My X5 Advanced is ordered!

[TorchRedStang]

I am excited.. I decided to just bite the bullet and buy a new one at 10% off.. I got the 1 year accidental damage policy also. The only other PDA's I have had were the Palm V and I currently have a Sony CLIE PEG-N760C. I have never used a Pocket PC before.. I have heard nothing but good things about them... anyone want to give me some pointers? Anything drastically different that I am gonna have to get used to? The thing I couldn't stand about my CLIE was that the MP3 player and picture viewer was awful.. you had to have 2 seperate programs to change the format of the files so that you could put them on the PDA.. and you couldn't just sync them on there, you had to have a memory stick card writer and put them on.. but it had to be formated with yet another program.. it sucked..

How hard is it to put MP3's on the Axim?

The only thing that sucks is that I live in texas so I had to pay tax which was $30 :cry:

Oh well.. it's ordered and I can't wait to get it.. anyone want to buy a CLIE?

[spursdude]

Just keep an open mind as you begin to use the PPC, because it's a lot smarter than you might think.

For transferring MP3 files, let me give you a sense of what it's like. Cradle your Axim, and once it establishes a connection, you simply hit "Explore" and then drag and drop your MP3 from the desktop to the Pocket PC using Windows Explorer.

No conversions. No extra programs. Bliss. :mrgreen:

[TorchRedStang]

That's what I heard... that's worth the money right there!!! I only used the MP3 player 2 times on the sony because it was so much of a pain.. i would just burn a cd and take it to the gym instead of using my sony..

I just realized that Pocket PC's don't use graffiti.. so do you just write like a normal person instead of having to learn a new language?

[spursdude]

I just realized that Pocket PC's don't use graffiti.. so do you just write like a normal person instead of having to learn a new language?
By default, there are a couple input methods built in...
Block Recognizer is basically graffiti.
Letter Recognizer lets you write on English letter at a time, without having to learn a new script. It recognizes each letter as you write it.
Transcriber allows you to write full sentences, or even paragraphs all over the screen. The accuracy isn't the greatest thing ever, but it is fast and useful.
And the Keyboard is just a keyboard where you tap the individual keys.

[TorchRedStang]

Thanks a lot for the info!

Now,

What are the most useful programs that I should get, and where should I get them...

And what games do I need for this bad boy?

[PetiteFlower]

You might want to visit the other forums, there's lots of info in there. There's a "must have" thread in the Software forum, and a games thread too. And the "Palm to Pocket PC forum probably has a lot of conversion related tips :)

[dh]

You've made a good choice. I've had my Axim for a few months now and love it.

Other than work related things, I use my Axim all the time for music and movies. One thing to remember is that if you do use the ActiveSync connection to transfer music files, use a CF memory card rather than an SD. There are some issues when writing large files to the SD card internally. If you do get an SD card, I would suggest getting a card reader so that you can write to the card directly from your PC.

I'm also a fan of coding music as .ogg rather than mp3. Smaller files and better quality seem to be acheived this way. (If you have already ripped your collection to mp3 don't worry about it).

I also came to PPC after being a Palm user for many years. You will find that the people at this site are super helpful. They've helped me get the best out of my Axim and I'm sure you will find the same.

[maximus]

torchred : purchased any accessories yet ?

[TorchRedStang]

thanks for the info!

I haven't purchased any accessories yet.. I ordered a hard case, but it's on backorder until the begining of June, so I am gonna cancel that and buy a case somewhere else. Any recommended accessories?

I definately need to get the cable to hook it up to my phone..

[maximus]

Actually, connecting the axim thru a cable to a mobile phone defies the 'wireless' world we currently live in. :| ... not to mention that it is kinda cumbersome, the cabling and all.

I would say, go with a GPRS CF card, hence you can really go mobile with 1 device only.

If you prefer to connect to a phone, some people would suggest to get a bluetooth CF, so you can connect to your mobile phone wirelessly. That will depend on the type of mobilephone that you are currently using.

I am personally waiting for the coming motorola V600, which is equipped with a bluetooth, EDGE (hispeed GPRS), MMS, integrated 2MP camera, quad band ... etc. etc. etc.

http://commerce.motorola.com/consumer/QWhtml/v600.html

[PetiteFlower]

Using the cable isn't THAT bad. And $40 compared to $200 for a GPRS card......well it's no contest for me. Axim + Gomadic cable + Sprint Vision plan + LG 5350 is like my "connected anywhere" dream come true! Bluetooth would be nice, but that would have required me to switch services AND buy a new phone AND get a bluetooth CF card....again way more money then I needed to spend when my current combo does the same thing! I can check my email and go on IM when I'm away from home and I spent a reasonable amount of money; having to use a cable is an acceptable tradeoff for that.

[TorchRedStang]

Well, I work for Cinuglar so I get free unlimited TDMA service.. so, it may be slower than GPRS, but it's free so I can't complain.. I mainly want to check e-mail.. a little web surfing would be nice every once and a while. I am currently trying to decide between getting a Nokia 6340i or a Motorola V60ti.

Anyone have any expirience connecting their Axim to the net via a TDMA system?

[maximus]

Definitely the V60 :)

[TopDog]

What are the most useful programs that I should get, and where should I get them...
Here's the apps I currently have on my Axim. I consider them "must haves" :-)
http://www.pdanorway.com/on_my_PPC_now.htm

BTW: You need a 3'rd party software to play Mp3... the Windows Media Player only plays WMA-files. My personal favorites are PocketMusic and GSPlayer, both are freeware!

[spursdude]

BTW: You need a 3'rd party software to play Mp3... the Windows Media Player only plays WMA-files.
Not really true... Windows Media Player for Pocket PC will play MP3 files. It will also play WMA files. Your statement would be true if you said "WMP only plays WMA-files well." :)

Just thought I'd clarify.

[maximus]

You need a 3'rd party software to play Mp3... the Windows Media Player only plays WMA-files. My personal favorites are PocketMusic and GSPlayer, both are freeware!

Will they run oggs ?

[PetiteFlower]

Gs player will, Pocket Music will not as of yet, though it is a nice player otherwise.

[TopDog]

Not really true... Windows Media Player for Pocket PC will play MP3 files. It will also play WMA files. Your statement would be true if you said "WMP only plays WMA-files well." :)
Does it? Didn't know... well, at least the files have to be stored in My Documents, and that is the most stupid thing about the WMP :-(

[maximus]

strange. I went to gsplayer's website (http://gsplayer.cjb.net/) .. The page does not mention that gsplayer is a pocketPC software. Am I on the wrong page ?