Wireless CF and HP 568

[Stephen Beesley]

Well it now seems that there is a possibility of reviving my 568 (thanks to FredMurphy :wink: ) so now I am wondering whether anybody has any experience with a wireless CF card and the Jornada?

Any particular make that somebody has had problems or success with etc etc etc....

Any comments appreciated.

Goldtee

[FredMurphy]

Goldtee,

The card I used was the Socket low power CF card. Works well (better than the 5450 that replaced the 568 :( ) and doesn't drain the battery too badly (once again the 5450 takes a definite second place). An excellent product, the only issue being the higher price than similar offerings from others manufacturers.

Still got the card (and matching Socket Bluetooth card) despite not having a PDA to plug 'em into. I'll probably still hang on to them as I don't know what will eventually replace the 5450.

Fred

[rhmorrison]

I have a Jornada 568 with BOTH a Socket LOW POWER and Symbol CF WLAN cards that work without any problems. The power drain is noticable but tolerablable. BOTH cards are recommended. The Socket LOW POWER card I bought here for $50 through the buy & sell forum (plus $16.60 for S&H to Germany).

[Stephen Beesley]

Fred,

How do you find the 5450? It is one of the machines I have been thinking of to replace my 568 (either now or in the future...) I really like the idea of built in WiFi and Bluetooth (pity about the cost but I guess that is what you have to expect). Is the range noticebly less than with the card.

There are not too many public hot spots etc yet here (although that should change soon) so range could actually be important.

Goldtee

[RedRamage]

I'm nearly positive I already know that the answer to this question is NO, but I'll ask it anyway:

Is the MMC/Battery able to handle any SD wireless cards?

[FredMurphy]

My personal opinion on the 5450 / 568 comparison...

:| Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth are good. Unfortunately the drivers seem to have a serious memory leak and require frequent soft resets.

:) 5450 screen is good although there was nothing wrong with the 568's unless you're outdoors in bright sunlight.

:( Performance is WORSE. I used to watch full-screen videos using PocketTV on the 568 at about 18fps and the 5450's XScale just isn't up to the job.

:( Speaker is too quiet when using TomTom Navigator. At least the headphone volume has been fixed.

:( I really miss the flip cover of the 568. It made it (almost) indestructible without adding bulk. The 5450 is a nice device but once you've added the cover (I use the free one that came with it) it's noticably bigger than the Jornada.

:( I miss the CF slot. I have a few CF memory cards (and Bluetooth / WiFi) and had to buy an SD card for my MP3s. SD is fine for memory but IMHO useless for peripherals. When 802.16 (or something else) comes out you can bet there will be a CF card years before SD get a go.

I bought it because I wanted to replace my 568 quickly and liked the idea of a new toy. I'd recommend you wait to see what PocketPC 2003 devices come out - rumours seem to have settled on early June. Even if you do like the 5450, the rumoured 5550 could be worth waiting for.

[shekondar]

I have an Ambicom(sp?) 802.11b CF card -- works just fine with my 567. Haven't tested battery life, so I can't help you there...

I've also used a PCMCIA 802.11 card (Orinoco, I think) -- the only thing you need to watch out for with the PCMCIA cards is that most of them are CardBus, and the sleeve needs 16-bit cards (not CardBus).

[minidba]

I've been using the Socket Low Power wireless CF card for several months in my 568, and it's performed very well. The only issue I've had with it is that if I leave the card plugged in and turn the 568 off, the driver will sometimes not work when I turn it back on. A soft reset fixes it, and it only happens once in a while, so it hasn't really been a big issue.

[Stephen Beesley]

Thanks for all the response guys - it all seems pretty promising for using a CF wireless card with a 568. Now all I have to do is see if I can revive mine and get a card!

Fred - I think you are right about hanging on until the new PPC 2003 comes out. That is one of the main things that made me not want to buy a new PPC right now! I really do love the form factor of the 568 and the flip cover is great (although it was not enough to save my screen!). I have never owned a PDA without a screen cover and just cannot understand why most of them are made without them.

Goldtee

[Certified Optimist]

(Better late than never...)

...I use the LinkSys Wireless CompactFlash Card... It used to only be avaiable as CF2, but... now there is a new model that can be used with a CF1 slot. It costs less than the Symbian one but is supposed to perform better (both in terms of feet + battery usage).

I've been using it for about 4 months and it works REALLY well.

It's reviewed on http://www.pdabuyersguide.com/tips/linksys.htm (they also quite a few of the cards available)

And... if you have the 568 and are worried about battery drain, get the extended battery. I haven't regretted one day buying it... Otherwise... how would I survive long haul flights...