Price value 5550 vs 2215????

[csterns]

I usually go for the top of the line when purchasing stuff but this time I had to question the value of the 5550 vs the 2215. What the 2215 lacks vs the 5550 I feel can be made up with accessories that I already have. Maybe I'm missing something but $250 more for the 5550 and no CF slot convinced me to go to the 2215. Was I wrong?

[welwyngc]

I came to the same conclusion as you and bought the 2215.

In my case I have given up trying to use PPC's on the internet so wifi is now not important. The small screen size and the relative slowness drove me crazy.

I saved a couple of hundred and then spend more than that on the Sony U101 :roll:

[csterns]

For me I finally gave up on the "cool" factor and didn't let the wirless LAN fool me into thinking I gotta have it cause of the wireless thing. When it came down to it, I rarely ever used it for the internet and only occassionaly for email. I'm not far from my desktop that it can't wait for me respond or retrieve it from my office.

Now having said that, I must confess I did purchase the Convergent Technology CF card and can access the internet using it, PLUS, make and receive phone calls. I'm using it as a another separate office line.

[Anthony Caruana]

When you look at the pluses and minuses of each device it looks to me liek the 2215 wins. Dual slots, BT, nice screen, performance, size... all these things make the 2215 look like a sweet deal. The only plus with the 5550 is inbuilt WiFi. But the price differential is greater than the cost of a NIC

For me the decision was between Axim and 2215 and I just cancelled my Axim order.

[Jimmy Dodd]

There are some additional benefits to the 5555, but they may be irrelevant to some (most) users. The 5555 comes with Jeode built in - if you want a decent Java VM that may be important to you. The 5555 has 128 MB of RAM. It also has a vibrate feature for alarms. The expansion sleeve capability will be important to some users (especially those upgrading from earlier iPaqs). The screen is larger (3.8" vs. 3.5"). It has the biometric security feature and of course WiFi built in.

For the price I think the 2215 is a better deal, though, unless you really need any of these features. Many of these can be added via additional software or hardware so look at your individual needs carefully. Personally, I look forward to seeing them side-by-side in the next few days for a real comparison.

[disconnected]

I'm struggling with the same decision.

The additional memory and built-in WiFi are nice, but I can live without them because I have a 512 MB SD card, and could use the CF slot to swap between a WiFi card and another storage card.

For me it comes down the the trade-off between the CF slot and the larger screen. The slot is convenient for additional storage -- for movies on a plane flight, for instance. I currently use a sleeve when travelling, so I suppose I could continue with that, but I'd rather not. The other unknown is that I've been waiting for a Sprint bluetooth phone, and now its future is uncertain. If I have to get Sprint's CF data card, then I'd need to keep the 5555's sleeve on all the time. If Inooch or Vaja made a case for 5500 plus SS2 it would be fine, but both say they have no plans for it.

Most of the pros and cons lead to buying the 2215, but I just don't know if I could get used to the smaller screen; my eyes are not great and I love the 3.8 inch screen.

It almost makes me consider the Toshiba 750 with the addition of a bluetooth card, except that I've read about so many problems with it. And I also have a ton of iPAQ accessories already.

If HP had only managed to fit a CF slot into the 5555, then none of this agonizing would be necessary. :(

[don dre]

if i were new to the ppc game and didn't ahve any cf cards the lack of a cf slot for the 5550 wouldn't mean that much. with 128mb, wifi, bt, and so many features all i really would want is a storage card. the screen size is wonderful. i recently purchased a 2215 mainly on price though i'm not convinced that i will be able to get used to the smaller screen. also, the vibrating alert feature would be nice. of course, if the 5550 were $500 i probably woudl have scrapped my cf stuff and just bought an SD card for storage. As for Wifi, i use it alot but not for internet. my ppc controls my music, also i play my music in my br over the network through my ppc. i do occasionally send emails from my bed, bath, and other places. i intend to attempt to control the desktop as well. it is rather useful if you have a wifi network at home. if on the road it can be useful if you have it set up to download your email. as for surfing it is painful.

[Jimmy Dodd]

OK. I finally quit waffling and traded my e740 in for a 2215. I like it!

Tune in next week when the honeymoon is over and I start griping about it. :wink: