PDA with keyboard support?

[tsantsa]

I don't quite know what I am looking for, but I like to write and I also hold a factory job. I hate when I am doing my job and an idea hits me...I tried using a pad of paper, but that's just hard to get the ideas down while you're trying to work (freehand is SLOWWWWWWW).
I ended up getting an old laptop from a friend of mine but it doesn't have a battery, power supply or a hard drive. My thinking is that whatever money I pour into this thing will be about as much as I would into something like a PDA that might have keyboard support or something in that area. (the old laptop is a Compaq Armada 1700 series...so far, even FINDING the parts I need to get it working is becoming difficult at best.)

So, what my post here is asking is this: What am I looking for? Are there PDA's that can hold a few dozen pages (or much more preferably) of text? Do any have keyboard support? This is a region that I know nothing about so that's why my line of questioning may seem noobish!

I also dont want to spend what a new notebook would cost anyhow. Then I may as well buy one!'

[vitualis]

You are talking about one of the older Handheld PC style devices.

These ran Windows CE (i.e., older version of the OS that now runs Pocket PCs).

If you want something in the clamshell format but still with a touchtypable keyboard, you are looking at the NEC MobilePro series... The newest one (the MobilePro 900) is still released and supported by NEC.

You can find the older models such as the MP 780/770 for sale on eBay for quite a good price.

If you want a more traditional clamshell with a smaller keyboard (generally not touchtypable), the HP Jornada 680/690/720 are probably the machines you should be looking for.

For something that looks more like a subnotebook (i.e., touchtypable keyboard with a 4:3 aspect ratio screen), there is the HP Jornada 820, NEC MobilePro 880 and a Sharp Telios unit that I can't remember the model number to.

If you are after a clamshell form factor device, the older Psion units are probably worthwhile investigating too.

Best regards.

[tsantsa]

I was wondering about connecting an external keyboard...similar to one of those mini keyboards for cell phones. Do any of the products you listed above have such a feature?

[vitualis]

Um... do a Google search to see what these devices look like.

Those devices don't need external keyboards because they already have a keyboard.

The NEC MobilePro devices have a near full size (around 90-92%) keyboard that you can comfortably touchtype on.

The Jornada 680/690/720 have smaller keyboards around 75% full size.

Regards.

[tsantsa]

Yeah, i did a search only AFTER i posted! LOL. I saw what some of them look like. When i posted I had imagined your regular pda but with a little keypad or something like that...THanks guys

[glockjs]

all come with touch keyboard on the screen, and transcriber where u just write across the screen and it recognizes what u write..or you can buy a small almost keyboard like that connects directly to the pda or a wireless one that is almost full size...

[vitualis]

It's an interesting world... Originally, the clamshell handheld PC's were the "in thing" but they were ahead of their time. The general community just didn't understand what they could be used for... preferring for Palm style devices and so MS pushed ahead with the Palm-sized PCs (crap) and now the PocketPCs (good).

Now, that people have gotten a taste for mobile computing, power users are now pushing back for what was abandoned... the clamshell style handheld PC! Sony has released their clamshell style Clie, Sharp their mutable clamshell style Zarius and a number of smaller parties have created full palmtop sized Windows PCs. Word out is that there will be soon a new range of clamshell devices running Windows Mobile/Windows CE.Net...

Regards.