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Please, bring back the PDA

When I started making music on handhelds most devices were PDAs, and very few were smartphones. People talked about devices converging, and that is pretty much what has happened, but in many ways I don't think it has been a good thing.

My first devices were Palm OS devices and then I found out about PocketPC and so I bought an HP Jornada 568 to run Griff and Syntrax. When Apple released the iPhone I was able to buy an iPod Touch. However, now if I want to try a new platform (like Android), things are not so simple.

Moving mobile phones is a lot more difficult than just going out to purchase a new PDA, and because of that I think more device manufacturers should consider PDA or non-phone versions like the Touch. It would make it so much easier to sample an OS and see if it was something you wanted to persist with.

So, if anyone is listening out there. PLEASE BRING BACK THE PDA!

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2 comments:

Johnnyg0 said...

Please, make a universal OS that works on every piece of hardware, and lets you bypass every restriction put by the makers of said hardware.

Then we will be able to use pocket computers like computers again. PDA's never left, they're just in shackles currently.

Tom said...

I don't think the PDA ever went away, it just mutated into something more useful.

If you're hellbent on trying out Android, the Creative Zii EGG will allow you to do so without having to buy a phone.

I'd be interested to see a WebOS PDA, but on the other hand, just think how reliant the platform is on having a pervasive data connection.