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View Full Version : Convergence - Can 3 become 1?


Jeff Rutledge
05-29-2003, 07:21 PM
I saw a reply from JonnoB about a lack of BT support in a PPCPE device. It got me thinking: Why hasn’t anyone got Convergence right yet? I think the technology is there, but no one has done it yet (unless there’s still some as-yet-un-leaked PPC around the corner I haven’t heard about). I’m planning to upgrade my iPAQ 3870 to one of the new devices, but I don’t know if there’s one that will fit the bill. I’m hoping the learned folks here can help.

I currently use three devices on a regular basis: My iPAQ 3870, Blackberry 957 and my Ericsson T68 phone with HBH-30 BT headset.

So my question is: Can these three devices become one?

I am on my Blackberry constantly and my iPAQ nearly as much. The phone doesn’t get used much, but it’s still a necessity for work.

I have tried the BT combo between my iPAQ and T68 and found it wanting. The connection dropped often requiring a soft reset (and in some cases, restarting the phone). Also, I was using Synchrologic’s Desktop Redirector and the best I could do was check every 15 minutes. The Blackberry is virtually instant.

I also really like the Blackberry’s thumb keyboard (and it’s AutoText implementation) and jog dial. Replying on my iPAQ (even at a good speed using FITALY) wasn’t nearly as effortless as the Blackberry.

Based on these points, I think I’ve decided to keep the Blackberry (at least for now). I know that RIM is planning to release software that will support any PPC with a GPRS connection so I’ll probably try that when it comes out. So a good thumb keyboard is a consideration for me, but not a deal-breaker.

So that leaves me with a PDA/Phone combo. I do know that I prefer the PPCPE over the Smartphone based on my usage (whew, at least one decision is made). The Samsung looks nicest so far. I’d be able to use a SDIO WiFi card. The only thing I’d lose would be the ability to use my BT headset. I’d be down to two devices then and could possibly add the Blackberry functionality to it at some point. No thumb keyboard would make that a tough sell though.

Another option is to keep things as is and just update to one of the new iPAQ’s. I’ve spent a lot of $$$ on iPAQ accessories. If I went with the 5500, a lot of them should still work. I’d still have three devices though, at least until Blackberry releases its PPC software. I do know that there is a very nice thumb keyboard available for the 5400’s that would definitely fit the bill (doesn’t add to the footprint). Then I’d still be able to use my headset, WiFi and have all the PPC power I’d need.

Yet another option would be to get a Blackberry phone and keep my PPC for BT and WiFi only (no WAN). I’m not wild about this for a couple reasons. I’ve heard the 6210 is very flaky (P.O.S. is how it was described to me). Also, I’m a big PPC fan so I’d like to move more functions to it, not away from it.

Sorry for the long-winded post, but as you can probably tell, I’m a bit lost.

Am I the only one?

bblock
05-29-2003, 07:33 PM
No - you're not the only one at all! I was quite disappointed to hear that HP decided not to puruse a convergent device. I had my hopes set on their GSM/GPRS sleeve before it was discontinued a year after use, and thought they'd come out with a great PPCPE 5000 series - which was originally in the plans, until a month or two ago...

I also wanted a bluetooth headset, and discovered that the bluetooth implementation on the 3870 didn't support the Headset bluetooth profile, so I opted for the 3850 until the right unit came along. I'm like you - I use my Pocket PC a lot, my phone a little (but it's a necessity), and I want a bluetooth headset for those occasional but painful 30+ minute calls.

I have somewhat high hopes for this summer's Pocket PC 2003 Phone Edition platforms. The PPCPE units are there, and bluetooth is there - hello? Can we please have a unit that has them work seamlessly together without sacrificing functionality for those of us who don't *want* two devices (not counting the headset)?

Hello?

-Bryan

JonnoB
05-29-2003, 08:07 PM
I have faith it will happen. Not everyone wants all devices lumped into one, but there are people who do. I really want an XDA-type device, but am not willing to give up my CF slot, integrated WiFi, and transflective 16k color screen. A phone should always have BT, so where does that leave people like me? Waiting......

Canuck
05-29-2003, 08:09 PM
I understand that Dell is working on a device with push e-mail similar to the RIM device. I can't remember the partner they are using to do it but its been reported on this site.

I too have been eyeing the new samsung device, hoping for a Canadian release, but like you say, the RIM email is nice. As for you're thumboard, I think that if you have any chance of seeing the combination you have set out within the next 12 months it will have "Palm" written on it.

disconnected
05-29-2003, 08:42 PM
I feel like I've been waiting forever (although it was just under three years ago that I got my first PDA -- iPAQ 3630).

All the pieces are here, just not put together in the right combination. I think if you polled a hundred people, you might get at least fifty different desired feature sets.

It's too bad things can't be more modular, so we could have more choices. A laptop can have one drive bay for DVD, CD, extra battery, etc.

I would really like it if there were no such thing as PPCPE, as a separate OS. If all PPCs had the PPCPE operating system, then a PPC could have a built-in antenna and a bay to hold a small module from Sprint, T-Mobile, or whatever carrier you wanted to use (user replaceable for travel or switching carriers). This would differ from current wireless cards in that it could hopefully be smaller, and it would integrate totally into the PPC to create a true PPCPE device. Of course it would also be helpful to have a reasonably priced plan like 10.00 unlimited Vision (like PPCPE devices, not the data plans the current cards have).

If I could have that, plus built-in bluetooth, both CF and SD slots, and reasonable battery life, I'd be pretty happy.

My perfect device would also have --
a 4" transflective screen (480 x 640, as long as I'm dreaming here)
built-in wi-fi
replaceable battery

Jeff Rutledge
05-29-2003, 09:02 PM
I understand that Dell is working on a device with push e-mail similar to the RIM device. I can't remember the partner they are using to do it but its been reported on this site.
It's Good Technology. Unfortunately, my company has a Blackberry Enterprise Server so I doubt we'll support Good.

I too have been eyeing the new samsung device, hoping for a Canadian release, but like you say, the RIM email is nice. As for you're thumboard, I think that if you have any chance of seeing the combination you have set out within the next 12 months it will have "Palm" written on it.

Yeah, I've seen those Tungsten's. They do technically meet the bill, but it's a got a fatal error: the O/S. I actually got a Palm m515 for a few months through work to evaluate it for a project. I couldn't give it back fast enough. Palm's time has passed (for me, anyways).

Canuck
05-29-2003, 09:14 PM
I hear you about the Palm bit, and suspect that the Good technology won't grab on, obviously especially here in Canada being that RIM is based here. I am somewhat encouraged by those comments above that RIM is planning PPCPE software. That makes another plus for the Samsung BUT back to the original rant, no Bluetooth.

Why would a company invest so much money to come up short? An integrated device as described by our friend above (although in my opinion the thumboard is not a buy/sell issue) would sell for the good old fashioned reason that it would be better than the rest. Are you listening hardware manufacturers? Are you listening wireless carriers? If not, then who are you listening to?

I just don't see what makes the business model so complicated. Be the first with a killer device and charge a premium to suckers like us until competition brings the price down. I know I'd pay for it!

Janak Parekh
05-29-2003, 10:22 PM
I have faith it will happen. Not everyone wants all devices lumped into one, but there are people who do. I really want an XDA-type device, but am not willing to give up my CF slot, integrated WiFi, and transflective 16k color screen. A phone should always have BT, so where does that leave people like me? Waiting......
... and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, with your 568. I hope it's holding up. :) I do know that when you jump for your next device, I will have to seriously consider getting it too. ;)

--janak

JonnoB
05-29-2003, 10:35 PM
... and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, with your 568. I hope it's holding up. :) I do know that when you jump for your next device, I will have to seriously consider getting it too. ;)

The 568 is still my personal device although in my household, we have three Toshibas (310 and 755 plus a Maestro - does that count?) and iPaq 1910 (and a really old 3135) as well as an Axim. Each has something to love about it, but no one device fits the bill. Seems odd that I find that I am not the only one using the 56x still and that it is the style the new HP decided to do away with.

I would settle right now for a 5455 type device with integrated CF, rocker/scroller, 550g type screen and a seperate MS Smartphone with integrated BT. Before the year is out, there will be something close enough to make me jump from the Jornada - I just have to have faith!

Janak Parekh
05-29-2003, 10:40 PM
Seems odd that I find that I am not the only one using the 56x still and that it is the style the new HP decided to do away with.
Well, it's just that (screen aside) the 568 was a fantastic device engineered nicely by HP, and it's all the more frustrating that they dropped it. pt's little HPimp semi-joke (http://www.pocketpcmagic.com/pimp.html) from a few years ago shows how much foresight the HP engineers had for this product.

I myself am debating between the rumored successor to the 5450 and the Samsung i700, and would love to have a device that converges the two -- that would be near-ideal for me.

--janak

bblock
05-29-2003, 10:44 PM
Not that it will matter to anyone except those in corporate environments or those with an MSDN subscription, but according to the Exchange 2003 webcast a few days ago (as posted on the frontpage), Exchange 2003 integrates the Mobile Information Server and, in conjunction with Pocket PC 2003 OS, will be able to signal the device when a message arrives (based on a user-customizable filter MUCH more flexible than 'every 'x' minutes') and have it connect, synchronize, and disconnect/turn off.

Essentially, you can choose to have your email 100% up-to-sync with the Exchange server, out-of-the-box.

As someone who has MSDN and a few servers kicking around at home, this was VERY good news.

JonnoB
05-29-2003, 10:50 PM
pt's little HPimp semi-joke (http://www.pocketpcmagic.com/pimp.html) from a few years ago shows how much foresight the HP engineers had for this product.

I have all of those accessories, another reason it will be hard to part with my Jornada.

PPCMD
05-30-2003, 06:03 PM
So far my Samsung I700 has been working for me especially as a former Palm OS user. I had a palm with BT, didn't really have a need for it, just came with it. Had another Palm OS device with WiFi, didn't really need it didn't use it. It would be great if they could build a device that had all the swiss army features we may use like BT, WiFi, phone, pda, camera. The cost however would be too high that may be the reason we see some features but not all.

Jeff Rutledge
05-30-2003, 11:10 PM
http://h20022.www2.hp.com/product_graphics/L312391_001.jpg

See, this would be perfect -- if it were an iPAQ phone in there. Throw in the Blackberry software for PPC and this is the 3-to-1 device.

I'm starting to feel it's not a question of if, but when now.

Maybe I'm overly optimistic on a Friday afternoon?