Hi Aaron,

just my two bits:

>Dynapad Survey
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Q1. Do you use Dynapad now?  Are you condiering using it in the future?
>If so, in what capacity?
>

No, alas. Still pending a much needed better port of Squeak to Zaurus. 
Some day.

>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Dynapad is currently based on the 2.8 image.  This was done for the sake
>of performance- trimmed down 3.0 and 3.2 images felt qualitatively slower,
>more sluggish, than 2.8 images on iPAQ-class hardware.  However, some
>people believe that 3.2's performance is adequate.
>
>There are benefits to using a 3.2-based image, including more
>compatability with the most current going-ons of the Squeak world.
>
>Q2. Would you prefer that Dynapad moved to a Squeak 3.2-based image, or
>stick with the 2.8-based image?
>
I've voice the concern about using 2.8 before and I still feel it would 
be better to
stay as mainstream as possible. Since the last discussion on the matter 
a number of
performance bugs have been fixed in 3.2 and more will undoubtable be 
fixed in the
future. Staying with 2.8 looses out on all improvements done to 3.2, 
unless someone
backports them (unlikely). I'll bet you that before Dynapad is done, our 
PDAs will
be much more capable and perhaps even our VM will be better (ie, 
BlockClosures,
ARM JIT, etc).

>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>There has been talk of changing the name of the project. Pick the name you
>prefer from the list below, or answer with whatever other ideas you may
>have.
>
>* MethodPad
>* Dynapad
>* SPE (Squeak PDA Environment)
>
Dynapad

>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>While being everything to everyone is impossible, Dynapad strives to be an
>operating environment that is very useful for the widest array of users,
>through being user friendly, developer friendly, and very customizable.
>
>What would you like out of a PDA? Describe, in as much detail as possible,
>the perfect PDA. What do current and past PDA systems do well today?
>(Newton OS, GEOS, Magic Cap, Palm OS, PocketPC, EPOC32)
>
Magic Cap: incredible rich multimedia, incredible unusuable in practice
Newton: The standard to beat? (Never used one)
Palm: easy, simple, fast.
  The bad: no semantic behind data, (almost) no sharing of data be apps, no
  way to extend and expand, crude database model, crude synchronization
Pocket PC:   (nothing. I want nothing from the Pocket PC)
EPOC: I hear the calendar is really good.

>Q5. What do you dislike about current PDA offerings?
>
See above.

>Q6. Do you use a PDA now? If so, what is the model? (the more specific,
>the better) What OS do you run on it? (if not what it comes with out of
>the box)
>

Palm + heavy use of these apps:
- SimpliWrite: superiour script recognition
- BrainForest: outlinier/todo/project manager
- Secret!: encrypted memo
- Bugme!: quick appointments/timer
- Lispme: Scheme interpreter
- Doodle: for small drawings

All of which are useful, but could be much improved.

>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Q7. Other than being very unfinished, what are your chief complaints of
>Dynapad and its vision?
>

I like version 0.01 better than 0.1, but I also found the ideas in Faure 
interesting.
I still don't know which metaphor is the better for a PDA: Documents centric
(like GO), App-centric (like most, incl Palm, PocketPC, and Dynapad 0.1), or
maybe something else.

>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>What are the applications you would really like to see for Dynapad in the
>future.  This is excepting the applications currently done or being
>actively worked on, including: PIM apps (both traditional, as well as a
>more free-form and hyperlinked system), Web browser (scamper), Email
>client (Celeste), simple calulator, irc client, and graph plotter.
>

Integration, rather than just a collection of apps.  Good core apps 
first and
foremost.

>Ideas include: a web service data extractor (like Watson or Sherlock 3),
>word processor, spreadsheet, or HyperCard-like StackMorph creator.
>

Why a seperate word processor? All text fields should have the same 
capabilities.

>Q8. Ordered by most important down, what are the apps you would like to
>see running on Dynapad?
>

Integration (ability to reference Contacts from an Appointment, include a
Drawing in a Memo, etc).
Rock solid spit polished calendar/todolist/appointments.
Rock solid spit polished contact manager.
Rock solid spit polished memopad (real hyperlinks, etc a bonus).
Vector based freehand drawing.

Regards,

  Tommy