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General discussion

The Ideal MP3 Player, Does It Exist?

Jan 28, 2009 7:03AM PST

Here in Ashland, Wi (Alltel Network) I am a freelance programmer, household manager, and community volunteer. I do not have a need for a cell phone because I am always in range of wifi, but I do need a portable device that I can carry easily in my messenger bag front pocket. I currently am carrying around a laptop, which is over kill and not very convenient, light or able to keep it on without draining the battery.
My Wish List

* Skype - I love Skype and have a SkypeIn account.
* Podcast Client - Being a huge fan of Juice but the ease of iTunes is hard to beat. I would like a simple
* RSS Feed Client - Digg, **** and other news services are vital to feed my information junkie.
* Wifi - I have a wonderful wifi setup and the local coffee shop has free wifi.
* Email - Preference POP3 mail.
* IM - Instant Message is essential because sometimes you just want a text message, not an entire email.
* Accessories - Qwerty keyboard, memory card, headphone upgrade and so on will make a difference in use.

These are the basic and anything extra would be wonderful. I personally love to have Twitter, but with the right IM I can send my Tweets and updates. Social Networks access would be cool, but with the right gadget I can find a hack or possible app that would allow updates. Also, syncing is not important as I would be using wifi for all my data. Bluetooth would be helpful in using latest technology.


My Don?t Wish List

* Cell phone - I have Skype with SkypeIn and do not need a cell phone.

* Monthly Charge - I do not want to pay anything more than the gadget itself. I will need unlimited data and there isn?t a service provider that comes cheap. A typical unlimited data smart phone will cost over $2000 for a two year contract, not including cost of phone average of $300.

* PDA - Have PDAs died? The smart phone industry has almost dissolved the PDA industry. As a huge fan of Palm, there is no PDA modern model that is not a phone.

* Netbook - Netbooks are small and cute but they are little laptops. A closed laptop is an inactive laptop, and if I kept the system on while it is closed the battery would be useless.

I was hoping for suggestions and insight.

Note: Originally Posted on my Blog
(http://timesurl.at/13815a)

A conversation via this forum is welcomed, any suggestions would be most welcome. Will be purchasing in 4 weeks.

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