looking at buying a pocket PC / PDA

[systems_glitch]

You might check out the Gateway HandBook series -- there's a 286 and 486
version. I've got the 486 version, it'll run DOS/Win31/Win95 and Linux/*BSD
distros that support the 486. Suspend/resume is instant, there's an
internal battery to carry you through battery pack hot swaps, and you can
gut the old pack and restuff with modern cells. I've been meaning to build
a USB based pack replacement for mine, using one or two 18650 cells, a
charge controller, and a load share switch IC. Gets around the problem of
needing the Gateway charger, which mine didn't come with :)

I've got one of the above-mentioned GPD Pocket computers, it's fully modern
and comes with Windows 10 or Ubuntu. I've got mine running Slackware, but I
haven't had much time to mess around with it in the past few months.

In between the Handbook and the GPD Pocket, there's the Toshiba Libretto
line. There were a number of models, I've only ever had Libretto 110CT
machines, which are 233 MHz Pentium-MMX with up to 64 MB RAM. These run up
to Windows 2000 just fine, and do fine with a modernish CLI Linux/*BSD
(though some distros are starting to drop i586, and I've heard some distros
will be dropping 32-bit Intel altogether soon). Keyboard isn't as good as
the Handbook, but it's much better than the DOS palmtops I've used.

Thanks,
Jonathan

On Sun, Oct 29, 2017 at 4:38 PM, tom sparks via cctalk <
cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On 30/10/17 04:14, Mike Stein wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "tom sparks" <tomasparks.ts at gmail.com>
>> To: "Mike Stein" <mhs.stein at gmail.com>; "General Discussion: On-Topic
>> and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2017 1:39 PM
>> Subject: Re: looking at buying a pocket PC / PDA
>>
>>
>> On 30/10/17 01:22, Mike Stein wrote:
>>>
>>> Radio Shack M100 (if you've got a large pocket); still used by some
>>>> writers for the very reason you mention.
>>>>
>>>> m
>>>>
>>> I did look at M100 and clones, but I ruled them out, as could not use
>>> them without extra hardware to get some DOS-like filesystem
>>>
>> -----------
>>
>> The internal file system isn't an issue for most people; the max ~30KB
>> RAM disk (and file) size can be a limiting factor,
>>
> 30KB is a limiting factor me, as I dont know how many text files i want to
> store
>
>   but like many similar units you transfer files in and out via built-in
>> utilities and an RS232 cable or $10.00 bluetooth dongle to whatever file
>> system is at the other end including Android and the other main OSs.
>>
> I dont want to bring another computing device with me to act as storage,
> I want download all the data before I go and upload it when I return or
> use a "dial-up" connection[^1]
>
>>
>> But as you mentioned, if you otherwise like the unit and can live with an
>> 8x40 (albeit large and very legible) screen, there are various modern
>> expansion options available, including CP/M emulation (under active
>> development).
>>
>> What makes it still a popular unit are the character size and legibility,
>> the excellent keyboard and the long 4xAA cell battery life; the otherwise
>> identical T102 is a thinner and lighter version.
>>
> the final nail in the coffin for m100 is the size of my go bag ( 23 * 16 *
> 1.5cm)
>
> m
>> -------------
>>
>> [^1]: I am really unsure if I want to go down the TCP/IP path
>