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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Pocket gadget thread

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Feb. 19, 2010 11:25 a.m. Jay Dork
In a stupid fit of groggyness, I left my MP3 player on a plane at 7:00 this morning. I spend enough time flying around and waiting in airports that I've decided it's time to replace it with a bona-fide gadget, but I don't know what to get and I need some suggestions. My requirements are not set in stone, but here's the general idea:
- pocket sized, more or less
- has a stylus and can be used as a sketchpad
- has a folding keyboard available
- can play MP3/Ogg and video (flv, m4v, avi, etc.) - if it could run, say, XMplay and VLC that would be awesome
- 1/8" headphone jack
- runs some variant of Windows or Linux
- upgradable storage and lots of RAM
- lots of freeware apps available, preferably without hacking the thing
- connects to the computer without custom software (as USB drive) - or has removable media (SD, etc.)
- No phones; already got one. Network connectivity would be nice.
- Do not want an iAnything. Seriously. DO NOT WANT.
Something that I could pick up used would be doubly awesome, but I'm in SE Asia right now and deals can be found. So... am I looking for a white elephant? I know some of y'all are gadget freaks. Give me nudge in the right direction.

BTW, speaking of gadgets... now I've seen everything. I'm sitting in Jakarta airport as I write this. On the TV is playing some sort of Guiness Book of Records thing, and the record they're showing is "fastest time to punch 10 TV sets." Some musclehead Indian guy wearing boxing gloves just literally went along a row of ten TV sets and punched them off the table. I guess they insulted his mother. Epic.
Feb. 19, 2010 12:02 p.m. Dr. Hess PowerDork

Stop off in Singapore. If it isn't there, and at half what you will get it for in the US 2 year later, it doesn't exist.
Feb. 19, 2010 12:17 p.m. GameboyRMH UltraDork

I'd have said Nokia N900, The l33t geek's gadget of choice, but since you prefer to carry around a separate phone, go with a SmartQ V5.

http://smartqv5.com/?page_id=2
Feb. 19, 2010 12:37 p.m. Appleseed Dork

You don't need any of that. Get yourself an E6B flight computer. Crosswind components and density altitude will be a snap. Some guys get good enough to calculate restaurant tips. The best part is , you can boast that you know how to use a slide rule.
Feb. 19, 2010 1:05 p.m. rob_lewis Dork

http://www.dynamism.com/

They import lots of Asian area stuff to the United States. But, give you're there, you can just pick it up yourself.

Should give you some ideas.

I'd vote for a pocket PC or even a mini laptop, but they are not something you can shove in a pocket. Supposedly, Dell has a 5" tablet that should be out soon.

-Rob
Feb. 19, 2010 2:38 p.m. Tommy Suddard SonDork

It's a little old, but I have a Palm Lifedrive I'm trying to get rid of. Fits almost all of your criteria. I even have a folding keyboard and everything for it.
Feb. 19, 2010 2:53 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

call the airline. a friend of mine got his ipod back after leaving it on an airplane a few weeks ago.
Feb. 20, 2010 10:49 a.m. Jay Dork

Tommy, I'm somewhat interested but I think shipping would be prohibitive. Out of curiosity around how much were you looking to get?

As for getting my old one back... This was Lion Air, one of Indonesia's many cheapest-of-the-cheap budget carriers. I tried asking at their kiosk while I was at the airport. After going through it half a dozen times with different people in my limited Indonesian they finally found someone who spoke English, who didn't have any clue where such an item would go even if it were turned in. I'm sure some lucky person has a new €20 MP3 player with a wonky power switch and some really oddball music. Maybe it went to the smoking hot stewardess.
Feb. 20, 2010 11:01 a.m. bluej HalfDork

two of your criteria seem contradictory. -pocket size -sketchpad

the more of one, the less of the other. can you quantify the size factor a little more? a 4x6 to 6x8 tablet sounds like what you're thinking of but i wouldn't call that "pocket size"
Feb. 20, 2010 11:10 a.m. Jay Dork

I'm not talking 'art canvas' here, I doodle on post-it notes all the time. I just want it to have a simple paint program that I can use with the pen. 3x5ish would be fine.
Feb. 20, 2010 11:33 a.m. DILYSI Dave UltimaDork

To a great extent you described the iPod Touch, then said you don't want an i*. If you can get over that, the want for a keyboard, and the want for windows, then I think you'd be really happy with it.
Feb. 20, 2010 11:43 a.m. poopshovel UltraDork

Uhhh huh huh huhuhuhuh huh huh huh huh huhuhuhuh huh huh huh huh huhuhuhuh huh huh
Feb. 20, 2010 7:25 p.m. mad_machine PowerDork

"i" anything makes me itch.... good luck!
Feb. 20, 2010 8:01 p.m. Keith PowerDork

You could almost be describing my old Compaq iPaq (no relation to Apple!) from a decade ago.
Feb. 20, 2010 9:45 p.m. Tommy Suddard SonDork

Jay wrote:

Tommy, I'm somewhat interested but I think shipping would be prohibitive. Out of curiosity around how much were you looking to get?

As for getting my old one back... This was Lion Air, one of Indonesia's many cheapest-of-the-cheap budget carriers. I tried asking at their kiosk while I was at the airport. After going through it half a dozen times with different people in my limited Indonesian they finally found someone who spoke English, who didn't have any clue where such an item would go even if it were turned in. I'm sure some lucky person has a new €20 MP3 player with a wonky power switch and some really oddball music. Maybe it went to the smoking hot stewardess.

Oh, sorry. Didn't realize how far away you are. You could probably buy a new iPad for what it would cost to ship it to you.
Feb. 21, 2010 8:47 a.m. bluej HalfDork

In reply to Keith:

that's what i had in mind as well, just don't know what currently is closest to it.
Feb. 21, 2010 10:06 a.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork

Jay, unfortunately you might find that the gadget you describe is commonly called a netbook or laptop these days. The whole PDA thing really died with the advent of Smart phones, unfortunately.
Feb. 21, 2010 10:35 a.m. 4cylndrfury SuperDork

Doesnt the storm do all that minus the keyboard without the "i" of Sauron seeing all?
Feb. 21, 2010 10:39 a.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork

If you're thinking about a Crackberry Storm, that's a phone and Jay didn't want a phone...

I've had the odd play with my wife's Storm and I'm a tad underwhelmed. Plus I don't know if you can get them in Germany or not.
Feb. 21, 2010 10:43 a.m. 4cylndrfury SuperDork

yeah, Im not captain attention this morning
Feb. 21, 2010 12:57 p.m. xd New Reader

The moto droid does it all but its a phone.
Feb. 21, 2010 12:58 p.m. Keith PowerDork

bluej wrote:

In reply to Keith:

that's what i had in mind as well, just don't know what currently is closest to it.

Possibly one of these.
Feb. 21, 2010 8:08 p.m. Jay Dork

I'm not adverse to it being a phone, I just don't need one. I have a Samsung phone that I really like already.
Feb. 21, 2010 9:39 p.m. confuZion3 SuperDork

Get a Miata.
Feb. 21, 2010 9:50 p.m. confuZion3 SuperDork

Keith wrote:

You could almost be describing my old Compaq iPaq (no relation to Apple!) from a decade ago.

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