Next challenger the Palm OS laptop Dana

[ECOslin]

Manufacturers suggested list price of $490

Dana
The Palm powered laptop alternative that's truly affordable
Dana combines the affordability of a handheld with the ergonomic benefits of a notebook computer.

Dana continues the AlphaSmart tradition of ultra-light portability and simplicity.

Dana runs on a rechargeable battery pack or its AC adaptor (both included). If you're in a fix, you can replace the battery pack with three standard AA batteries!

Palm OS-powered, Dana will run over 10,000 existing applications.
The combination of a full-size keyboard, the wide screen and Palm OS provides much of the functionality of a laptop.
Made of sturdy polycarbonate ABS, Dana is lightweight and durable.
Dana is the ideal solution for writing papers, taking notes, collecting data or just organizing your life.
AlphaWord, a fully-featured word processor and eBook reader give the power to read and write anywhere.
Support for MultiMediaCard and SD cards provides expandability. The two slots let you add memory, attach a digital camera or backup your data, and much more.
Infra-red port for sharing data and software with another Dana or Palm-powered device.
Tap the rotate screen button and use the Dana like a clipboard. (Display rotates 90 degrees either way.)
The WritePad (for Graffiti®entry) can be configured for right or left-handed users.
At one third the cost of a laptop, you can put technology into the hands of more students. Comes with rechargeable battery pack, AC adaptor, USB cable, Stylus and CD-Rom with Palm™ Desktop software and other applications.

Size - 1.9" H x 12.4" W x 9.3" D
Weight - 2.0lbs, 0.91kg.

(Available January 2003)

Dana £289

http://www.inclusive.co.uk/images/dana.jpg

[ECOslin]

Oh, found at http://www.inclusive.co.uk/catalog/dana.shtml

I think this is a go nowhere device. I initially thought it could be a teletext phone device for the hearing impaired, nope, no modem.

Dana is the ideal solution for writing papers, taking notes, collecting data or just organizing your life.
AlphaWord, a fully-featured word processor and eBook reader give the power to read and write anywhere.

The display looks bad already, built in word processor is good - for a word processor.

Support for MultiMediaCard and SD cards provides expandability. The two slots let you add memory, attach a digital camera or backup your data, and much more.

I use Compact Flash cards, I've intended with my Maestro to buy a SD card - but haven't. CF cards are the most used portable media around my place.

Dana runs on a rechargeable battery pack or its AC adaptor (both included). If you're in a fix, you can replace the battery pack with three standard AA batteries!

An alternative source of power is always good.

At one third the cost of a laptop, you can put technology into the hands of more students. Comes with rechargeable battery pack, AC adaptor, USB cable, Stylus and CD-Rom with Palm™ Desktop software and other applications.

Connects thru USB is good, Stylus(it has a palm type writepad!), drivers must be installed - The later versions of Windows have the capability to identify certain devices when plugged in. No treating this as just another USB-IDE device.

Size - 1.9" H x 12.4" W x 9.3" D

No mistaking as a pocketable device.

Edward

[Rirath]

And it's just plain hideous looking. I've seen more advanced looking technology from the late 80's. Looks like some beyond lame child's first keyboard toy. Has about the same level of usefulness too I gather from the specs.

[SofaTater]

Another example of "technology in search of a need." I can't figure out who their target market is for this device.

[Rirath]

I vote gullible, palm loyalist, technology clueless folk with too much money and not enough gray matter.

[Fishie]

There is a market for devices like this, go to Alphasmarts website and take a look at who the Dana is actually targeted at.

In my short time at this forum I noticed that a lot of the people here are incredibly selfcentered.
If the device has no purpose for me or if I dont like it it has no reason to exist, that line of thinking.

Seriously people, not everyone needs a colour screen (hell a lot of companies would LOVE a cheap BW PPC) or has 500+ to waste on what for most people here is a gadget and yes some people are perfectly happy with just a Zire(hey its got a BRAND NAME for 99$) and yes devices like the Dana do serve certain markets or can create a niche for themselves.
Not everyone needs something that does a hunderd things well, some people or bussuineses need a single device that does one thing REALLY well.

In short, too much needles bashing goin on IMO.

[Rirath]

The ironic thing is Fishie, you're bashing the bashers. Problem solved, eh? Look, I'm incredibly self centered when I want to be. I admit that, and rather enjoy it. But come on, you honestly think that $490 is a fair retail price for this thing? And from what I've read on it, it does nothing REALLY well, as you put it. I'm not bashing it just to be bashing it, I'm bashing it based on experience and an educated guess as to how useful it'd be.

Fact is, when I worked at Staples I sold people palms from time to time. Many people did indeed want an $80 organizer that kept track of appointments and such. They had no use or want for a $499 pocket pc. Don't assume us all closed minded apes before you get to know us.

[Fishie]

http://www.alphasmart.com/pdf/dana_by_alphasmart.pdf

Hehehe, basicaly this particular device is for educational purposes, its an extremely low maintenance machine, no real computer knoledge is needed in order to be able to work with it.
Hell yeah it serves a particular purpose extremely well.

[Rirath]

And you honestly think the $490 tag is fair as well? You really don't believe you could do more with a pocket pc and keyboard, or even lower end desktop? Aside from that, tell me, what pocket pc or lower end palm on the market today requires a high knowledge of computers to tap on a screen? What pocket pc or palm requires high maintenance? Simple fact is, children use them.

I think the device itself is an absolute travesty of a laptop. The price just puts it over the top. If it was up to me, this thing probably sell for $99 at launch. I certainly don't view it as being worth that much, but someone might. And before you go jumping all over me, that's just my personal opinion, not based on any real world figures. I may even consider $199. But $500? You've got to be kidding me.

[Fishie]

good thing its not up to you then ;)

[Rirath]

Way to answer the questions at hand. That's three times now counting your original post that you've skipped the price point. Of course you've also failed again to provide any details at all as to why it's so remarkable for educational use by skipping every question. A link to a .pdf filled with pretty ad words doesn't turn many heads around here, and I like to think mine least of all.

*sigh* Everyone is being so silent today. Oh well, more fun for me. :lol:

[Fishie]

Price for most schools is lower then 300$, its easy to use and since its Palm it cant multitask :) so the 5th or 6th grade students who will be using this cant do other stuff with it during class.
Basicaly its a device that will mostly be used to just write stuff with.
A PPC with a keyboard wouldnt work nearly as wel becouse of the smal screen wich would actually be a hindrance during class, and then you also have the price isseu and the battery isseu of course.
This device lasts for a long time, you turn it on and you start writing and bla bla bla.

Regardles, my rant wasnt just about this thread.
In a lot of threads on this site you have people saying people have no right to have a PPC if theyre only willing to pay 199$ or wont use some of its advanced features or whatever.

[ECOslin]

If I see the thing on a discount counter I might buy it to play with it. Then I'd shelve it like my other nicknack gizmos like my Vtech Phusion(real basic pda with BW camera). I keep thinking, 'Hey, this could be useful' and empty my wallet of another few dollars.

I owned something like this before, a wordprocessor, battery powered with a two line display and lpt cable printing capability.

I am intrigued by it's basic Palm capability and to print via usb cable. I dislike having to spend more money on memory cards. I like a non-folding layout of a device like this, less problems with a cable going bad for the display. The near future promises many times better display modules than what this has. I'd bet the batteries last a long time, I've seen no mention of this. I'd run it off of 3 AA batteries full time rather than use the nicad.

10 maybe even 5 years ago this would have been a great device. Now it is just outdated.

Edward

[Wiggin]

Regardles, my rant wasnt just about this thread.
If you have a rant Fishie, start a thread about it so folks can give you their focused opinions.

In a lot of threads on this site you have people saying people have no right to have a PPC if theyre only willing to pay 199$ or wont use some of its advanced features or whatever.
If this is your rant, I would offer, IMHO, that someone has been spiking your morning :morning: !
You will be hard pressed to find folks within the growing PPCT community who believe that the $$'s someone is willing to spend validates their desire to own/use a PPC. On the contrary... this site is all about "THE MORE THE MERRIER in PPC LAND!" :multi:

[Fishie]

Check the Dell thread.
Someone was saying exactly that.

[Fishie]

My bad, its in the samsung thread.

[sub_tex]

I don't think this device is targeted at most end users at all, but the school segment.

Although, suprisingly, over on the forums for the National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org), there are plenty of people who own the other versions of this device that didn't run Palm OS.

So i guess SOME people are buying the Danas (they've been able to stay in business just selling wordprocessors). And the new Palm one would add some more functionality for those people.

The Alphasmart 3000 goes for $200 and it's JUST a wordprocessor. The Dana is that with more.

[ECOslin]

I tried to goto two websites of theirs and couldn't get thru, their main one and one in the uk.
I did want to check what environment this item belongs, the PDF sales flyer doesn't really grab a market.

It looks like an inexpensive wordprocessor that is, by the way, a Palm emulator. But it's not cheap, yet.

Edward

Some people pray to me, Some people pray for me, Some people pray I'll go away. - Your friendly PC Help Desk.

[Fishie]

http://www.alphasmart.com/pricing/hardware/hardware-pricing.html#dana

[ECOslin]

I was looking for more information on related Alphasmart products, Fishie, I take it that what the kid is holding is an Alphasmart 3000 device.

I'm still not convinced that the Dana's primary market is education, this web site offers special pricing for educational institutions, but thats all.

$399 is an improvement, 'like a chair thrown off the Titanic'(I heard this recently). I'd still like $225 or less would be more in line. I've R-squared devices like this before very simple construction - one main circuit board possibly keyboard contacts on main board, rear connectors soldered directly to main board and ribbon cable to display.

My IBM z50 is made like this with a better profile and better color lcd screen. I could repair this type of device, but most people wouldn't want to pay my bill for parts and labor(of course I have found people who would pay for me to fix their oddball favorite device). I like this kind of person.

Edward

[Fishie]

Haha yeah.
A device like this could actually be made and sold with a profit for less then 100$ if it was done in anny big volumes.
As it is tough its a niche product for a niche market and as such the manufacturers have to charge a high premium for it to be financialy viable for them, thats what we see happening here IMO.

[Fishie]

Pencomputing magazine seems to REALLY like the Dana: http://www.pencomputing.com/palm/Pen47/dana.html

[enemy2k2]

It's an excellent idea for what it's targeted for. Plus it includes a popular OS for which other software is available to boot. The price is just insantiy though. I don't see why anyone wouldn't simply buy a PDA and keyboard combo for that price. Pretty much the same thing, except for not being able to use it on an uneven surface - which the new Palm Stowaway does address. Hopefully others will follow suit. Personally I like the idea of having the option to be able to type out things on a pocket pc using a full size keyboard. All in one would definitely be a much more conveniant solution for some people though. It also looks quite sturdy. I'm sure the educational and college crowd are it's targets, people who don't want to spend so much on a notebook PC just to take notes. Either way, it's interesting.

[Fishie]

It's an excellent idea for what it's targeted for. Plus it includes a popular OS for which other software is available to boot. The price is just insantiy though. I don't see why anyone wouldn't simply buy a PDA and keyboard combo for that price.

Its rugged and instant on, excellent for schools and children as the revieuwer pointed out.
You dont get that with a PDA with a foldable keyboard, nor do you get the insane battery life or the excellent readability becouse of the screensize.

[enemy2k2]

Still quite high priced for what it offers. Though the idea is great. As I said it does look quite sturdy, I'm sure it's very durable. The fact that it is a niche product and would have lower production numbers does elevate the price. I'm sure that screen accounts for quite a large bit of it. Not to mention making their own boards and case. Can't leverage the sheer number of orders of parts to keep prices down as a company such as Sony can, suppliers would beg for their business - not the other way around. I finally figured out what it reminds me of :!: Remember those radio shack Tandy laptop type things that had a full size keyboard and a similar screen to this just above? :!: :!: :!: That's why it seems so familiar! They had the white top part and dark grey bottoms? I still think they need a way to cut costs down for this to become more popular though.