Name that box

[Mike T.]

I'm looking for this device:

1) Small (not much larger than a typical cell phone, if possible).
External power adapter/charger can be larger, if necessary.
2) Rechargeable battery that lasts 2-3 hours or more in real-world
conditions
3) Built in keyboard and built-in pointing device of some kind (trackball,
mouse, pointing stick, whatever) Note I don't care what size the keyboard
is, as long as it has one, in a general 'qwerty' style layout
4) Built in wi-fi to connect to 802.11g 'hotspots'
5) No service required to use it. In other words, if it's a cell phone or
other device that has to be 'activated' on a specific network with a fee
involved, I don't want it.
6) Runs some kind of standard web browser, extra points for firefox
7) Cost no object, as long as I OWN it, and don't have to pay monthly fees
to use it.

I'm really looking for an alternative for carrying around a bulky laptop
computer, when (on the road) all I need is to connect to FREE 'hotspots' and
fire up firefox (or some other decent web browser) to check e-mail. But I
also want the ability to browse the web sometimes, even if the display is
small. Just about all motels I stay in now have free hotspots, but I'd love
to leave the notebook at home. Just got to find something else to
check/send e-mail with.

OK, what is it? -Dave

 

[Conor]

I'm looking for this device:

1) Small (not much larger than a typical cell phone, if possible).
External power adapter/charger can be larger, if necessary.
2) Rechargeable battery that lasts 2-3 hours or more in real-world
conditions
3) Built in keyboard and built-in pointing device of some kind (trackball,
mouse, pointing stick, whatever) Note I don't care what size the keyboard
is, as long as it has one, in a general 'qwerty' style layout
4) Built in wi-fi to connect to 802.11g 'hotspots'
5) No service required to use it. In other words, if it's a cell phone or
other device that has to be 'activated' on a specific network with a fee
involved, I don't want it.
6) Runs some kind of standard web browser, extra points for firefox
7) Cost no object, as long as I OWN it, and don't have to pay monthly fees
to use it.

I'm really looking for an alternative for carrying around a bulky laptop
computer, when (on the road) all I need is to connect to FREE 'hotspots' and
fire up firefox (or some other decent web browser) to check e-mail. But I
also want the ability to browse the web sometimes, even if the display is
small. Just about all motels I stay in now have free hotspots, but I'd love
to leave the notebook at home. Just got to find something else to
check/send e-mail with.

OK, what is it? -Dave

iPaq.

 

[Mike T.]

iPaq.

That's pretty close, actually. Too bad the newest model not even on the
shelves yet only has 802.11b though. I wonder if 802.11g could be added?
It's odd that it's not in there to begin with, though. -Dave

 

[Agent_C]

That's pretty close, actually. Too bad the newest model not even on the
shelves yet only has 802.11b though. I wonder if 802.11g could be added?
It's odd that it's not in there to begin with, though.

If all you're going to do is access the Internet through hotspots, it
will make no difference whatsoever.

A_C

 

[Clint]

My experience with surfing the web on a Dell X51v is that the bottleneck
isn't the WiFi speed, but the device itself. Whether it's the processor,
memory, whatever, I don't know. I just know that it's much slower to load
and render pages than a laptop or desktop sharing the connection (cable
modem). So I would guess that upgrading the speed of the WiFi connection
probably isn't going to help much.

Personally, for the volume of e-mails I get, I wouldn't want to try
maintaining my mailbox with much less than an ultra-portable laptop.
Something like the Dell Latitude D420... But that blows your first
requirement out of the water, and it's just my opinion for my circumstances.

Clint

 

[Mike T.]

My experience with surfing the web on a Dell X51v is that the bottleneck
isn't the WiFi speed, but the device itself. Whether it's the processor,
memory, whatever, I don't know. I just know that it's much slower to load
and render pages than a laptop or desktop sharing the connection (cable
modem). So I would guess that upgrading the speed of the WiFi connection
probably isn't going to help much.

Personally, for the volume of e-mails I get, I wouldn't want to try
maintaining my mailbox with much less than an ultra-portable laptop.
Something like the Dell Latitude D420... But that blows your first
requirement out of the water, and it's just my opinion for my
circumstances.

Clint

Yeah, I know that 802.11b is fast enough for what I want to do. The problem
is, the technology keeps changing. If you aren't bleeding edge today, you
are obsolete within a few years. I'm thinking long-term. Will a Internet
appliance WITHOUT 802.11g work for several years? I would hope so, but I
don't think it's worth chancing it. I find it incomprehensible that any new
laptop or PDA type thingie would include 802.11b today but NOT 802.11g.
That's almost as bad as selling a new laptop with a built-in modem but no
built-in ethernet connector. IMHO

Yeah, I'm specifically looking for something smaller than a laptop. Even a
ultra-portable is several times too large for what I'm looking for. -Dave

 

[Mike T.]

If all you're going to do is access the Internet through hotspots, it
will make no difference whatsoever.

A_C

Today anyway. I'm thinking long-term though. Will 802.11b cut it in a few
years? Who knows, but I'd rather not chance it having JUST 'b'
vailable. -Dave