(iPod "pro"?) Will iSync work with Danger Sidekick?

bgramer · October 1, 2002 2:27PM

A co-worker just got the Danger Sidekick and it looks kickass and something I could really use... a communicator device as opposed to a PDA.

<a href="http://www.danger.com/products.php"; target="_blank">http://www.danger.com/products.php</a>;

Wondering if I get it, would it be compatible with iSync and iCal? It has an address book and calendar that I'd want to sync with the Mac.

What are the odds that Apple will bring out something similiar to this in the next few months? A more powerful iPod with more all-around features?

No wild rumors, just serious discussion, please, on the validity of getting something different now or waiting for a device that might not exist.

I'd be willing to wait on the sidekick if it means I get a new "iPod" communicator device. At the very least, I want one of these communicator devices.

Thanks

BG

zoso · October 1, 2002 6:53PM

Well, the problem with this kind of devices is always the input method. Anyone would love to have this mythical do-it-all device (phone, mp3, whatever and whatnot...) and right now I think we have the technology to actually build a working and useful--albeit expensive--device of this sort. But then comes the big question:

"How the hell do I input my data on THAT?!?"

I don't know about you, but I'd never use anything with such a pitiful keyboard. A cell phone is already a huge pain in the ass (T9 and iTAP none the less) to input short messages and text fields. Small keyboards are no panacea either, and this is exactly why the Motorola V100 never sold a single unit (ok, more or less...).

To make it short: it could very well be done, and it could be a success, but we need a revolutionary input method. Which, so far, I haven't seen yet...

ZoSo

wmf · October 1, 2002 7:52PM

The great thing about iSync is that you don't have to input data on the device. Sure, it might be slow for IM or writing email, but the phone and calendar part don't require much typing.

Too bad the Hiptop doesn't support iSync.

jasonpp · October 2, 2002 2:04PM

I owned a Motorola V100 (for about a month) and the size of the keyboard had nothing to do with it's crappiness.

The keys gave no feedback that they had been pushed, and there was a time lag between pressing a key and the letter appearing. This combined with a confusing keyboard layout, terrible OS, zero syncing with desktop apps, and no GPRS WAP or Web made the V100 useless to say the least.

The sidekick is completly different and has been developed with it's use in mind, rather than it's feature set.

I think the sidekick is going to be a success. At $200 it's a steal compared to Blackberry, Palm, or PowerPC devices. And it does a lot more out of the box then these can. Add all-you-can-eat GPRS and it sets it up for a great experience.

Now if only Apple would make one...

bgramer · October 2, 2002 2:21PM

[quote]Originally posted by JasonPP:

<strong>

I think the sidekick is going to be a success. At $200 it's a steal compared to Blackberry, Palm, or PowerPC devices. And it does a lot more out of the box then these can. Add all-you-can-eat GPRS and it sets it up for a great experience.

Now if only Apple would make one...

</strong><hr></blockquote>

That's the dilemma I am facing right now. I plan to buy a communicator device regardless of what brand it is....

Sidekick looks really good *right now*, but I would prefer a complete experience with my Mac using iCal/iSync/AddressBook, etc. I know if Apple has something planned, it will integrate itself much better with everything else I have, and that's what I want.

If I go ahead with Sidekick, and Apple announces something at MWSF'03, I will be kicking myself.

OTOH, if Apple does not plan to roll out a communicator type of device, then I'd have wasted my time waiting which is why I asked the board for suggestions.

Should I go ahead with Sidekick and commit myself to a contract with T-Mobile or wait until after MWSF'03?

Thanks.

BG

outsider · October 2, 2002 3:25PM

I thought this thing was supposed to connect to a central computer that you use through a browser. That would make it independent of what OS you use. There isn't even an Outlook conduit. It's not made for big business use like the others but for the average joe , his parents, and his teenage kids. Although I don't see the difficulty in making some conduit software for iSync.

reid · October 2, 2002 4:03PM

It turns out that the functionality is a little more than I really need day-to-day, but I really do dig my Treo 180.

Palm OS, phone, e-mail and web browsing all in a slim, pocket-sized device is pretty damn cool. It's actually able to act almost as a laptop replacement in many situations.

For basic organizer-plus-phone use, I think one of those new little Sony-Ericcson phones would do the trick, too.

formatc · October 2, 2002 8:00PM

Pumatech and Danger, Inc. announce agreement that will keep Hiptop enabled devices in sync

Pumatech's XML Development Toolkit to facilitate synchronization between Danger's Hiptop enabled devices and essential PIM software

<a href="http://www.pumatech.com/press_releases/080602.html"; target="_blank">http://www.pumatech.com/press_releases/080602.html</a>;

--

XML is one of the keys to iSync. The bluetooth phones sync using a standard called SyncML. SyncML is XML.

<a href="http://www.syncml.org"; target="_blank">http://www.syncml.org</a>;

muah · October 2, 2002 11:59PM

[quote]"How the hell do I input my data on THAT?!?" <hr></blockquote>

Just a trivia .... but I saw an article a while back (probably 2 or 3 months or more) about the ability for people to learn how to use small devices. It rattled on about how people over 19 (or so) were particularly dependant on using our forefingers to operate things like remote controls, telephones and other objects.

It talked about how the younger population was able to manipulate smaller devices with greater accuracy, quicker and without watching their fingers. They used thumbs more often than their older counterparts as well.

Not that this is a ground-shaking tidbit of info for this conversation, but "How the hell do I input my data on THAT?!?" might be a smaller and smaller issue.

bradbower · October 3, 2002 2:07AM

They have no plans or interest in supporting the Mac in any way, they say. Oh well, it's ugly anyway. I'll wait for something better to come along.

bradbower · October 3, 2002 2:12AM

[quote]Originally posted by bgramer:

<strong>

That's the dilemma I am facing right now. I plan to buy a communicator device regardless of what brand it is....

Sidekick looks really good *right now*, but I would prefer a complete experience with my Mac using iCal/iSync/AddressBook, etc. I know if Apple has something planned, it will integrate itself much better with everything else I have, and that's what I want.

If I go ahead with Sidekick, and Apple announces something at MWSF'03, I will be kicking myself.

OTOH, if Apple does not plan to roll out a communicator type of device, then I'd have wasted my time waiting which is why I asked the board for suggestions.

Should I go ahead with Sidekick and commit myself to a contract with T-Mobile or wait until after MWSF'03?

Thanks.

BG</strong><hr></blockquote>

Oh, wait. For sure.

Apple has contracts with other companies to make a communicator/PDA device, it's practically guaranteed. Guaranteed unless things majorly fall through with several of these outsourced firms, with no recourse, no other vendors are available, Apple doesn't want to engineer things totally by themselves, and they give up completely. The chances of all that happening are extremely slim to none. So wait until Q1 '03 at least, especially if it means jumping into a contract or not!

(iPod "pro"?) Will iSync work with Danger Sidekick?

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