'm giving it some serious thought myself.

And don't be put off by Linux, it's actually a better os than winders.

[katoranger]

I will have to take a look at it. I have very limited knowledge of Linux, but I sure I can learn the basics needed to operate it.

Allen

[katoranger]

I checked out the Mips 400. I like it. Does alot for the price. Need to see if I can get a used one of ebay.

Allen