Aceeca PDA32 Pictured and Detailed
As we reported in January, one of Access' remaining Palm OS Garnet licensees has indeed produced a rather compelling new piece of Palm OS Garnet hardware. New Zealand based Aceeca is preparing to release an interesting new "semi-ruggedized" Garnet handheld that slots in somewhere between a 2005 era Palm TX PDA and Aceeca's earlier industrial handhelds. Tam'sPalm has posted a new high-resolution image and preview of the upcoming device. According to the company's literature, the tentative release date mentioned in January is on track and the device is slated to arrive April 10th with an MSRP of $199.99.
Initial inspection of the promo photograph & spec sheet reveals a glossy white device dominated by a 320 x 480 pixel LED-backlit LCD display. A 400Mhz Samsung CPU provides the processing power, and the PDA32 will come equipped with 64mb of RAM alongside 128mb of NVFS storage and a SD expansion slot. It will measure in at 128x76x25mm (5 x 3 x 1 inches) and weighs 196g (6.9 ounces), which would put it somewhere larger than a TX but leaner than a LifeDrive. The usual 5-way navigator directional pad is still present, albeit with individual buttons (likely more durable and easier to use while wearing gloves), while two shortcut buttons are provided instead of the classic four.
The PDA32's weight is unfortunately higher than most of the earlier Palm handhelds, ringing in at 196 grams (6.884 oz) vs. the Palm TX's weight of 148.834 grams (5.25oz). Also, Tam's earlier report of the PDA32's extra girth compared to the TX is accurate, as it is almost a half-inch thicker. Hopefully this is due to the gigantic 2,600 mAh internal battery and (hopefully) superb build quality. Finally, Wi-Fi networking and class 1 Bluetooth remain optional extras on the device. Despite being optional, this would be the only Palm OS device to support 802.11g connectivity. For wired connections, USB connectivity remains at 1.1 while an Infrared port makes a welcome return to the scene. The concept of a semi-ruggedized, consumer-oriented design is nothing new in the consumer electronics world, as evidences by Casio's G-Shock wristwatches or G'Zone mobile phone line but this will be the first such application in the handheld sector.
In addition to the more consumer-oriented PDA32, Aceeca is also still preparing to release a Garnet-based device more in line with their past offerings, the $499.99 MEZ1500 Garnet for industrial and vertical applications. The preliminary PDA32 spec sheet is available here at Tam's Palm (.pdf link).
Thanks to BaalthazaaR for the tip.
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I'd buy
The world might buy if it had a decent browser.
Time for the TreoPad or Prepad-
as long as it has a decent browser-
Treo's were never broken, just blazer was broken...
ok bluetooth headset and skype would be nice for the pads.
/am I rambling?
RE: Any news?
***********
Thank you for your e-mail and for your interest in our products.
The PDA32 is currently in the final development stages and we have the Garnet OS loaded . There is still some work to do on the drivers .
We should have our first evaluation units (Standard PDA32) within 1-2 weeks depending on how the software engineers go .
At this stage, I have no information regarding the availability of WiFi and Bluetooth – I will make sure you are kept informed on this .
In the meantime, let me know if you need any further information .
*****************************
Regardless, we'll certainly post any news as it happens ASAP. I really hope this thing materializes, as there is bound to be a small but vocal number of users that would definitely be interested in picking one up if the wireless options aren't too pricey and if this thing is marketed halfway decently.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro
RE: Any news?
RE: Any news?
I have a feeling that's just an old stock image that Aceeca used for the PDA32 mockup, as Sybase shut down AvantGo's servers last summer:
http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/6884/avantgo-going-away/
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro
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Nostalgic it Is
Who owns the NVFS code here? Palm or Access. Remember, Palm wrote it for the T5 / T650 on top of Palm OS.surely did not write it. Did Palm sell it to them, or have they thrown it into the "openness" of Palm OS with a deal with Access along the way?
This actually is a very functional device for a lot of people who want excellent organization and durability. Gotta love all that fat bezel around the screen. Palm never figured that out for some reason and looks like they never will. The real mobile players are / have (Apple, HTC) and are walking away with all the prizes.
Pat Horne