> Seems like there's been a fair amount of unhappiness in this list lately
> about what the OG isn't with some harsh words about HP thrown in. While
> I certainly respect everyone's right to have an opinion, it feels to me
> like people have purchased VW's and are upset because they're not
> Porches. Both are fine cars--but they're at different price/performance
> points.
The problem is, in many respects, the OmniGo isn't exactly a Volkswagen,
it's more like a mid-range Chevy. It isn't the most expensive organizer,
but it isn't exactly the cheap Casio 3-color device, either. If I only
paid US$199 for it, I personally wouldn't be complaining. However, at a
< US$300 price point (plus another #(%*@ $100 for the crummy connection
kit), I DID expect it to have some [what I consider] rudimentary features.
Many people's complaints with the OmniGo have to do with the marginal
Connectivity Pack software. It does, in a word, stink, especially
compared to the functionality of the software that came packaged with the
Zoomer's connection kit (my previous platform), and even compared to the
software that comes with most $100-$200 organizers "PC Link" kits. Hell,
I have a Timex datawatch with better software.
In addition, the OmniGo is missing some things that are, in many people's
mind, "Well, Duh!" features. Number one on my list is lack of an AC power
option. This, to me, seems like a gross oversight. Number two would be
lack of infrared capability, which seems especially stupid considering HP
pretty much invented the IRDA standard, and has included it in most of
their high-end calculators and in the 200LX. My primary reason for having
a PDA is so I can transport small amounts of data between freinds (address
book info, etc.), something [again] the Zoomer did quite well. No-can-do
on the OmniGo.
In both cases, just about every other PDA on the market has had these
features. The Zoomer had 'em. The Newton has 'em. For Pete's sake, my
little cousin's US$50 Casio toy organizer has infrared send and recieve.
Why dosen't my US$300 OmniGo?
> I'm not an OmniGo hacker. While I'm impressed by what people have been
> able to do with the OG, if I'd wanted a machine to run DOS on, I would
> have bought one. Sure, I would have liked it if it had been twice the
> performance and half the price, but I think it still represents an
> excellent value. It keeps my appointments, phone lists, notes. I can
> move stuff back and forth to various PC's without a lot of trouble. The
> handwriting recognition is far superior to (at least the first version
> of) the Newton--which is more than double the price. From my point of
> view, it does just fine.
It does all of these things quite well, true. And, I think I speak for
just about everyone out here when I say that I really wouldn't trade my
OmniGo for another $300 organizer, because they all have their
limitations. It just seems that the OmniGo's are really obvious ones, that
wouldn't have cost that much to fix. How much does a coaxial power jack
cost, anyway? How much is a simple infrared LED? Why didn't HP just
purchase IntelliLink instead of Palm's crummy software? These questions
are, in my mind, what seperates the current "OK" OmniGo from being a
"great" OmniGo.
While a few people may be complaining about the (lack of) DOS support in
the OmniGo, most of the complaints I have heard about it are valid in
regards to the functionality of the unit compared to other PDA's and
organizers. Again, most of the problems are certainly fixable, and not
expensive to boot.
I keep wanting to compare my OmniGo to my (late) Tandy Zoomer. My Zoomer
had a larger, more legible screen, better connectivity software, the exact
same character recognition (if you loaded Grafitti), better handling of
PC-Card memory, and Pocket Quicken in ROM. It also did not have a
keyboard, had an inferior note pad and appointment book application, did
not have a spreadsheet or database at all, and ran a more primitive
version of GEOS (at a slower speed, to boot). It also had E-Mail and fax
send capability (through America Online in ROM.. not the most elegant way
to do it, but it beats NO capability), some interesting informational
toys (like the Constitution and Declaration of Independance in ROM, for
example), two additional games, slightly longer battery life, and (from
what I can see) a little more durability.
However, for a PDA, legibility, character recognition, and memory seem to
be the biggest "concerns" that most people have, and the OmniGo is
inferior in all these regards to a device that Casio/Radio Shack sold four
years ago, at a similar price point to the OmniGo.
When I bought my OmniGo, I was looking for a "Better Zoomer".
Unfortunately, I don't personally think I found it. I traded one set of
problems (no keyboard, lethargic response time) for another (hard to read
screen, crummy connection software, lack of IR and AC).
Hmm. Maybe I will try out a Pilot, after all...
--- Chris Sullivan | 714-648-9433 | At what point does technology feedle@webbwerks.com | Orange, CA | become indistingushible from magic? csullivan@xix.com | U.S.A. | !!! Penny Does Mags !!!