It's a big enough ask to say "do you remember Palm Pilots," but it's an even bigger one to ask "did you know they made a _camera_ for them?"
Because of course they did, and of course I had one (even though I only had the lowest of low-end Palm Pilot model), and of course I still have all the pictures I took with it.
I was taking retro digital photos before it was cool! *shakes fist at cloud*
More portable #retrocomputing philosophizing: Whether a machine has "Instant-On" makes a huge difference in the tasks it's useful for. By this, I mean whether the machine returns to the same program and screen where you left it, when powered back on from inactivity.
Without "Instant-On", the machine demands to be used for long sessions, (else the boot time is too inconvenient) and demands your constant attention (else the power draw of leaving it sitting around powered on is wasted). Using the machine involves clearing your schedule and devoting yourself to it, like reading a book.
Examples of machines without "Instant-On": DOS-era laptops, #Book8088, #GameBoy, #MailStation.
With "Instant-On", the machine is useful for PDA-style quick jottings, grocery lists, etc. It is also useful for fun activities even in circumstances where you are likely to be interrupted.
Examples of machines with "Instant-On": #HP200LX, #HpOmniBook, #PalmPilot, #PocketPC, #TI92 (and other TI calculators), and, of course, smartphones.
While machines in the first category may offer a more immersive experience, they are far less useful to me than machines in the second category. It's like the difference between a luggable and a true mobile computer.
today's retro rescue is a palm tungsten T5 - the late flagship model in the tungsten line of PDAs
ten years ago i had nothing but a tungsten for all of my computing needs - i wrote emails and letters on it, and played a lot of Infocom text adventures at night. with a wireless keyboard (which uses the IR port!) it was surprisingly useful and got me a year and a half of daily driving.
the T5 is just the right balance of features and performance - it has the fastest intel XScale processor @ 416 mhz, built-in bluetooth, and a beefy 320x480 lcd.
the previous owner appeared to have turned this into his mp3 player.
Taking a look at my Palm IIIx
https://www.goto10retro.com/p/taking-a-look-at-my-old-palm-iiix
How the Palm Pilot Changed Personal Tech Forever (Then Disappeared)
AOL for your PDA (2003)
#RetroTech #00sComputing #DigitalNostalgia #OldSchoolTech #TechThrowback #2000sTech #PDA #PalmPilot
Graffiti, remember?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut9nErQHOvI
today's retro rescue is a palm tungsten T5 - the late flagship model in the tungsten line of PDAs
ten years ago i had nothing but a tungsten for all of my computing needs - i wrote emails and letters on it, and played a lot of Infocom text adventures at night. with a wireless keyboard (which uses the IR port!) it was surprisingly useful and got me a year and a half of daily driving.
the T5 is just the right balance of features and performance - it has the fastest intel XScale processor @ 416 mhz, built-in bluetooth, and a beefy 320x480 lcd.
the previous owner appeared to have turned this into his mp3 player.
They were a lot better than the Handspring line, although some of the plug in modules (when they worked) were cool.
I was Really excited when I got as a gift a GPS module to plug in. I just wish that it actually worked.
It was broken from the factory or some such. Some data popped up on the screen, but it was nothing that could be understood either by the manual or to the casual user. And then the desk charger went/broke. And then it was evil and wasteful to keep filling the Handspring with AAA batteries.
@vga256 @ThreeOhFour The Palm Keyboard with Palm V is one of my favorite all time computing devices. I found a fellow enthusiast who created a *bluetooth* mod for the keyboard that was fun to use with my iPad more recently (link below). Such a great retro device. Congrats on the acquisition!
Keith (Keithius)
food in training
psf
vga256
Paul (Goto 10)
Retrobytes
Retro Techie
Wolfgang Stief
☠ Captain Arcee ☠
That_Damn_Frank
Ree the perpetually weary
mx
Malcolm Herbert
Ben Chandler
Ken
europlus 
Zire31