iPod Touch or Pandora?

[jdmlight]

I know the Pandora is still a mythical device, but here goes anyway...

This summer I'm looking to purchase a handheld PDA-esque thingy. I currently have a Palm Centro, and I like it, but it could desperately use an update (Palm OS hasn't been updated since 2002, other than some minor bug fixes, and it won't ever be updated any farther because Palm has moved on to their webOS). I don't want another smartphone because Verizon requires a data plan on all new smartphones. So I'm looking to replace my Centro with a PDA-esque device and a dumbphone.

Here's what I'd like the device to do:

• Music
• Videos
• Games (something better than the limited selection of Palm OS games is about all I'm looking for really)
• Basic PDA functions (Todo list, calendar, calculator, etc)
• Internet (things like posting on Benheck, instant messaging, etc)
• Email would be nice
• Skype
• EDIT: I would like a pocket-sized device. Android tablets over 5", iPad, netbooks, etc need not apply.

I would get the iPod Touch 32/64 GB or the Pandora + a large SD card.

I'm going to sell my PSP to get money to go towards this purchase. I really don't use it that much anyway.

[neverused]

How much browsing are you going to do? I have both (or will shortly) and the iPod's browser is not exactly ideal for web surfing, while the Pandora has a full browser. On the other hand, IMO, the Ipod is better for music, even photos and video...

[jdmlight]

How much browsing are you going to do? I have both (or will shortly) and the iPod's browser is not exactly ideal for web surfing, while the Pandora has a full browser. On the other hand, IMO, the Ipod is better for music, even photos and video...

Just casual stuff. In other words, I'd use it to check for new replies to topics on Benheck, do quick Google/Wikipedia searches, etc. Not anything major - that's what my laptop is for.

[vskid]

There are a few Android running tablets that should be coming out this summer (probably before the Pandora ) such as the Dell Mini 5. That would give you open-ness and probably the screen resolution of the Pandora, with the form factor of of the Touch. The Touch doesn't multitask, that alone kills it for me.

[bassmasta]

There are a few Android running tablets that should be coming out this summer (probably before the Pandora ) such as the Dell Mini 5. That would give you open-ness and probably the screen resolution of the Pandora, with the form factor of of the Touch. The Touch doesn't multitask, that alone kills it for me.

Backgrounder

Android is limited by the browser too (but at least it has/will have Flash!). And Pandora has the full keyboard and controls, which the Mini 5 won't.

[jdmlight]

There are a few Android running tablets that should be coming out this summer (probably before the Pandora ) such as the Dell Mini 5. That would give you open-ness and probably the screen resolution of the Pandora, with the form factor of of the Touch. The Touch doesn't multitask, that alone kills it for me.

Backgrounder

Android is limited by the browser too (but at least it has/will have Flash!). And Pandora has the full keyboard and controls, which the Mini 5 won't.

Heh. I had looked up jailbreaking, and Backgrounder would probably be the main reason I'd jailbreak... (I have no concerns about jailbreaking an iPod Touch, if that makes a difference)

I'll look into the Android-based tablets coming out. Sounds interesting.

Flash does NOT matter to me, not in a PDA anyway. All I would be interested in would be Youtube, but the iPod Touch has an app to do that.

[ghosstt]

Android is limited by the browser too (but at least it has/will have Flash!). And Pandora has the full keyboard and controls, which the Mini 5 won't.

The Droid may be, but I fail to see how Android is

[eagle5953]

Just casual stuff. In other words, I'd use it to check for new replies to topics on Benheck, do quick Google/Wikipedia searches, etc. Not anything major - that's what my laptop is for.

The iPod Touch is more than sufficient for that.
(as I post this from my iPod Touch...)

[jdmlight]

Just casual stuff. In other words, I'd use it to check for new replies to topics on Benheck, do quick Google/Wikipedia searches, etc. Not anything major - that's what my laptop is for.

The iPod Touch is more than sufficient for that.
(as I post this from my iPod Touch...)

Mind if I try out your iPod Touch at MGC for forum posting and the like?

I guess what I need to decide is whether a physical keyboard is important to me or not. I have previously owned a PDA with a full keyboard (my Centro) and two without (my Palm IIIxe and my Palm Pilot Professional). The full keyboard is nice for texting (but then again, I'm making that statement based on the comparison of a full keyboard to a T9-word keyboard for texting...).

The handwriting recognition system on the older Palm PDAs worked for shorter things (like writing a todo), but it was a pain for anything slightly longer (something about as long as this reply, for example, would have been quite a pain). I'm curious how well the different onscreen keyboards work. I've heard that the iPod Touch/iPhone virtual keyboard works well, but I'd have to try it out myself.

And I have done some preliminary research on Android-based tablets. It looks like the smallest screen size these will be coming in is 5", which is barely pocketable. I know there's the difference of widescreen-versus-4:3, but I just imagine sticking my PSOne screen in my pocket and that seems a little large for what I want.

[neverused]

The iPod keyboard works best in landscape mode in my opinion, so if the app you're using allows that, then you're good.

[eagle5953]

The iPod keyboard works best in landscape mode in my opinion, so if the app you're using allows that, then you're good.

QFT.

Posting online works in landscape. Chatting via AIM does not and is somewhat challenging.

[jdmlight]

The iPod keyboard works best in landscape mode in my opinion, so if the app you're using allows that, then you're good.

QFT.

Posting online works in landscape. Chatting via AIM does not and is somewhat challenging.

What doesn't work so well about chatting via AIM? Does the app only support the vertical keyboard? Or is it just because you still type slower than the person on the other end with a real keyboard?

[eagle5953]

What doesn't work so well about chatting via AIM? Does the app only support the vertical keyboard? Or is it just because you still type slower than the person on the other end with a real keyboard?

Both. Currently, the AIM app only supports vertical keyboard.

Attention to the AIM people: you can, um, patch support in anytime now. Yahoo's got it.

[jdmlight]

What doesn't work so well about chatting via AIM? Does the app only support the vertical keyboard? Or is it just because you still type slower than the person on the other end with a real keyboard?

Both. Currently, the AIM app only supports vertical keyboard.

Attention to the AIM people: you can, um, patch support in anytime now. Yahoo's got it.

Well that's lame. Although to be honest, I haven't used the actual AIM client application in a long, long time. I use Adium for my Mac, Pidgin when I'm on Windows, and Meebo in a web browser when I'm on a computer other than my own.

Speaking of which...there's a Meebo iPod Touch/iPhone app. Obviously I have not tried it, so I can't say anything for or against it, but that supposedly supports the horizontal keyboard.

Then again...any of my contacts on AIM I can also contact through Skype. As previously mentioned, I'd download this anyway (I pay for unlimited calls to US and canada, and I have my own number that other people can call). Looks like it has horizontal keyboard support.