I'm considering buying an Elmscan 5 but $200 for the wireless model is more than I want to spend. The rs232 model is $115, so it seems the bluetooth to rs232 adapter costs $80 ($5 for the usb to bluetooth adapter, optional) This is unacceptable to me since usb bluetooth adapters can be had for $10 and geeks.com has a bluetooth gps for $50. I'm not accusing scantool.net of price gouging; I think they're just doing what they can with what is available.
I would buy an Elmscan 5 usb if my n800 could work as a usb host. I believe it will eventually bo this, but I don't want to buy one right now since I don't want to be limited to my 770 and usb power injecter. Any suggestions? I'm holding my breath for the n800 software update.

I just did a quick search for Serial to Bluetooth adapters and found two, both in the $100 price range so the scantool price doesn't seem so unreasonable (plus scantool will guarantee compatability with the Elmscan 5).

I guess you have to realise that Serial to Bluetooth conversion is probably a nice requirement (unlike USB/Bluetooth) hence the higher price as fewer units will be shifted. As you suggest, scantool are only doing what they can with what is available.

I found these:
http://www.roalan.com/Bluetooth%20Wi...0Converter.htm

Hmmm... I'm wondering now: With one of those and the battery adapter, would I be able to turn my Newton serial keyboard into a Bluetooth Newton keyboard? The scancodes for the Newton keyboard are on the Net (somewhere on the Net...) and a converter from Mac serial to RS-232 is not exactly rocket science (I've made a few already).

I have to admit that I do like that clickety-clackety Newton keyboard very much; it's very nice to type on. It's of course a very anti-social keyboard in quiet environments, but I consider that a plus.

Thinking about it: I might buy the pair, and give my poor SIMpad a bit of Bluetooth.

License fees to the Bluetooth cartel^Wconsortium are probably part of the cost too.

Well, now I have a few more crazy ideas.

1. Buy a bluetooth gps, cut a few traces, and splice in the elmscan.
2. Buy elmscan usb, use with 770, wait for n800 to support usb host.
3. Buy elmscan usb, use 770 as bluetooth serial adapter.
4. Tap n800 internal serial port and mutilate battery door.


2 and 3 seem like the best solutions. I could probably add a switch and 2 pieces of wire to the elmscan to inject power to the 770.

Simple economics: Economies of Scale.

It really is still the greatest PDA ever made. I take all my class notes with my eBay-aquisition 2100, which saves me a ton of money on paper.

Well, I agree. Obviously. Nevertheless, our Green Friend's screen is serious crapola compared to the 770/N800's marvel.

It saddens me that Newton is now the greatest user interface in the Known Universe in just about the worst hardware I have lying around.

Snif.

[appending my own post about Newton keyboard]

On second thought, I probably don't even need the Newton keyboard's scancodes, as that keyboard has had Linux drivers since just about forever.