Dana

[ducklady]

Are any of you familiar with the Dana, made by the company that makes AlphaSmart? I am very attracted to this combination PDA/text writer but would like to talk to someone who knows more about the world of PDAs. I looked at the Psion but I'm a touch typist and the keyboard simply wouldn't work for me. The keyboard on the Psion 7 is only 9 inches so I know that won't work, either--way too small. The Dana has a 13" keyboard which is comparable to full sized. The AlphaSmart people have a loaner program in which you can "test drive" a unit for two weeks to decide if it's for you but nothing like that for the Dana.

I am a writer and originally was looking for the low cost text writing capabilities, durability and long battery life of the AlphaSmart but the Dana offers almost all those features, plus a PDA. Their site is:
http://www.alphasmart.com/

I'd appreciate any opinions anyone may have. Thank you.
The Ducklady

[little-man]

I wouldn't suggest getting something that runs on anything but PAlm OS or Pocket PC. Those are the only two platforms that have any considerable amount of software for them. Of those two I would definately suggest Palm OS, probably a Sony Clie (although some may argue that part). Palm OS is a much more efficient operating system, is very hard to crash, and most of all has an incredibly large amount of software available for it. I would say you would be best off with a Sony Clie and a Stowaway keyboard. The specific model depends on your needs.

[ducklady]

Dear little man,
The Dana runs on the Palm OS. I was wondering what the implications of that are and you've confirmed my thoughts.

The thing I like about the Dana is the keyboard. It's a solid, full-sized (or so they say) keyboard that can be used in your lap. I know you can get fold-out keyboards for Palms, et al, but they need to be used on a flat surface and I don't have a tidy, flat-surface life. The other concern I have about a fold-out keyboard (besides having to pay extra for it) is the fatigue on the wires and connectors caused by folding and unfolding. Plus, I lose things a lot so it would give me yet another thing to keep track of.

Thank you for your response. It seems to me the Palm OS is well supported. You can read eBooks on the Dana, too. That's nothing I'd be interested in normally, but it comes free and the screen's a bit bigger than the Palm-type appliances.

Jeez, I sound like a shill for the Dana people here, but I'm not. They have a program in which you can get an AlphaSmart to try out for two weeks. I'm thinking of doing it to see how I like the keyboard and portability. If I like it, I'll probably spring for a Dana because of the added PDA and e-mail features. Originally I was going to get an AlphaSmart but whilst I've been saving my pennies they've come out with this Dana...

Thanks.

The Duck Lady

[netBookBabe]

Ducklady

The Dana certainly seems to be an interesting machine, but please don't dismiss Psion7 or netBook out of hand if you haven't actually tried one. The keyboard is superb! I'm a touch typist too, and I find I can type faster and more accurately than I can on any laptop, and at least as well as on my full size desktop keyboard.

Not sure how the Dana can have a 13" keyboard, actually, since the machine dimensions are quoted as 12.2" x 9.1" - unless they are measuring diagonally!

I agree that the Stowaway type keyboards are extremely fiddly - wouldn't do for me at all. With the netBook I can just open it up and use it on my lap - instantly on and with an excellent colour screen. As for software, the inbuilt EPOC applications are very comprehensive - great word processor and spreadsheet, spellchecker, thesaurus etc, plus all the normal diary/contacts PDA type features. Database, world times, jotter pad, calculator, and sketch app. E-mail and Internet no problem - PC slot takes a card modem, or you can use infrared with a cellphone. I know of several people who use these machines as a standalone computer without recourse to a desktop machine.

If you do find you need any extra software, there is a wealth of freeware and shareware which caters for just about every need, but many people find they never need more than is already included.

Just something else for you to think about! Please feel free to post any questions on the Psion Place forums if there's anything more you'd like to know - plenty of us there to help you out.

Julie