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STARDATE: 20240713.2339 | |
LOCATION: Kitchen Table | |
INPUT DEVICE: palmOne Tungsten E2 + palmOne IrDa folding keyboard | |
AUDIO: Audible typing clicks from E2 | |
VISUAL: Bowl of cherries, DataViz Word To Go | |
EMOTIONAL: happy, content. | |
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The Old Computer Challenge started today. Not too much time for | |
personal computing. Analog meatspace stuff was going on. What I | |
was able to do was get a better idea of the hardware I will be | |
using. The devices I chose are the palmOne Tungsten E2 and the | |
Nokia N900. | |
The E2 will be used for Personal Information Management (PIM) stuff | |
(Calendar, Tasks, etc.) and for writing (phosts, journaling, etc.) I | |
been meaning to get a PalmOS device back in my daily workflow, but | |
have not. My current PIM system is a mess with all this syncing and | |
b0rq'd links and stuff going to old locations...I should have done | |
away with it some time ago, but have just kept it as it was since "I | |
was too busy and it takes too much time." Well, I think now is as | |
good as any and I think I'm in a place to do a reboot of the PIM | |
workflow. For now, I will just rely on the internal application and | |
backup on SD. Syncing will probably come later, after I think | |
through and draft the workflow. | |
The Nokia N900 will mostly be for network stuff in the | |
terminal...phlog phosts, visiting the gophersphere, connecting to SDF | |
and remote systems, tuning in to aNONradio, file transfers, etc. The | |
nice thing with the N900 is that it has RCA video out, so I will be | |
attaching the device to an old TV and use that as a monitor. | |
The devices will be used as is. I do not plan on installing any | |
additional software to the devices. I have not wiped either of these | |
devices in such a long time. There are applications and files on | |
there that I have long forgotten. It will be interesting revisitng | |
these. | |
Prior to choosing these devices, I was goinig through my collection | |
of old handheld devices. I tried powering on an old Palm IIIxe with | |
fresh AAA batteries and was greeted with a blank screen with the | |
backlight on and high-pitch screen whine. No dice. Next one I tried | |
was a Palm Treo 680. That one was functional, but the D-Pad was | |
b0rq'd. No dice. These discoveries were making me sad. | |
Next up was the E2. This one charged up fine and seems to be in good | |
working condition. OK. So how am I gonna access gopher and other | |
network stuff...or will I just stay in PalmOS land for the week? OK, | |
I need network...no wifi on E2, just Bluetooth. OK, N900...hope it | |
still works. | |
I have 2 N900s in my collection. One was my personal mobile device, | |
the other was for projects. I'm glad I picked up both before it was | |
discontinued. The device was way ahead of its time and is still one | |
of my favorite handheld devices. | |
Both N900s had dead batteries. I was able to charge one of them, but | |
the other was stuck in a reboot loop and would not charge properly. | |
After the first one was fully charged, I swapped the batteries (yes, | |
you can remove the batteries) and was able to properly charge the | |
second battery in the first device. Both devices were able to work | |
with fully- charged batteries. I'm not sure of their current | |
capacity, but they seem ok...at least I'll have a backup if the | |
charge doesn't last. | |
After getting the N900 working and testing network connectivity, I | |
thought about options for input. I was not going to thumbtype or | |
write with a stylus the whole time. I spent a bit of time testing | |
wired USB keyboards. I recalled having issues with wired keyboards | |
in the past, with the drivers and the setup. I had some app on there | |
that I tried previously (h-e-n) which I think I got working back in | |
the day. Last time I tried ended in frustration so I didn't spend | |
too much time trying again. I was able to get it going with my Royal | |
Kludge folding Bluetooth keyboard. I was surprised that it worked | |
without fuss. Unfortunately, I could not get it to work on the E2, | |
so I am using the palmOne folding infrared keyboard, which still | |
works and much better that using a stylus for writing. | |
So that is about how far I got today with the old computer | |
challenge...old handheld computer challenge? Maybe I'll spend some | |
time accessing the network on the N900. | |
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