Anyone Surf TBN on a PDA?

MicroPilot · Sep 22, 2004

Buy it on credit card try it and if it doesn't work for you, return it. I'd let the sales people know I was going to do this. If your lucky there may even be a Starbucks or hotel nearby that provides public WiFi so that you wouldn't even have to take it home.

MikePA · Sep 22, 2004

I take it that using something like the Palm Tungsten T3 might be a workable solution... 
The T3 does not have built-in WiFi. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I have used a PDA, Compaq iPAQ (Windows based PDA OS) and a Sony Clie (Palm OS), both of which have builtin WiFi, to surf the Internet here at home on my WiFi network.

The best I can say about this experience is that I could get it to work. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Small fonts, paging left and right, slow (because of the capability of the PDA), yech....it wouldn't help me to get back to sleep, it'd give me a headache. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Also, the WiFi hardware that's built-in to a PDA usually does not have the range of WiFi built-in to a laptop (in order to conserve battery life on a PDA) so you might not be able to connect with a PDA from the same places you can with a laptop. For example, I can connect with my laptop from our living room to the den (where my AP is), but to connect with the Clie, I have to be in the den.

See attached picture of your initial post in this thread on my Sony Clie (which does not require scrolling left and right). Judge for yourself. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Henro · Sep 22, 2004

Mike,

I understand that the tungsten T3 does have a card that plugs into the SD slot and provides WI-FI capability...

That image you posted actually looks pretty good to my eye... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Maybe I'm easily pleased... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Thanks for posting it. I'm not going to rush into a purchase, but speed seems more of a concern at the moment than display (to me). I can see real good close without my glasses... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

As always, appreciate everyone's advice. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

MikePA · Sep 22, 2004

I can see real good close without my glasses... 
There's the difference...I can't see nuttin' without my bifocals. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I was in Pgh on Tuesday and Wednesday on business (saw the Pirates play the Cubs, too) I coulda stopped by and showed you my PDA in person. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

MossRoad · Sep 23, 2004

I can see real good close without my glasses... 

Bucking the trend again! hee hee /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I find that after a half hour of reading on a PDA, my long distance vision is shot for an hour or so. I tried bi-focals for close up work, and that helped a little, but bottom line is the thing is just so darn small.

I will say that the SONY unit that my wife has is crystal clear and very bright, though. Compare models side by side if you can. It helps to have them in the same light for comparrison.

Henro · Nov 21, 2004

Just thought I would post an update...

I ended up buying a HP IPAQ 4705 Pocket PC a couple days ago.

It is still new and I am in the learnig curve, but from what I an see to date it does at least the minimum I expected of what I wanted to replace my Handsrping Visor Platinum with.

The most important thing is that I can, in the landscape mode, view TBN posts without needing to scrool right to left, and back again. The entire text of posts is visable and all I have to do is scroll down as I read.

Now I can see more than that...But I have to scrool to the left if I want to see who posted each post, but I can live with that.

At this point I am pretty satisified, after a bit of "buyer's remorse..." after spending over $600 for this thing, when the extended warranty is included.

I figured over the four years I will use it under warranty, it will be worth it.

I am a pretty happy camper at this point, but since it is only two days the real conclusion is not nearly approached yet.

Pretty neat having a little device that lets one read TBN in bed in the middle of the night, on about 5 seconds notice though!

I have not even tried the VGA hack that lets one veiw true 480 x 640 VGA mode yet. I have really good close eyesight, but bet it is not that good...so I am in no hurry to go there.

Looks like a success story at this point. Just wanted to let everyone know... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for all the advice that helped me get to this point!