XDA, to buy or not to buy?

[aGoGo]

hello ppl.
i am thinking of buying an O2 XDA pocket pc, is there any other Pocket PC with mobile phone built in like the XDA...
what do you think is better, buying an XDA or and Ipaq + phone or Phone kit if available...

thanks in advance :D

[AdrianP]

I have an XDA and I've been extremely happy with it. There is a pretty much identical device from T-Mobile although I don't know whether it has the same software installed.

There are other devices: Hewlett Packard make a Pocket PC with a GPRS phone connection integrated and, as you say, you can get an attachment for a Compaq Ipaq. The other option, I guess, is a SmartPhone.

PC Pro magazine did a back-to-back review of most PDAs and the O2 XDA came top of the integrated Phone / PDA solutions.

So my conclusion is - you can't go wrong with an XDA! (it might be worth making sure that you get the 64Mb version rather than the 32Mb version - I understand that the 64Mb is now available in the UK - see another thread on this forum).

Adrian

[ThomasC22]

I'm split on the XDA because built in wireless is a killer feature, but remember what you're giving up:

Expansion - the XDA has none

16bit color - The XDA is only 12 (not such a big deal unless you view video where there is significant banding)

Memory - Although, as Adrian said, there does appear to be a 64meg version available in Europe and you can get it upgraded here by Times2Tech. But stock, commonly available, it only has 32 which is limiting.

Keypad - My own personal pet peeve, I don't like phones with on screen keypads.

So, basically you have to weigh the above factors against built in wireless and decide which is more important to you.

[aGoGo]

thanks for the comments...
the thing is i have to options here, i can get the Ipaq or the XDA cuz i live in Bahrain "Mid East"... only these are available...
how's the XDA when it comes to games? any1 tried Quake on that? 8)
extreme quaker here :wink:

your replay is appreciated :)

[ThomasC22]

thanks for the comments...
the thing is i have to options here, i can get the Ipaq or the XDA cuz i live in Bahrain "Mid East"... only these are available...
how's the XDA when it comes to games? any1 tried Quake on that? 8)
extreme quaker here :wink:


Well, if you want help comparing your options you need to tell us exactly what iPaq you are looking at.

[Hank Scorpio]

I have a T-mobile PPCPE and it is a great device, but after Christmas I'm trading it in for a viewsonic v35, a bluetooth card and a t68i. The T-mobile is pretty good on most subjects, but it never fulfilled my expectations. For one thing, I thought the GPRS "always on" thing meant that I could open messenger and leave it on all day and I could be reached by everybody on my buddy list, turns out that the GPRS shuts itself off after a minute or so of inactivity, why the heck do I have the unlimited data service for then!. I love being able to surf the internet anywhere anytime, but it's pretty slow and it seems that there's a few bugs that haven't been ironed out yet. My connection settings will just stop working after about a month and I have to make a new one with the exact same settings to get it to work again, always when I need it the most it seems. I bought the ipaq adapter for my old accessories such as my GPS reciever and it doesn't work, it does charge through a sync and charge cable so not a total loss. The machine itself is nice and small but as soon as you put it in a case for protection it feels like it's doubled it's size, and I feel like I'm lugging around a 1980's cell phone. My Ipaq didn't feel like that...

[aGoGo]

Well, if you want help comparing your options you need to tell us exactly what iPaq you are looking at.
most iPaq models are available here, almost all of them... :wink:

[Carlos]

I just got rid of a Jornada 568 with Bluetooth and a T68. I couldn't be happier. You'd have a real fight if you tried to force me to go back. For one, the solution isn't really reliable, and like you said, fails when you need it most. I've never had my built-in connection settings on the PPC-PE get mangled or have to be re-created. They did with the Bluetooth solution. And the two just aren't as nicely integrated as the PPC-PE.

Not to mention that I had four T68's fail in two months.

[Hank Scorpio]

Yeesh, really, does everyone else have the same experience with their PPCPE? Does the GPRS cut out after just a minute of non use? I recall when the O2 first came out someone reported that he did a test and left messenger on all day and it only used a few kb's, how did he get the GPRS to stay connected? has anyone else felt that the always on isn't by any means always on?

[RDC]

Yeesh, really, does everyone else have the same experience with their PPCPE? Does the GPRS cut out after just a minute of non use? I recall when the O2 first came out someone reported that he did a test and left messenger on all day and it only used a few kb's, how did he get the GPRS to stay connected? has anyone else felt that the always on isn't by any means always on?

Apparently "Keep Alive" fools the GPRS into staying alive.

http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/cestuff.html

I've never tried it.