Been "gone" for a year... what's new out there?

[karinatwork]

Hi, I wasn't very involved in the pocket pc "scene" lately, because we had a baby last April (Thomas)... so I didn't have much time for anything, other than diaper changes, feeding, rocking him to sleep and trying to find some sleep for myself :wink: .
Well, in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms, I tried to read the news on Pocket PC Thoughts as often as I could, and I used the my E-125 for everything baby related I could think of, such as recording events in his development, inventory of baby food, timing his naptime and feedings, etc. etc.

So now my question: I think I am ready for a new pocket pc, but I do want something as reliable as the Casio, and with the same stunning screen, but not so big and bulky (I have enough of HIS toys to carry around with me now)... Any suggestions?

Thanks a bunch!

Karin

[GQ19]

i'd say the iPaq 1910.. but no SDIO, so i don't know if you want that or not..

[karinatwork]

I am really not sure. If there is already a SD Bluetooth card available, I'd probably need SDIO. But I could probably do without.

[mirkazemisaman]

Have a look at the Dell Axims.

[Janak Parekh]

Karin,

Congrats on your new son.

Most any Pocket PC 2002 device is smaller than the E125. It all depends on your budget and your requirements. Both the 1910 and the Axim are fantastic low-cost units. The latter is more expandable. As for the display, aim for a "transflective" screen, which is nearly as bright as the E125 yet stays viewable in the sun.

If you want to see the current lineup, check out this link on PocketPC.com (http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/learnmore/hardware/americas.asp). (Wow, that list is getting long 8O)

--janak

[ThomasC22]

What do you mean by reliable? The Dell is a great device, but if the Dpad is important to you I'd go elsewhere (out of the 20 I've ordered 16 have had messed up Dpads).

The problem is if you want anywhere NEAR as good a screen as the Casio you need a Transflective screen which pretty much limits you to 4 pdas (ipaq 1910, 3900, 5450, and Dell Axim).

If you can make due with just an SD slot you might want to consider an older model like the iPaq 3900.

Btw, congrats on your baby (great job on the naming too IMHO)

[Janak Parekh]

Btw, congrats on your baby (great job on the naming too IMHO)
I suspected you'd like the name. ;)

BTW, I think you're referring to a 3900, not a 9300, right? Or do you know something we don't? 8O

Re ruggedness: I'd probably say the Axim is closest to the E125. That thing was a brick, not only in bad ways, but in good ways too. :)

--janak

[MPSmith]

Welcome back and congrats on the new baby! Fun, isn't it?

First off, I'm biased because I just ordered a Dell. But then again, everyone is biased in some way i guess. Here are some random observations:

1. I absolutely love the screen on the 39XX iPaqs. Nice feeling unit. Compaq has always been good to me, too.
2. The Dell is my choice. The only downside is it is little larger than the average PDA and doesn't have SDIO. There seems to be some question as to whether a driver will correct that problem. I picked it because of price and that it has CF and SD. Also, I'm a general fan of Dell products and service. I think it is the best one out there for less than $300.
3. I also like the Toshiba e740 (wi-fi built-in), but don't care for the screen.
4. The 1910 is too small for my taste, but it is very popular and a good bargain. Also it has no CF slot (which is part of the reason it is so small). Personally, I'm concerned that it won't be very expandable. I could be wrong.
5. If price is no object, I think you have to go with the 54XX iPaq. Gorgeous unit, but can cost $700!

I've now completed my rant. :wink:

Best of luck!!!

Look at this link at davespda for a nice comparison tool.
http://www.davespda.com/resources/compare/[/list]

[ThomasC22]

BTW, I think you're referring to a 3900, not a 9300, right? Or do you know something we don't? 8O

I don't know what your talking about, I said 3900 series in my original most *looks up at the sky and begins to whistle*

Re ruggedness: I'd probably say the Axim is closest to the E125. That thing was a brick, not only in bad ways, but in good ways too. :)


The E-125 may have been a little more rugged (It's still my favorite PocketPC hardware I have to admit) but the iPaq inside that great plastic case they ship it with is pretty sturdy in and of itself AND alot smaller in the pocket (compared to the Axim + Case)

Hopefully, the new Axim screen covers will solve that though!

[ThomasC22]

I am really not sure. If there is already a SD Bluetooth card available, I'd probably need SDIO. But I could probably do without.

Well, and the other thing I just thought someone should mention is that, since the Dell has dual slots, you could always pick up a CF Bluetooth card and just use the SD for memory.

[MPSmith]

What a great time to be a PPC'er! This thread made me realize there is so much great product out there!!! You really can't go wrong.

Fun thread, keep it up!

[Janak Parekh]

I don't know what your talking about, I said 3900 series in my original most *looks up at the sky and begins to whistle*
Most? You mean post. And this time I quoted you. :D

the iPaq inside that great plastic case they ship it with is pretty sturdy in and of itself AND alot smaller in the pocket (compared to the Axim + Case)
True. The iPaq, at least the newer models, are sturdier than they appear. My 3870 with its hard-cover CF+ sleeve has done quite well. Still, given a choice between which unit I'd rather drop, a 3870 or a E125, I'd take the latter any day. :)

--janak

[karinatwork]

Great advice so far, thanks guys!
But how come nobody mentioned the Viewsonic? It that one too new for anyone to know more about it? It seems so widely available right now, even Futureshop has it... and as for the specs, they seem better than for the Ipaq 1910... the Dell is definitively worth a closer look, but size really DOES matter... :wink:

[karinatwork]

Oh, and btw, thanks for the congrats... :D

http://www.nelsons.ca/images/Thomas%20Photos/120-2045_IMG.JPG

[Pat Logsdon]

I'd go with the Dell. I just upgraded from an E-125, and I'm very happy with my purchase. I was worried about the screen, too, since the e125's is GREAT, but believe it or not, the Axim's is *better*! Plus, you can actually see it outside! :)
Build quality is excellent, and while it is definitely larger than the 1910, it's also smaller than your e125. Plus, that extra slot & low price point are quite attractive!

[shawnc]

Great advice so far, thanks guys!
But how come nobody mentioned the Viewsonic? It that one too new for anyone to know more about it? It seems so widely available right now, even Futureshop has it... and as for the specs, they seem better than for the Ipaq 1910... the Dell is definitively worth a closer look, but size really DOES matter... :wink:

When I decided to order a new PPC, my first choice was the Viewsonic. My wife ordered from Amazon as a xmas present in October. By December 1 I had become so disgusted with Amazons handling of the matter I cancelled my order and purchased a Dell. I should send Amazon a thank-you note as I could not possibly be happier with my Axim.

Back to your question, I am also surprised at how the 1910 seems to get so much more play than the VS. They seem to be very similar machines but the VS has SDIO. It's possible VS is paying the price for their deceptive handling of the internal memory issue.

My guess is that most folks are partial to the machine they own. I know I am. But IMO, unless you're looking to spend considerable money for high-end features, it really comes down to one factor, size vs functionality. The toshiba and H1910 have great form-factor but limited functionality. The Dell's are a little larger (though nowhere NEAR the "Brick" that they have been described as) though certainly more functional with the dual slots.

Either way, now is a great time to be in the market for a PPC.

BTW - congrats. That is one handsome looking fellow.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

Great advice so far, thanks guys!
But how come nobody mentioned the Viewsonic? It that one too new for anyone to know more about it? It seems so widely available right now, even Futureshop has it... and as for the specs, they seem better than for the Ipaq 1910... the Dell is definitively worth a closer look, but size really DOES matter... :wink:
Great picture BTW!!

The Viewsonic has two distinct advantages over the 1910: bettery battery life and SDIO. However, the 1910 have been making more waves b/c of its incredible form factor... even though on paper the two are similar, this really classifies as one of those "you have to see it" to understand the difference. Additionally, most all who have seen both units also observe that the 1910 screen is sharper looking.

Having been a former Casio EM500 owner, I do have a couple warnings for you:

1) There isn't a single PPC out now that can match the indoor screen quality of the old-fashioned Casio HAST screen (though supposedly Casio has just released a currently-Japan-only PPC that sports the same screen). The flipside as Janak pointed out is that today's PPCs have better outdoor viewing capabilities.

2) There isn't a single PPC out now that can match (or even come close to) the quality of the Casio D-Pads and buttons previously used on the E125/EM500.

Good Luck!

[Janak Parekh]

Great picture BTW!!
I agree - Thomas is handsome (and no, I don't necessarily mean you, ThomasC22 ;))

1) There isn't a single PPC out now that can match the indoor screen quality of the old-fashioned Casio HAST screen (though supposedly Casio has just released a currently-Japan-only PPC that sports the same screen).
I would say the transflectives, however, are decent alternatives. The outdoor viewing is very, very convenient.

2) There isn't a single PPC out now that can match (or even come close to) the quality of the Casio D-Pads and buttons previously used on the E125/EM500.
This, on the other hand, is true, with no exceptions. Those were built for games better than any other handheld. Why can't people make decent D-Pads?

--janak

[karinatwork]

I totally agree with the quality of the screen and D-Pad. Although I am really not a gamer (well, ahem... except for some Taipei and Solitaire), I did enjoy the great functionality and feel of the Casio's D-Pad. I was afraid of the truth, that the solid built of the E-125 has not been copied by any manufacturer...

Anyway, I spent the afternoon searching the internet for customer reviews about Axim, 1910 and V35. I must have read approximately 400 at Cnet. Most of them are for the Axim (273 I think). But one thing really throws me off the track were the reviewers themselves:

27% of all the reviewers absolutely HATED the Dell customer service. That was all they talked about, although most of them stated that they had ordered the thing shortly before Christmas. You gotta give Dell some credit here, a NEW device and CHRISTMAS together can ruin the best customer service. So no real advice here, about the product and features, just complaining about how slow the delivery was and how long they had to stay on the phone to get someone to complain to.

Another big percentage of reviewers were handheld newbies. Well, in my modest opinion, put anything even slightly pocket-pc-ish in front of a newby, and they will keep raving about it on and on and on. Just remember the feeling when you saw your first pocket pc. Wasn't that why you got a pocket pc in the first place??

The third biggest group were ex Palm users who seemed absolutely thrilled about the features of the Axim. One even stated "it has Word AND Excel!!!!". Duh. I'm sorry but I think I won't get a lot of good advice there, either. I am more and more convinced that I will have to wait it out a little longer. Just to find out what's really up with those new and cheap devices. I know we are not talking big $$ anymore, but those are my hard earned $$ and I want to spend them wisely.

I guess I am going to make my husband happy and hold on to my trusted E-125 for a little longer (he REALLY doesn't seem to understand why I want a new one, anyway). But I will keep both eyes on the market and its development.

Thanks for now. Any more opinions are more than welcome and highly appreciated!

Karin

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

1) There isn't a single PPC out now that can match the indoor screen quality of the old-fashioned Casio HAST screen (though supposedly Casio has just released a currently-Japan-only PPC that sports the same screen).
I would say the transflectives, however, are decent alternatives. The outdoor viewing is very, very convenient.

Absolutely agreed. In fact, as much as I loved the HAST screen on the EM500, one of the reasons I moved to the iPaq 38xx was for outdoor viewability... just had to sacrifice the indoor beauty and in addition put up with the "classic" purple hue on the 38xx's.

I do remember other hardcore E125/EM500 users though who were downright livid when they found out the E200 was giving in to a reflective screen. There were more people than I would have guessed who didn't rate outdoor viewability as being very important.

That said, the transflectives are pretty close to the HAST indoors while being slightly less good outdoors compared to reflectives (though I hear the iPaq 54xx has improved on this). Just like you, I'm holding tight to my 38xx for now but I can't wait for the day I finally get a transflective device.

Why can't people make decent D-Pads?
Come to think of it, the only other device who provided a nice feeling D-Pad was the iPaq 36-37xx series... of course those devices had the multiple button press issues... and I wasn't crazy about the speaker-under-the-dpad concept.

I guess what I'm saying is that the original PPCs that came out had good D-Pads and we've gone downhill ever since.

[ThomasC22]

I agree - Thomas is handsome (and no, I don't necessarily mean you, ThomasC22 ;))

Well, we do have similar eating styles :o


I guess what I'm saying is that the original PPCs that came out had good D-Pads and we've gone downhill ever since.

oh, OH, ugh, how could you even compare the iPaq D-Pad to the Casio E-125....it hurts me (even though I haven't owned my E-125 for years now). Seriously, there has never been another D-Pad like the E-125 and I'm beginning to doubt there ever will be.

But how come nobody mentioned the Viewsonic? It that one too new for anyone to know more about it?

The reason I didn't mention it, and I admit this is totally unsubstantiated speculation on my part, but I don't think Viewsonic is long for the PocketPC world. They're obviously testing the waters, but being that they don't match the Dell on features or the 1910 on form factor they seem to be getting shut out sales wise.

Plus, the memory scandel, the questions about SDIO (originally everyone thought it didn't support SDIO), the Amazon mess, etc... have really taken their toll. Of the people I remember saying they ordered one, I think every one of them has cancelled the order since.

So, IMHO, I think Viewsonic will be dropping out of PDAs very soon and when they do I can't see them offering much support for their hardware.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

I agree - Thomas is handsome (and no, I don't necessarily mean you, ThomasC22 ;))
Well, we do have similar eating styles :o
Oh... spare me the imagery if you please!! :wink:


I guess what I'm saying is that the original PPCs that came out had good D-Pads and we've gone downhill ever since.
oh, OH, ugh, how could you even compare the iPaq D-Pad to the Casio E-125....it hurts me (even though I haven't owned my E-125 for years now). Seriously, there has never been another D-Pad like the E-125 and I'm beginning to doubt there ever will be.
Ok. Agreed. Though I will say that iPaq's best D-Pad was on their initial devices. The current ones on the 38/39/54xx are terrible. Actually, the same would appy to Toshiba as well... don't remember the model number, but their original one sported a decent D-Pad as well and they've since gone downhill.

I don't know what's the problem with vendors and D-Pads... perhaps this is one aspect that gets most overlooked by consumers; thus, they spend less time and effort on it?

But how come nobody mentioned the Viewsonic? It that one too new for anyone to know more about it?
The reason I didn't mention it, and I admit this is totally unsubstantiated speculation on my part, but I don't think Viewsonic is long for the PocketPC world.
My belief is that if the Viewsonic had come out a few months earlier, it might have been a smash hit, but now in comparison to both the 1910 and the X5, it measures short on both ends of the stick. If it weren't for the 1910, everyone would be ohh-ing and ahh-ing off it's diminutive size and great screen and low price (it would have set many precedents). On the other end, some of its better features (faster CPU, SDIO, better battery) doesn't help its case against the X5/X3 for those looking for something more "meaty" than the 1910.

[Janak Parekh]

oh, OH, ugh, how could you even compare the iPaq D-Pad to the Casio E-125....it hurts me (even though I haven't owned my E-125 for years now). Seriously, there has never been another D-Pad like the E-125 and I'm beginning to doubt there ever will be.
Same here. I owned a 3650 and wasn't too blown away by the D-Pad.

The reason I didn't mention it, and I admit this is totally unsubstantiated speculation on my part, but I don't think Viewsonic is long for the PocketPC world. They're obviously testing the waters, but being that they don't match the Dell on features or the 1910 on form factor they seem to be getting shut out sales wise.
I wouldn't worry too much. The Viewsonic is an OEM product, along with the PocketGear 2030, the NEC e200, etc. etc. It's not like they developed a new unit from scratch in the first place. Whether they're a one-shot vendor or not remains to be seen. From the reviews I've seen of this OEM unit (including one on this site (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,7051)), it's certainly not a bad choice.

--janak