n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

Hey folks

I'm a newbie. I ordered an n800 via buy.com (after 5% coupon and fatwallet cash = ~$214 or so).

I've used the internet on the PSP (painful with no touchscreen or keyboard) and my wife's smartphone (almost worse). I'm looking forward to this device.

I basically want to use this - to start - as a PDA. I've done a lot of reading on this. I know it's not a full fledged PDA.

I'm not looking for full PDA functionality. I honestly don't want to sync with my work Outlook, for example. Just some basic planner-type stuff.

I'll update it to 2008 OS when I get it.

Anyway, I just want some basic PDA type functionality programs - calendar, to-do list, etc. Is there any way to have it sit on standby or low-power mode and wake up at a certain time (like an alarm clock, or Outlook reminders?)

I'm a PC hardware guy, and I'm an OpenVMS sysadmin at work, but I'm a Linux noob. So instructions are good.

This looks like a lot of fun, kind of like setting up the hacked PSP was ;)

Thanks!

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

If you're a PSP hacker, you should be right at home here.

Check out the GPE stuff for PDA functions.
It's pretty limited, but it will wake your Nokia from sleep.
You have to make sure to leave the GPE calendar running, though.

To get to low-power standby mode, just lock the screen.
There's no reason to ever turn an N800 off.

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

No offense, but I don't think this device is for you; you say you aren't looking for it to be a PDA, but you clearly want it to act like one. Remember, these are meant for browsing the internet/etc. Nevertheless, you can install the GPE suite that includes a calendar, to do list, etc. There is Maemopad+ and you can write down notes or whatever. I use the alarm sometimes. I set up the time I want it to go off, hit the power button, and select lock screen and keys, and that should save the battery for awhile. Even if you don't do that, it will go in "stand-by mode" anyway. I put that in quotations because it doesn't really have a stand-by mode so-to-speak, but the screen will turn off, which saves battery space.

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

I did the same thing. I bought a N800 with the assumption / hope there will eventually be a pda/sync functionality. Gpe is close, but I still carry my Treo with the broken faceplate. Work still has me tied to MS apps... but that could always change. With some time I might be able to work out a system to replace the pda.

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

i d/l ermining (sp?)...havent tried it out yet, but i think you can sync google calendar with GPE if that helps at all towards pda functionality

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

Apparently Garnet VM needs more PR. Give Garnet VM a shot. Just make sure that you read carefully through the Palm Forum in this ITT forum down towards the bottom of the page here so that you can end up trying the correct version of Datebk from Pimlicosoftware. I have palm desktop syncing with Palm software on my N800.

Nel

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

Yea, look into GPE Calendar which includes the alert feature you want.

Also check out Garnet VM, a free Palm OS emulator, I use it on my N810 and it works great! You can run most Palm software in it such as the calendar, and contacts, etc.

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

Osmo organizer - that's what I'm using in my N800, that's what I use on the laptop, it's a great app. You can find the port somewhere on these boards, but the developer himself is gonna port it, probably in the next version.

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

Sweet. Thanks guys.

I had my eye on these since seeing the 770s on Fatwallet last year get cheap.

I just want some very basic PDA functionality - calendar, to-do list, maybe a reminder, etc. It's not going to be its primary function.

I'm very much looking forward to having a device onhand to hit the internet on the go - I'm often 45 minutes away from home or work when I'm at school.

I didn't see any reason to get a PDA over this (my wife has an LG smartphone that I've played with). Most of the fancy stuff like syncing I don't need. Just some basic reminder/calendar functionality. And Maemopad sounds cool, I'm always losing pens and stuffing reminder stickynotes my wallet.

It's cool having a device you can install stuff on. The hacked PSP was fun but surfing the internet on it is weak. It spends most of its time as a NES/PS1 emulation machine.

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

Could you talk a bit more about Osmo? I hadn't heard about it. How does it function?

Thanks,
Neil

Edit : Never mind. I read the recent thread about Osmo. Sorry, not interested. It doesn't sound like it syncs. N

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

I just read a recent thread about how the GPE Calendar alarm is unreliable, and, worst case, goes off hours after it was supposed to, and of course YOU have to remember to keep it running if you want it to work at all. As a PDA, the N800 is disappointing. Palm is in a different league altogether.

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

The N800 is not marketed as a PDA. ;)

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

No, it's not marketed as a PDA. However, it should be marketed for what it happens to be: "A Programmable Computing Device, use it for anything that can be done with a PCD you can think of, and expect to use it for new exiting things you hadn't thought of". Instead it's marketed as "do this, don't do that".

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

i switched to n800 (os2008, gpe) from palm zire 31.

palm zire has simply better calendar and todo list than gpe, but for basic functionality, gpe is ok.

what's worse than palm:

- starting apps is quite slow (1-2 secs instead of instant starting in palm)
- UI could be simplyfied
- tasks have no advanced options, such as repeating and alarms, priority is almost unusable
- tasks on palm have more filter, such as those based on date
- syncing with desktop (not critical for me, for now) (not sure about backup)
- palm apps are more reliable, gpe crashes sometimes
- on my small zire 31 i can see 11 tasks in standard view, in gpe todo i see 10 tasks (12 in fullscreen)
- gpe todo list uses too much of screen estate for "status" column (in progres/not started/completed)
- i don't know about alarms, i do not usually use them

as far as i know, there is no other solution than gpe right now than gpe for os2008. there are more pim apps for os2007 and they may come to 2008 as well.

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

I came to the N800 from a few years of Palm lifedrive use so Im used to both chrashes and very long startuptime of apps! :)

I agree with you that the todo app is bad, I find it completly worthless since I could not even sort my tasks. The calender is a bit better as long as you dont try to do anything more complex then adding items.. try to move an item between 2 calendars and the interface gets so compressed that it collapse.

I think one of the biggest problem with the opensource community is that the developers tend to focus more on advanced backend functionality then on getting the userinterface to work smooth and effective.

Whoever made the GPEtask I bet he dont use it himself! ;)

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

You are right, but wouldn't it be nice to have a (much) simpler way to write programs for the tablets?

I thought that Eagle was going to do this at one time, but the project seems to have gone dark.

What we need is 'Visual Python for the N8**':D

Re: n800 incoming - PDA style apps? to-do list?
 

Well, I agree with that. But as far as I can tell it's pretty easy to write applications with PythonGTK or what it's called - for sure some of the quite advanced applications I see are all written with this. The problem for me is just that I'm quite unable to adjust to using Python, but that's just me. I don't think it can get much simpler than that -- if only I had been a Python guy.

For myself, I plan to use the Vala compiler for most of what I'm developing (for OS2008, when I get there).