Gadget quandry

So with the demise of PalmOS and related Palm gadgetry, I now find myself forced to make a decision regarding my future handheld gadgets.

What do I get next when my T3 dies?

8 years ago when I got my first PDA, a Handspring Visor Platinum, I didn’t think I would be using it for much other than keeping track of the occasional appointment and contact info. It didn’t take very long for my Visor to become a pretty integral part of my daily routine and for me to become more than a little dependent on it. The dependency only grew when the Visor was replaced with a Tungsten T3.

Now all of the handheld form factor gadgets out there are some kind of cell phone type device. I’ve survived this long without a cell phone and really don’t feel any urgent desire to get one. I really don’t need another monthly bill right now either.

What am I looking for in a handheld device? Basically something that will do everything that I can do with PalmOS 5. PIM apps (calendar, to-do, contacts, notes) are a requirement. Some kind of simple database app would also be very nice. Has to turn on quickly and have good battery life (5+ hours continuous use). When I first got my T3, I poo-poo’d wireless, but now I’m thinking it might be nice to have in a handheld.

There’s the UMPC world, but those things are pretty freaking expensive and they’re not really geared toward what I want out of a handheld device. Plus I’d probably be stuck running some variant of Windows and having to use Outlook for the PIM functions that I want. gag.

I suppose I could cruise EBay and gather up a stockpile of T3s or T5s to keep me going for the next few years. I could possibly be convinced to consider an Apple iPod Touch too. Maybe it’s time I entered the cell phone world?