November 27, 2003
PDAs: What Does $100 Get You?
Today's big Thanksgiving edition of the local newspaper hit our front porch with a thud. Inside were the flyers and circulars that one normally finds around this time of year -- all green and red and featuring the words "Sale" and "Specials" about every 3 inches or so.
Inside several flyers were PDAs being sold for under $100, but I found that what you get for your money varies greatly from store to store. Below is a table showing the place, the price, and the features on the device. As you can see, there are some huge differences:
| Store | Price (after rebate) | Rebate | PDA Model | RAM | Screen | Backlight | Expansion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit City | $39.99 | None | Palm m105 | 8 MB | 160x160 mono | Yes | None |
| Radio Shack | $99.99 | None | Palm Zire 21 | 8 MB | 160x160 mono | No | None |
| CompUSA | $99.99 | $30 | Palm m500 | 8 MB | 160x160 mono | Yes | SD/MMC |
| Circuit City | $99.99 | None | Palm m500 | 8 MB | 160x160 mono | Yes | SD/MMC |
| Staples | $97.94 | $30 | Sony Clie SJ22 | 16 MB | 320x320 color | Yes | Memory Stick |
| Best Buy | $99.99 | $30 | Sony Clie SJ22 | 16 MB | 320x320 Color | Yes | Memory Stick |
Umm... the m100 and m105 both have backlights, dude. :)
Posted by Greg G at November 29, 2003 11:05 PMThanks, Greg...all fixed.
Posted by Craig at November 29, 2003 11:31 PMAlso note that the Zire 21 is OS5, which means it's much faster and can run the latest apps without problems.
Posted by Greg G at December 1, 2003 02:11 PMTo leave a comment or read updated entries, please visit GearBits' current site. Thanks.