I actually used to think that way and even carried a Palm Pilot, for a short
while. It really is a completely useless gadget, at least for me. I
couldn't see the screen very well and the only input method was crummy, at
best. When it came to synchronizing with my laptop, it brought a new
meaning to the word incompatible. When I started losing contact entries on
my laptop, the Palm Pilot went in the drawer. Permanently.
Next, I tried a Rex card. It committed digital suicide a few months later.
I sent it back to Franklin. They sent me another one. It lasted even less
time than the original. Gone.
Last year, I tried the Motorola version of the Rex card. It attached to my
cell phone. That worked fine for a while, but the batteries started
degrading, getting old. I got new batteries, but I use my cell phone so
much, I really need the extra battery instead of the organizer. So the
organizer sits on my desk.
Then Compaq came out with the iPAQ. I looked at the first model and decided
to wait a little bit. The H3650 was soon followed by the H3670. I had a
bit of difficulty obtaining one because the demand was astronomical. After
a few months, they showed up at MobilePlanet. I pounced.
The iPAQ is getting very close to a complete laptop replacement for short
trips. It is a great add-on for the road warrior. For the last year or so,
I have been in the habit of leaving my laptop in its case during a trip. In
economy, it is almost impossible to use and in first class, the tray is not
really big enough for my big laptop. Also, with the advent of personal
entertainment systems on the planes, the need to watch DVDs has dwindled a
bit. Now I just whip out my PocketPC, unfold the pocket keyboard, plug it
into the iPAQ and I can go through my email and various documents at my
leisure. With wireless communications, I can receive email and access web
sites until the main cabin door has closed. If I am changing planes, I can
download email in between flights, while walking to the next gate! This is
great.
Windows CE 2000 is really good and the compatibility with Windows 2000 is
excellent. I synchronize all the time in the office, over the LAN. I can
also synchronize over Infrared or USB. The synchronization with Outlook
2000 is seamless.
Because I am a software vendor and I am on the road a lot. I carry all our
software documentation on the iPAQ. I can use it on any LAN or on the
Internet. I have full TCP/IP functionality, including PING, Telnet, FTP,
Finger, Whois, etc. I also have PocketDOS running on it and we have a few
support programs that run just fine in that environment. I can do a lot of
things, without whipping out my laptop.
The iPAQ is fully expandable. I have a sleeve that provides access to CF
cards, (modem, NIC and storage cards,) and another sleeve that has 2 PC-card
slots. With this sleeve, I can have a NIC and a storage card, or the
wireless CPDP modem and a storage card. This sleeve is the one I usually
have on. Yes, it makes the unit bigger and bulkier, but the capabilities
are enormous.
I have made some trips when I left the laptop behind and only carried the
PocketPC. I did miss the bigger screen, but the PocketPC did everything
that I needed. I was impressed.
All these things come with a price. In the case of the PocketPC, there are
several; 1- It is more expensive than a Palm Pilot, but you get what you
pay for. 2- It is more bulky and heavier than a Palm Pilot. With the dual
PC-card sleeve, it is a lot bigger and heavier, but still much smaller and
lighter than a handheld. 3- The battery life, as Arthur alluded, is much
shorter. However, the H3670 has a much bigger and brighter screen than a
Palm. It also is much faster than a Palm. Finally, it has a LOT more
memory than a Palm.
The counter to these points are that 1- The PocketPC is much more usable and
useful than a Palm Pilot. You can do a lot of things that would otherwise
need a desktop or laptop computer. 2- On the iPAQ, the battery pack is
Lithium Polymer. It recharges very fast. I also have a charger for the
car. If I do not turn on the light, I can go a full day with the iPAQ. The
dual PC-card sleeve also incorporates a Lithium Polymer battery that is used
to primarily power the PC-card devices. These devices, when not in use, do
not take any power and the battery in the sleeve is available for the unit
itself, if needed.
In retrospect, the PocketPC is here to stay and it will get better. I am
now waiting for the CD of the next version. The nest version of the OS is
due out very soon and I look forward to it.
In conclusion, if you haven't seen a single thing that a PocketPC can that
you would want on your Palm, you haven't looked very hard.
Kind regards,
Denys. . .
Denys Beauchemin
HICOMP
(800) 323-8863 (281) 288-7438 Fax: (281) 288-7438
denys at hicomp.com www.hicomp.com
-----Original Message-----
From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Arthur Frank
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 7:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: OT: PocketPC vs Handheld PC (was Wildly OT: Simple math question)
Palm devices "useless?" I don't think so. Personally, I don't see the big
attraction to Pocket PC devices. Do I really need my handheld to
(awkwardly) edit documents or connect to my HP 3000? No. Do I really need
to surf the web on a teeny tiny screen? No. If I want to do those things,
I have a real computer. I use my handheld for address, phone number, and
calendaring. That's it. Not only do I not need any more, I don't WANT any
more. Additional functionality gets in the way and adds cost and
complexity.
Sure Pocket PC has a lot of gee-whiz bells-n-whistles, but, really, I
haven't seen a single thing that a Pocket PC can do that I actually WANT on
my Palm.
And Denys, just out of curiosity, how long do your batteries last?
My $0.02.
Art Frank
Manager of Information Systems
OHSU Foundation
[log in to unmask]
(503) 220-8320
>>> Denys Beauchemin <[log in to unmask]> 10/02/01 04:09PM >>>
<snip>
Also, please note that I could never figure out the by attraction to the
Palm Pilot either. It think it's useless and I also think it is going to be
the big loser with the HP/Compaq merger.
</snip>
* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *
* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *
|
