Tiny PDA

August 20, 2006 2:43 AM

What's your favorite ultra-small PDA?

I want a device that can sync my calendar, addresses, todo list, and notes to Outlook, letting me both read and edit that stuff. I also like taking quick, handwritten notes. This essentially describes a Palm or a Windows Mobile device. No integrated phone or full keyboard necessary.

I currently use an ancient Palm m505 that I carry around everywhere but I'm afraid it's going to conk out any day now.

I ruled out those Fossil Palm watches from a few years ago cause they were just too nerdy; the Microsoft SPOT watches look more normal but don't let you enter data at all. All this makes me prefer a normal PDA to a watch.

I carry this thing everywhere so size is really important to me.

posted by wayne to Technology (10 answers total)

From the Palm side of things, the Z22 is the smallest regular PDA that I'm aware of- there's a nice comparison of its size that includes the Palm V (which looks to be comparable in size to the m505, but lighter.)

If you're willing to look at the Fossil watches again, removing the wristband makes it an extremely compact PDA. When you can hide it in the palm of your hand, nobody can tell if it's nerdy...
posted by sysinfo at 3:49 AM on August 20, 2006

I wouldn't call it an ultra-small, but the Palm TX, which I bought recently, has a thin form factor, and all the bells and whistles I wanted -- including fast wifi so I can check my gmail account. Paid $230 on Ebay, refurbished.
posted by Gordion Knott at 6:14 AM on August 20, 2006

Imate JAMin (AKA: HTC Prophet, Qtek s200, Dopod 818Pro)
posted by drkrdglo at 8:13 AM on August 20, 2006

If you are willing to go the eBay route, the Zire 31 is still a good buy. Granted it is ugly with a low-res screen, but it does have an SD slot and you can (unofficially) put Grafitti 1 back on it.
posted by 4ster at 11:53 AM on August 20, 2006

I'm still loving my Palm V. I haven't found a thinner PDA yet. Because its screen is still b/w, the battery life is amazing. I too carry this thing all over, it tracks my billable time as a consultant, and It fits nicely in a pocket without bulging. My wife's m515, while color, is significantly thicker and the battery life isn't nearly as good.

The Palm V is wicked-cheap on ebay. I went all-out and got a hardcase (even with the hardcase it's still the thinnest PDA+case I know of) and found the Palm Keyboard for $7.

For the < $40 you could spend ebay to get a palmv and lots of accesories, you could afford to use it for a month or two and then change your mind. the 'opportunity cost' is very low.br>

For total bang-for-the-buck, I think it's really tough to beat the Palm V.
posted by Wild_Eep at 4:05 PM on August 20, 2006

IIRC, taking the strap off of the Fossil PDA watch also removes the stylus silo. Something you might want to check.

If the Royal Vista interests you, email me. I bought one at a yard sale, and I'll send it to you for shipping.

I think you're going to have a hard time finding something smaller than a Palm V with any sort of reasonable interface.
posted by Orb2069 at 5:58 PM on August 20, 2006

No integrated phone or full keyboard necessary.

But you didn't say they were forbidden, either. I carry a Palm Treo, which effectively is a zero-volume PDA because I'd be carrying a phone anyway. I got sick of carrying two things when one would do. And it does.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 10:39 PM on August 20, 2006

The Palm z22 is very small, and very convenient. It's a basic Palm device - no memory expansion slot, though it comes with about 20MB. The screen is low resolution, but extremely bright and easy to read. Some games don't play because of only having two main buttons, instead of four, but it does have an up and down, left right click that works with eReader and Plucker. I like it a lot - it also feels tough.
posted by jb at 5:12 AM on August 21, 2006

My Nokia 6682, primarily because I carry it everywhere. When I had two devices there were times I didn't carry the PDA because, well, it was a second device. Also, for alarm purposes I usually have my phone where I can hear it. If I leave it downstairs when I go to bed it's because I want to be left alone, not because I forgot to carry it upstairs (see above re: 2 devices).

I miss having a full keyboard but life is always a tradeoff.
posted by phearlez at 11:29 AM on August 21, 2006

I'd also recommend the Palm Z22, having recently bought one via eBay to replace an old Palm Visor Neo. It's small and light (fits in a shirt pocket). Downsides: no cover (have improvised one by using a London Underground ticket wallet, which indicates how small the device is); no expansion slots; alarm sound is weedier than the Visor Neo. Otherwise, very good.
posted by davemack at 2:54 PM on August 22, 2006