[jlp]

Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

Well, it seems that my experience with WM2005 has been significantly better than your opinion of it would suggest.

I'm not so much talking about experience but rather facts.

Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

Just a few comments:

• Yes, it's true that persistent storage predated WM2005 (although it wasn't "always" there, as early Pocket PCs such as the Cassiopeia E-115 didn't have it).

That's correct, However if you want to talk about the 2-3 devices that make the 1% of pre-WiMp5 devices, that's fine but I'll stick with the overwhealming generality.

Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

• However, taken in the context of the entire article, I think it's clear that my point is that persistent storage is used in a significantly different way in WM2005 than in earlier WM versions, ...

• Your performance report based on your experience with the Axim differs significantly from my experience with the N560. I just loaded Agenda Fusion, Resco File Explorer and Word Mobile... AF loaded in about 4 seconds, while the other 2 loaded in about a second. And switching between them using Wisbar Advance 2 is instantaneous. I find the overall experience performance-wise to be very comparable to the 720, with WM2003 SE.

Great to hear it, however there are several lacking features and severe design faults I will not embark into since this is a device review, not the OS review (I mentionned it briefly as is IS part of the device).

Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

• Automatic backup is less than infallible, from my experience. I've been "smart" enough to have Sprite Backup run every weekend on my Pocket PCs, and it would occasionally fail to run with no warning or error message....

Well I've been "smart" enough not to trust automatic features and do manually backup my PIM data at least once a day after planning revision 8). And I add a complete manual backup around every week. I alway keep 2-3 sets on my CF card.

Also I put ALL my important data mainly on my 1GB CF card.

Data saved to a memory card is even MORE secure than in a non removable ROM storage. If you break your device chances are high the memory card will survive.

However expecting to retrieve information from the ROM is hopeless.

I'm not saying using the ROM to store everything is a bad thing, BUT to use ROM and NOT make it mandatory for manufacturers to use fast ROM (or for them to NOT test enough to realize they use awefully slow ROM) is a very unexcusable oversight to say the least.

Like with many things, in theory it's great, in practice they fail miserably on a few counts.

Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

• Regarding battery life and the numbers that you state, the 12 hours is a claim from FSC that's wildly optimistic. To the contrary, Mobile-review found that, under actual usage conditions, the 720 would last from 7-8 hours under light use to as low as 2 hours 45 min. under heavier load.

• This is HALF-TRUTH, you haven't read the review carefully. They say precisely: "The LOOX 720 lasted for 7-8 hours at a common use (books, organizer, GPRS, some video and music) with an average backlight level." AND "Under the MP3 mode (the screen is on, the minimum frequency rate) the provided 11-12 hours on a single charge."
  
  So they DO reach 12 hours WITH the screen ON; and you could expect even more with the screen tured off; that's generally what happens when you listen to music.
  
  I personnally wouldn't consider " GPRS, some video and music" to be common use. Everybody will agree that telecommunication and video eats up a lot of battery.
  Anyway YMMV. But they do reach 11-12 hours of continuous use. And it could reach an extra hour or two with the screen off.
  8)
  
  

  Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

  It would seem that my usage is different from theirs, because I never achieved 7-8 hours of use with my 720 even with light usage (reading an e-book, for example). Perhaps at best I achieved 4 1/2 hours.

  You might have had a defective battery. Or your watch was too slow 8).
  
  

  Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

  And as an update, since I've gotten more opportunity to use the N560, I think my 3 hour estimate was low... I'd probably raise it to at least 4 hours based on additional experience under comparable usage to the 720. So the N560 with a smaller battery is nearly comparable in battery life to the real life results of the 720 with the larger battery in a constant use situation, where the N560 has to refresh RAM constantly just like the 720.

  This is where is becomes worrysome that the N560 only has a battery life of 3-4 hours on a light use mode. How much would it last with GPS on or while watching a video or surfing the web connected to a BT phone?
  
  2 hours at best? 8O
  
  

  Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

  Once again, I reworded that part of the review to clarify that the longer battery life applies only when the unit is powered down and the WM2005 unit is not required to refresh RAM.

Again this is half truth and deception from MS programmers to justify their stupid thinking and awckward decisions.

Is there such a thing as a complete OFF state? How is it achieved?

If it's possible to do it but nobody does it in their daily activities, how good is it? because it would take waaaaay too much time to save everything, close everything (impossible directly as apps are required NOT to have a manual close funtion; you need to go in the settings control panel) before you can turn off the device completely; unless that's a menu option like with Win XP.

Likewise it would take 40 seconds and up to reboot, run regularly used apps and open data files; basically just like after a soft reset under e.g. WM03. (of course depends on device speed and architecture, number of plugins, startup programs, the size of your files, etc.)

A soft reset on my Axim X5 (I'll test it next week on my new PL 720 when I get it) takes 40 sec in standard configuration and short of 50 sec when launching PocketInformant afterwards.

How many times did you totally turn off your n560 as opposed to the "nap state"? Probably not even 1 in 10, most probably not even 1 in 20.

Most people will probably never use it in their daily activities. Maybe -just maybe- they'll use it when going on vacation (if they know and remember it's possible).

I think MS engineers totally mixed up the user experience between small smartphones and large PPCs. One handed operation means the device is unsecurely held in one hand while operating and typing is slow and cumbersome: even on my small smartphone most of the time I use both hands to firmly hold the device and type faster; so this one handed operation is over rated; at least it's too different on a large PPC.

Originally Posted by Doug Raeburn

I'll finish up by reiterating that my experience with WM5 on the N560 has been excellent, and I stand behind my positive evaluation of it. It's not perfect, but its performance is comparable to or better than that of the 720 in just about all areas.

Except very poor battery life that's half that of the 720 at best.
Except that it lacks many features found on the 720.
You can easily connect the 720 to a very small GT GPS device (that still will be accessible by other PPCs or smartphones when the 720 battery runs out. Nobody can access the integrated GPS in the N560 when you're stranded with a flat battery; you better bring a few spares along with you :lol

The fact that it adds GPS is far from placing it on par with the 720: what the 720 lacks you can add it, however what the N560 lacks you can NOT add it.

With the N560 you have to make compromises. You are forced to make them; I wouldn't.

PS: You still didn't tell us how to hold the device securely on the palm of your hands with fingers and thumb grasping the device all the while pressing those soft buttons.