Denys,

While all of that functionality is fine and dandy, and it seems to work well with the type of work you need to do, I really don't need it.  Your posting has solidified my conviction that, for myself at least, I have made the right decision.  If I traveled a lot, as it appears you need to, then I might get a little more excited at the prospect of leaving the laptop at home and taking a handheld instead.  As it stands, its cool functionality goes way, way beyond my needs, and, as you have mentioned, it costs more, weighs more, and has shorter battery life.

I think I bristled at the suggestion that Palm devices are "useless."  Hopefully I didn't imply that Pocket PC devices are useless.  Clearly for Denys, among others, they are valuable tools.

On a daily basis I have to deal with "technology solutions" that are bursting at the seams with unused functionality.  Sure, this software package can toast my bread in 256 shades of golden brown, but it takes a lot longer to load than it used to, and there are 2 million more fields to enter data, and it takes 50% longer to get people trained in how to use it.  All of this makes the *core* functionality -- the *real* reason we use the software -- suffer.  Everyone loves to blame Microsoft, but the problem is quite common.  This is why I chose a Palm -- it does what I want very well, and nothing more.

Sorry for the mini-rant.  Time to get back to work.

BTW, while I'm sure that your handheld has a bigger and brighter screen than a Palm (which is pretty much unusable in dim light, though I think the color ones are better) I'm not so sure that it's "much faster."  The brand new iPAQ that I tinkered with last week seemed about as fast as my Visor.

Art Frank
Manager of Information Systems
OHSU Foundation
[log in to unmask] 
(503) 220-8320

>>> Denys Beauchemin <[log in to unmask]> 10/02/01 09:25PM >>>
<snip>
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.
</snip>
<snip>
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.
</snip>
<snip>
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.
<snip>
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.
</snip>

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