Wow, there is finally a color Palm but that's not what I am writing about. I talking about Samsung's entry into the PDA market... Hell it's more like the world's smallest laptop. If Samsung can deliver on it's promised specs you can expect my Palm Pilot and WindowCE device to make a one and only appearance on ebay. As a techno-freak you can believe I was giddy a like a little schoolgirl when I gazed upon it's specifications on Samsung's web site. Wait! Don't leave to Samsung's site just yet. Let me explain why I wet my pants. First gaze at these specs then check out my opinions.

HARDWARE

Basic accessories included with Yopi are Stereo Earphone plus remote control, Docking Cradle (Serial/USB) with Battery Charger and 1400mA Rechargeable Li-lon Battery.

Software packages included with this mini dynamo are ARMLinux OS, Handwriting Recognition, Built-In Web Browser, Built-In Email Client, Built-In MP3 Player, MPEG Decoder, A Possible Game, Voice Recorder, PIM Apps (Calendar, Sketchpad, Calculator, Alarm, Phonebook), Dictionary, AutoSync and WebSync.

Options via CompactFlash™ Type II Port are Memory, Digital Cameras, TV Tuners, GPS, Voice Recognition and Video Game Cartridges.

Ok that list was long but here is my verdict on Yopi. The specifications sound incredible and the device looks great. Imagine a MP3 Player, Mini-TV and Game device all in one. But a few things are pending before I give Samsung a chunk of my paycheck. First, How much? With the attractive Palm V dropping to the sub $300 price Samsung will have to definitely hit the sub $400 price. Second, will it sync to Mac OS? Although, I have both a PowerMac and a PII Laptop (Remember, it¼s me Gadget-Geek), I use my Macintosh more than my PC (Windows boxes are just good for games and running Linux). Third, how long will a fully charged set of batteries last? Finally, will they make it easy to develop applications for it using existing Linux GNU Tools? If so, we can expect tons of existing Palm and Linux applications to be ported over to Yopi, such as Palm Emulator, GameBoy Emulator, MAME, or vMac (a 68k Mac emulator) with Adobe PhotoShop 2.0. A full version of Quicken!

Here the link to Samung's Site: http://www.sem.samsung.co.kr/eng/product/digital/pda/index.htm

Warning! There are alot of spelling error at that site, more than those in my articles.