Yeah these devices did check some boxes for various features and capabilities, and as a late 90s tech geek I wanted one badly because they were clearly 'the fut

Yeah these devices did check some boxes for various features and capabilities, and as a late 90s tech geek I wanted one badly because they were clearly 'the future', but the fit & finish in the UX just wasn't there for breakout success. That was largely a function of the state of hardware. I also had a pseudo-iPhone experience with my Treo in 2005-07, with an add-on bluetooth GPS and various apps for MP3s etc. It did the job in a way, but it was clunky, and the web experience was subpar to say the least. But it was a sign of things to come.