Would it be possible to have a pda mfr do this?

[arnage2]

I originally posted this on cliesource.com

Let me start from the beginning. Palm os and pocket pc devices are even in terms of internal specifications. (wifi, bt, 64+mb of ram, 200-400mhz, etc) What if a company (such as dell) produced a pda with a complete customization option, like with a real pc. Choose your case, your memory, processor, wireless, and even your os.

Could it be possible for a pda mfr to give you the choice of palm os, linux or pocket pc (wm) os in the same pda. Imagine haveing a device like the ipaq 4155 with linux.

As said above, what if a pda manufacture allowed the buyer to customize every detail. "I want the red case, 64 mb of ram, 64 mb of rom, the 400mhz pxa 263 xscale, wifi, a 1280 mah battery, and wm."

Is this possible? What manufacture should we send this idea to? Would you buy one? What kind of customizations would you like to see available?

Lets ask alienware, voodoo pc, and falcon northwest to make us a gaming pda with the same specs/functionality/customization i listed.

[acronym]

sure it would - if you don't mind paying over $2000 for a ppc.

ram/rom/processor/video are all soldered chips on a ppc
on bto computers they are socketed - easily removed and installed

last time I checked, it was around $150 to get a someone to solder on a new processor (not including the price of a processor) due to the labor involved.

you could reinsert a new processor in your desktop computer for free.

[Steven Cedrone]

They probably could do this, but I agree with Acronym, it would not be cost effective.

Steve

[Jon Westfall]

I suppose its possible but a manufacturer would need a big reason to do it. Most people are happy with the pre-defined PDA types out there, and only the real diehards (i.e. the 1000 or so regular posters here (people over 30 posts) would ever need / want this ability.

However, if a tree whose fruit consists of pre-built PDA shells were to suddenly start growing, it could be a real possibility to see this kind of customization in the future ;)

[Ripper014]

I think that point that is lost, is that currently the parts are all soldered on... who says this is the way things have to be... Noted that a PPC is not like a desktop machine which is not being continually jostled... and bandied about... But I for one would like to see PPC's be much more modular... I have posted about this before... why not be able to add as much ram as you would like... imagine if you could that the motherboard was developed like a PC Card... and you could remove it... make whatever upgrades you wanted and just plugged it back in... lock it in place... and away you go...

Look at all the third party companies that could provide video chips... and memory... etc etc etc...

[PetiteFlower]

If you ask me(and if we're only going by post count I definitely count as die-hard!) that would be way too much trouble for a PDA. I didn't even want to choose the montherboard on my desktop, that's why I went with Dell becuase I knew I could trust them to use quality parts so I wouldn't have to go to the time and trouble of learning which brand of motherboard and ram etc were the best. I love technology but there comes a point when I don't want to be involved in every detail! Dell at least already lets you choose how much ram and what processor you want in your PDA, that's enough choices for me! A PDA is not a PC, it's not the same monetary investment and they're not meant to do the same things, so most consumers are going to approach buying them differently. I think even among tech-heads, you're going to be in the minority on this one.

[Ripper014]

Interesting...

I would have to disagree with a few of you statements... my PPC actually costs more than some computers that you can buy out of mom & pop shops in my area... it is not unusual to see desktop computers going for well under a $800 canadian... where a Toshiba E-805... would be around $899...

I am not saying that there should be different motherboards... but the ability to choose a processor... ram... video... might go a long way in extending the life of a PPC... I do think it is quite a monetary investment... and I do use my PPC as a full fledged PC in many ways... obviously not for the more high powered applications such as Photoshop... or Video Editing... but I do rely on it for work applications such as Excel and Word... (SpreadCE and Textmaker)...

So while I may be a minority right now... I believe that most of us would embrace the opportunity to customize our own devices... afterall isn't that what we all do now with "software"...???

[GoldKey]

While this would be cool. Modularity comes with a price - space. I think this is why even laptops are not as upgradeable as a full PC.

[PetiteFlower]

I dunno I got my Axim for $200 almost a year ago and it still does everything I wanted it to do when I got it and more. The only thing it doesn't have is wifi, but I can live with that really, no extra money to spend on a new one now :) But I still considered it an investment, not a disposable toy, and I expect to get another year out of it at least, I don't see its life as being unreasonably short now so I'm not looking to go to great lengths to extend it.

I also have no problem with the fact that it's cheaper and easier to buy a new one then to upgrade one you have. When it's so easy to back up all your information and migrate it to a new machine, why fiddle about with upgrades?

[arnage2]

I think jvc's io pocket pc came close. (tons of memory, wifi, bt, camera controls, audio in etc..) the io was the first different ppc that ive seen in awhile. Really what i meant when i created this messageboard is that pocketpc's need new designs and something to refresh all of the units and show more originality.

[Ripper014]

I think any originality was snuffed by Microsofts edicts... after they dictated what a PocketPC would be comprised of... It meant the end to the Casio PocketPC... and we have all been pretty much using the same devices ever since...