My concern in this area is that all the development has been going into
"smartphones" for hardware, and internet/cell/cloud-dependent services
for the adta contained on those devices. If the "smartphones" were
merely one alternative, with locally managed, non-phone devices along
the lines of the PalmOS or what was then called WinCE handhelds as the
alternative to thhose of us not wishing to be tied town to the cell
companies, there would be no problem. Let the "smartphone" users have
their toys and expenses, while the rest of us could continue to advance
in our preferred platform.
But since that choice has been taken away from me, I have to consider
what path to take next. I can use my old Clie until either it breaks
(or can't be recharged) or the connectivity in Linux is irretrevably
broken (I find that each Ubuntu release will break my synchronization
capability until I can find the hacks that will make this particular
release work again, usually 3-4 months after the release date).
I most definitely do not have the money to buy some "unlocked" variant
of some "smartphone", especially seeing as there are few if any options
to synchronize to local data. On my Clie I sync to JPilot (mainly
because that is the only app that knows how to sync to my password
database on the Clie). Someday that project may be abandoned, or
changed to the point that the PalmOS synchronization is allowed to bitrot.
I've expected the best option at this stage would be some replacement OS
for some iPod Touch I could find used for under $100. Perhaps someone
could find a readily available iPod-clone that could be hacked to run
some locally-syncable address/calendat/to-do-notepad environment.
Something like the old QTopia, perhaps.
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