IP: Quarterly tool/toy report and other news

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Periodically I document my latest tools/toys that I have found useful. 


Prior to the report I should comment that GG and I will be in Asia soon. We
will be in Kula Lumpur from 28 May to 2 June and Singapore from 2  - 5 June
attending and talking at Network/Asia (come on by). After that we will be
in Tokyo from 5 - 10 June. I will be happy to see any Ipers and get
recommendations for cannot miss sights and food.


Now to toys.


You all know that I came back from Tokyo with a Sony Vaio 505 . I have now
had it several months and it still a winner!! Light , thin readable ,
typable. They have a winner. Now if they could only get it into the USA.
There is nothing bad about it (well only one pccard slot). I have left
Win95J in it and have had little or no problems. The Metricom modem works
like a charm with it.


As also many of you know have heavily used the REX pccard pda like device.
It is still my favorate for always having it with me. I have added the Palm
Pilot III. As you remember I have not been in the past a great fan of it
but now I am. The 3 is a little better with IR etc but the main thing is I
could replace the kludge software with Sidekick 98 which is a very good PIM
with the big win that it can synch with BOTH the REX and the PILOT. I can
now have my cake and eat it.


What else .. I still like my Sprint PCS service, reliable cheap (10 cents
per min). Wish the Qualcomm small phone was as good as the Sprint service.
Low battery life, poor plastic , three display failures to date. Not up to
what reliability is needed. Wish I had bought the Sony small unit.


I also still use heavily my RAM two way pager, big but useful and it works
all over the place.


Some wants:


1. a cpdp one type 2 pccard modem!!! that will work in my Sony and other
small units


2. better coordination between companies with new products. For example
Novatel just came out with a neat cpdp add on for the Palm Pilot. BUT it
really does not fit well the Pilot III and it will be three months till
they get new plastic. Maybe 3Com could have told them in advance.


3 ADSL in my rural neighborhood!!!!!!!


That is all for now. I will be generating two daily reports over the next
few  weeks. One starting on the 20 th from Vortex98 and the other my Diary
mailings from Malaysia, Singapore and Tokyo (the Akihabara)


Dave