Read About Featured Gadgeteer - Sammy McLoughlin

Gadgeteer News

September 14, 2003

Name: Sammy McLoughlin
Location: UK

My name is Sammy McLoughlin, I am 27, Irish and share my time between New York and Manchester, UK. I run my own PR business and so obviously need to be organised and so I depend on a PDA to assist. I have been a PDA Addict since I first set eyes on a Psion Series 3. I thought it was ‘simply the best’. Two years later when I could afford it, I made the purchased and the Series 3a became the first PDA and was the first out of a long list of handhelds computers that I was to own. I then purchased a Psion Series 5, then followed by the 5mx. It was the design of the Psion range of handhelds that impressed me the most. They had always been designed and manufactured with the highest quality and innovation played a major part. It was a real shame when Psion discontinued its handheld products, but it wasn’t before I purchased a Psion Series 7.

It was 1998 when I purchased a Palm handheld that I realised what all the noise was about. I had heard so much about Palm handhelds and could not really believe the size of the PDA’s. When I had seen them in shops I thought of them to have the smallest of screens and did not think that it would be at all possible to practically use the handheld as a primary PDA. That still did not stop me from purchasing Palm IIIx and it was the best PDA investment I made. It was fun; once again using a PDA was fun. I loved the glowing green screen, in fact even to this day I still love the green screen, however I moved on since then. I next purchased an m505 Palm which I loved and then a m515 as the screen clarity was simply much better. I also love and now miss the design of the 500 series. They were slim and sleek. As soon as the Tungsten T appeared I had to have one. Palm OS5, Bluetooth enabled.

Can I just say I was a late comer to the Bluetooth world. I did not understand it and then I purchased a 6310i cell phone and tried and tested the Bluetooth experience with my m515 and a Bluetooth card and it worked wonders. I really enjoyed using it. It brought wireless browsing into a new dimension for me and all of a sudden my life was that little bit better. Since then I have purchased a Tungsten C, again a wonderful Palm handheld however I really wanted Palm to realise Bluetooth card drivers allowing me to use my b/t card so not only can I work with wireless access points but also with my cell phone. Which on the subject of wireless access points I have an Apple Airport base station at home which I use with my Apple PowerBook. Then finally now I have a Tungsten T2, which is my primary PDA and the one I have come to love and use. It travels all around the world with me, and through Bluetooth allows me to stay in contact with friends, family and colleagues. I use Snappermail for email and the Blazer browser to access the internet. Other PDA’s I own include an Apple Newton, a Jornada 720 which is a real powerful beats and use it to type letters and send invoices. It helps me run my PR business and a 2215 Pocket PC Ipaq which I use for comparison. I like the 2215. However I feel that it has too many ‘bells and whistles, and is not a fun device to use unlike the Tungsten T2 which is simplicity and yet powerful. Saying that the sleek design of the 2215 is nice and Windows Media Player allowing internet streaming radio is a great advantage. So as you can see my PDA hobby and especially my collection and usage of Palm handhelds can prove to be rather costly so I can hold my hand up high and say, my name is Sammy McLoughlin and I am a Palmaddict.

Sammy McLoughlin runs the Palmaddict website focusing on all things Palm, updated multiple times a day: