Brighthand Reviews the AlphaSmart Dana

[Ed Hardy]

The Dana is a rugged word processor that runs the Palm OS. It has an extra-wide screen and a full-size keyboard.

Read more about the Dana at www.brighthand.com/article/Dana_Review

[T-Will]

Originally posted by Ed
[i]It offers most of the basic features you'd want in a word processor, like text formatting, a spell checker, and a thesaurus. However, it doesn't have many advanced ones, like footnotes, images, and tables.

Well, at least Pocket Word does 2 out of 3 of these things...

Originally posted by Ed
[i]However, it doesn't have many advanced ones, like footnotes, images, and tables.

...and 1 of these features...

Wow, the connectivity options are awesome on this thing though!

But for $400, I would recommend someone look into getting a used Handheld PC. I just picked up an Intermec 6651 (rebranded Sharp 7000, I think) for $450 off eBay and it has Handheld PC 2000, CF and PC card slot, USB, Serial, 32 MB RAM, 800x480 beautiful color Active Matrix screen, integrated camera, 129 MHz MIPS, tablet mode, keyboard, and probably other features I missed.

Or there's the HP 720's that are going for around $400, but the screens aren't quite as good as the Intermec, but they do have a CF and PC card slot and a keyboard all built-in.

So if you look around a bit, you can find HPC's and laptops for around $400.

[Eciton]

...or a Psion Series V.

[dmlenton]

I'm sure this must have been mentioned somewhere else before, but doesn't this remind anyone of Sir Clive Sinclair's Z88?

Of course that was launched in August 1987, but some companies still seem to be supporting it. For example:
http://www.rakewell.com/z88/z88.shtml

[masitti]

Ed, I know this isn't quite the device for games, but have you tried to play any on it...?

[The Big Jay]

Originally posted by djtipmothee
Wow, the connectivity options are awesome on this thing though!

But for $400, I would recommend someone look into getting a used Handheld PC. I just picked up an Intermec 6651 (rebranded Sharp 7000, I think) for $450 off eBay and it has Handheld PC 2000, CF and PC card slot, USB, Serial, 32 MB RAM, 800x480 beautiful color Active Matrix screen, integrated camera, 129 MHz MIPS, tablet mode, keyboard, and probably other features I missed.

Or there's the HP 720's that are going for around $400, but the screens aren't quite as good as the Intermec, but they do have a CF and PC card slot and a keyboard all built-in.

So if you look around a bit, you can find HPC's and laptops for around $400.

Sure. But the problem is that this is being sold to schools, not individuals. Wanna round up a few hundred used HPCs and laptops, then try and service them?

[micho]

No gray support? 2 pounds? Poor screen contrast??

You're pretty much getting an oversized Palm III with an attached keyborad (which isn't necessarily bad), but at $400???!!!

As suggested by the reviewer, I would also agree the Dana has GREAT potential with students...it would also be perfect for my mom or my mother-in-law (who just need a computer to type letters, organize things using a spreadsheet and email friends & family), but would consider buying it for them when it gets down to $150.

[T-Will]

Originally posted by The Big Jay


Sure. But the problem is that this is being sold to schools, not individuals. Wanna round up a few hundred used HPCs and laptops, then try and service them?

True, plus I don't think Microsoft is supporting HPC's anymore. For an individual though I would say HPC's are the way to go if your willing to spend $400.

[[Cruzer]]

This reminds me of the Newton E-Mate!! But I wouldn't get one or for my kid.

IMO

RC

[Ed Hardy]

Originally posted by masitti
Ed, I know this isn't quite the device for games, but have you tried to play any on it...?

A few. It easily handles games written a few years ago but, like I said in the review, many recent games require at least 4-bit greyscale. Fortunately, there are still plenty of games from the Palm III days around on the Web.