Is it still worth buying a VZ 90?

[kris2pe]

With Palm's future in question & the rise of PPC is it still plausible for to buy a VZ90?

VZ90 is amazing product but the price is the same as buying
A.) An XDA IIi which come both a cellphone & a pda. Which is a must if u live in my country
B.) 2 PSPs which can play alot emulated games plus PSP games

[SonyStyle]

hah the vz90 is not worth it just because at that price u can buy so many things and besides, vz90 is old..

[sonypenguin]

Well,,,, I disagree with you.

First of all, I bought it at good price. (Yes, it's lesser than their current selling price.)
Secondly, none of Palm has OLED and the Palm's latest gear "Life Drive" was costly as VZ90.
(If any other gear will have this kind of full color OLED screen, the price will be way up there and it's not going to happen in year or two I think. Why? Because there are not many OLED manufacturers and the manufacturing cost is still high.)
Is the VZ90 old? Well, many people still use UX50, TH55 etc.... so I don't see any point about it.

[Tam Hanna]

The problem I see is the japanese OS...
Also, keep in mind that the 150MhZ CPU isnt really fast nowadays,. Even small handhelds run on a 200MhZ one(Zire 31 e.g.), and developers will likely adjust to this and make bigger, fatter apps!

Also, keep in mind that the VZ90 is exotic. Thus, I am not sure if all developers will support the box with their apps!

[Robyr]

The problem with the VZ90 being old is that OLED screens have a QUICK lifespan. 1-3 years. Hence, buy one now, and you may have a colorless, displayless brick soon.

[cuhiep]

had tried many others pda and VZ90, i think it is still worth taking one.

[jihadevil]

The problem with the VZ90 being old is that OLED screens have a QUICK lifespan. 1-3 years. Hence, buy one now, and you may have a colorless, displayless brick soon.


Please stop spreading misinformation. The OLED screen in the VZ90 is expected to last several years. I also have yet to see a year-old VZ90 with a screen that is any less vibrant than a BRAND NEW VZ90.

If you're planning to keep your PDA for 10 years, then perhaps you have reason to wonder about the VZ90. But I doubt many of us will be using ANY current PDA in 10 years.

[Robyr]

Do i have to beat you down with facts? Heres some links, how about you read up on things that you spout on about.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=479733&highlight=OLED.
Lifespan is a major issue for current OLED technology. 2,000 hours is likely sufficient for cell phones, given that most people get new ones every several years. But if people fuss about whether 30,000 or 60,000 hours is a long enough lifespan for PDP displays, what will they post if the OLED only lasts 10,000 hours? And Seiko Epson admits that a lot of development is needed to get to that point.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=23515
The main one is lifespan. Since the material in use is organic, it has a tendency to well, rot. Not what you want from your brand spanking new and expensive anorexic wall-hanging TV. Apparently, red and green polymers are sturdy enough but it's the damn blue ones that need a lot of work. Still, big advances have been made and the whole "rotting" snag is being worked out.

Now, do you really think its going to last as long as you once thought? Get a clue before you are rude and challenge someone who has followed the business for a long. long. while.

I also have yet to see a year-old VZ90 with a screen that is any less vibrant than a BRAND NEW VZ90.

I'm sure youve encountered plenty of people with a VZ90 around :P

[dragonsgames]

I haven't kept a PDA for more than 2 years :)

[Robyr]

Many people i see are still using Palm III's and the like. We are a minority. If my device just suddenly crapped out after no misuse, id flip my lid.

[dragonsgames]

Wow, the old Palms must be very good to last that long...
Maybe Palm should start selling them again ;)

[Robyr]

Dude, old palms were TANKS. There is a reason that the III and the Vx are still around. Even the m*** series for that matter. I had an M105 that would go WEEKS with heavy use! That thing only broke because i started to wear down its little plastic screen, it got so insensitive that it wasnt really practical to use anymore. My older brother was still using a Palm IIIxe untill i gave him my TJ27 for his birthday.

[dragonsgames]

Damn, what happened to Palm? :(

[Cyker]

Robyr - According to people that actually own a VZ, the display is still more or less as crisp as when they got it new, so I don't think the OLED fade is as tragic as you are trying to say.

The data you have is old, and a lot of improvements have been made to the longevity. It still won't be as long lasting as LCD (LCD is inorganic and never fades; Its weak point is the backlight 'tho.), but I think the VZ was Sony's first test with a stable compound.

So far it seems to be holding up pretty well according to the few people we know here that own VZ's! ;)

I personally reckon it will fade, most likely altering the colour balance slightly, but not to a 'colour-less display-less brick', which frankly is just plain FUD. It will probably last about as long as current colour LCD backlights ;)

[dragonsgames]

Most of (if not all :)) Sony's MP3 players use OLED for their screens. They aren't color though, are they? I don't think they are... Might have been too expensive...

[Tam Hanna]

Erm, I can remember the following data from about one and a half years ago:

Blue is the color component to fade fastest..

Thus, the screen will eventually develop a hue...

[zackepceo]

Please read the 'What is OLED?' sticky before you spread misinformation. Not only does OLED contain NO organic compounds (the name 'organic' is a scientific term because of carbon used in the devices) but the blue fading problems have been fixed for quite some time now. The OLED technology that Sony put into the VZ-90 should last around 10,000 to 20,000 hours, and modern OLEDs would last around 40,000 hours.

[dragonsgames]

Hmm, about 4 hours a day (THAT IS A LOT), time = 13 years. Do you keep a PDA for 13 years? :D