Should I buy a lifeDrive?

[dmale7]

I've owned my TH55 since it was first introduced. Nothing beats it...but it won't last forever. I was wondering if there were any Th55 owners who have the LD. What do you guys think of it?

[Pdaman]

If you really need another backup pda then buy but otherwise i don't find any sagacious reason to buy another pda. I myself i need only one pda, th55. At least me i will use until it dies. However i'm bit of confused what i should do after it now when sony did quit from market and if does palm(one) really move to ppc os? Becose i would really like to stay in palm os world after my th55 dies. However if i don't find any good device without bugs and problems i will move to vga ppc devices.

[Ftrooper93]

Just bought TH55 off ebay. Waiting for it now to replace my NX80.

Got to say I may have to switch to a PPC next, since there's a program to run Palm stuff on PPCs

[daver]

I agree with pdaman, people really only NEED one device. Of course, lots of people (myself included) would love to have multiple devices to play with or use for different reasons. Alas, not everybody can afford multiple devices (sense my sadness there?). I have heard raves about the LD, and would love to play with one extensively (3 minutes with one in a Future Shop/Best Buy doesn't cut it). You shouldn't automatically think that because the LD is the newest device it is the best choice. It's always good thing consider a device from the Darkside, like pdaman mentioned. Sometimes PPCs are just better devices for different people. But since I lean more towards Palms than PPCs, I'd say do a LOT of research on the LD: find out what people have troubles with, what people like/dislike, and compare all that with your own experiences and interests in a PDA. Then make your decision. I know too many people who go out and buy the newest devices only to complain about everything the device offers simply because it isn't the right one for them.

[hope]

I've had almost every clie, at least the high end models and not the VZ, and it took a lot for me to go to palm. I am now using the Treo and am really trying to find ways to use my TH as I love it. As far as the LD, it's a first gen of its kind and it shows. Just like the Treo 600, it was good but was just lacking a little in to many places. The TH is amazing and unless it is dying or dead don't get the LD. If you really need a backup, which I wholly understand, wait for the LD2. Palm usually takes 2 or 3 tries to get something right. We forget the TH was the result of years of sony engineering that finally gave us a slim, slim tablet PDA with everything we could think of except a HD(which I think takes to much battery life and size and would take something away for the TH as a whole).

[Unregistared]

The LD is an okayish replacement for the TH. It does have cool stuff - Dual-Simultaneous Wireless (!!!), and the gobs of space, but really that's pretty much it. You definitely won't get 72 hours of MP3 playback! The faster CPU makes TCPMP really smooth on the LD, although it isn't quite as smooth as the Zod when it's hardware MPEG4 decoded is being used.

Moving from a TH, it definitely feels more brick-like, and I personally missed a lot of the Sony-isms in the interface.

The lag is there - It varies between feeling like running a TH55 at 32MHz and 96MHz, with a bias towards the 96MHz for frequently used apps. Launching big apps for the first time will cause a hefty delay; Not great for the impatient types! (i.e. me ;))

[Hulleyrob]

"Dual-Simultaneous Wireless (!!!)"

Is this part of the Lifedrive or do you need to buy a CF card for this?

Sounds cool but i didnt see anything about it on the palm site.

Rob

[lee555]

It means it has Wifi and Blutooth, and as I understand it, you can be connected to a wifi hotspot and receive a file through bluetooth at the same time, something that can't be done in previous palms. And no, you don't have to buy anything, it's all built in.

[jacques]

I lost my TH55/e and replaced it with a LD.

I hated it.

I really didn't need the 4gig hard drive, but it was the only Palm with bluetooth and WiFi.

Battery life was awful compared to the TH55 and the lag ( even with SharkCache) I thought was pitiful.

It also seemed to be the most buggy OS wise of all the Palms I've owned.

Finally the hard drive completely died, so I replaced it with a Palm Tungsten T5 with a WiFi card. While not as convenient as the TH55, at least it's quicker and not a brick like the LD.

jacques

[hope]

I am truly sorry to hear about your lost jacques. As a mostly Treo but still TH user I can feel your pain. The LD is just half done all around. It has a lot going for it but still has a ways to go. If my TH dies, the T5 is probably the only other way to go as I too would not get the LD. Although, it shouldn't be to long now before we get an LD2 which should prove to be much better. After the Treo 600 the 650 is vastly superior. I think it will be the same for the LD.

[jacques]

I would have done a Treo except for a couple things.

I like graffiti, I don't need a keyboard, though I realize most people do.

I want the bigger screen that the TH or T5 or LD have

I want EVDO if I go to a Palm/Phone combo

[strider_mt2k]

Maybe the Life Drive II.

[Yaja123]

i brought the LD as 'the next step' in my pda usage life cycle... down grading the TH55 to a backup pda.

Sadly the LD didnt survive 30 days. I returned it because i had soo many soft & hard resets...and the lag and the low battery life. I really wanted to love it but it was just not practical tip-toeing around trying not to induce a soft reset cycle...

Im an established pda user ie i dont install any and every new software, so using only established software titles on the LD doesnt help.

Id wait for the LD2. Its just not worth the head ache.... although if they released a fix all patch for LD1 then i might consider it.

However, I feel my TH55 will be my No1 for the forseeable future...

[tonyreynolds]

Like Hope, I see the LifeDrive as close, but no cigar.

When my original TH55 started exhibiting some problems with it's camera (washed-out reds), I purchased another off of Craig's List. So I now have two TH55's, with my old one as a backup.

I just don't see anything THAT compelling out of the Palm camp, thought the Treo 650 is interesting.

I spent 10 hours yesterday travelling back to Seattle form Kaua'i. Out of that time, I probably used the TH55 for about 4 hours of Scrabble® and eReader. The battery indicator BARELY dipped.

No other Palm OS or PocketPC device gets me the battery life that the TH55 has. PLUS a HighRes+ screen and WiFi.

Tony

[IndyMCSE]

If you like your TH55, but want the storage of the LD, you can always spring for a 4GB memory stick on ebay.

[tonyreynolds]

If you like your TH55, but want the storage of the LD, you can always spring for a 4GB memory stick on ebay.

Cliepet has noted that the 4GB MS will NOT work in the TH55, so be sure to do the requisit research befor you pony-up for the bucks...

Tony

[daver]

I thought that the 4GB doesn't work with the TH55?

[EDIT] GAH! tonyreynolds beat me to it!

[tonyreynolds]

I thought that the 4GB doesn't work with the TH55?

[EDIT] GAH! tonyreynolds beat me to it!

Sorry, you snooze, you lose...

TR :D

[daver]

Sorry, you snooze, you lose...

TR :D
true, since i just woke up, and i can't type properly. so i have to go back and re-type everything that's full of typos :p