Rex Forum

vrillusions · Site Admin

Was in a pondering mood today... I honestly don't think there is ever going to be something like the rex again. What I mean "something like the rex," I mean it's core highlights. Which is essentially that it's a small PDA. That's what I think isn't going to be the same, pda. As more and more high tech clunkers are being made, people have lost sight of what a PDA was for, to keep life organized. NOT to play mp3. NOT to surf the internet. NOT to play games. They were meant to keep track of appointments, quick notes, contacts, etc. It's meant to be a medium to transport information with you. Sure, the rex can kinda do internet (you can download the pages in the morning and browse throughout the day) and there are games, but in the end, it merely organizes your data. Nothing more, nothing less. That's why it can be so small. But I don't think we will ever see one like it again.

Why is that, you ask? Hybrid devices. These are devices that do several things at once. For at least a year there have been cell phones that look exactly like a palm pilot, but are a cell phone as well. If you watch Tech TV, the cell phone they endorse is not only a PDA, but a remote desktop appliance as well. Also if you've see them, they look like good sized remote controls. It's getting to the point now that people are using some PDA's as ultra-portable laptops.

Imagine trying to use your rex as a cell phone. You couldn't. But sales of these "hybrid" type phones are rising. So manufacturer's wanting to produce what people want, make more of these devices. And thus begins a viscious cycle. If manufacturer's make more and more of these, then there will be less of the plain ones, meaning more people will HAVE to get the new type, which then makes the manufacturers focus more and more on them. So to sum this up, past sales drive current trends in the market.

So where does our little rex fit into all of this? How were the sales of these for the 2 years or so that it was supported? Not very good. That's why Intel discontinued it when they acquired it, and that's why they ended the rex.net service. I don't have the exact press release in front of me, but the reason they stopped rex.net was because there wasn't enough people signed up for it.

Now, back to present day, companies are researching new products daily. One young engineer throws out the idea of makeing a super small, ultra portable, ultra light PDA. A PDA that is just a PDA, nothing really fancy (although a backlit color screen would be nice Smile

), a couple improvements such as exchageable memory, and rechargeable batteries, whatever. Well one of the questions other's are going to have is, "Will people buy this?" So part of the research is going to go to the Rex, which had a product similar to this idea. They are going to crunch the numbers and realize that it wouldn't be "profitable" for them to do something like that, and in the trash the idea goes.

All companies are interested in our numbers, namely price tags. They will look at the sales and determine there wasn't that much interest. They are not going to look beyond that. They are not going to notice that a message board created only a couple months ago, has almoast 100 members signed up, from all over the world. This being a couple years after the discontinuation of the product. But they are not going to know that, they are just going to look at the raw sales data and determine that it isn't feasible. They also don't care that after describing the Rex to people, EVERYONE has said it's a great item, but they never heard of it. If you don't tell anyone, how are people supposed to buy them?

So why did I write all this? Mainly to stir some ideas around. Like I said, I have been in a pondering type mood and this just got me going. I only planned on writing a few paragraphs, not a whole book Smile

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed these ramblings. Feel free to tell me I'm a complete wacko if you so desire Twisted Evil

jspearson · Member

There's no denying your business MAPS, Todd. It causes me to question why people buy a PDA in the first place. After reading your message, I did an informal survey of people at work, church and neighborhood. I talked to about 28 people.

When asked why they bought their PDA (whatever model), only 3 people said it was to organize their address book. Most women carried a separate paper calendar of some kind in their purse - preferring it to the PDA calendar. Every man that I questioned pointed to the act that they could play games, take pictures, play MP3 files and some even had their phone books in their PDA phone. NONE of them mentioned the calendaring or address book functions. It seems that the users are responding to 'gadtery' as opposed to function.

But those of us who have been enlightened may be on the verge of a sort of rebellion. These same people, when asked what they liked the least about their PDA responded: (12) too big to fit in your pants pocket, (10) too expensive to carry around everywhere, (5) hard to input into, (1) battery hog. These issues are exactly what drove me to research and discover the REX two years after the product had been cancelled - ditching my $700 Sony Clie in the process.

The size and simplicity of the REX are it's biggest appeal. But these days, a PDA is almost a commodity unless it qualifies as a gadget. Unfortunately, your observation is dead-on... no company will make a good profit on a commodity, so it is unlikely that we'll see a reincarnated REX.

I'm optimistic though. Most people I know are getting tired of paying more for functions they don't use. There remains a MAPS between the $10 Sharpe organizer and the $800 Clie... A MAPS that a device like the REX fills very well. We are the enlighted ones, and though our number is small, we represent common sense. Common sense is the easiest thing to sell! Smile

chuck72143 · Member

Both of you may be correct, but I use my Rex totally for the organizational purposes you mention. At first, I played Rexcade and Othello incessantly, tried many of the addins too, and still have a number of them on my Rex in case I'm really bored. But, I find that now the only features I use are the ones that help me stay organized--especially the calendar and address book. Even the addins that I use are tools to help me with my daily activities. I've used my Rex 6000 for about 2 years and have another new one waiting in the unopened box in case the current one dies!!! A new version of Rex that is faster with backlighting would be great but I'm very happy with the current version as compared to the big, clunky competitors. I'm Happy with what I've got! Razz

mdavej · Member

The next REX from Citizen (REX OEM)! (only in Japan Crying or Very sad

)

From [email protected]:

"Citizen introduces sub-size PDA in Japan.

Powered by an ARM72024MHz (48MHz) and featuring a 16 step grey-scale
240x320 pixel display. The PDA supports data communication via a PHS SD card. The OS supports TCP/IP, PPP and POP/SMTP protocol stacks. Of course it features the basic PDA functions like Calendar, Contacts and PC
synchronization.

The tiny PDA measures 60x90x9.3mm and weighs 70g. Compared to for instance the Palm Zire, which measures 111x73.6x16mm and weighs 109g the Citizen PDA is pretty small.

The Citizen PDA will sell for 30,000yen."

http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/16209.html
http://www.i4u.com/japanreleases/citizenpda.htm
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/333/C2195/

vrillusions · Site Admin

Who knows, maybe someone will try and pick this up as well (The 6000 was originally just for Japan until Xircom decided to make an american version of it)

JoeR · Member

Hi all,

I especially like the comments from the person who did an informal survey. Interesting. I was one of these PDA types until last week when I found a REX6k. I found I mostly just used my (old, cheap b/w compaq aero1500) to track my time on jobs. It was just a little spreadsheet. I find after a few days tinkering 2 spreadsheet like aps for the REX. Sweet.

I did some research and Zilog has newer chips, a 50mhz Z180 with 4Mb ram, and several interface chips. And these are CHEAP, even at buying them 1 at a time.
Only thing I haven't found yet are screens.

I really like the pcmcia form. I think a concept like a type3 pcmcia would give plenty of room for features. But alas many new notebooks only have 1 type 1/2 pcmcia slot since they have networking built in. Even a type 2 form, if extended like some of the wireless network cards (extra length) may help. Another approach would be the tiny USB port, and or IRdA port. Yet another is to have a small pcmcia dock/plugin for things like more power, secure digital memory and wireless cards, etc(this would turn the type2 pcmcia into a type3 pcmcia or similar.

I would keep the pcmcia type 2, add grayscale(or color), IRdA, more mem. Oh and release a decent SDK at day 1.

Another factor to consider today is that MANY more people now have laptops and notebooks. With IRdA the new rex could sync to a PDA and back.

I wonder if writing to Intel might help.

Regards,
JoeR