Actually, looking almost everywhere, I found out that to buy everything I needed(the simpad, the wifi card and some accessories), I could spend around $ 350....
Simpads are pretty much keeping their value and I'm surprised to learn that they cost more on ebay today than they were when I got one a few years ago. Perhaps if you don't like it you'll be able to sell it on without any depreciation...
I needed the smallest, yet comfortable enough, device possible for quick browsing and a bit of e-banking without prepairing and powering up my other pcs...
Well I see them as 2 completely separate tasks - quick browsing can be done without a secure connection. Banking is something I would prefer to do on a fixed PC, and is not casual at all. The simpad is pretty good for browsing but lacks flash and java, and gpe-mini-browser doesn't even show opensimpad.org (I think opie konqueror is better). If you want the simpad to just do simple browsing then it's pretty good.
But it is really starting to be a bit too expensive... especially with the Origami-based devices showing up...
Do you mean like Q1? I intend to get a sony ux180 (or an oqo) to replace my desktop but they will not beat the simpad on speed of suspend/resume... to check mail I switch it on, open sylpheed, get an SSL IMAP connection and that's it. seconds. The same goes for a website; turn it on, read, turn it off before a PC has finished it's memory check...
The main disadvantage of the simpad is it's too bulky to carry around - a pocket size one would be better for settling arguments at the pub, and if that's what you want I'd get the nokia. If it's indoor browsing as a coffee table accessory then the largeish screen of the simpad beats just about everything else.
HTH
