New MSI Pocket PC

[Tycho Morgan]

<a href="http://www.computex.com.tw/news_archive_detail.asp?index=4025">http://www.computex.com.tw/news_archive_detail.asp?index=4025</a><br /><br />You'd never think that you'd get an email announcing a new Pocket PC, look at the specs, and then say "Oh, another one of those." Well I just did, and it is a strange notion to wrap my brain around.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.computex.com.tw/temp/img/4025a2.jpg" /> <br /><br />•Memory: 32MB SDRAM, 32MB Flash ROM <br />•206MHz Intel® StrongARM™ <br />•A 3.5-inch LCD TFT 65K color display with backlights at 240 x 320 pixels <br />•Internal Lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery<br />•Integrated Compact Flash (CF) and Secure Digit (SD) card slots<br />•Built-in infrared (IR), USB, RS-232 ports <br /><br />MSI a component manufacture from Taiwan has announced its plans to market a new Pocket PC. I suspect, like the @migo, that if this Pocket PC makes it to our side of the ocean, it will be either sold in bulk, or it will be licensed by a third party. Unlike the @migo, the specifications are nothing to get excited about, and seem to be on par with the specifications of the Toshiba/Audiovox/Casio units. This last bit is purely speculative, but judging from the mocked up screen shot, this device is still a long way off. Thanks to Trevor Bommersbach for sending this our way.

[Marc Zimmermann]

It somehow resembles the E-200.

[Paragon]

Has anyone noticed that many PPC's including most late comers like this all seem to have TWO internal storage slots, yet the two best selling the Ipaq only has SD and the HP56X only has CF. I guess the most important feature of any product is having a bandwagon for people to jump on. :)

Dave

[JJ]

My first thought after seeing the picture was that it resembles Casio E-200. It seems that all models of late comes with USB host feature and that's a good thing. The more Pocket PCs with USB host the more USB devices will be designed with Pocket PC in mind and more USB drivers will be writen for those devices.

[spg]

Same old routine looks like. And I agree with the other posters, does look like the E-200.

I haven't been impressed with MSI's products though. I had a MSI motherboard and it went out before it was even a year old. I couldn't get in contact with anyone at MSI, and I never could fix it. Made me quite upset.

[Will T Smith]

Has anyone noticed that many PPC's including most late comers like this all seem to have TWO internal storage slots, yet the two best selling the Ipaq only has SD and the HP56X only has CF. I guess the most important feature of any product is having a bandwagon for people to jump on. :)

Dave


The iPaq is the mother of the modern PocketPC. It was gen 1. The form factor of the device was constrained as I'm sure the 36xx hardware is a little bigger and not as optimized as the iPaq one-offs and the 38xx.

HP has made extraordinary strides in this iteration of Jornada. Sales have responded. Ultimately, I don't think this two slot form factor will prevail. The slots take up too much real estate in a very CRAMPED space. This is where Jornada's modular battery w/data concept really shines. Wireless network and other functionality can be added through battery packs. This takes NO extra space in a stock unit.

The CF/SD devices are a very cool innovation for expansion. However, I believe that integrated extras will deliver the SAME functionality at a cheaper price with a smaller device. Extra stock expansion that only a small percentage of users utilize is ultimately overkill.

Will