Gadgets for Christmas

Rob Beattie ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 03 Dec 2003

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Dana Wireless
£375


Pros
Light, long battery life, good keyboard, Wi-Fi support
Cons
Feels a bit flimsy, mono screen, limited Web browsing
Verdict
If money’s tight, this is a cut-price connected contender


Weighing just under a kilogram (910g), with a 560-by-160-pixel screen, a full-sized typing keyboard and the ability to run the many thousands of available Palm OS programs, the Dana has always looked like an attractive alternative to a fully-featured Windows notebook.

Now, with the addition of built-in Wi-Fi wireless networking support, it looks even more viable -- particularly since the implementation is pretty much transparent. Software now includes a browser and an email program as well as a trial version of VeriChat, a chat program that’s compatible with the major instant messaging services, including MSN and AOL; email works well and the browser’s fine for those pages optimised for Palm-style devices, but uncomfortable and slow on modern, media-rich Web pages.

Of course, there’s a little bit of back and forth when you want to exchange documents with a Windows PC (via USB, infrared or wireless), but set that against the long battery life, two SD card expansion slots, ‘instant on’, wireless printing and synchronising, and all those Palm applications, and you’ve got a inexpensive -- and now highly connectable -- notebook alternative.

AlphaSmart 0208-492 3690

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