my Visor Edge finally died. It's been acting up a lot for the past couple months, including loosing all data twice, locking up several times, ... Now it just makes those funny lines on the screen.

Anyway, I'm in need of a new handheld and thought to enlist the vast experience gathered here.

I need
-small
-light
-cheap
-synch with M$ Outlook
-synch with Apple iSynch
-rugged (survive in same pants pocket with keys, change, various tools, etc.)

I don't need:
-color
-wireless
-sound

I've been thinking palm zire 21 (they have an open box deal for $60) but I'd be willing to spend a little more if it's worth it.

Any thoughts?


Thanks!
Armin

How rugged is rugged? Unless you're going to specially ruggedised PDAs which are muchos expensive, they won't survive much abuse. Putting it into a case or cover should help with this a bit but it's still a good idea to not have anything else in the pocket with it. Keys especially since they can gouge the screen.

No clue about iSynch but nearly everything syncs with Outlook.

Unfortunately, I don't know which PDAs sync out-of-the-box both w/Mac Outlook & iSynch, w/o adding additional PDA software.

I'd suggest my own PDA choice , but it has all those things you don't need: all-color, high-res, BT wireless, stereo buds/speakers, etc., and would still need to add Missing Sync to the box!

Yeah, what Bitt said.

Armin, I'll be glad to sell you my old Palm IIIxe w/Palm Desktop 4.1 CD for less than $60. Never tried it with Mac Outlook/iSync, of course.

Thats going to be tough. I presume you want thin like your Edge.

I'd say get something by Sony except they seem to be getting out of the business.

- My PEG-S20/U is truly battle scared from fighting all the junk in my pockets. The screen seems to be much more resistant to pen scratches. There are some, faintly visible in the input pad, but none that compare to what I had on my previous Visor. None that snag the pen.
- I really like the 128MB of extra space in the memory stick. With that it can do in device backups, hold 20 full novels, and still be about 1/2 empty. The backups help because I mostly use it stand alone.

Finally, the Sony has clocked more hours than the three Handspring Visors that preceeded it.

Palm Vx or M series (thin) or another Edge with a hard case.

The V series had a really thin hard cover you could put on it to protect the front. I missed the simple elgance of my Vx when I got my Tungsten C, that's part of the reason I just bought a T5, it's very simply designed.

I would say you should get a Tungsten E. It has a lot for a reasonable price....

treo 600, most definitely. or if you want to be palmone's beta tester, the treo650.