Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Texan in Calgary for a while
Posts: 1361

After a week's hiatus, Soundoff returns this week to ask about color. How important is it to you? Will your next Palm-compatible be a color one, or are other features more important to you?

I personally can't wait for color. Many of the Springboard modules (i.e. Geode) can be flash upgraded to have color support. Color GPS would be fantastic to see, and people would actually be able to give real presentations using their Visor.

What do you think?

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James Hromadka
VisorCentral.com
Personal Website: http://www.Hromadka.com

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 109

I can't commit right now to whether or not color will be a requirement for my next PDA purchase, but I'd sure like color.

Color is yet another dimension of information our eyes can see. It can be helpful in augmenting the information we're looking at. Imagine overdue tasks being in red, high-priority e-mails being highlighted in yellow, etc. Color can be a tool to be used in the user interface.

Color would also make graphics for non-UI things better, such as image viewers and games.

Color screens also tend to offer better contrast for black text on a white background. And the screens tend to have better backlights (better in the sense that they're a higher-contrast light color).

For those who say color is an unnecessary toy, perhaps they don't truly appreciate how they use color in their lives now.

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Trinition ([email protected])

[This message has been edited by Trinition (edited 07-12-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Trinition (edited 07-12-2000).]

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 241

I don't know if I'd buy a color PDA any time soon, (It'd depend on the price.) But It'd sure be great to have! Especially from handspring!!!

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-Petro
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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: AUTEC, Andros Is., Bahamas
Posts: 10

Color is very usful when viewing GPS-enabled maps on a PDA. Springboard modules and color would make a very useful tool for Search & Rescue.

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 242

I want color bad

I do have some interest, however, in not running out my batteries every 3 days, so that is a big issue. But I can't think of any reason why color wouldn't be a significant quality of computing upgrade.

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Visit the E-Zine on WINE AND ITS Bulletin Board at http:///marksquires.com


[This message has been edited by Mark Squires (edited 07-12-2000).]

Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

I haven't heard any good things about the Palm IIIc. The IIIc is also much more exspensive than any other palmtop. I don't see any practical uses for a color screen that would warrant that kind of cost. If I didn't already have a visor I would only buy a color visor if it was less than $300. If it was more I would get the Visor Deluxe instead.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Stillwater, Ok USA
Posts: 4

My next pda will definatly be a color one.

I would really like to see something simmular to the Casio E115 that ran PalmOS. I would have one now if it wasn't for the blasted CE/Pocket PC

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 46

not interested in color...

unless some astonishing breakthrough is made in color display technology to greatly reduce the battery drain (can't think of any on the horizon)

OR

some great improvement is made in battery technology (maybe the polymer batts casio is about to start using in their ce devices?)

I would, however, be willing to take a smaller hit in the battery life dept. for higher resolution greyscale graphics.

My next PDA, however, will not be a palm compatable unless (1) someone makes an address book enhancement that can be sync'd with lotus organizer's in it's entirety (as opposed to just a subset of it) OR (2) the palm os incorporates an address book with a number of fields which can more comprehensively sync with the big organizers

I'm seriously thinking of going CE for this reason alone, but haven't because of having practically no choice in greyscale models. Waiting and watching to see what happens with the Casio EG-80 and the Palmax P7M.

[This message has been edited by LambdaFox (edited 07-12-2000).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Gainesville, FL USA
Posts: 112

In the past I've been very anti-color. The battery and cost penalties have been too great. I think that what we need is the "killer app" for color to be necessary.

GPS may very well be that killer app, so maybe I'm coming around to the other side. Battery life doesn't bother me much anymore, now that I've discovered NiMH rechargables, but the cost has to come down. And don't give me any crappy 256-color display. I want 32k colors, at the least.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 16

1. When bright, clear, high-contrast color displays on PDAs are affordable and practical, and clearly offer more than mono at no tradeoffs, the market will shift en masse and no-one will ever buy another mono PDA, except for the usual holdouts ("I run my business on my Commodore 64...").

2. I believe it is extremely likely that there are many companies working feverishly in all the areas that will make this possible soon. Only question -- and the one that will determine if our next PDA is a color one or not -- is: how soon?

3. I don't want to compromise. The Palm IIIc is a good 1st generation product, but it doesn't meet all these criteria. I'll wait ... for a while.



[This message has been edited by Steve Chrysostom (edited 07-12-2000).]

Registered: May 2000
Location: Laurel, MD USA
Posts: 26

I agree with much of what has been said here. While it's true, color on a GPS would be great, it's also not truly neccessary - in terms of the Geode. (As someone obsessed withe Geode [are you listening, Joe Free?] I feel I can comment on this.) Think of it this way - it's not just that it's a GPS - it's a GPS you're using on your VISOR. Which means you'll probably be using it:
1) In your hand, in direct sunlight.
2) While walking or driving.
3) Away from a desk or fresh set of batteries.

Greyscale PDA's have multiple benefits - besides being low on power consumption, greyscale screens are SIMPLER. It's easy to look at a datebook or address book entry for just a fraction of a second and glean the information you need to know.

While it's true color would enhance the "information depth" of the unit - such as red calendar entries for overdue items - it also puts another level of information abstraction your brain has to process. This is no big deal when you have a moment to stop and study the screen - but for quick gestalt observations on the fly, simpler IS better.

A good friend of mine has an HP Journada which is a color PocketPC - and I can attest from watching him try to use it quickly that it takes some time to process that extra information.

Even if the battery life issue could be resolved, I'd shy away from color still, just because of that issue. I think it's going to be a long time before effective color UI's are developed for PDA's.

[This message has been edited by lacherclp (edited 07-12-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 39

I would love to have a color unit, but here are my requirements:

Same size packaging. It' would have to be no bigger/thicker than a current Visor is

Rechargeable batteries: But a removeable battery pack, not a hard mounted one like in the Palms. And the cradle/charging station should have facilities to charge the battery in the Visor, and 2 spare batteries simultaneously. The battery pack would have to be small, like the size of 2 AAA batteries.

Cost: I'd take a hit in the cost department, but not 2x. A Visor Deluxe with a Color screen for <$400 would be worth it to me.

Greyscale mode: It'd be nice to have a "low power mode", that would only utilize full color on the applications you configure, otherwise it defaults to greyscale.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: nowheresburg, PH
Posts: 98

As long as they don't compromise the size and the power consumption, then i'm going for a color screen visor.

If they come up with a color visor that's as big as the IIIc, i don't think i'm buying one.

Furthermore, I totally agree with Plutnicki.

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 216

I agree with most other posts: Color would be great if:

1) It was low cost. A color Visor Deluxe (meeting my other two requirements) at $350 would really get my attention. One for $300 would be a no-brainer.

2) It did not reduce my battery life more than 33%.

3) It was > 256 colors. 8-bit color sucks. Thousands of colors, i.e. 32,768, is my minimum requirement.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

The problem with color for the palm platform and to some extent the pocket pcs, is that the screens are somewhat poor and the battery life is to short. Right now there is only one choice for color palm pilots, the 3c. But now sony is getting in on the palm, and offering competition to the 3c and possibly better battery life. It is also thinner. This will bring in more competition and now companies might fight to get the better product out.
Before there was only one palm pilot, now there will be several. Color units will start to spring up within the next few years and because of competition and new units, prices will be driven down. This is good for everybody. And with new units comes better battery life, maybe new technology and definetally better screens.
I personally cant wait for more color choices, and truely can't wait for the geode. The geode is the most unique unit mentioned so far and seems better than several stand alone units already out. When the device can use color it will be even better. I know that my visor causes strain on my eyes, and i hope that color units will help the strain. Color units will be great for e books, it will be much easier to read a three hundred page book. With color and new processors there will be more room for detail and more options on the screen. Therefor, color doesn't just bring color, it brings something for everyone. It will better the entire PDA market, and possibly cause microsoft to rethink its operating system.

[This message has been edited by skaman35 (edited 07-12-2000).]

Registered: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 194

I definitly want color. I plan to be getting the Sony PDA when it comes out, unless handspring announces a color one that will be availible by the end of the year, which i strongly doubt.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: St Petersburg Fla
Posts: 224

I would prefer color. However, the biggest concern is price and battery life.
The PDA I actually desire would have a color screen the size of a paperback novel.
Since one is not currently available, I'll stick with a Visor.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 5

Color... Nice, but not worth the cost having to buy more batteries.

Slightly off topic... but it would be nice to have a solar panel to charge/run(?) the unit.

Make it part of the cover/flip top?

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 144

Well, color would surely be nice, but there are still several issues to be resolved.

1. Price. The IIIc is way to expensive. I would probably pay around $ 300-350 for a color unit, but not $ 450.

2. Performance. From what I have read, the graphic performance of the IIIc is quite slow, thus a much faster CPU would be needed.

3. Battery drain. I do not want to recharge my PDA every day. Sometimes I am on the road for several days and I do not want to have to worry about losing my data after 6 hours or so.

4. Screen resolution. 160 x 160 pixels is a joke for color. Sure, there are limits with respect to the display resolution for a PDA-sized device, but at least 300 x 200.

5. Applications. The applications I have seen so far are no incentive for me to switch to color. It would be nice to have red entries in my datebook for important appointments and such, but this feature alone is no reason for me to buy a new PDA for almost $ 500. I do not need color for web browsing or pictures or games. I have my Desktop system and my laptop for that.

Once the price for color PDAs drops and the performance is right, I might shell out the $$$ and buy one. But not in the next 2 years.

mc9

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: bright side of the moon.
Posts: 996

I'd be REALLY happy with a grayscale palmOS that had a WHITE background! Why are we stuck with this greenish yellowy stuff? I wish reading my visor was like reading something i printed off of my black and white laser printer.

colour is neat but not necessary (although i like the thought of a '3rd dimension' that Trination mentions.