1SRC Podcast SixtyEight

[Alan G]

This week I continue my discussion from last week regarding Palm's Mobile Managers as an alternative to Ultra-Mobile PCs. I also talk about my take on the current crop of Palm rumors. [details (http://www.1src.com/?m=show&id=1479)]

[JAmerican]

The new PC card slot is the USB host port. All PCs have USB host support meaning any devices that connect to the interface will be powered through the port and data will be extracted from the card into the PC. The only PDAs to date that actually have this implementation are Zauruses (Linux) and Toshiba/Fujitshu (Windows Mobile). No Palm OS device (that I know of) has USB Host features although Sony considered implementing this in their CLIE line in early 2003. Not sure why they didn't but it could have been a Palm OS limitation. Just like the UX has NAND Flash but yet does not have the NVFS set up due to it runs 5.2 as opposed to 5.4 (with NVFS support). USB host is an amazing feature. I currently am typing this post with my USB Keyboard and if I got a Zaurus, I could connect this keyboard to my PDA without buying another keyboard. Same with my mouse. These implementations is what makes a PDA more of a PC. If the LifeDrive had USB Host support, it would be more likely to compete with the UMPCs than now. The only expansion thats available on a Palm, device-wise is through the sole-media slot on all Palm devices. To give up your only media slot to add a device should not be. The two should be seperated, just like on a PC. I understand a PDA is not a PC, but if Palm aims to make their products more PC like, adding such features could seriously include them in that market.

JAmerican

[Alan G]

The new PC card slot is the USB host port.

I'm not sure I agree with you. I know you that you are happy with the USB host on your Zaurus, but I'm talking about adding a slot for a card like the Verizon Wireless PC 5740 PC-card. These cards are already used in Windows laptops so it isn't a big streach to see them adapted to work on a larger version of the LifeDrive.

Don't get me wrong, USB host is important. Expecially if Palm wants to do something like a OQO mobile 01.

Alan G

[Alan G]

Ed Hardy's latest editorial, "LifeDrive vs. Ultra Mobile PC: a Coming Battle (http://www.1src.com/?m=show&id=1480)" has been posted.

Alan G

[Dick Tracy]

Slow news week but thanks for doing the 'cast. How'd the dual recording work out?

[Alan G]

The dual recording seemed to go Ok. The laptop wasn't as close to my desktop mic as I would have liked so the volume is a bit low, but I can correct that easily enough in GarageBand. The real question is how that I have the podcast saved as a .band file, how do I add some of the cool features like the 1SRC logo to to the file and more importantly, how do I create a Clie friendly .mp3 file? I'll be spending some quality time with the manual, electronic docs, and the PowerBook this weekend.

Alan G

[ojleblanc]

This is, admittedly, a little off topic, but I wanted to respond to Alan's comments regarding the tablet pc. You appear to have a rather narrow definition of a tablet pc. If it's not in the form of a slate, you treat it as tablet pc "lite." Although Gates may have imagined that we would all walk about with a slate tablet pc, I think it's a mistake to not recognize the benefits of the tablet pc operating system and hardware, whether it's a slate, convertible, or hybrid (like my HP TC1100). Yes, when I need to type, I use the keyboard. But when I go to meetings, I leave the extra weight of the keyboard behind and take notes on my tablet rather than the endless legal notepads I used to use. In my profession (I'm a professor/researcher), I take tons of notes and my tablet (with its digital ink) helps me cut way down on the amount of paper I use, while keeping all of my notes with me without the bulk of notebooks. And I cannot tell you how terrific it is to be able to search my handwritten notes when I need to locate information (versus the frantic flipping through the pages of notepads asking myself, "now where did I write that?").

Thus, while the slate form factor may be considered by some the quintessential tablet pc, it is the functionality of the operating system and flexibility (literally and figuratively) of the hardware that makes the tablet pc a very useful device. I would never return to a traditional notebook (for my business use, anyway; I use a Powerbook for my personal use).

Sincerely,

ojleblanc
regular listener