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Handhelds Hardware

New Communicators from Kyocera and HP 111

Posted by timothy from the not-cheap-but-nice-looking dept.
An anonymous reader submits: "Here are two links to articles about the new HP iPaqs and Kyocera's new Communicator .... Both are pretty sweet pieces of hardware."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

New Communicators from Kyocera and HP More

New Communicators from Kyocera and HP

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  • other kyocera products (Score:5, Informative)

    by random735 ( 102808 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:03PM (#3758855)
    I have a Kyocera QCP-6035 "smartphone" (basically a PalmIII+cellphone) and based on my experience with it, i'd defintely buy another Kyocera "hybrid" device. The integration is incredible..when i'm using it as a phone, I forget it's a PDA. when i'm using it as a PDA, I forget it's a phone. Except for those occasions when it's *useful* that it's both (ie jotting down notes while on the phone). None of this "touch screen" buttons for dialing crap, my phone has a real keypad, etc.

    The new 7135 looks like it continues this pattern.... that said, I got my Kyocera for $50 after rebates. I wouldn't be inclined to be an early adopter on a device like this (6035s started around $500-800)
    • I got my smartphone for $350. Sweet phone. I couldn't live without it.

      Only gripe, it is a tad bigger! Hopefully the new one will be smaller and when it comes down in price, I might get one.

      • Re:other kyocera products (Score:2, Informative)

        by Ducky ( 10802 )
        Since I'm an employee of the company that's staffing Kyocera's cdma phone division (Qualcomm), I've seen it first hand.

        VERY nice. While I did side by side comparison, I didn't write down dimensions, etc (the general mood was more of "wooo new toy, new toy!"), I can say you're not really losing any size off the width nor the thickness, but it is about 1.75 inches shorter (if not more).

        It's WAY faster. I think double proc speed? don't remember. The various apps I played with (mostly games) were very snappy.

        The screen it had just felt better to scribble on. Color was very spiffy feature, too - but the only other color palm I've played with was a palm iiic

        By far, my favorite features were the fact it can play mp3s, and the memory card slot. My friend could put apps and mp3s on the card, and both would show up when inserted into the phone.

        Yup, definately on my purchase list.
    • I have the same Kyocera, QCP-6035, and I love it as well. I don't know if I like the new one. It worked fine, now the new one looks as if they're trying to copy Handspring's Treo.

      I'm not sure if it'll be as useable, the writing part is separated from the screen, it's at an angle, and now a real flipphone. I liked being able to talk with it open or shut, this one doesn't look like it can do that.

    • I'll second all of that, but the 6035 is more than basically a Palm III + Cell Phone. It's also a wireless modem and a voice note recorder.

      It's also a really spiff ssh-1 wireless terminal.

      It's a heck of a product. You can get 'em now for $100 with the rebate and commitment to Verizon (ack). But they've got a 700/1000 minute plan with long distance included and data calls just counting against minutes for $50/month.

      At least with the most recent revisions of the ROM, they did a great job with the integration. It's all pretty natural and easy to use.

    • Fully Palm OS and conduit compatible -- which makes Evolution the ultimate PIM for and any Palm program executable on this thing. Complete, Hayes AT compatible external 14.4K Fax+Modem using the serial port for portable surfing. Other usability sweetness like the Palm IR, jog dial when in phone mode, etc... One address book, one date book, one thing for everything!

      Kyocera knows its market. I hope the new 7135 is still usable as an external modem. That might not be the case if its USB-based (at least not for Linux).

      • > I hope the new 7135 is still usable as an external modem.
        > That might not be the case if its USB-based (at least not
        > for Linux).

        Huh? Maybe it's time for you to upgrade from kernel 2.0.38... I had a Visor before I got my Kyocera 6035, and had no problems with the USB aspects of it, even on 2.2.17.

        What would _really_ be nice is if it were usable as an external modem over IR. I have a laptop with IR, and always sync over IR. If I could use the modem over IR, I wouldn't have to lug around a serial cable.

        -Ryan
    • I would love to get the 6035 since its cheap now (about $100), and its a sweet phone, with REAL BUTTONS(!)... but would you mind revealing where you got it for $50?

      Much appreciated
      • I got mine as a SprintPCS phone from circuit city...at the time it was $150, but circuit city was offering a $50 rebate with activation, and sprint was also offering a $50 rebate with activation. Hence the $50 (minus the $35 activation fee of course). I don't think either of the rebates are still going on, and I think it might have been one of those "new customers only" deals.
      • if you go to compusa, between 7/4/2002 and 7/7/2002 they have a 100 rebate on all cell phones. So you get the $150 6035 for $50 after the mail in rebate. as far as i can tell, they only require that you to activate the phone, it can be on an existing number. Lots of other cell phone rebates want you to start new service with a new nnumber.
    • I am a longtime owner of the Kyocera QCP-6035 and I find it a surprisingly lousy product compared to what it could be. The integration of the Palm PDA and the phone is almost non-existent. I want an integrated device, not just two devices in one package (although I have it because the latter is still better than the same two devices in two packages).

      I would be much more careful next time, as Kyocera has not demonstrated to me the ability to create a good user interface that integrates the features properly.

      Maybe I'm just missing something or didn't RTFM enough times, but just calling someone in the Palm phone book is a real pain
      • I am EXTREMELY happy with miine and I the only thing I wish was better integrated would be the ability to record voice memos while on the phone; i.e. record a phone call.

        The integration is damn near perfect. It acts like a phone when the lid is closed and acts like a PDA when the lid is open.

        Great phone. I wonder what phone you have. If you don't like it that is fine. I just wonder how more integrated it could be.
        • Errrr... Integration is when the functions work together. What you and I have is two gadgets in one package - a nice thing to have but not as powerful as integrating the gadgets where appropriate.
          • what integration features do you feel are lacking? the phone works as a modem for the palm, so you can run your browsers/telnets/whatever as well as PQAs. You can tap on a phone number in your address book to immediately dial the number. You can stuff it into your cradle and use it as a regular modem off your laptop.

            Incoming calls are caller-id'd to your address book so you can see who is calling. You can set different ringtones based on addressbook category, so you can immediately tell if your boss is calling vs your girlfriend. You can download .wavs and convert them to ringtones.

            the incoming and outgoing call history and length is available to any palm app--I got a nifty third party freeware program that keeps track of total minutes used each month.

            It comes with a palm version of eudora that can seamlessly dial on demand. vindigo/avantgo can all dial on demand as well and sync via the internet.

            you can use your own isp, or the network provider's magic # to get an ip within 5 seconds.

            incoming sms messages are available to any palm app. The kyocera development kit allows anyone to integrate jog dial or phone support into their app (addressplus, a third party addressbook, used this dev kit to add tap dialing to their product.)

            how, exactly, is integration lacking?
            • Hmmm.... mine doesn't do much of that as far as I can tell. Ny provider (QWest grumble grumble) doesn't provide any data service for the 6035

              So, I have a secondary phone number for somebody. I would like to be able to train it as a voice recognition number. How do I do that? It owuld be nice if there were an option in the address book to let me do that.

              The stuff available to the palm app is nice, but it would be nicer if the phone came with palm apps to take advantage of all of that!

              Also, I got one of the very first units. I wonder if it needs an upgrade (if that is doable in the field).
              • mine does all of that. The only provider-specific piece is the insta-isp from verizon (my provider). I setup a ppp session to dial #777 with a verizon default password/user id, and I get an ip address in about 4-5 seconds. Sprint has a similar deal with a different magic number. Qwest may have it too, but you may have to dig for it.

                You can still setup a regular isp to dial into if you have a modem-providing isp account. the phone comes with apps that do take advantage of all of that: check out the call log app and the messages app. it comes with eudora too.

                voice recognition is a separate app, I just train it as usual for each phone number. I train it for "FriendHome" and "FriendCell," no problems so far. it doesnt save the train data in the addressbook, which is great since it lets me use AddressPlus, a far superior app. the best way to get to the voice trainer is by closing the flip and navigating the menu, IIRC.

                the minute counter rocks, get it free here. [freewarepalm.com] You can even tell it what kind of plan you have (weekend minutes, daytime minutes, what day of the month the minutes reset, etc) and it will keep track of how many minutes you have left.

                the call logging app is also comes with it. it tells you incoming/outgoing calls and the number if available. it can also tell you if a call was a data call or regular voice.

                do some web searches and find the wave-ringtones converter. You can set ringtone/category mappings in Preferences. Check it out man, your 6035 rocks!
      • Maybe I'm just missing something or didn't RTFM enough times, but just calling someone in the Palm phone book is a real pain
        Well, I don't find it too difficult - I set some of the numbers from my palm address book on speed dial, so this is real quick. And to access numbers that aren't on the speed dial, you just hit down on the shuttle, and then press a key (2:abc, 3:def, etc.) to get you closer to that name. It doesn't really get much easier than that, sorry to say--I previously had a Samsung SCH-1500(I think that's the model number) and it was just as easy (difficult) to pull up a number. I'd be interested to find out if there is a faster user interface methodology than this because I haven't thought of one (granted, I'm not the most gifted user interface designer in the world ;).

        I do think you didn't RTFM as far as speed dial; but I figured out the shuttle trick from just messing around, so I don't remember if that is in the manual.

  • When things like this are out, why would anyone buy a Palm? The only thing Palm devices have is power consumption, but how hard it is to stick the device on a charger once every 3-4 days. Hell, I have to recharge my cell phone every day, so that's a pretty weak excuse.

    • Re:Why buy Palm? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by JWW ( 79176 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:25PM (#3758982)
      Ummm, because they're generally HUNDREDS of dollars cheaper.

      I really like the look of the iPaq, but for $600-$750, I could buy another desktop. For another $200-300 I could buy a full fledged laptop.

    • Re:Why buy Palm? (Score:3, Funny)

      by rodgerd ( 402 )
      Because the Palm has a shitload better UI, as well as a better life. And some of us have cellphones that need to be charged once a week, not once a day.

      I don't see why people bother with iPaqs. They're bigger, bulkier, and far less practical.
    • One of these "things" is a Palm. A cell phone running the PalmOS is still a Palm in my opinion even if it has another company's logo on it. I have a Handspring Treo cell phone and I consider it to be a Palm.
  • I have a iPaq 3650 w/ microdrive and expansion adapter, but it looks like I am going to finally have to upgrade to the 3900 series. I don't think she is going to be happy ... :-(

    Anyone know if the CF/PCMCIA adaptor sleeve is still used, or is the SD built in (and I have to get new cards - boo, hiss!)
  • A friend has one of these. As mentioned in the article, these are a lot easier to read (at the expense of battery life) and also quite a bit faster than the 3800 series. He's trying to figure out how to hack Linux into it to no avail, but Microsoft's operating system WinCE seems to work nicely for what he needs it for. It looks kind of pricey though, and personally I'd go for a Palm Pilot.
  • Well I hope their new line of communicator devices work better than some of their most recent offerings in the world of Laser Printers.. their old 1550's and 1700's used to work like a charm, but the newer budget 1000 series and the update of the 1700 known as the 1750 gave me nothing but trouble. Random dropped communications from the computer, print jobs vanishing, and paper jams.
  • ...for a handheld that has the computing power of a supercomputer, the internet connectivity of a T1 line, acts like a cell phone, will play high quality sound, and call me Al. I don't think that's too much to ask, do you? :)

  • Samsung's new ones (Score:5, Informative)

    by jlv ( 5619 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:11PM (#3758909)
    I have the Samsung I300 Smartphone - color palm + phone. Like the Kyocera 6035, it's already obsolete. But, I love it.

    Interesting enough, while Samsung is about to release a new smartphone (the I330) that is much like the I300, they have an even newer palm/phone coming out later that is a flip phone like the new Kyocera. Pics here
    http://www.pconline.com.cn/digital/textlib/mobile/ m01/10206/69730_1.html [pconline.com.cn]
    and here
    http://www.mobilmania.cz/Mobilnitelefony/Ar.asp?AR I=102483&CAI=2107 [mobilmania.cz]
  • What I'm waiting for is AT&T's mMode network, which is going to be GSM and based on NTT DoCoMo technology.

    Combine that sweeeeet network with one of the Sony Ericsson phone, and you'll be able to post cheesy comment on Slashdot while stuck in traffice.

    • path paralysis (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Lemmy Caution ( 8378 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @04:15PM (#3759245) Homepage
      I'm considering switching carriers, waiting for my carrier to come up with a new product, going with a Kyocera or a HandSpring or a Nokia or a Sony Eriksson - in fact, the proliferation of options, and the fear of service abandonment/obsolesence - has motivated me to do nothing. I've frozen my decision to upgrade my phone service until there's been a market shakedown. (The opportunity cost of waiting is not great - I have a cell phone and a palm pilot already.)

      I know that a number of other people are in the same boat, and with funds and budgets being tighter, people don't feel like they have money to burn on just getting the fastest-newest-fanciest. What does that mean for the ability of manufacturers to develop new products? I'm not really sure, but I do think that a lot of manufacturers are going to feel some pain for a while still.

  • maybe finally someone got a clue? (Score:4, Informative)

    by rapid prototype ( 551089 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:12PM (#3758915) Homepage
    is it possible they are finally catching a clue? from kyocera's man Goetter:

    "Voice is still the killer application, and our device has been tailored for voice first," Goetter said. The gadget's design is more like
    that of a phone than a PDA. It's foldable and has a keypad, and its size is phonelike too. It measures 3.97 inches by 2.43 inches by 1.17 inches and weighs 6.6 ounces.

    "Other (similar devices) are very much PDAs first. We're coming at it from a phone-centric standpoint," Goetter said.

    exactly. i'm not carrying two clunky devices (cell phone and PDA), but one of those devices is more important (cell phone). maybe when i'm tired of my nokia i'll check out this one, after the price drops a bit next year.

    -rp

    • Re:maybe finally someone got a clue? (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      is it possible they are finally catching a clue? from kyocera's man Goetter: "Voice is still the killer application, and our device has been tailored for voice first," Goetter said.

      Kyocera seems to understand that their products have to be phones first and PDAs second. Kudos to them for not dumping that philosphy when they bought the product line from Qualcomm .

      But the cellular operators remain clueless. They believe their own press releases and insist that just because they overlay a lame packet system (GPRS or 1XRTT) on top of 2G cellular that we'll all flock to use it. Funny how they don't mention the spectacular flameout of CDPD, which did exactly the same thing.

      And in the end the real power's in the hands of the consumer. The combo devices just are not selling in any kind of quantity. A few early adopters and propeller heads buy them, but the middle of the curve still buys plain ol' cell phones. Gotta give the manufacturers credit, though...they keep trying!

    • The problem is that a phone-centric combo device is probably going to be a bad PDA. I'm already convinced that PDA-centric combo devices (like the Nokia 9000 series) are bad phones. Thus, my opinion on combo devices is that they simply aren't as usable as separate, dedicated components would be.

      While you say you'd rather not carry two devices, I think that is the optimal solution. 99% of the time, you only need your phone, but in the 1% instance you need a PDA, you want something good. I say take the cell phone with you all the time, and then choose to take the PDA with you depending on the necessity. Bluetooth completes this.

      Me? I use the Nokia 6310i and the Sharp Zaurus. No compromises.

  • THIS is cool (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Frank of Earth ( 126705 )
    http://www.voicestream.com/pocketpc/default.asp

    PocketPC and Cellphone combined. Nothing against Palm, but I an TS into my windoze boxes remotely using the Terminal Services for CE client along with our VPN client which is also ported to WinCE.

    • Re:THIS is cool (Score:5, Funny)

      by angst_ridden_hipster ( 23104 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:50PM (#3759101) Homepage Journal
      Well, I ssh into my servers from my Kyocera 6035 all the time.

      When I go into places like Starbucks, people ask me "Dude, is that a phone, or a brick?" because it's bigger than their dinky little Motorolas. I laugh along with them, because by the time they get their double mocha frappaccinos, I've r00ted their box from my phone, and am tr0janizing their Outlook to send all their sensitive business plans to the competition, and their pr0n collections to their wives.
      • You can kinda laugh at them...because their little tiny motorolas are running by the way of the wayside. Motorols is pushing their own network (iDEN), and isn't putting Kyocera software on their phones (Kyocera is the parent company of Qualcomm, the CDMA people)....so most of the big phone companies out there (e.g., sprint, Verizon Wireless) are phasing out their phones.

        Nextel is safe because it runs off the iDEN network (Yes, Direct Connect is freakin cool!)--however, I'd give it a year before they give in and put their software back on the phones...nextel is losing money (Lost 9B last year, if my memory is correct) and doing 'triple coupons' (if you've worked in the grocery industry...you'd know what I mean).

  • I hate PDA cellphone combo devices, but I have to say the scratchpad looks like it's in a nice spot. I don't know how easy it really is to use the touchpad, seeing how the screen is above the hinge, but the overall design is (to the best of my knowledge) the first phone designed like this.

    The scratch-pad may be more "ergonomic" to use than a real PDA!

    The basic design looks nice. It runs PalmOS too. I may have to find one of these at a store to play with. To bad no direct connect (Nextel), otherwise this phone would be really worth my checking into.

    -Pete
    • The split-screen works great! The grafiti area is down in the lower half of the clamshell, so that when you hold it in your hand, the writing pressure is against your palm, while the display is angled where you can see it.

      It also works great on a desktop, since the LCD looks best facing it straight on.

      By splitting the two, you end up with a smaller piece of glass, so it's less fragile.

      Clever idea.
  • I know that HP owns Compaq, but you'd think that they would at least put the HP label on the old Compaq line. More to the point, get the Compaq label off if you're going to call it an HP device.

    Of course, they could just use their new stock symbol. Though, come to think of it that would just look wierd.

    HPQ IPAQ

    There just aren't enough vowels in there.

  • Kyocera rocks! (Score:3, Informative)

    by Satanboy ( 253169 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:15PM (#3758937)
    I just got a new Kyocera three days ago, and I'll tell ya what, its got the best sound of any cell phone I have ever heard, and the interface is a breeze.

    I would highly recommend one, they are much cheaper than many of the other phones out there, and they seem to be better.

    I am very happy to see they are getting their PDA phones out. My phone isn't a total PDA conversion, its more of a hybrid with a web browser and 56 k connection, but its still very usefull and I am very happy to have one.

    --those are my two cents anyways
    • > I just got a new Kyocera three days ago, and I'll tell ya
      > what, its got the best sound of any cell phone I have ever
      > heard, and the interface is a breeze.

      Amen to that. I use Sprint, and in my home town (Cambridge, MA), the sound is better than my cordless landline phones at home.

      MUCH better than the Motorola POS I had before (their super-tiny, and super thowable, "v" series).

      The Kyocera also has analog support, which may shound anacrhonistic, but to someone who spends most of the winter in Vermont, has to check in with work periodically, it's a blessing.

      -Ryan
  • Now, if they had an optional hard drive (any Secure Digital hard drives exist yet?), the Kyocera would be very close my ideal PDA/phone/mp3 player.

    Maybe they could make one with a Compact Flash slot so I could use one of those IBM CF hard drives...

    Mmmm. A gig of mp3's in a cellphone...mmmm...

  • it'll never fly (Score:2, Interesting)

    by tps12 ( 105590 )
    These are pretty cool, just because of the "holy shit that's a little phone + PDA in one" factor. But, really, the market for these is limited, and shrinking fast.

    These were the Next Big Thing during the www.dot.com boom, when everyone wanted as many things clipped to their belts as possible. Nowadays, a more sobering economic client has made all those technophiles look more than a little bit...goofy.

    Yes, phones are useful. And it's nice to be able to store a phone number or ten. But 16MB of memory and a web browser? Video, for heaven's sake? No one needs this. Hell, no one even wants this.

    All anyone is looking for in a cell phone is small size, good battery life, a strong signal, capacity for storing maybe 20 numbers, and mp3 playing. The rest is just nerd candy, stupid features that basically no one will pay for. These companies need to hone their market research skills, or they will go the way of the Amiga.
    • So, as I said elsewhere, I have been drooling over the idea of a smartphone for some time. "Why?" you may ask. Because when I go into a store looking for something, it is nice to be able to supplement my research on the spot by checking out prices, model specs, etc while I am standing there wondering what the difference between an 1120cs and an 1120ci is. Because sometimes I want to be able to get a map/directions that I didn't know I would need the last time I synched my Handspring. Because I want to check the movie times on a whim (especially when I don't happen to have the theater's phone number and don't want to pay for directory assistance - yes, data service costs more, but if I already have it paid for, why not use it). The only real reason that I haven't picked up a 6035 is because I have been waiting for the new 2.5/3G rollout and didn't want to be picking up something that was going to be upgraded so soon. $500? I don't know. Maybe an early Christmas present to myself. Would I use it $500-worth? I don't know. I do know that my current phone just frustrates me with the lack of Internet awareness and carrying that + my Handspring is not as nice as carrying just 1 uber-device.
    • No one wants MP3 in their phone. How are you going to listen to music and answer the phone? No siree, we are much better off with pda+phone integration, why should we store information in one gadget, talk into another?
      My point is, don't apply YOUR preferences upon anyone, just because you don't want this, it doesn't mean that no one wants this.
      J.
    • Speak for yourself, I say. If there was only one requirement for a phone, then you'd have only one kind to choose from.

      This phone rocks. I don't bother taking a laptop on short business trips anymore. I can check email and even reply without waiting for something to boot up and connect. I can usually do a quick mailcheck and send a short reply in less time than it takes to connect a phone jack and boot Windows!

      When it's time to board the plane, just snap it shut and slip it in your pocket or bag.

      Just like belt sanders, these things do have a use, even if you don't happen to need one.

  • 400 MHz (Score:3, Interesting)

    by colmore ( 56499 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:28PM (#3758995) Journal
    I've heard that the move from 200 to 400 MHz on these devices has barely changed noticable speed, while adding a good $200 to the pricetag.

    I'll wait for reviews to cement the decision, but I'll probably be going with an older, not that much slower, 200 MHz device.

    • Re:400 MHz (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:49PM (#3759096)
      The word appears to be although the Xscale chip runs at 400 MHz when running code for the previous generation Arm chip, it runs it about as fast as a 206 MHz ARM. Multimedia is said to actually perform poorer than with the previous generation of PocketPCs.

      Microsoft says they will only support the Arm ver. 4 code base, Intel says you really ought to be compiling for Arm ver. 5. So we the users, will suffer.

      I speculate that Microsoft is hoping that pads kill pocketPCs so they can kill PocketPC development and support a single Windows code base.

  • Battery eater .... (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Mr. Mai ( 587155 )
    Hope they did something about the battery, for erlier versions of the IPAQ they didn't last long. More MHz and capabilities = more power consumption.
  • I knew Kyocera must be up to something. The 6035 is going for only $99. Probably something to do with the Treo...
    So I ordered the keyboard and USB cable, (the Keyspan USB adapter
    having mysteriously dropped support for the phone's data mode after an upgrade--
    or I dropped the components one too many times)
    and I'm left to wonder: will the gozintas and gozoutas of this new unit be compatible?

  • The Greatest Improvement... (Score:4, Funny)

    by T3kno ( 51315 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:49PM (#3759095) Homepage
    Is that they finally transposed the iPaq and Pocket PC logos. I have been waiting for months for somone at Hewlettcompaqard to pull their head out of their ass and fix this. Finally!! I'm off to BestBuy.

  • This thing is neat, but... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by spaten-optimator ( 560694 ) <arich AT arich DOT net> on Monday June 24, 2002 @03:49PM (#3759097) Homepage
    Article:

    "The 7135 features a color screen, Global Positioning System technology, a Secure Digital expansion slot with input and output capabilities, and a built-in digital audio player. The device comes with 16MB of memory and runs version 4.1 of Palm's operating system."

    That's all well and good (and, based on the picture, a hell of a lot sexier than the Treo's that are running around my office now), but what they need to fix (before adding all the bells and whistles) is the fact that I can't drive from work to home and talk to my brother on the phone for 30 minutes without getting dropped during the handoff between cell towers.

    They also need to fix their "nationwide coverage" that doesn't include some key semi-rural areas (I checked - they're in the US) where I go on analog roam, spilling dollars a minute down my phone.

    I'm not saying an integrated GPS-PDA-MP3-Web browser-Phone is a bad idea. I think its yet another cool geek toy.

    But for god's sake, take some of that R&D money and BUILD SOME MORE TOWERS!

    • That's all well and good (and, based on the picture, a hell of a lot sexier than the Treo's that are running around my office now), but what they need to fix (before adding all the bells and whistles) is the fact that I can't drive from work to home and talk to my brother on the phone for 30 minutes without getting dropped during the handoff between cell towers.

      That's a feature, not a problem. When you're driving, pay attention to driving. Stay off the goddamned phone. If you want to talk to your brother, call him before you leave work. Then go drive home. Then call him again if you must. But for the sake of the other drivers that need to share the road with you, leave the damned phone off while you're driving.


      I don't care if you use a hands-free set, you're still gabbing on the phone when you should be paying attention to what you're doing on the road. When you're driving, you're in possession of a 3000lb bullet. Please act accordingly. And don't give me excuses like, "But I've been doing this for years!" or, "I'm a good driver, so I don't have to pay attention to the road." That's crap, and both you and I know it.

      • When you're driving, you're in possession of a 3000lb bullet. Please act accordingly. And don't give me excuses like, "But I've been doing this for years!" or, "I'm a good driver, so I don't have to pay attention to the road." That's crap, and both you and I know it.


        Granted - people talking on cellphones do increase the number of accidents that happen. Disregarding non-hands-free users (who are just looking for trouble holding a phone up to their ear while driving), the only time I'm distracted by talking on the phone is when I'm looking down at the phone, dialing a number. Which is why I never do that while the car is in motion - only at stoplights or before I start driving.

        Furthermore: my route home is through an underused rural road. It has four lanes, but hardly any cars, even during rush hour. The drive is boring. I talk to my brother (or friends, other family members, whoever) to kill time while I'm making the monotonous trip home every day.

        And besides, when I'm talking on a hands-free set, it is exactly like I'm talking to someone in the car. No different. I've never actually been in a situation where I've required 100% of my brainpower to keep the car inside the lines. I mean, maybe where you're from, the highway designers are purposefully making driving difficult, but here in Texas, they make the roads pretty simple to navigate.

        You are also acting as though 100% of all car accidents occur as a direct result of someone's use of a cellphone. What about the radio? I'm sure many people have wrecked up cars attempting to change the CD in their car, or find a good radio station (looking at the radio rather than the road).

        I tell you what: I'll stop using my "goddamn cell phone" at the same time you stop listening to your "goddamn radio." Deal?

        My point is this: people can become distracted while operating a motor vehicle because of many things, not just cellphones. It is the responsibility of each person on the road to properly manage these distractions so that they can complete their primary responsibility - keeping the car going straight down the road. Your asinine assumption that I cannot do this with a cellphone is analogous to me assuming you can't drive and operate the radio. Don't tell me they are different: you have to look away from the road to change a CD, I can talk on my cellphone without even doing that.

        It all boils down to responsibility. Just because I pick up a cellphone doesn't mean I suspend my responsibility.
    • You must be a Sprint customer. Join the club. ;-
    • These sound like cellular service provider issues, not phone designer/researcher issues... blame sprint/cingular/whoever, not Kyocera for that stuff.

    • But for god's sake, take some of that R&D money and BUILD SOME MORE TOWERS!


      The people making the phones are not the people financing and putting up towers, so take a deep breath. Even in a company like Motorola that makes both, the people who design base stations are far removed from those who design phones. Also, Motorola (and Nokia, Ericsson, Nortel, etc) don't put up cell towers. They just sell the equipment that allows cellular providers to arrange huge cells, allowing your calls to constantly drop!

      I'm as frustrated by wireless coverage as you are, but it's not going to change any time soon. Best thing you can do is complain regularly to your cell provider.
  • Okay, so I'll admit that I have been drooling over the 6035 smartphone for some time now. And I've been toying with upgrading my current phone, especially since Qwest appears to have an "unlimited data for $10/month" deal. However, I just went to check out the Qwest webpage and the 6035 is gone. And, since the 7135 is not out for a bit yet, there is a definite gap in their product line. Did Kyocera discontinue the 6035 (still on their webpage) or is this simply Qwest (or Qwest's webpage, since doing a search on <A HREF="http://www.qwestwireless.com">www.qwestwi reless.com</A> still finds some 6035 literature pages) issue? Is there anything like a firm date on the 7135 being released (other that Q4)? Is there any indication of whether Qwest will be using the 7135? Why is the sky blue? (Yes, I am asking questions that there are probably not answers to. Shame on me.)

  • Yawn.. When will they deliver with the Linux port? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Goodness knows how many people Compaq fooled into buying their iPaq handhelds because of the promise of the Familiar Linux port [ http://www.handhelds.org ], but I don't see them delivering any time soon.

    Goodness knows how many Linux devotees paid the M$ tax in their rush to try familiar and it still seems as far away as ever from a commercial release.

  • Not so good (Score:2, Informative)

    by arpeggiate-her ( 587946 )
    They might be sweet machines, but the iPaq H3900s [infosync.no] are reported to run very hot [homepage.com.hk] when used for longer than a two hour session. I don't want something in my hand if it's going to hurt to use it after a while!

  • Complete spec from the Kyocera web site. (Score:3, Informative)

    by FocaJonathan ( 163913 ) on Monday June 24, 2002 @05:04PM (#3759494)
    The complete spec from the Kyocera web site. [kyocera-wireless.com]
  • if only blue tooth had decent range

    imagine the ipaq with an 802.11b card and a barcode scanner
    lets assume this costs you $2,000 for this on the high end, your still beating out hand held computers in the retail buisness, aka telxon symbol etc etc

  • VNC Pad (Score:2, Interesting)

    by AVryhof ( 142320 )
    I want a pad with VNC burned into ROM....so I can display my desktop from anywhere and interract with it using just a pen!
  • Is no-one worried that the clickthrough ad on the news.com page says:

    "Microsoft and Unisys offer you an alternative to UNIX"

    ?????

    And I thought this was slashdot!

    -Nano.
  • "The Clie PEG-T665C comes with a Memory Stick slot and Motorola's 66MHz Dragonball Super VZ."

    Isn't that a video game?
  • 1. how fast does it crunch rc5?
    2. imagine a b......

    PDA now gets faster and faster and with so many people carrying lots of CPU cycles around, any interesting projects other than dnet and SETI?
  • The article is right, the wireless device market for the existing overpriced wireless infrastrucutre is probably already saturated and now every "ODM" in Taiwan is about to bomb the market with more of these overpriced toys, prepare for fallout.
    What a case of setting themselves up. Reminds me of a time I went to a gangster down New Year's party and started chatting about how my dad was a Jr. High teacher from the hood. Some of the nice fellas there recalled dear Dad quite readily and apparently harbored some resentment. Smack, bang crash! It was mere luck that I made it out alive. I think the only thing that saved me was they were afraid to get any more blood on themselves.
    Looking back I realize I set myself up for that in a big way. My expectations were unrealistic. Dad is like a cop and those guys didn't like cops. These handheld nuts are making the same mistake I did. --Oh this market looks tough, but if we act cute and have lots of enthusiasm we'll be okay.
    Pap, pap, pap.
    Instead of red blood, they'll be oozing market capitalization and laying off employees by the hundreds. Well, if they're as lucky as me they'll live through it. But I'm not kidding myself, it was just luck. Could have went the other way just as easily. Props to all the soon-to-be-dead handheld homies.
  • It makes you wonder if there was really as much interest in keeping track of time as there are handheld PC's and advertizements for handheld PC's.
  • Now make one of these babies with GPRS support and I'll pick one up... Oh and BTW it doesn't have GPS! Do you see a huge antenna on it? Nope... Plus if you read the fine print it says something about requiring carrier support. I guess this means The Man knows where you are anyway by triangulation and they'll likely sell that information back to you. Why doesn't someone make an 802.11 phone and bounce voicemail from phone to phone? No carrier required...

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