Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations strongm on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Survey--- best Pocket PC-- ... or Palm 1
- Thread starter joeblough
- Start date
conceptumator
Technical User
I use the Palm V (mainly because I got it free in a 3Com promotion); would recommend the Palm 505 (if you want to spend that much) or the Palm Vx (more memory). Some of the people I work with use the Palm VII, but I like the capability of using or not using the modem feature (I got a Minstrel modem on Ebay for $100 -- not the $400 they usually sell for). Also, the monthly service to the Minstrel (Omnisky) is more reasonable, especially if you pay for a year in advance. Really don't have any experience with the others, but if I was going that way, I would look into the HP Journada; they seem to be the market leaders behind Palm. Go to ZDnet.com and read the latest reviews about HP and Palm and their battle for top dog. Good Luck! (PS: Check out Ebay before purchasing; you'll find a lot of brand new, still sealed units at very competitive prices)
Karl Blessing
Programmer
I am using a Handheld that I feel to best suit me, it's a TRGPro (trgpro.com)
it has the most internal memory you can have (8megs/2Meg Flash)
Also it's expansion slot, is CompactFlash I/II compatible, so it'll work with almost all Industry standard CF cards, and memory ( I use a 32Meg Flash card from my brother's old Mp3 player, and does a great job for backup and etc, I also use it for my digital camera without any modification to the data)
It's one of the ONLY companies on the market that has a Warrenty on the 100$ screen (funny the most expensive part, is not covered by alot of handheld companies)
It's battery life is significantly good , (they say about 8 weeks of normal usage) , but for me, its about 2 weeks of extended usage, and I use lower powered NiMH Batteries, so its not a cash drain. (unlike the Visor Prism by handspring, which has a battery life of 6 hours of continous use)
It also has that nice Indiglow backlight.
its very easy to use, also has utilities, to treat your CompactFlash card as part of the rams (being able to access it from most applications)
and currently it's only 249$ at Sam's Club.
If you want a cheap, but not beginner model, a Handspring Visor is good (149$) , but if you want like a beginner model , the Palm m100 is good (I think about 99$), but I like my TrgPro , it's best all around, uses the PalmOS.
I wouldnt go near PocketPCs, they may have all the bells and whistles, but are more expensive, and even if they have 16 meg rams, or a 200Mhtz CPU, it still tends to be less efficient, and slower than my PalmOS handheld. Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}
it has the most internal memory you can have (8megs/2Meg Flash)
Also it's expansion slot, is CompactFlash I/II compatible, so it'll work with almost all Industry standard CF cards, and memory ( I use a 32Meg Flash card from my brother's old Mp3 player, and does a great job for backup and etc, I also use it for my digital camera without any modification to the data)
It's one of the ONLY companies on the market that has a Warrenty on the 100$ screen (funny the most expensive part, is not covered by alot of handheld companies)
It's battery life is significantly good , (they say about 8 weeks of normal usage) , but for me, its about 2 weeks of extended usage, and I use lower powered NiMH Batteries, so its not a cash drain. (unlike the Visor Prism by handspring, which has a battery life of 6 hours of continous use)
It also has that nice Indiglow backlight.
its very easy to use, also has utilities, to treat your CompactFlash card as part of the rams (being able to access it from most applications)
and currently it's only 249$ at Sam's Club.
If you want a cheap, but not beginner model, a Handspring Visor is good (149$) , but if you want like a beginner model , the Palm m100 is good (I think about 99$), but I like my TrgPro , it's best all around, uses the PalmOS.
I wouldnt go near PocketPCs, they may have all the bells and whistles, but are more expensive, and even if they have 16 meg rams, or a 200Mhtz CPU, it still tends to be less efficient, and slower than my PalmOS handheld. Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}
Karl Blessing
Programmer
oh did I mention that for the TRGPro, if you have a laptop or PC equiped with an IR(infrared) port , you can hotsync/transfer using that port for the device, rather than using the HotSync cradle that comes with it.
(also I know the Palm V , the one thats wireless, has wireless internet, you can do the same with TrgPro, you just need to buy one of those Wireless CF Modems. you can also get CF Ethernet cards, or CF 56K modems.) Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}
(also I know the Palm V , the one thats wireless, has wireless internet, you can do the same with TrgPro, you just need to buy one of those Wireless CF Modems. you can also get CF Ethernet cards, or CF 56K modems.) Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}
I just bought a Palm IIIxe with the gps attachment that I like very much. It comes with 8meg of memory and is very easy to use I have used it to download database files that I need from Lotus notes and alos to sync my lotus E-mail which seems to work very well. the price was right but i understand palm will be lowwering the prices of most products in the near future you may want to wait and see.
- Thread starter
- #7
Alot of palms out there- has anyone had BOTH and chooses one over the other. Gatsby, from everything I've researched, the iPaq seems to be the best of the Pocket PC realm. You can upgrade it better.
But the Palm is much more reasonable...what do you get for the $200-$400 more from the Pocket PC? Is it justified?
Thank you for your input so far- very informative.
Blake Net Admin.
DBlakeAdams@yahoo.com
But the Palm is much more reasonable...what do you get for the $200-$400 more from the Pocket PC? Is it justified?
Thank you for your input so far- very informative.
Blake Net Admin.
DBlakeAdams@yahoo.com
I have a HandSPring Visor Prism and I LOVE IT! 8 megs of memory, 65,535 color screen, fast processor. Plus since it runs on the Palm OS, there are a TON of applications already written for it. (both free & priced) Thought for the day: Beware of Gods who cannot laugh...
-
1
- #9
Try this on for size: there is no right answer to your question as asked. To determine which platform, Palm or Pocket PC, is best for you, you have to give more information about your intended use.
For example, if you use all the standard Microsoft products on your PC, and if you want to be able to syncronize them with your handheld, then you should probably consider the Pocket PC devices.
My evaluation eventually led me to choose the Palm for several reasons:
(1) I use Corel and Novell, not Microsoft, software primarily on my PC (i.e., WordPerfect, Paradox, Groupwise, etc.).
(2) I use the handheld primarily for calendar, to do lists, and contacts (address/phone book), and I particularly wanted my appointments in the calendar to be linked to my contacts in the address/phone book (so I can go to an appointment and look up the phone number of the person I'm meeting). One of the best programs that has this functionality is Action Names, available only for the Palm. Or, on the other hand, if you use and like Microsoft Outlook for calendar and contacts, then you should choose the Pocket PC.
(3) There are literally thousands of great third party applications for the Palm platform, many of which I personally find useful, including the schedule for BART when I travel to San Francisco, etc. I also use a great word processor, spreadsheet, and links to the internet for movie times, etc. There are, in comparison, just a handful of third party programs for the Pocket PC, which means that you may have to rely on standard Microsoft products. If you especially like Microsoft stuff, then you should probably choose the Pocket PC.
(4) Ultimately, I found the Pocket PC to be slicker and prettier but less usable for my purposes than the Palm (I now use a Vx), perhaps in the same way that Windows takes more time and steps to use and is, thus, slower to get the result than was the old DOS. I like much of the third party software better than I like the Microsoft equivalents, and I like having the greater choices.
I hope you find this helpful and that you get the message that you need to look at how you expect to use the machine before deciding which to get. Otherwise you may just end up choosing which has the prettier face or, worse, which works best for someone else.
Jay
For example, if you use all the standard Microsoft products on your PC, and if you want to be able to syncronize them with your handheld, then you should probably consider the Pocket PC devices.
My evaluation eventually led me to choose the Palm for several reasons:
(1) I use Corel and Novell, not Microsoft, software primarily on my PC (i.e., WordPerfect, Paradox, Groupwise, etc.).
(2) I use the handheld primarily for calendar, to do lists, and contacts (address/phone book), and I particularly wanted my appointments in the calendar to be linked to my contacts in the address/phone book (so I can go to an appointment and look up the phone number of the person I'm meeting). One of the best programs that has this functionality is Action Names, available only for the Palm. Or, on the other hand, if you use and like Microsoft Outlook for calendar and contacts, then you should choose the Pocket PC.
(3) There are literally thousands of great third party applications for the Palm platform, many of which I personally find useful, including the schedule for BART when I travel to San Francisco, etc. I also use a great word processor, spreadsheet, and links to the internet for movie times, etc. There are, in comparison, just a handful of third party programs for the Pocket PC, which means that you may have to rely on standard Microsoft products. If you especially like Microsoft stuff, then you should probably choose the Pocket PC.
(4) Ultimately, I found the Pocket PC to be slicker and prettier but less usable for my purposes than the Palm (I now use a Vx), perhaps in the same way that Windows takes more time and steps to use and is, thus, slower to get the result than was the old DOS. I like much of the third party software better than I like the Microsoft equivalents, and I like having the greater choices.
I hope you find this helpful and that you get the message that you need to look at how you expect to use the machine before deciding which to get. Otherwise you may just end up choosing which has the prettier face or, worse, which works best for someone else.
Jay
- Thread starter
- #10
Good points- Thank you. I am also interested about upgradabilty of the devices. I dont want a Palm or Pocket PC that will be out-dated in a year or so when the applications grow. I am reminded of the computer market from 286 to P4, it HAS been a long road and many upgrades. Alot of people will be fine with that old dog cause it does what THEY want and need- but alot of other people, like myself, cant afford (or want) to invest and lose in 6 months. Reminds me of my first Pentium- outdated in 3 months.
So where and when do I jump into the stream? I mean I could sit and wait but I will never be able to stay on the crest, understood. That said, anyone have any ideas, inside info, about the direction of the industry. Is it a good time to buy or is there a whole new revolution just over the hill. I know that the European and asian markets are more CELL PHONE based- will they merge soon into one?
I am hesitant from answering MY specific needs because of the direction of the forum- perhaps others can benefit from a wider perspective and input such as the last one...but I am MS oriented. I know there are plenty of Outlook sync programs and the sort for Palm which I think keeps ALL platforms in the running.
Thanks for all the input so far!
Blake Net Admin.
DBlakeAdams@yahoo.com
So where and when do I jump into the stream? I mean I could sit and wait but I will never be able to stay on the crest, understood. That said, anyone have any ideas, inside info, about the direction of the industry. Is it a good time to buy or is there a whole new revolution just over the hill. I know that the European and asian markets are more CELL PHONE based- will they merge soon into one?
I am hesitant from answering MY specific needs because of the direction of the forum- perhaps others can benefit from a wider perspective and input such as the last one...but I am MS oriented. I know there are plenty of Outlook sync programs and the sort for Palm which I think keeps ALL platforms in the running.
Thanks for all the input so far!
Blake Net Admin.
DBlakeAdams@yahoo.com
Hey Blake,
Ah . . . to ride the crest. There's a giant computer store in L.A. called Frye's Electronics. The joke here is that the large trash cans just outside the doors are there so that on the way out you can toss what you've just bought. Quite a comment on immediate obsolescence.
Having said that, there is always the revolution around the corner. Future shock is now here, and it's not bloodly likely to end soon.
Because of the expandability and color of the new Palm 505, I was thinking of upgrading last month from my Vx. However, since my Vx is working just fine and satisfying all my needs at the moment, I decided to wait until the screen had a little better resolution and lighting, which, I've read, will be later this year. On the other hand, the stock market fluctuations may have caused Palm to rethink its schedule for new products, since its recent poor performance was due to too much inventory of old products when the new ones were announced. You see, it's all become too complex to predict.
As to telephone capability, I would also like an integrated phone solution. You may know that some already exist (Kyrocera, etc.) On the other hand (there are a lot of "other hands," aren't there!), my biggest objective is to have something that I can carry easily in my front pocket, wallet size or smaller. And I don't want some radiation spewing device that close to the family jewels, if you get the drift. So I'll probably opt for getting a phone device attachment for the Palm 505 or its progeny, when I buy it, so that I can still have the small size and keep it in my pocket but attach the phone device (which I'll probably keep in my briefcase or somewhere away from my body) when I need to call someone or check my email. It's not the best solution, since I will not be able to receive calls on the fly unless the attachment is attached. On the other hand, health comes first for me, and no perfect solution presently exists. In the meantime, I can continue to carry an unintegrated cell phone.
I totally get your frustration. I've done a fair amount of programming, including designing applications that have wide-spread use in certain types of law firms in California. I am frankly even more frustrated by how quickly my personal knowledge base becomes obsolete than I am with the changes in computer hardware.
Nice chatting with you again,
Jay
Jay@LACap.com
Ah . . . to ride the crest. There's a giant computer store in L.A. called Frye's Electronics. The joke here is that the large trash cans just outside the doors are there so that on the way out you can toss what you've just bought. Quite a comment on immediate obsolescence.
Having said that, there is always the revolution around the corner. Future shock is now here, and it's not bloodly likely to end soon.
Because of the expandability and color of the new Palm 505, I was thinking of upgrading last month from my Vx. However, since my Vx is working just fine and satisfying all my needs at the moment, I decided to wait until the screen had a little better resolution and lighting, which, I've read, will be later this year. On the other hand, the stock market fluctuations may have caused Palm to rethink its schedule for new products, since its recent poor performance was due to too much inventory of old products when the new ones were announced. You see, it's all become too complex to predict.
As to telephone capability, I would also like an integrated phone solution. You may know that some already exist (Kyrocera, etc.) On the other hand (there are a lot of "other hands," aren't there!), my biggest objective is to have something that I can carry easily in my front pocket, wallet size or smaller. And I don't want some radiation spewing device that close to the family jewels, if you get the drift. So I'll probably opt for getting a phone device attachment for the Palm 505 or its progeny, when I buy it, so that I can still have the small size and keep it in my pocket but attach the phone device (which I'll probably keep in my briefcase or somewhere away from my body) when I need to call someone or check my email. It's not the best solution, since I will not be able to receive calls on the fly unless the attachment is attached. On the other hand, health comes first for me, and no perfect solution presently exists. In the meantime, I can continue to carry an unintegrated cell phone.
I totally get your frustration. I've done a fair amount of programming, including designing applications that have wide-spread use in certain types of law firms in California. I am frankly even more frustrated by how quickly my personal knowledge base becomes obsolete than I am with the changes in computer hardware.
Nice chatting with you again,
Jay
Jay@LACap.com
I have gone through two Palms and am now on Visor Pro, which I got for 16 mg internal memory. The disadvantages are 1) clunky 2) rotten back light and 3)Not terribly compatible with the world of wz, unless you get a lot of 3rd party sofware. I use Word, WP, etc, and need to translate docs. Further argument with Palm, and I assume Visor, is that the things really are not hearty, even in pretty strong armor. When I bought this one there were three people at the counter with broken P.Pilots of one kind or another.
The greatest advantage of a Palm for me was the price. For the same clout in a Sony (which I would have preferred) I would have paid at least twice as much. It works, and I carry a small flashlight in case I need to refer to something on it in a restaurant.
The greatest advantage of a Palm for me was the price. For the same clout in a Sony (which I would have preferred) I would have paid at least twice as much. It works, and I carry a small flashlight in case I need to refer to something on it in a restaurant.
Hey Blake,
I think Jayko hit this one right on the head. It's all about intended usage. I won an iPaq [3600] about a year ago. Being not all that familiar with hand-helds, I didn't realize at the time what a great product I'd been handed! I use Outlook everywhere [work, home, on the road] and it's great having the portability of my calendar and contact lists. Another big bounus is being able to run the MS-based apps, like Excel. I used that one recently when car shopping - kept the sales people from playing games with the 'numbers' while I was trying to make my best deal - They HATED it!!! I've also recently aquired a digital camera that also uses CF cards. The iPaq now has an image viewer app. installed so I can review my shots, and it also lets me use the iPaq as a card reader. I'm very happy with this unit - but it suits MY needs. Would it suit yours? Only you can say...
I think Jayko hit this one right on the head. It's all about intended usage. I won an iPaq [3600] about a year ago. Being not all that familiar with hand-helds, I didn't realize at the time what a great product I'd been handed! I use Outlook everywhere [work, home, on the road] and it's great having the portability of my calendar and contact lists. Another big bounus is being able to run the MS-based apps, like Excel. I used that one recently when car shopping - kept the sales people from playing games with the 'numbers' while I was trying to make my best deal - They HATED it!!! I've also recently aquired a digital camera that also uses CF cards. The iPaq now has an image viewer app. installed so I can review my shots, and it also lets me use the iPaq as a card reader. I'm very happy with this unit - but it suits MY needs. Would it suit yours? Only you can say...
I'm on my second Palm.
The first one I bought used. It was a Palm Pilot Pro (by US Robotics).
I bought that one to see If I would use it. And then to learn about what models
and features were available.
I then bought a Handspring Visor Deluxe because of the expansion slot.
At the time, it was the only brand that had an expansion slot.
I gave the old Palm to my wife. She uses it to schedule all of our kids Home Schooling Activities in the Datebook. That's all she wants to use it for. So anything more would be overkill.
I recently bought a "VisorPhone" on eBay and now have an integrated cel phone on my Visor. It uses the expansion slot on the Visor.
While I wouldn't recommend that you run out and buy a Visor Deluxe (they are a discontinued product), it's still powerful, and useful. You can get refurbed models at Handspring for $99.00 they also have other models pretty cheap.
You can also go to eBay and get just about any model you want for less.
I just loaded the Scriptures on it (for Free) and can now read when I want.
Jayko is right! This thing has to fit you.
The Pocket PC wouldn't work for me, because it wants to do more than it needs to.
Some things really work better on a laptop or desktop.
I have no real personal experience myself. But I understand that the Pocket PC's crash a lot and need to be rebooted multiple times.
Now for the speed thing. I'm sure the new CPUs they're using in the newer models are nice, and I'd like to have one some day. But, hey this is a Palm OS even the older models are fast enough. I never start a program and have to wait.
Things to watch for: (gotchas)
1. Make sure the OS is upgradable (My Visor isn't)
2. Make sure there is room to grow. (You need expansion for add-on modules and memory)
3. Color is a must, especially on the smaller screens (the backlights are not very good)
4. Make sure the one you get has GOOD programs for all the things you want to do.
5. Think of the future. Make sure the one you get today will do all the things you never thought of doing tomorrow.
6. Don't pay a lot for software. Most of the GOOD software is either free or cheap!
Hope this helps!
tgus
____________________________
Families can be together forever...
The first one I bought used. It was a Palm Pilot Pro (by US Robotics).
I bought that one to see If I would use it. And then to learn about what models
and features were available.
I then bought a Handspring Visor Deluxe because of the expansion slot.
At the time, it was the only brand that had an expansion slot.
I gave the old Palm to my wife. She uses it to schedule all of our kids Home Schooling Activities in the Datebook. That's all she wants to use it for. So anything more would be overkill.
I recently bought a "VisorPhone" on eBay and now have an integrated cel phone on my Visor. It uses the expansion slot on the Visor.
While I wouldn't recommend that you run out and buy a Visor Deluxe (they are a discontinued product), it's still powerful, and useful. You can get refurbed models at Handspring for $99.00 they also have other models pretty cheap.
You can also go to eBay and get just about any model you want for less.
I just loaded the Scriptures on it (for Free) and can now read when I want.
Jayko is right! This thing has to fit you.
The Pocket PC wouldn't work for me, because it wants to do more than it needs to.
Some things really work better on a laptop or desktop.
I have no real personal experience myself. But I understand that the Pocket PC's crash a lot and need to be rebooted multiple times.
Now for the speed thing. I'm sure the new CPUs they're using in the newer models are nice, and I'd like to have one some day. But, hey this is a Palm OS even the older models are fast enough. I never start a program and have to wait.
Things to watch for: (gotchas)
1. Make sure the OS is upgradable (My Visor isn't)
2. Make sure there is room to grow. (You need expansion for add-on modules and memory)
3. Color is a must, especially on the smaller screens (the backlights are not very good)
4. Make sure the one you get has GOOD programs for all the things you want to do.
5. Think of the future. Make sure the one you get today will do all the things you never thought of doing tomorrow.
6. Don't pay a lot for software. Most of the GOOD software is either free or cheap!
Hope this helps!
tgus
____________________________
Families can be together forever...
- Status
Similar threads