Da Wish List

[Dalantech]

With Windows Mobile 5.0 coming out I was thinking of what I'd like to see in a future PDA. Here is da wish list

<Dream>
Since Windows Mobile should usher in PDAs with USB 2.0 host capabilities then I'd like to see a small hard drive with a rechargeable battery built in that I can dock my future PDA to. It would be great to be able to load music and movies onto my PDAs CF and SC cards without having to use a PC to do it, or to play those files directly off of a docked hard drive...

<Dream_Squared> An application that would catalog my multimedia files, track their size, and let me choose what files I'd like to have on my available CF and SD card(s) so that when I dock with the hard drive the data on it automatically synchronizes with my PDA. </Dream_Squared>

I want the next PDA to be geared toward games, music, and movies. To that end it would have to have a fast GPU, CPU, and a 2000 MaH standard battery. WiFi, BlueTooth 1.2, etc...

<Dream_Squared> A PDA that's so fast and efficient that I could stream video from an Internet source to my PDA and listen to the audio via a set of BlueTooth headphones without any skips in the audio or video. 3D gaming would also have to be smooth with cordless headphones. </Dream_Squared>

Of course all of that power and functionality would cost the same as a low end laptop -but it would be worth it to me!

What do the rest of you want to see?

[Jason Dunn]

I'd love to have equipment like you're describing - it sounds amazing! The cynical part of me has doubts that any OEM or Microsoft has the vision to ever make it happen though... :roll:

[Dalantech]

That's what I'm afraid of -that manufacturers will make gaming devices that are not PDAs, and PDAs that are not powerful enough for games *sigh*

What I want to see, and with WM5 I know it's possible, is a PDA that can stand on its own -one that doesn't have to have an umbilical cord that's attached to a PC. I want a device that I can use as a PDA, but one that is also a complete mobile entertainment device. PSP, Nintendo Game Boy "whatever", who cares. D3D on a PDA could cripple all of the gaming hand helds and the company that manufactures what I've described will make a mint on the peripherals...

BTW: The cool thing about having a hard drive that you could dock your PDA to is that the PDA itself would act as the user interface for the drive -no need to build a display or any kind of OS/GUI into the drive since the PDA would handle all of the navigation...

[Dalantech]

Forget about traditional docking: Wireless USB (http://www.usb.org/press/pressroom/2005_05_24_USBIF.pdf) -now if we could only get it in a PDA... :drool:

I'm thinking that it could be built into a SDIO or CF card, but I'm not sure if it will be possible to see it built into new PDAs by this Christmas.

[surur]

I must say your dream is quite realistic. Usually people talk about lasers and light sabers being built into their pocketpc's :)

I'm sure any third party could build a sledge that would take a battery and a hard drive (like the 60 Mb ones in the Ipod) that you could dock your PDA to, like the sleeves of the old Compaq's. With a graphics accelerator like in the Dell and a current generation processor everything you describe should be possible. In fact if you dock your device you could even have custom buttons and joystick controls.

Imagine a dock that opens up, you drop your Hp 4705 like device in it, close it up and now its secure, with the screen protected by glass also. At the bottom end of your dock you have a hard drive and extra battery. On the top surface you have gaming and multimedia controls. When you dock your device the multimedia interface launches automatically.

Picture something like the otterbox, except much nicer looking with a cradle connector, and obviously much more functional.

Imagine some-one selling this for $200-250 as an optional add-on to a variety of PDA's, with cheap interchangeable plastic shells being available so you could move from one PDA to another without having to buy a new sleeve again.

Sounds like a nice dream to have....

Surur

[Kowalski]

Imagine a dock that opens up, you drop your Hp 4705 like device in it, close it up and now its secure, with the screen protected by glass also. At the bottom end of your dock you have a hard drive and extra battery. On the top surface you have gaming and multimedia controls. When you dock your device the multimedia interface launches automatically.
Surur

wow, i realy like the idea but let me change the dream a little bit for my needs.
i would give up graphics processor and multimedia controls. built in FM radio and long range wireless B/G adaptor would be nice.

imagine this: a single slot device with 4" screen and 600-700 mAh battery(just to keep the size, especially the tickness of the device as small as possible)
the dock contains expansions i mentioned in the previous paragraph plus CF slot

you will carry a very powerfull device, and when stripped, the smallest pda possible

[Dalantech]

imagine this: a single slot device with 4" screen and 600-700 mAh battery(just to keep the size, especially the tickness of the device as small as possible)

You just killed the dream -the PDA would only run for 30 minutes on a charge with that small of a battery. When I was shopping for a new PDA a few months ago (and bought the iPaq hx2410) I eliminated the Dell x50V on its battery alone because I knew, without reading any reviews, that an 1100 mAh battery on a VGA PDA was a joke -and all of the complaining in the Dell forums about battery life confirm my decision. I can watch two full length movies on my hx2410, recorded at bit rates well over 300 Kb/s, and still have battery power to spare. I absolutely DO NOT want a VGA PDA with a GPU unless the standard battery weighs in at 2000mAh. Anything less will make the device non portable since you'll always have it plugged into the wall to recharge...

[Dalantech]

Imagine a dock that opens up, you drop your Hp 4705 like device in it, close it up and now its secure, with the screen protected by glass also. At the bottom end of your dock you have a hard drive and extra battery. On the top surface you have gaming and multimedia controls. When you dock your device the multimedia interface launches automatically.

Once you add something of that size and weight then you might as well buy a Sony TR series laptop -it would be smaller and more powerful...

I'm thinking of a system that would be ultra portable, and ultimately expensive due to the size of all the components (unfortunately miniaturization would jack up the price). But you'd be paying for the convenience of having a great deal of power and capability in a very small package -an entire computer system that would fit into a "fanny pack"...

[surur]

Ah, but I think the main feature of my and Kowalski's ideas is optional expansion. Your device can be large when you want special features, and small and pocket-able when you don't. I'm sure in Kowalski's plan there would be a battery in the expansion pack, and in mine, if you don't want the multimedia you leave it at home or in the car.

In the end its like the IBM concept where you carry your computer/HDD where-ever you go, and just dock it at home and work and use the screen and other peripherals there.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/02/25/ibm_debuts_pocketsized_pc/

If you don't care about the price you really want a OQO, as it will do everything you want for only 3 times the price of a top of the range PDA with much better features in all areas. It you think about it that way it doesn't sound so expensive...

Surur

[Dalantech]

Optional expansion is fine -but the device itself has to be a powerhouse on it's own, otherwise it won't be worth paying for since you wouldn't be able to do anything with it (other than basic PDA functions) unless it's docked...

The OQO isn't a PDA -it's not small enough. And since it's running XP it doesn't have the hardware to make it a powerful computer. The same could be said for the IBM pocket sized PC that you linked to -underpowered...

I guess the word "underpowered" would help me to make my point; it's what I don't want. I don't want a device that is underpowered unless it's docked, nor do I want a bulky docking station to connect it to peripherals -again, you'd be better off with an ultra portable laptop...

What I envision is a device that, on its own, can be used to play 3D games, movies, music, etc. for hours on a single charge (I can do that now on with my hx2410). Then if I need to move files around I could connect the PDA to an ultra portable hard drive and transfer data at USB 2.0 speeds. No PC, no bulky docking station, no compromises...

No offense, but you would have to be insane to buy a VGA PDA with a GPU that only has a 700mAh battery...