Anyone bought the new V37 ??

[Kirkaiya]

I noticed that Viewsonic is selling an upgraded version of the V35, called the V37. From the spec-sheet on their website, it appears that the only difference from the V35, is that the V37 uses the 400 MHz XScale processor, not the 300 MHz (turbo mode) version in the V35.

Also, they make a point of saying that the .NET Compact Framework is installed - and since the user-available RAM is the same (36 MB), I'm assuming that the .NET CF is installed in part of the 64 MB of ROM (?)

If anybody has gotten one of these devices, I'd be curious to hear your opinions. I had a V35, then broke it, and ended up with a 1910 (using my TAP, since the V35 was out of stock when I took it's broken body back to CompUSA).

[Jimmy Dodd]

I don't have mine yet, but it should be shipping any day now courtesy of Visual Studio's .NET giveaway. I'll follow up when it arrives, as I hope others will as well.

[netBEUI]

Jimmy Dodd: I noticed you've also qualified for the free V37 offer. Just wondering what your order status shows up as on the website? Mine says "Submission Review Completed". Also I got a few emails from [email protected], the last one shows Est. Ship Date: 07/03/03. What does yours say?

[Jimmy Dodd]

Jimmy Dodd: I noticed you've also qualified for the free V37 offer. Just wondering what your order status shows up as on the website? Mine says "Submission Review Completed". Also I got a few emails from [email protected], the last one shows Est. Ship Date: 07/03/03. What does yours say?

My email said Est. Ship Date: 06/02/03

but the web page still says "Submission Review Completed"

They've updated the FAQ to explain what the Order Status values mean and apparently "Submission Review Completed" is the last stage before "Shipped." They obviously didn't make the estimated date of 06/02/03 (which was Monday) but I'm hoping it will be soon.

BTW, I submitted my info on the first day it was available, so I would think I'm near the front of the queue. When did you submit yours?

[netBEUI]

I submitted my info and mailed all my stuff April 30 but I didn't realize that I missed one minor thing until after sent the mail. So I resent everything again on May 13. I'm thinking that resending everything will cause my order to be delayed. :oops:

Oh well, it'll come when it comes. Let us know once you've received yours! :)

[Jimmy Dodd]

I received an email from MS today indicating the V37 is now in stock with an estimated ship date of 6/18/03. That's today! :!:

Hopefully I'll see it before the weekend, but it will probably arrive next week. Of course the original estimate was 6/2/03 so some additional slippage is likely. Of course with the price I'm paying I should be patient.

[Jimmy Dodd]

I'm first! I'm first! :multi:

I just received my new Viewsonic V37. I haven't even opened the box yet - I just had to share the joy.

Strangely, the web site still says Sumbission Review Completed. I guess they aren't updating it after that point.

I'll write some more details of the device later today. I will also be glad to entertain any specific questions anyone has.

[Jake K]

Jimmy, just use it and let us know how it goes.

[gcherian]

I got it too...... :Fade-color


I think I will sell this and get one with a CF slot for my WiFi CF card....let me know if anyone wants it. Can ship it right now !!! (Box not opened)

[smittyofdhs]

here's a link to one being sold by the poster above:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13743&highlight=

[netBEUI]

I'm first! I'm first! :multi:

I just received my new Viewsonic V37. I haven't even opened the box yet - I just had to share the joy.

Strangely, the web site still says Sumbission Review Completed. I guess they aren't updating it after that point.

I'll write some more details of the device later today. I will also be glad to entertain any specific questions anyone has.

Congrats!!! So many questions, so little time:

1. Is the carrying case useable? How ugly is it?
2. Does the new processor feel zippier compared to your current device? (What were you using before BTW?)
3. Is there a button under the DPad? I know for sure the V35 doesn't have one but I wanted to know for sure about the V37
4. Is PPC 2003 preinstalled?
5. How much free space/memory does the unit have out of the box before you install anything?
6. How detailed is the battery meter level? IE - my 568 shows 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% and I'm hoping the V37 is much more detailed.

[gcherian]

First of - Thanks Smitty

To the Questions above, although I did not open the box -

4. PPC 2003 is not installed - it is still 2002 (yup !!!!! the old one)

[ppcpete]

They carrying case is a black slipcase. I can't say it's ugly, just a basic vinyl case.

The new processor seems pretty fast to me, but this is my first PocketPC. I've played with other ones in the past and seems at least as fast as those.

There is no button under the D-Pad. The machine looks just like a V35. It has PPC2002 installed.

The unit had 36.45 MB free right after I initially powered it up.

The battery meter isn't very detailed at all. It doesn't seem to register more than full, half, low, and very low. I could be missing something though. I've only played with it for a little while.

Overall I'm pretty impressed with the unit. The screen is very clear and the unit comes with a rather substantial cradle. You can also plug the AC adapter directly into the handheld and bypass the cradle.

[Jimmy Dodd]

Congrats!!! So many questions, so little time:

1. Is the carrying case useable? How ugly is it?
2. Does the new processor feel zippier compared to your current device? (What were you using before BTW?)
3. Is there a button under the DPad? I know for sure the V35 doesn't have one but I wanted to know for sure about the V37
4. Is PPC 2003 preinstalled?
5. How much free space/memory does the unit have out of the box before you install anything?
6. How detailed is the battery meter level? IE - my 568 shows 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% and I'm hoping the V37 is much more detailed.

Take your time, I've got all day. :)

1. Yes it's ugly, but useable. It's a plain black slipcase with Viewsonic imprinted on the front. It seems to be somewhat rigid as it retains its shape even empty (i.e. it doesn't flatten out as most do).
2. I have a Toshiba e740 and the V37 does feel a bit zippier than that. It may be due to not having the memory loaded to the point of bursting, but it definately seems faster. Opening Pocket Word is almost instantaneous, while the e740 actually gives me the Wait cursor.
3. There isn't an "Action" button under the D-Pad, if that's what you mean. The jog dial on the left presses in for that purpose.
4. No. Plain old PPC 2002. It does have the .NET Compact Framework installed to ROM, so for me (as a developer) that's a big plus. Of course SQL Cerver CE isn't preinstalled, so you still lose a big hunk of RAM when that downloads.
5. I have 36.45 MB of RAM, plus an additional 36.43 MB available as a Flash Disk.
6. The battery meter is kind of strange. It has a bar indicator but no values. I'll let it drain today and see if I can figure out what increments it moves in.

Additionally:

1. The screen looks really nice. It's a lot less washed out than my e740. The color saturation is really impressive (to me, at least).
2. The speaker is loud. I haven't quite got it adjusted to where screen taps and wavefiles aren't annoyingly loud. I haven't played MP3s on it yet.
3. It is really light compared to the e740. No surprise there, I guess.
4. It comes with some additional software for developers. A suite of .NET classes and APIs for accessing the hardware (the screen, speed, etc.). Also included are APIs for Viewsonic's Tablet PC and AirPanel.
5. It is SDIO Now! compatible. They are even advertising a SD WiFi card in the package, although I don't think it's available yet.
6. The Record button works differently than I am used to. TYou press it in and hold it to start recording. When you release the button the recording process stops. I use Pocket Informant on my e740 and at least it works different than this.

[gcherian]

>> 6. The Record button works differently than I am used to. TYou press it in and hold it to start recording.

That is interesting...more like my nextel PTT (Push to Talk)

[Janak Parekh]

6. The Record button works differently than I am used to. TYou press it in and hold it to start recording. When you release the button the recording process stops. I use Pocket Informant on my e740 and at least it works different than this.
Are you sure about this? On all the Pocket PCs I've used, if you press and release Record the first time, it will launch the app associated with that button. A second press will start recording, and a third press will turn it off. In addition, a press-and-hold will immediately start a record, until you let it go.

--janak

[sullivanpt]

:sunny:
My V37 arrived yesterday too. It is "really" small and light. Lighter than the iPaq 1910; although more brickish and not as stylish. The screen is bright, although difficult to see indoors if the backlight is off (unlike my XDA). There are almost no "extra" applications installed, except for a backup application which I presume backs up to the flash memory (haven't tried it yet).

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with it though...

[Jimmy Dodd]

6. The Record button works differently than I am used to. TYou press it in and hold it to start recording. When you release the button the recording process stops. I use Pocket Informant on my e740 and at least it works different than this.
Are you sure about this? On all the Pocket PCs I've used, if you press and release Record the first time, it will launch the app associated with that button. A second press will start recording, and a third press will turn it off. In addition, a press-and-hold will immediately start a record, until you let it go.

--janak

Absolutely! I thought it was strange, but then again I rarely use the feature. To sum it up:
- Pressing (and releasing) the record key takes you to the Notes app and it is ready to record.
- If you press the record button again nothing happens.
- If you press and hold the record key (whether you are in Notes or not) recording takes place until you release the button.

[Janak Parekh]

Weird! Mind you, I so rarely use the feature I remap the record button, myself. :lol:

--janak

[netBEUI]

Can anyone comment on the battery life? Also, I'd still like to know about battery granularity. A V35 user told me that he saw 100%, 82%, 75%, 58%, 42%, 14% on his unit. Just wondering if this is as granular as it goes.

[Jimmy Dodd]

Can anyone comment on the battery life? Also, I'd still like to know about battery granularity. A V35 user told me that he saw 100%, 82%, 75%, 58%, 42%, 14% on his unit. Just wondering if this is as granular as it goes.

Battery life seems pretty good so far. I used it lightly this weekend after fully charging it Friday and it's still at ~75% charge this morning. My e740 is lower than that and it spent the weekend turned off.

The granularity is pretty big, though. It appears to be more like 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%, though because the V37 screen only shows a bar, with no value percentage of the charge remaining, I'm guessing at the values. Also, during charging the power remaining bar pulses to show that it is charging. It does not show how much of a charge you've reached. You have to detach it from the charger to see how close to 100% you've gotten. There is a charging LED that turns off when you reach 100% though.

I can email you a screen shot if you want, I don't think I can upload one to the site and I don't have a place to host it.

All in all the power applet is pretty anemic. I'll be installing BatMemTime as soon as I get done playing with the V37 in its "pristine" state.

[netBEUI]

Thanks for the info. Yes - please email a screenshot to sal at kkp dot ca

A few more questions: :)

1. How does it feel speedwise?
2. Do you know if the V37 is using the newer 200 bus speed?
3. I'm really curious how fast it runs SNES emulation. I know your unit is still in "pristine mode" so you might not want to try this just yet but I'd love to know what kind of frame rates you get when running SNES emulation.

Thanks!

[netBEUI]

I got the answer to the bus speed question directly from Viewsonic tech support. :D

Originally they said it was 100mhz but the lady just replied with the following message confirming that the V37 bus speed is 200mhz!!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Duong [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 9:52 AM
To:
Subject: RE: V37 - Bus speed

Dear Valued Customer,

Please dis-regard the e-mail below on the bus speed of the V37. Our product engineer mis-understood me and gave me the bus speed of the Viewsonic V35 Pocket PC. The V37 will have a 200Mhz bus speed to take advantage of the Intel XScale PSA255 processor.

Thank you,

Nancy Duong
Technical Support
Viewsonic Corporation
800-888-8583

-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Duong
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 4:06 PM
To:
Subject: V37 - Bus speed

Dear Valued Customer,

This e-mail is in reference to a pre-sales question you had regarding the Viewsonic V37 Color Pocket PC.

The bus speed of the V37 is 100MHz.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be of assistance to you.

Kind Regards,

Nancy Duong
Technical Support
Viewsonic Corporation
800-888-8583

[aroma]

I must say that I've been using my (free) V37 since I received it last week, and I'm very impressed with this little guy. I've previously used an iPAQ 38xx and now am using a 5450. The V37 runs very smooth, is supper light, and has a nice screen. I'm torn between carying my 5450 and my V37... ah the agony! ;)

[Jimmy Dodd]

I must say that I've been using my (free) V37 since I received it last week, and I'm very impressed with this little guy. I've previously used an iPAQ 38xx and now am using a 5450. The V37 runs very smooth, is supper light, and has a nice screen. I'm torn between carying my 5450 and my V37... ah the agony! ;)

No such dilemna for me. I've been using my (free) V37 exclusively since my other Pocket PC is an e740. I've already packed it up for the return trip to BestBuy as soon as the 5550 iPaqs hit the shelves. It's dumped it's battery for the last time on me. :grumble:

[aroma]

6. The Record button works differently than I am used to. TYou press it in and hold it to start recording. When you release the button the recording process stops. I use Pocket Informant on my e740 and at least it works different than this.
Are you sure about this? On all the Pocket PCs I've used, if you press and release Record the first time, it will launch the app associated with that button. A second press will start recording, and a third press will turn it off. In addition, a press-and-hold will immediately start a record, until you let it go.

--janak

Absolutely! I thought it was strange, but then again I rarely use the feature. To sum it up:
- Pressing (and releasing) the record key takes you to the Notes app and it is ready to record.
- If you press the record button again nothing happens.
- If you press and hold the record key (whether you are in Notes or not) recording takes place until you release the button.

Just tried this on mine, and it works as with others. (After in notes) A single press will start the record, and another press will stop. However when you press to start, you have to _briefly_ hold the button... a quick press won't do it. You have to hold it down for just a quick moment.

- Aaron

[Jimmy Dodd]

6. The Record button works differently than I am used to. TYou press it in and hold it to start recording. When you release the button the recording process stops. I use Pocket Informant on my e740 and at least it works different than this.
Are you sure about this? On all the Pocket PCs I've used, if you press and release Record the first time, it will launch the app associated with that button. A second press will start recording, and a third press will turn it off. In addition, a press-and-hold will immediately start a record, until you let it go.

--janak

Absolutely! I thought it was strange, but then again I rarely use the feature. To sum it up:
- Pressing (and releasing) the record key takes you to the Notes app and it is ready to record.
- If you press the record button again nothing happens.
- If you press and hold the record key (whether you are in Notes or not) recording takes place until you release the button.

Just tried this on mine, and it works as with others. (After in notes) A single press will start the record, and another press will stop. However when you press to start, you have to _briefly_ hold the button... a quick press won't do it. You have to hold it down for just a quick moment.

- Aaron

I swear mine works this way! :? Maybe it's possessed :devilboy: or something. But I have to hold down the record button to get it to record. Am I all alone in this?

[Jimmy Dodd]

OK - I knew I wasn't nuts :silly:

If you look on page 28 of the V37 User Guide you'll see the directions to record:


To create a recording:
1. Hold the V37's microphone about three inches from your mouth.
2. Press and hold the record button on the left side of the unit...
3. While holding down the record button, speak into the microphone.
4. To stop recording, release the record button...


Ah! Vindication. :wink:

[aroma]

OK - I knew I wasn't nuts :silly:

If you look on page 28 of the V37 User Guide you'll see the directions to record:


To create a recording:
1. Hold the V37's microphone about three inches from your mouth.
2. Press and hold the record button on the left side of the unit...
3. While holding down the record button, speak into the microphone.
4. To stop recording, release the record button...


Ah! Vindication. :wink:

Hmm... Sure enough, that's what the manual says, but I've got my V37 right here in front of me, and I can start recording with one button press, and the stop with another. ( I promise! ) Here's a question. I thought that the Calculator was an standard component of PPC OS. (In this case PPC2002.) What I find odd is that the Calculator app on my V37 looks completely different than the Calculator on my 5450. Does one of these devices install a non-standard Calcutor app? What's the deal?

[Jimmy Dodd]

Here's a question. I thought that the Calculator was an standard component of PPC OS. (In this case PPC2002.) What I find odd is that the Calculator app on my V37 looks completely different than the Calculator on my 5450. Does one of these devices install a non-standard Calcutor app? What's the deal?

You're right. The calculator on my V37 looks more like the old pre-PPC 2002 calculator. The one on my e740 is several shades of blue and has teardrop shaped keys. Hmmmm.

[aroma]

You're right. The calculator on my V37 looks more like the old pre-PPC 2002 calculator. The one on my e740 is several shades of blue and has teardrop shaped keys. Hmmmm.

Yep... exactly. Wonder what the deal is???

[TomTanida]

Is the V37 physically equivalent to the V35- specifically, screen size?

I wanna buy some WriteSHIELDs for it but PocketPCTechs only has V35 versions listed...

-Tom

[sullivanpt]

Since I don't actually NEED a second pcoket PC, I have been running an amusing battery longevity test with it. I charged it up June 17th and have it plugged it back in since. I don't use it, other than to check the battery status daily (backlight on while I check, maybe 1 minutes worth of activity a day).

After exactly two weeks, the battery STILL is at the 65% mark! :D That's exciting to me, since my last similar test was with an iPaq that went from 100% to flat out, "lose everything" 0% in a week of doing nothing.

As I see it, the standyby time is approaching the sort of put it in your purse and forget about stamina previously only associated with cheap old black and white Palm Pilots! I might even put this up to the challenge and give it to my wife (she's notorious for letting batteries run dry).

I'll post another update when the unit finally fails.

[Peter Foot]

I also got a V37 recently and contacted Viewsonic about whether it would at some point be upgradable to PPC 2003, this was my reply:-

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Viewsonic V35 & V37 Color Pocket PC.

An upgrade option will be available for the V35 & V37 to the Pocket PC 2003 operating system. Please check our website www.viewsonic.com at the end of July for details and pricing information of this upgrade option.


Thank you for choosing Viewsonic!

Kind Regards,

Nancy Duong
Technical Support
Viewsonic Corporation
800-888-8583

It'll be quite cool as the device seems quite punchy in the performance stakes considering what I had been expecting (this is my first XScale device) - the 200Mhz bus and PXA255 chip really make a difference. And with the improved performance the new OS brings (Windows CE 4.2 is considerably more refined than 3.0) it should really fly.

I also noticed that the calculator looked "old". Even my iPaq 3630 upgraded to PPC 2002 has the swishy blue buttons and currency converter - odd but not really a problem :huh: .

[Jimmy Dodd]

I also got a V37 recently and contacted Viewsonic about whether it would at some point be upgradable to PPC 2003, this was my reply:-

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Viewsonic V35 & V37 Color Pocket PC.

An upgrade option will be available for the V35 & V37 to the Pocket PC 2003 operating system. Please check our website www.viewsonic.com at the end of July for details and pricing information of this upgrade option.


Thank you for choosing Viewsonic!

Kind Regards,

Nancy Duong
Technical Support
Viewsonic Corporation
800-888-8583

It'll be quite cool as the device seems quite punchy in the performance stakes considering what I had been expecting (this is my first XScale device) - the 200Mhz bus and PXA255 chip really make a difference. And with the improved performance the new OS brings (Windows CE 4.2 is considerably more refined than 3.0) it should really fly.

I also noticed that the calculator looked "old". Even my iPaq 3630 upgraded to PPC 2002 has the swishy blue buttons and currency converter - odd but not really a problem :huh: .

Thanks for the info Peter. I'm debating whether to update my V37 or keep it as a 2002 device for testing once I get my 5550 iPaq. Also I've toyed with the idea of getting Linux up and running on it (W?BIC!).

As for the calculator, I guess as long as 2+2=4 the UI aesthetics don't matter much. Still, it is strange that it reverted to the older version. Has anyone seen a V35's calculator?

[stefanbarlow]

I have been patiently waiting since mid-May to receive my v37 from Microsoft. I didn't mind the 8-12 week wait they mentioned, especially when I got my email on 6/5/03 saying the estimated ship date was 7/3/03.

Well today is 7/3/03 and I just called Microsoft only to find out that the guy on the phone "Knows for a fact that they will ship 8-12 weeks from today". :devilboy: :evil: :(

Anyone else with this horribily innacurate ship date have any other response?

[slajoie]

I have been patiently waiting since mid-May to receive my v37 from Microsoft. I didn't mind the 8-12 week wait they mentioned, especially when I got my email on 6/5/03 saying the estimated ship date was 7/3/03.

Well today is 7/3/03 and I just called Microsoft only to find out that the guy on the phone "Knows for a fact that they will ship 8-12 weeks from today". :devilboy: :evil: :(

Anyone else with this horribily innacurate ship date have any other response?

I also registered for that offer a long time ago but I didn't get any email about an estimated ship date (I guess that's ok since they don't seem too accurate :)). However I called this morning and I've been told about the same thing: the PPCs will ship 8 to 12 weeks from July 7th.

In any case I wouldn't worry about it. Some people on this board already got them so they must be very close to shipping (barring any manufacturing problem...). I actually believe the people we talked to were mistaking the offer that ended June 30th with a new one that starts July 7th.

[Wiz_]

...
Well today is 7/3/03 and I just called Microsoft only to find out that the guy on the phone "Knows for a fact that they will ship 8-12 weeks from today". :devilboy: :evil: :(

Anyone else with this horribily innacurate ship date have any other response?

I also registered for that offer a long time ago but I didn't get any email about an estimated ship date (I guess that's ok since they don't seem too accurate :)). However I called this morning and I've been told about the same thing: the PPCs will ship 8 to 12 weeks from July 7th.

In any case I wouldn't worry about it. Some people on this board already got them so they must be very close to shipping (barring any manufacturing problem...). I actually believe the people we talked to were mistaking the offer that ended June 30th with a new one that starts July 7th.

I thought that I read somewhere on this board or another that a free V37 had come with PPC 2003. I wonder if ViewSonic has delayed shipping so they can load PPC 2003 instead of 2002. That would make more sense to me, some percentage of PPC's will likely get fried if users don't follow instructions when upgrading the flash ROM.

Wiz_

[V35RazorMonkey]

what is all this about free V37's? i'm confused.... can someone give me some more info?

[JonnoB]

what is all this about free V37's? i'm confused.... can someone give me some more info?
free when you spend $1-2k on dev. tools

[Wiz_]

what is all this about free V37's? i'm confused.... can someone give me some more info?
free when you spend $1-2k on dev. tools

And the offer ended 6/30. They do say check back after July 7 for a new welcome gift.
https://vstudio.joleschgroup.com/

[slajoie]

I just called Microsoft and got a different story (again). This one seems more encouraging though :).

According to their database, my submission review was completed May 14th and they are saying I should receive the Pocket PC 8 to 12 weeks from that date (in other words, some time in the following month). Reports that they will ship out the Pocket PCs 8 to 12 weeks from July 7th seem to be wrong. The time the coupon was generated, mailed or received by them has no effect on the delivery date, only the submission review date. There was no talk of manufacturing delays or PPC 2003 installation holding up things (expect it to run PPC 2002), we just have to be more patient :).

In conclusion, if your submission was favorably reviewed around May 14th you should get your new toy in July. If it was later than that it will probably be early August at worst. If earlier, I guess you can expect it very soon. In any case, try to be more patient than I have been. After all, you don't look a free Pocket PC in the... SDIO slot ;).

(I also discovered that the address they had was wrong so I took the opportunity to correct that. Lucky me, it could have caused even more delays if I hadn't called...)

[sullivanpt]

My standby battery test result is in, and it's good, but not as good as I hoped. 3 weeks and 2 days (23 days) total from fully charged to no longer willing to turn on, with 1 minute of light use per day. The good news is that after plugging in the power supply, the device came back up with my data intact. So there was still a little bit of charge left to keep the RAM alive.

I have two observations about this test.

1. The time to 65% (2 weeks) is double the time to 0% (1 week).

2. Even after the meter dropped to "0%", the device continued to be useable for two days.

Nearly a month between charges isn't bad. Now when magnetic RAMs come on the market, maybe my PPC will go a year between charges!

:silly:

[slajoie]

Even though I corrected my address with Microsoft *twice*, they still managed to ship it to some guy down the street, who of course refused the package. I went and picked it up yesterday.

This is my first Pocket PC so I can't provide a very useful review. This is just some quick notes by a newbie.

The good:
Nice screen, much better than any PDA I ever saw.
Simple setup.
Continuous synchronization is fast.

The bad:
Cannot play my movies (WMV9). Apparently I will need to wait for a PPC 2003 upgrade from Viewsonic.
ActiveSync randomly disconnected twice and I got an unexplained "Synchronization error".
So little RAM...

Even though I listed more under "bad" than "good", I'm actually satisfied (especially considering the price I've paid :)). Also, I expect to see more "good" stuff soon when I install some software (NES emulator for example) and customize it a bit.

[jherubin]

To anyone who has seen the V35 and V37...

Has anyone noticed that the screen seems a bit dark on the V37 when compared to the V35? It reminds me of the "mello yellow" article Jason wrote about the iPaq. I can put the two side by side and see the V37 has a yellow or dirty tint to it. Not bright white like the V35.

[stefanbarlow]

Well either the Microsoft customer service doesn't have a clue what they are talking about (imagine that?), or I am getting my chain violently yanked. I'm at 8 weeks now, so I'm ready to get this thing.

My submission was reviewed June 6th, and this is my 3rd call to customer service. The first time I called, on my original "estimated" ship date of July 4th, I was told it would ship in 8-12 weeks from July 7th (date of actual call).

After posting that here and reading that couldn't be right, I called back a few days later and was told 8-12 weeks from June 6th.

I just called today and the guy tells me 8-12 weeks from this week.

I will just have to assume they don't know what they are talking about, and hope that I receive in sometime this month. :roll:

[asok007]

I just got mine last thursday. I found it best not to pay any attention to the dates in their emails. Here is the timeline of the emails I got.

My submission review was completed on May 24th with an estimated ship date of June 23rd.

June 23rd came and went with no device. Then on July 25th I got an email saying that they were in stock, but the estimated ship date was August 22.

Then last thursday (July 31) it showed up in the mail (nice surprise) and not to long after that I got an email saying it was going to ship that day (July 31).

In the end, I finally got it over a month after the original estimated ship date.

So everyone out there that's still waiting, hang in there, they are coming.

[Wiz_]

Wahoo! My submission was reviewed on 5/28. Does it have PPC 2002 or 2003?

Wiz

[asok007]

The V37 comes with PPC 2002 Premium (includes the .NET compact framework). Viewsonic was suppose to have announced an upgrade to 2003 by now, but still no word. I sent an email to their customer service yesterday and haven't gotten a response yet. I'll post what I get.

All in all, it's a pretty nice device. It's very small. The lack of CF is a bit of a pain since I don't have any other SD devices, but with it being free and all, I think I can make the small investment in a new card without complaining too much. Also, the performance seems on par with my IPaq 3670, but I'm hoping the 2003 upgrade will help that.

[Jimi D]

Hi all,

I don't want to come across like a complete bonehead (too late already, I know 0X ), but I'm relatively new to the PPC world (a Palm convert, courtesy my "free" V37) and I was wondering how you can tell which "version" of MS PPC you're running as an OS... When I go to " Settings -> About -> Version " I get "Version 3.0.11171 (Build 11178). Is that PPC 2002? Thanks in advance for the clue-in!

[Jimmy Dodd]

Hi all,

I don't want to come across like a complete bonehead (too late already, I know 0X ), but I'm relatively new to the PPC world (a Palm convert, courtesy my "free" V37) and I was wondering how you can tell which "version" of MS PPC you're running as an OS... When I go to " Settings -> About -> Version " I get "Version 3.0.11171 (Build 11178). Is that PPC 2002? Thanks in advance for the clue-in!

Not boneheaded at all, actually.

PPC 2002 was built on Windows CE 3.0, hence the version 3.0.xxxx on your device.
By contrast, PPC 2003 (or, technically, Windows Mobile 2003) is based on Windows CE 4.2. My h2215 iPAQ says Version 4.2.xxxx in the About box.

Strangely enough, I don't think they actually say Pocket PC 2002 or 2003 anywhere on the device, except on the sticker on the back. :wink:

[Jimi D]

Ah... It all becomes clear...

Guess I'll be watching for ViewSonic to release the upgrade...

Anyway, it looks like Microsoft's strategy of giving away free Pocket PC's works... I actually started fooling around with a PPC project in VS.Net today :wink:

[stefanbarlow]

I got an update on 8/12 saying it will ship 8/12, so I hope it will arrive soon! No tracking number yet. It changed the status to In Stock so I hope they mail it already!!

[mcseay]

Keep us updated. My review was on 6/18, not long after yours!

[stefanbarlow]

Got mine today! woo-hooo!

[karen]

My V37 finally arrived (don't get me started).

I dutifully put it in the charger for several hours, but it would not charge. I went to check the batter switch to see if I really had it turned on when I realized that the switch wasn't really switching anything - it was just floating around in the case. No amount of jiggling it or massaging it would get it to work.

So I call tech support, but because I'm travelling, they won't accept a replacement from the US and they will only ship to the original ordering address (so don't ever move, any of ya).

Now I have to wait weeks to get another replacement.

Do they even know how impatient I can be?????

[vinny]

Sent all papers on june 5th... Submission Review completed and e-mail from MS on june 21th with estimate ship date june 21th.

I'm still waiting... arrrggg getting crazy checkin the "order status" web page every day....

Anyone from Quebec Canada got his ??? Is geographic location makes a difference on ship dete ?

Can't wait anymore ... my old Palm III is killing me !!!

[vrflyer]

Hi, I just found this site ....

I'm a proud owner of a new V37 as well....

I merely got it for $80.00 (sealed/new in box), from a co-worker who didn't need another PPC, he was happy with his DELL....

I also found a good offer for a PNY-256 SD-card on here: $54.88 plus S/H & Rebate (http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Id=3697438). Offer ends 10/30 so buy fast .... 8)

This is by far one of the fastest I've dealt with so far, since we test a few other Mobile devices at our dept... So I'm happy as a clam.... :D

I got on Viewsonic's site week ago or so, and I also was able to sign-up for the V35 FREE PC2003 upgrade CD (Windows Mobile). I'm going to install and see how it does/performs. I will post up my pros/cons.

[vinny]

I've sell my V37 the day I received it... Got myself a H2215...

WOW That device rocks !
V37 ain't bad... but 2215 is way better !!!

A co-worker bought my V37... Is the WinMobile2003 V35 Upgrade \will work on the V37 ???

[vrflyer]

Follow up:


ViewSonic’s new Pocket PC V37 is one of the THINNEST, LIGHTEST AND MOST POWERFUL Pocket PCs in its class with features like Microsoft® .NET Compact Framework. The Pocket PC V37 is the right tool for developers looking to create applications based on the Pocket PC platform. With the Visual Solutions software that comes bundled with your system, you can quickly develop applications specific to your business needs for implementation on the Pocket PC V37. And with the latest, greatest 400MHz Intel Xscale™ processor and advanced operating system from Microsoft, it provides you with POWERFUL ACCESS TO IMPORTANT INFORMATION while away from your PC. Get the handheld developers’ powerhouse…the ViewSonic Pocket PC V37.



Free* Upgrade to Microsoft Pocket PC 2003, click here (http://www.viewsonic.com/upgrade/index.htm).

*shipping and handling charges apply.


So after all it's upgradeable !!! Just waiting for my CD now .... :D

[vinny]

Ordered the upgrade to W2003 for my "friend-coworker" that uses my old V37... Still waiting for it... Orfdered it 2 weeks ago.

I hope (for him) that W2003 will increase the performance of the device...

Vinny