Admitting Defeat

[Robert Levy]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DBJV5/ref=ase_robertlevynet-20/' target='_blank'>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DBJV5/ref=ase_robertlevynet-20/</a><br /><br /></div>Ok – it’s time for me to come clean. There is a personal battle that I have been fighting over the last several months and last week that battle was lost. It was my belief that life would be easier if I only carried around a single device. Since getting my first Smartphone, I pushed myself to do this and for the first couple of months it brought about a great feeling of freedom. I could entertain myself, stay on top of my email and the news, plus keep in touch with people wherever I went with just one gadget that I could easily operate with one hand. Everything I ever needed to read while on the road was never more than a few taps of the thumb away. But then I saw the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DBJV5/ref=ase_robertlevynet-20/">4350 iPAQ Pocket PC from Hewlett Packard</a> and everything changed. For those that don’t know, the 4350 is a thin device with 64 MB of RAM, a 400 MHz XScale processor, the latest Pocket PC operating system, built in 802.11, built in Bluetooth, and a built in QWERTY keyboard. <br /><br /><img src=http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000DBJV5.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg> <br /><br />For me, the combination of 802.11 and the keyboard are what make this a perfect Smartphone complement. The downsides to carrying around just a Smartphone is that my GPRS connection to the net is pretty slow, the screen is too small for any <i>extensive</i> web browsing, and typing up lengthy emails or IMs is pretty painful. The 4350 Pocket PC solves this beautifully by giving me a big screen, a fast network connection, and a super fast way of typing. <br /><br />On top of the device itself, I’ve finally been able to go through some of the software filed away in my “stuff to try out when I get a device with the Pocket PC 2003 OS” pile. Specifically, <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/products/voicecommand/default.mspx">Microsoft’s Voice Command</a> which lets me control Windows Media Player and other things using my voice (if you like the 1-handed Smartphone approach, the no-hands scenarios that Voice Command enables will blow you away). After that, I set up <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/plus/dme/portabledevices.asp">Plus Sync &amp; Go</a> which pulls video news feeds and music down to my device whenever I put it in the cradle. I created an “<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/windowsmediaplayer/9series/autoplaylist.asp">Auto Playlist</a>” in Windows Media Player 9 on my desktop which randomly picks 200 MB worth of my favorite music so that means that the SD card in my Pocket PC is automatically filled with a new mix of great songs each day. Simply put, I’m really glad to be using a Pocket PC again. this doesn’t mean that my Smartphone has been put aside. It still goes everywhere with me and it’s what gets pulled out of the pocket when I need to quickly look something up. It also gets the nod when I have to travel light – the Pocket PC sits at home. <br /><br />So there you have it… I’m admitting defeat and have gone back to being a 2-device geek. Please forgive me. <br /><br />Will Smartphone kill the Pocket PC platform? No way. As long as the hardware and software developers continue pushing forwards in ways that take advantage of the unique features inherent in each form factor, there is plenty of room for both of them on store shelves and in my pockets.

[Arne Hess]

1. Welcome back to the PPC world... ;-)
2. Nothing to excuse for to be a 2 device guy again!

I already had that thoughts a while back as well and wrote about it on PPCW.Net where I even add a Notebook as well. As much I love my Smartphone there are situations during the day where my Pocket PC (Phone Edition) helps me better. However, as great as both devices are, "sometimes" (more or less every day I want to work) I need either my Desktop PC or Notebook.

In my article (How much Smartphone, PDA or Notebook do you need to be mobile? (http://www.ppcw.net/index.php?itemid=1206)) I described it with the mobility and convenience factor:

http://www.ppcw.net/images/column/mobile_vs_convenient/convenience_factor.gif http://www.ppcw.net/images/column/mobile_vs_convenient/mobility_factor.gif

From my point of view, there will never be a one device solution only. All three device classes have different strength and weaknesses and the point for the user is to identify what's the most important features he want to use mobile.
For one a Smartphone and a PPC is great and enough, for others a SMP and a Notebook is the perfect combination.

[Macguy59]

Timing as they say is everything. I just posted a thread about this very same situation in the forum lastnight :D

[possmann]

While I don't own a smartphone yet - waiting for the next big thing from motorola to hit - I do see myself still carrying around a couple of devices dependent on the situation...
I always carry my ppc around as well as the phone - even going out to a bar or with friends etc... I can see that decive staying home now as I replace it with the smartphone. At work, I'll still pack both devices on me and if I bounce out of town, or on site somewhere, it will be my tabletpc (which is waaaay cool) and my smartphone.
The ppc will take a back seat to where it is today, but still will be a mission critical device - it all depends on the mission :wink:

[Santa Fe]

I posted this awhile back somewhere else. "I will go out on a limb here. I think my PPC is going to stay behind when I travel from now on. The current version of the smartphone does not come close to having all the cababilities of any PDA but the convenience of having a phone and data available in one small clamshell device is very attractive to me. I think after analyzing my most used programs that the small "give-ups" I have to make when using my i600 out weighs the complications of hauling around a phone and PDA. There is a nifty keyboard available for the i600 that I must add to make this solution compete. And there really needs to be some more useful software available. I get the feeling that a lot of software developers are waiting on the sidelines to see what this market is going to be like. But if they would get with it and offer some cool software (how about a real calculator?) then they could help grow the market."

I guess this is what makes any of these devices "personal".

I'm sure that my decision will not work for all but I'd also bet that the next few generations of the smartphone will make it a very attractive competitor to other portable devices.

[palmsolo]

Robert,

Your story is kind of opposite mine right now. I bought the iPAQ 4350 the day they were released from HP and had one the next day. I love the thumb keyboard and integrated wireless functionality. I then just got a MPx200 a week ago and am really loving the small size and portability of the device. I do think they both complement each other, although it would be even more useful if the MPx200 had Bluetooth so they could talk to each other and I could surf on the 4350 via the MPx200 as a modem. I find that I carry the MPx200 everywhere I go, but do miss some of the 4350s features. I use the MPx200 while out and about and the 4350 in my house with WiFi.

I am also testing out a T200 convertible touch screen laptop and find that it is also a quite capable platform.

[Mike Temporale]

There's nothing wrong with having 2 devices. I think the perfect device depends on the situation. I don't have a SmartPhone, yet. I did purchase a 4150 (the ThumbBoard-less younger brother of the 4350) and I love it. Having WiFi, Bluetooth, 64 Meg, SDIO all in such a small package is amazing.

I fully expect to get a SmartPhone, and I expect to carry both everywhere (and my laptop too!) Then I'll be prepared for whatever adventure is around the next corner. :lol:

[eNurse]

I have an iPAQ 5555 and a Motorola MPx200 SmartPhone. Both are great tools (I am a Nursing Administrator). At work in the hospital the Pocket PC is always in my lab coat pocket and the SmartPhone is clipped to my belt. After hours, the SmartPhone has enough information stored and available to get me by.

Each device has its strengths and weaknesses. It is up to the user to carefully research and see what is going to work best for them. One of my colleaguse dumped her Pocket PC Phone as it was too cumbersome as a mobile phone (but a great PDA).

eNurse
Nursing Pocket PC User Group

[cortez]

after getting my smartphone i gave my wife my ipaq 3850 thinking i could get buy without it. well, this week i had to give in; espcially after i laid eyes/hands on the 4150... talk about love at first site! the 4150 is a perfect compliment to my MPx200!

[Mike Temporale]

after getting my smartphone i gave my wife my ipaq 3850 thinking i could get buy without it. well, this week i had to give in; espcially after i laid eyes/hands on the 4150... talk about love at first site! the 4150 is a perfect compliment to my MPx200!

The 4000 series is truely amazing. Anyone that can resist these devices must have super powers! 8) :rock on dude!:

[Macguy59]

after getting my smartphone i gave my wife my ipaq 3850 thinking i could get buy without it. well, this week i had to give in; espcially after i laid eyes/hands on the 4150... talk about love at first site! the 4150 is a perfect compliment to my MPx200!

The 4000 series is truely amazing. Anyone that can resist these devices must have super powers! 8) :rock on dude!:

That series is sweet, but just can't see having $900 wrapped up in a smartphone and PDA.

[cmorris]

For me, the ideal combination is the MPx200 which I have, and a Toshiba M200 tablet. For those who haven't seen it, it is a convertible laptop in the 12.1" screen form factor - but the key for me is that it runs 1400x1050. When I need the extra functionality, I would much rather bring that along than a Pocket PC. Oh well, I look forward to seeing the PPC platform advance -- so keep on buying them! :lol:

[Skitals]

Since my pocket pc was stolen I got a Smartphone to replace my PPC and my cell phone. I havent looked back. I do everything on my smartphone that I did on my pocket pc... including playing NES games, quake, doom, and all the other novelties. I knew it was gonna be a long day at work so I loaded a couple of episodes of the Simpsons onto my 256mb sd card, encoded in DivX. I also played Toki Tori for a good hour... that game rocks. My smartphone does all of these "off-line" tasks like games, mp3, and video just as well as my pocket pc did (maybe not as graphically, and maybe a few extra dropped frames... but when it comes down to it it is just as enjoyable). Plus, no wi-fi at work = no internet on my pocket pc. I love being able to go online anywhere for instant messaging, checking movies times, and my favorite... streaming radio stations. I guess I could have done this stuff on my pocket pc w/ a bluetooth phone, but being on verizon = no bluetooth phones. I could have switched to t-mobile or something, but gprs = way slower then 1x (which means no streaming 128k radio).

Its all about trade-offs, but my smartphone keeps me happy and occupied without compromise.

[Spongebob]

Nothing wrong wiht using both devices :wink:
it is just plain and simple that the smart phone has limitation as does a ppc, just one has more limitations than the other. It is a matter of convenience of which you want to have with you and for what reasons.
I am considering getting a smart phone but have to wait for one I really want. Until then, my ppc does a lot of what i need it for all the time.
I need to have a keyboard for typing, most of my typing is lengthy, so the smart phone is not going to meet my needs.
There also is not enough screen size on a smart phone, so the ppc to the rescue again :wink:

[Spongebob]

oh yes, arne hess, that is a good comparison chart they developed.
good job :way to go:

[alfredhu]

Dear all:

Please check out this latest software:

http://www.smartphone.net/software_detail.asp?associateid=9&id=362

It might change your mind for your next purchase decision! Also could be a turning point to attract more PDA user to Smartphone!

[Mike Temporale]

Dear all:

Please check out this latest software:

http://www.smartphone.net/software_detail.asp?associateid=9&id=362

It might change your mind for your next purchase decision! Also could be a turning point to attract more PDA user to Smartphone!

Robert has posted about this software here (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=34903&sid=f51733aebee734edc114b80a85833c4c). Although text input is one reason to use a PPC over a smartphone, it's not the only reason. PPC offers a larger screen, touch screen, WiFi, BlueTooth, larger software selection, etc.

For me, Text input is a large factor, but it's not the only one. I can find a contacts information much faster on my PPC than my t68, and that's not even talking about updating the information. :mrgreen:

[Robert Levy]

See this thread at Pocket PC Thoughts for even more reader commentary:
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=198112

[cortez]

byteme, good point. fortunately, my smartphone was free (company perk). nonetheless, its a personal choice and i would have paid full price for both devices if i had to. there are times when the smartphone is all i need and other times when the 4150 is needed.

[pdaisdead]

...After that, I set up Plus Sync & Go (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/plus/dme/portabledevices.asp) which pulls video news feeds and music down to my device whenever I put it in the cradle. I created an “Auto Playlist (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/windowsmediaplayer/9series/autoplaylist.asp)” in Windows Media Player 9 on my desktop which randomly picks 200 MB worth of my favorite music so that means that the SD card in my Pocket PC is automatically filled with a new mix of great songs each day.



I think you can do that now with your Smartphone? I haven't tried it myself, but I did come across this:

http://msmobiles.com/news.php/1883.html


If MS' Smartphone concept catches on with the general public, consumers (business or otherwise) will definately ditch their PDAs for Smartphones. Whether we like it or not (I'm certainly fine with it), PDAs are going to become even more of a niche market. I think they'll actually meld with Tablet PCs in the sense that Tablets will also be offered in smaller and smaller sizes, with certain functions being able to potentially operate in an "instant on" mode.

I've certainly never been a fan of the products that come out of MS' Mobility Division (I tried various Pocket PCs and found them lacking in so many ways compared to Palm), but I love my MPx200. I thought I'd hate text input on a Smartphone, but actually find it EASIER than graffiti and certainly more portable than a thumb board. If they could only bring GPRS speeds up, I'd be in mobile nirvana.

[montleewireless]

Do you guys believe that a PPC Phone Edition or smartphone/pda device(ala Treo 600) based upon the HP 4350 platform will hit the market?

[Mike Temporale]

I think HP is working towards that goal. My guess is that it will be running PPC-PE, and not SmartPhone 200x.

The last talk I heard was an guess-timate that it would be released in Q2 2004, and be labeled under the 6000 series name.

[swbuehler]

Don't blame ya, but Sync 'n' Go does work with SmartPhone (you just can't install the software on the device end, but it still downloads and transfers the audio to the SD card). I have a recently-acquired MPx200 and a Sony Clié PEG-SJ20 (which was bought on the cheap when my HP Jornada 525 finally died) that I haven't touched since I got the SmartPhone. Only two items I miss are editing spreadsheets and keeping my MS Money file up-to-date, but most everything else I was doing with my Palm or my Jornada I'm now doing on the SmartPhone, including showing off videos of our newborn son to friends and family. 8)

[Spongebob]

I do not believe the smartphone is a replacement for the ppc because of shorcomings that it has compared to the ppc. For some people it will be a replacement or will work along side their ppc depending on when the situation calls for it.
The screen size alone is a good reason.
It is a good compliment to the market to see such a device that is so versatile and that can work beside any laptop, desktop, ppc, and tablet pc.

[maxnix]

The downsides to carrying around just a Smartphone is that my GPRS connection to the net is pretty slow, the screen is too small for any extensive web browsing, and typing up lengthy emails or IMs is pretty painful.
This sounds like a carrier problem to me. Why so many who don't realy on 802.11b rely on the Verizon 1xRTT faster and more available data network.

Personally, the ultrasmall thumboards are more a source of repetitive thumb stress syndrome than something useful, and they just add buld. a detachable keyboard is best, unless your idea of English data entry is SMS.

Once again, the distinction between a Pocket PC and a Smartphone is highlighted. One is not the other, and each has it's purpose. The HP (expecialy without the thumboard) is a sweet device. So is the Toshiba E800. Just can't originate a call using a cellular network connection without the GPRS adapter, and we've already been there.