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I have a Palm T3 paired with a T610 which I'm generally happy with. It's my third Palm with the selling-point of flash ROM, and the third time I've seen the OS develop (slightly) with no upgrade path for existing Palm users. For example, the T3 shipped with VersaMail 2.6 which doesn't work with Gmail; 2.7 does work on the T3 although Palm does not officially support this (I guess they want you to buy a new device). So don't buy a Palm with a view to it maturing with age!

What would I want to upgrade to then? A wish list:

Things I don't need

• Flash ROM (Palm at least never deliver on upgradability);
• A multitasking OS (I can only do one thing at a time on a small screen);
• A web browser (surfing is costly over a mobile, not to mention slow, cramped, and lacking good CSS support);
• An IM client (I'll use the phone);
• An intrared port (there's Bluetooth + WiFi, I have no legacy devices, and prefer dedicated remote controls in the living room);
• "Push" e-mail (checking it manually once a day when abroad is fine—assuming you can get a GPRS signal).

Why have WiFI?

• A number of apps (Palm and PPC) can update wirelessly—important functionality when there is no Mac conduit for synchronisation;
• Using a VNC client on the PDA allows control of a desktop computer from another room;
• Use Skype for PPC to turn your PDA into a wireless VoIP phone;
• You can apparently stream a DVD via VLC on a desktop to a PPC media player;
• Software like WiFiTunes allows music streamed from your Mac (or PC) to play on your PPC; you could listen with headphones or jack the PPC into a stereo elsewhere for Airport Express like functionality.

Windows Mobile apps to replace those on Palm

As I write there are rumours of a Treo 670 running Windows Mobile. Palm hardware runs the Palm OS—straightforward enough. Windows Mobile (currently v.5) is one of several Microsoft operating systems based around a "core" OS called Windows CE (WinCE). The first iteration, Windows Mobile 2003, came in 3 versions: Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Phone Edition, and Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone. In between these and v.5 was Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. Pocket PC (PPC) hardware may run various operating systems based around WinCE, including (but not limited to) Pocket PC 2000; Pocket PC 2002; Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC; Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition; and Windows Mobile 5 (converging the Phone Edition and Professional Edition of WinCE into one OS). Got it? I'm not sure I have. This from the same company that is bringing you 7 flavours of Windows Vista. I thought it was Palm that was confused about their strategy...

Basic Personal Information Manager (PIM) functionality should include:

• Calculator;
• Calendar (with synch to iCal);
• Tasks/ to-do list (with synch to iCal);
• Contacts (with synch to Address Book);
• Notepad for scribbles (with synch to a desktop app);
• Memo pad for text (with synch to a desktop app);
• Photo viewer (with synch to iPhoto);
• Voice memo (with synch to a desktop app);
• World clock with alarms.

And for phone use:

• SMS application;
• E-mail application supporting POP3, IMAP, SSL.

Current versions of the Palm OS and Windows Mobile do include this functionality, although typically with poor support of synching to Macs. Here is a list of the third-party Palm apps I currently have installed, and their possible WM replacements:

• AutoMobile (available for WM as beta here);
• Adobe Reader (available for WM here);
• BeamPRO (not available for WM but not something I would actively seek to replace);
• Documents (not available for WM; WM includes file viewers that let you edit and create Office documents, and Missing Sync for WM provides no synch but offers drag-and-drop Finder access to these files);
• DxSaurus (available for MW here);
• Eponyms (available for WM here);
• FileZ (not available for WM; alternative?);
• iSilo (available for WM here);
• Kinoma (not available for WM; WM includes Windows Media Player; TCPMP allows playback of various video and audio formats);
• MedCalc (not available for WM; alternative might have been Archimedes but it has no pregnancy calculator - a must!);
• Epocrates (available for WM here; shame there's no pregnancy calculator in the included MedMath tool; can update wirelessly);
• Missing Sync (available for WM here, sync with iCal + Address Book, semi-integration with iPhoto + iTunes);
• SplashPhoto (available for WM here, bundled with Missing Sync for WM);
• Mobipocket (available for WM here);
• Passwords3 (not available for WM; alternative with sync to Mac app?);
• RealPlayer (available for WM here);
• SmartST (available for WM here, now discontinued for Palm);
• PalmVNC (alternative might be VNCViewer for controlling a Mac via WiFi);
• WorldMate (available for WM here, can update wirelessly).

There is a (short) list of Mac-friendly PPC/ Windows Mobile software here. There's a good list of medical software (for both platforms) here; Mobile Merck Medicus looks very interesting, but they don't allow non-US physicians to download it! I guess they have their reasons :-(

Update 03.10.05: The Treo 700w (not 670) running Windows Mobile 5 is official. It's specs however fall well short of the HTC Universal, which pretty well addresses my wish list (notably not GPS—see the Mio A701 or the HP iPAQ hw6515, adequate RAM, a decent resolution camera, iTunes player). The HTC Universal is available as the Orange SPV M5000, O2 XDA Exec, i-mate JASJAR, and T-Mobile MDA Pro. With an SD card to bolster storage, and a standalone GPS for car use (probably a good idea), this may be the ideal device—if only the cost was easier to justify. There's a useful comparison of VGA Pocket PCs here.

Update 12.10.05: I now have a Dell X50v—not by any means my "ideal" PDA—but cheap enough (it's the outgoing model) to conduct a survey on the feasibility of platform switching. Stay tuned :-)

Update 21.10.05: According to Brighthand, Palm OS is not exactly "dead", as although the next version will be based on Linux it will have the same look and feel and the ability to run current Palm apps. "Palm OS for Linux" devices are expected around mid-2006.

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