ClassicHasClass
Veteran Member
I've started getting back into Palm OS devices -- I loved my m505 until the battery crapped out (haven't gotten around to replacing it, but it's still working as long as it sits in its cradle). After the m505 I went to a Zire 72, which I used even after I got an original 2G iPhone because the Z72 had better medical software and could record video, something the iPhone couldn't do until the 3GS.
My next device after that was a AlphaSmart Dana. If you've ever wondered what a Palm OS-based laptop would be like, it's this: 560x160 backlit display, full (wonderful) keyboard, two SD/SDIO slots, USB, and Wi-Fi (on the wireless variant). My mother uses one for her church notes, takes it home, plugs it into her Mac mini and "dumps" the text into Word since the Dana emulates a USB keyboard. The only complaint is that even with an overclocker, the DragonBall VZ CPU is just too slow for tasks other than basic word processing and some games -- TuSSH is agony to generate keys.
Since then I picked up a Bluetooth wireless access point which still speaks Bluetooth LAN Access Profile (these devices don't speak PAN), which the Zire 72 connects to. I also grabbed a nearly new T|X, which is cool but I don't like the non-replaceable battery, and a Centro, which is lovely and tiny but Blazer doesn't like to talk over Bluetooth and it won't run NetFront, and they both use that horrid Athena connector which I can't stand. So the resurrected Zire 72 and the Dana are my typical Palm devices of choice; the Dana has a Bluetooth card in it now also.
Recently I found a good use for the Zire 72, which is as a light switch to control my Philips hue lights:
http://tenfourfox.blogspot.com/2014/12/and-now-for-something-completely.html
I really loved Plua, the Palm port of Lua, back in the day. I've dusted off my old Gopher protocol client for it and that's coming along nicely.
It's fun to put these old devices back in service.
My next device after that was a AlphaSmart Dana. If you've ever wondered what a Palm OS-based laptop would be like, it's this: 560x160 backlit display, full (wonderful) keyboard, two SD/SDIO slots, USB, and Wi-Fi (on the wireless variant). My mother uses one for her church notes, takes it home, plugs it into her Mac mini and "dumps" the text into Word since the Dana emulates a USB keyboard. The only complaint is that even with an overclocker, the DragonBall VZ CPU is just too slow for tasks other than basic word processing and some games -- TuSSH is agony to generate keys.
Since then I picked up a Bluetooth wireless access point which still speaks Bluetooth LAN Access Profile (these devices don't speak PAN), which the Zire 72 connects to. I also grabbed a nearly new T|X, which is cool but I don't like the non-replaceable battery, and a Centro, which is lovely and tiny but Blazer doesn't like to talk over Bluetooth and it won't run NetFront, and they both use that horrid Athena connector which I can't stand. So the resurrected Zire 72 and the Dana are my typical Palm devices of choice; the Dana has a Bluetooth card in it now also.
Recently I found a good use for the Zire 72, which is as a light switch to control my Philips hue lights:
http://tenfourfox.blogspot.com/2014/12/and-now-for-something-completely.html
I really loved Plua, the Palm port of Lua, back in the day. I've dusted off my old Gopher protocol client for it and that's coming along nicely.
It's fun to put these old devices back in service.