Despite having spent most of my career in technology-related positions, I am somewhat of a technological, or gadget, laggard. I was well behind the curve with CD players (other than the one in my desktop) and cellphones (I finally caved and got a pay-as-you-go version in 2003, primarily as a concession to the new seating policy for UMD basketball games), and I have yet to invest in a DVR, Kindle, smartphone, or iAnything. (I did have an MP3 player that served bravely and well, until it finally took one drop too many.)
So it is with great sorrow that I face the need to invest in a new technology -- two, in fact.
First, my PDA of six years, the wonderful Palm Zire 72, is going to have to be replaced. I'm not really ready for this moment -- apart from a short battery life, it functions perfectly well, does everything I want it to do, and I love both the PDA and desktop interfaces. But the software is incompatible with Windows 7, which means I wouldn't be able to sync my PDA and computer (an unacceptable circumstance), and I'm unwilling to keep my computer in the dark ages on account of my dwindling-battery-life PDA.
I know this should be easy: iPhone! iTouch! Android! But here's the thing: I do *not* want a smartphone. I don't want to carry a phone that large, and I definitely don't want to pay for a monthly data plan when my primary need for the device is as an organizer. Ah, the iTouch, you say.... but I don't want an Apple product either. I know, I'm a heretic. A stubborn, narrow-minded heretic. But honestly, I can't stand iTunes, and the thought of having to install it on my PC and make it my primary music player makes me want to take violent masochistic action. It may be a poor reason to reject the iTouch, but it's my reason.
So this is my plea: does anyone out there know of a non-Apple device that would solve my problems (and prevent me from wasting more time on fruitless 'research')? I'm looking for something with reasonably sophisticated calendar functionality, notes and to-do lists, and a robust address book; the ability to sync with my PC (or web app); and nothing that will require me to pay an additional monthly fee. If you are in the know, clue me in! If you suggest a winning item, you may have my undying gratitude. Or at least my healthy gratitude until said device withers away and dies, and I have to do this all over again.
Second (yeah, I almost forgot there was a second too!), I also need to find a replacement for the soon-to-be-defunct Bloglines reader. I've been trying to feel Google Reader, but it's not quite working for me (how do I bring in images for all the food-porn blogs??). I'm now trying out RSSOwl. Other suggestions are also welcome. Criteria include: (a) ability to group feeds, (b) ability to save particular posts, and (c) be able to see the pretty pictures and at least some copy for each unread post at a glance.
Your support in this difficult time is appreciated!
So it is with great sorrow that I face the need to invest in a new technology -- two, in fact.
First, my PDA of six years, the wonderful Palm Zire 72, is going to have to be replaced. I'm not really ready for this moment -- apart from a short battery life, it functions perfectly well, does everything I want it to do, and I love both the PDA and desktop interfaces. But the software is incompatible with Windows 7, which means I wouldn't be able to sync my PDA and computer (an unacceptable circumstance), and I'm unwilling to keep my computer in the dark ages on account of my dwindling-battery-life PDA.
I know this should be easy: iPhone! iTouch! Android! But here's the thing: I do *not* want a smartphone. I don't want to carry a phone that large, and I definitely don't want to pay for a monthly data plan when my primary need for the device is as an organizer. Ah, the iTouch, you say.... but I don't want an Apple product either. I know, I'm a heretic. A stubborn, narrow-minded heretic. But honestly, I can't stand iTunes, and the thought of having to install it on my PC and make it my primary music player makes me want to take violent masochistic action. It may be a poor reason to reject the iTouch, but it's my reason.
So this is my plea: does anyone out there know of a non-Apple device that would solve my problems (and prevent me from wasting more time on fruitless 'research')? I'm looking for something with reasonably sophisticated calendar functionality, notes and to-do lists, and a robust address book; the ability to sync with my PC (or web app); and nothing that will require me to pay an additional monthly fee. If you are in the know, clue me in! If you suggest a winning item, you may have my undying gratitude. Or at least my healthy gratitude until said device withers away and dies, and I have to do this all over again.
Second (yeah, I almost forgot there was a second too!), I also need to find a replacement for the soon-to-be-defunct Bloglines reader. I've been trying to feel Google Reader, but it's not quite working for me (how do I bring in images for all the food-porn blogs??). I'm now trying out RSSOwl. Other suggestions are also welcome. Criteria include: (a) ability to group feeds, (b) ability to save particular posts, and (c) be able to see the pretty pictures and at least some copy for each unread post at a glance.
Your support in this difficult time is appreciated!
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