I came across this site due to this thread. Why? I just revived my old sharp wizard like the ones mentioned up above. The thing still has all its data and all Ive done is switch its battery once about 6 years ago. Pretty darn amazing. I imagine the forums will bring this thread back up now that Ive kinda revived it. ..if anyone above that owns a wizard 9600ii is still around and sees this Id like to get in touch. Id really like to get a copy of some of the computer software that works with these things. I have a copy of 9000 link, which works well. ..but its about impossible to find any of the other stuff. Software from this period.. or anything really, is in a bit of a black hole in the internet. No support, no downloads, no manuals, unless you REALLY look hard, and sometimes not even then. ..any way, thats what I wanted to say.
Are PDAs dead?
- Thread starter geepondy
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
StarHalo
Flashaholic
I wonder what you can do with the 9600ii's modem now..
Overclocker
Flashlight Enthusiast
PDA's arent' dead. they're now called tablets 
gadget_lover
Flashaholic
I had Palm III and a Palm TX as well as a Wizard 9600. I even had an HP handheld PC running the WinCE operating system. If you combined one with a Ricochet modem they were quite usable for a road warrior in the late 1990s. I added a blueooth GPS unit and was able to do some GPS functions too, but the GPS software was pretty crude.
My current cell phone is so superior in every way. It's faster. It has a full time Internet connections. It understands what I say. It even reads my handwriting. It reminds me of things when I get to specific places as well as specific times. The software is actually pretty bug free and sophisticated.
I'm glad that the PDAs were there, because without them we might not have had smart phones. I don't miss them at all.
Dan
My current cell phone is so superior in every way. It's faster. It has a full time Internet connections. It understands what I say. It even reads my handwriting. It reminds me of things when I get to specific places as well as specific times. The software is actually pretty bug free and sophisticated.
I'm glad that the PDAs were there, because without them we might not have had smart phones. I don't miss them at all.
Dan
I still have my original box, manual, receipt ($499.99 from Comp USA bought June 25, 1993), IR computer interface to backup to PC. There was Rupplynx, X-Link & couple other programs that worked with it. I never throw anything away. I still have the DOS backup program disks. Some of the software that the 9600-II used were on various insertable "IC Cards" which I have a number of here. Two that are handy are "Time Expense Manager," & "Money Planner." Each card has its own battery supply and memory to store various input/calculations if it is removed. 20 years later, this thing & these IC cards still work perfectly. Change the 4 x AAA cells every 2-3 years, and CR2032 every 5 years, and they are still working like new....pretty amazing really.
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Avoid NSA surveillance.
mattheww50
Flashlight Enthusiast
I still have most of my contact data on the original Sharp Wizards 256kb, the OZ9600. The oldest entries in the Calendar Ap are now 20+ years old. Keep the batteries OK, and these things seem to be able to last forever (and I do have a couple of the plug-ins). I like the security, and I also like not having to pay the absurd data charges the wireless providers want for data services that you have to have with your smart phone. So while smart phones may be wonderful, and are usable as PDA's, it is a very expensive PDA, and I don't trust the 'apps' not to volunteer my personal information for profit. I have no interest in acquiring a 'smart' phone.
Steve K
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm still keeping a Palm III alive, and using it for daily business. I sync it to my XP machine, which could keep chugging along for a couple more years perhaps. However, I have been poking around to see what could replace the Palm, other than a smart phone.
Not that I have any problem with a smart phone, but my phone requirements are pretty minimal, and I get by with a Tracfone for about $8/month. If they offered a good smart phone for the same rate, and just charged me the actual phone cost, I might consider it.
I've read that some folks are using a variety of schedule and database apps on iPods in a way similar to a Palm. Any chance that a small tablet would be a cheaper way to do this? I'm pretty unfamiliar with what is going on with tablets, especially small ones. Staying out of Apple world would be desireable (for me, at least).
Not that I have any problem with a smart phone, but my phone requirements are pretty minimal, and I get by with a Tracfone for about $8/month. If they offered a good smart phone for the same rate, and just charged me the actual phone cost, I might consider it.
I've read that some folks are using a variety of schedule and database apps on iPods in a way similar to a Palm. Any chance that a small tablet would be a cheaper way to do this? I'm pretty unfamiliar with what is going on with tablets, especially small ones. Staying out of Apple world would be desireable (for me, at least).
StarHalo
Flashaholic
iPod Touch; there are Android alternatives, but they aren't nearly as highly-rated.
gadget_lover
Flashaholic
An Android tablet with WiFi will pretty much do everything an iPad or iPod touch will do. There are smaller tablets like the Samsung Note series that are like a supercharged PDA. They can be with found or without a cellular connection.
A used android cell phone makes a pretty good PDA too. Just don't activate it.
Daniel
Teobaldo
Newly Enlightened
I use my HP Ipaq HX4700 since 2007 without problems. Recently I was writing in it and now I'm charging the battery. It is a wonderful device and it has lasted much longer than I thought possible. It has an OS of 2003, but has never given me any major problems. I've written / corrected my three recent books on it. The one con is very large texts that are very slow to open and the videos have to be converted to the format of PocketPC, but for an old appliance that fits in your pocket I can not ask for more.
I hope soon to buy a tablet with Windows 8 to replace it.
I hope soon to buy a tablet with Windows 8 to replace it.
