iPaq 3955 or 2200?

[palmsolo]

I have an opportunity to get a new, sealed 3955 for a good price and am debating picking it up or waiting for the 2200 and would like some opinions. I have been without a Pocket PC for a month since I sold my 1910 and am going into withdrawals.

Here is my thinking; the 3955 has the nice bright display, it is larger at 3.8", it also has the consumer IR like the 2200, same RAM/ROM, and I can always add the Bluetooth/CF sleeve. The 2200 looks ok although many consider it ugly. The small 900mAh battery worries me and the 3900 series should get the PPC 2003 upgrade since it is also XScale. The 2200 may also not be out until July and I am getting antsy. So I could get the 3955 and the Bluetooth/CF sleeve for roughly the same cost and have a much longer lasting battery and a larger device (size isn't too much a concern for me). I have read that the 3900 series is the most stable and reliable iPaq model produced, is this true?

Thanks for any thoughts you may have to aid me in my decision.

[Chris Spera]

the answer here, IMHO, is, it depends.

I have all my freelancing set up as a business (sole proprietorship). Everything I PURCHASE I deduct as a business expense. If you write for PDA Geek, (and you have a similar business structure...if not, and you live in the States, its easy to set up. there's no paper work to file other than what is on your tax return...TurboTax can help you do all that; but I digress...) then you have a to ask yourself, which is the better business expense.

If PDA Geek will need a review of the 2200, and you can reserve the review for yourself, then I would say, definitely get the 2200. You can still do the same thing with the 3900 (deduct it as a business expense) but if I went after the 3900, I would probably buy the 3900 now, and then ALSO buy the 2200 when it came out.

If you only have 1 PDA, (now none 'cuz you sold the 1910), you can justify both because they will have different processors, and ultimately different OS' because I don't know if the 2200's will have PPC 2003 or not :?: (does anyone know..??) :?:

If the 2200 DOES have PPC 2003, then the justification for owning both is reduced.

This is a finance question... If I HAD to choose between both, I'd wait. The 3900 is a great device, but it's nothing new. BT, DT... but the 2200 is virgin (heh-heh... he said vir...) territory, and will probably provide you with a lot to do and write on for PDA Geek.

Work the numbers. If you can't do both; wait. If you can't wait, get the 3900, and then sell it on eBay. You should get most of your money back (and you can still declair the purchase and loss on your taxes, btw... :mrgreen: )


Kind Regards,


Christopher Spera

[palmsolo]

Christoper,

Great discussion and tips. Yes I just learned this last tax season that I can write off my PDA purchases with PDAGeek. I plan on writing a review of the 2200, but my patience is wearing thin as I wait for the release. I created a pros and cons list and while the 2200 will have dual slots and the new processor, there doesn't seem to be much more of an improvement since the 3955 will be upgradeable to PPC 2003. I don't think I would mind the sleeve design since I don't use the CF slot all the time.

I don't really have a budget to purchase both and think I may wait until Monday to see if the 2200 is announced. Then again the deal on the 3955 won't last long. The one I am looking at also comes with the Best Buy warranty so I suppose I could use it and then if something happens can upgrade to the 2200 later. Then again I wouldn't be on the cutting edge:) Oh the mind of a PDA addict.

[Chris Spera]

Remember, you can always get the 3955 now, and then put it up on eBay or other auction site later.

I found an interesting tax issue that worked in my favor regarding this practice that I will share with you, and ONLY you, in a private message.

(to all other's who ask, please respect the privacy of this discussion point. If I wanted to share it with EVERYONE, then I'd have posted the details here or in the Off Topic Forum... Thanks for your understanding...)

Regarding the buying and then selling of the 3955, this would at least allow you to get a PDA now and stem the need until the 2200 is released.

Once you sell the 3955 (or purchase the 2200 first) you can sell the 3955 to cover the cost of the 2200. I have done this many times; but won't at this point, because though the 2200 would be nice to have for me, I don't have a PDA that I wish to sell right now. Without a replacement candidate, this method of gadget purchasing doesn't work for me. I can't buy every PDA that's released... :(

Its just a thought. It has worked for me in the past...


Kind Regards,

Christopher Spera