NY Times HORRIBLE "Palmtop" Review

[KayMan2k]

I just read the NY Times article on Pocket PC 2003 (the author refuses to call it its proper name) - linkhttp://nytimes.com/2003/07/03/technology/circuits/03stat.html

While the article is very bitter - he seems to misinform the consumer:

"Video consumes a huge amount of memory, however. Don't think that you'll watch "Bruce Almighty" on your transcontinental flight unless you'd be satisfied with the opening credits." - actually the 555x has enough room for a decent amount of video (much more than just the credits) and that's what flash cards and microdrives are made for!

He also doesn't seem to understand wha .Net is - if so, what makes this person a good TECHNOLOGY writer!!?

"Pocket PC's don't have much individual personality"

You can add wallpaper and themes! (much more than you can customize a Palm!) and the many models all provide a different feel - great variety.

He also goes on about the Toshiba's non-voliatile memory - well, the iPaq has some too (granted not as much.. but still). There is also no mention that these new PPCs use a new and improved processor.


"In 2000, Microsoft unveiled the first Pocket PC version by renting out Grand Central Terminal for a splashy party. This year, the company celebrated Pocket PC 2003 with little more than a press release. "

Yeah.. this was really sad. Bad bad Microsoft.

[David Prahl]

Just like those PC salesmen on the Shopping Channel on TV. They have no idea what they're talking about!! 8O

The author had no concept of the evolution of handhelds, the "palm vs. PPC niche," or just how much technology is really packed into that little device. :evil:

Did he run any benchmarks? No.
Did he mention expansion? Only on the Toshiba (which has a poor screen).

Why can't nerds like us write for the NY Times? :cry: :cry:

[Sunnyone]

Didn't you just love some of his comments. Here are a couple of my favorites:

"Alas, Microsoft has missed a perfect opportunity to address some longstanding weaknesses. It's like getting your car back from the shop to find the broken taillight fixed, but the noisy muffler still noisy."

and this:

"For example, Microsoft says: "The integrated .NET Compact Framework brings the power of new applications that simplify the overall development and integration of Web services on smart devices, enabling developers and enterprise end users to access a wealth of data from various sources such as back-end servers." (If you understand any of that, hey, go wild.)"

[Crystal Eitle]

"Windows Palmtops"????!!!?? What is this guy on? :drinking:

[BTS]

Why are uninformed people allowed to write for newspapers? I'm still a bit "burned" after the PCWorld review (too short for a major publication like PCWorld). From the Times I would expect better....

[Janak Parekh]

I read the article, and overall, I have to say it's not that bad. I agree he's misinformed in some of the finer points, but he does love the 1940. It's hard to resist, isn't it? :mrgreen:

(Of course, he might be mistaken about its speed...)

--janak

[David Prahl]

I agree he's misinformed in some of the finer points, but he does love the 1940.

Except he says he likes the hp 1945! How dumb can you be?? :|

[Crystal Eitle]

I agree he's misinformed in some of the finer points, but he does love the 1940.

Except he says he likes the hp 1945! How dumb can you be?? :|
I think they're the same thing. The 1940 vs 1945 simply depends on how/where you purchase it.

[David Prahl]

Grrrr!! Just like the Toshiba 350 355!! What's wrong with just having one number? :D

[blusparkles]

Uggh, this article's terrible. Palmtops? I thought the generic term du jour was "PDA" or at least "handheld". "just look at the new Pocket PC 2003 operating system (which Microsoft - in its dreams - hopes that people will refer to as Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC)." - why on earth wouldn't people refer to it as Windows Mobile 2003 if that's the correct name for the operating system?? The only reason we were calling it Pocket PC 2003 in the first place was because we didn't know the proper name for it!

For example, Microsoft says: "The integrated .NET Compact Framework brings the power of new applications that simplify the overall development and integration of Web services on smart devices, enabling developers and enterprise end users to access a wealth of data from various sources such as back-end servers." (If you understand any of that, hey, go wild.)

That's just trash. Of course your average NY Times reader isn't going to understand that - his job as a journalist is to translate that into something that the reader can understand, rather than just dump a paragraph of technical info into the article to demonstrate that Pocket PCs are out of the league of average consumers. :evil:

Otherwise, Pocket PC's don't have much individual personality, so choosing among the models is a matter of pinning down a size-price-features compromise.

I think what he's saying here is that Pocket PCs are fairly generic in that they have standardised features like 320 x 240 resolution, same basic hardware design etc. Which is true when you compare them to the different sorts of models in the Palm camp - ie different resolutions, some with cameras, some with integrated thumbboards, clamshell designs etc. Some Pocket PCs are now coming with digital cameras, but other than that, yes, it's essentially a size-price-features comparison. Though I don't think his use of the word "personality" was the best way to describe this.

[TawnerX]

Pogue? He is the friggin moron from Washington Post. Why on earth is NYTimes paying for his article? jees...

He has regular online chat gig on Washingtonpost every Friday. But be warned he is a total dork. He is a standard issue Clie-head. He still thinks grafitti rulez, and flip top is what PDA is all about... lol

you can seriously play with his head. (ask him the usual liner: DOes Palm has better office app? Does Palm really only need less memory? Do you think you can write your pHd thesis with grafitti?)

[Thinkingmandavid]

HAHA, that is funny, using graffiti for a Phd. thesis. :)
I read the article and the guy sure is critical. Maybe he is trying to do that on purpose to get MS to make better changes. Of course, it could just very well be he is bitter against them or is so pro palm that he doesnt care about being unbiases for a sound review. As a journalist he needs to write a lot better for one, do a review unbaisedly for two, and get his facts straight for three.
When I think of a palm top it is like the diamond mako, of which i have had and enjoyed. He needs to get his facts straight.

[TawnerX]

ooops, sorry, I mixed up the two guys.

David Pogue, the NYT times, is the author of Piloting Palm. He also wrote Palm : The ultimate guide. He just clueless, but will soon have to learn PPC if he wants to make money and write his next book.
http://www.davidpogue.com/

R. Pegararo is the WP guy. (grrrr, ... !) He annoys the heck out of me. He is the grafitti rulez guy. He still have his online live chat gig. WIll be awhile till he talk about handheld again tho'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technology/transcripts/techcolumnists_archive.htm

[szamot]

Grrrr!! Just like the Toshiba 350 355!! What's wrong with just having one number? :D

one is consumer the other is corporate market at least that's how it was with 38xx when they first came out - dumb but that's just the way it is.

[madbart]

Typical of a palm lover!...... Nothing with the ppc platform will impress them.

[Scott R]

Thanks for the link. I really enjoyed his article and found that I agreed with most everything he said. Or maybe it was that he agreed with what I said since I covered many of the same points over a week earlier in my article: http://goodthatway.com/news_arc/?id=17

Obviously, my opinion (or Mr. Pogue's) won't go over well here in PPC-land, but the points are valid. I'd like nothing more than for MS to fix the stuff that's broken, making the available options for me as a consumer a lot more appealing.

Scott

[JonnoB]

I refuse to read mainstream media writing on technology. Instead, I look to user forums like those found here on this site and in newsgroups for the real scoop on what product features are good and what are bad. The sad thing is that these writers have alot of influence over the masses.

[Thinkingmandavid]

What is sad? that he is purposely wanting to sway people to the palm platform and not the ppc. I personally choose ppc over palm through personal experience. But everyone should be able to decide for themeslves knowing the good and the bad. When ppc first came out it had a lot ofproblem but it has improved quite a bit and that is the bottom line. I think palm has some catching up on the ppc in certain areas. I just personally really like the windows feel which is so familiar. Palm should really take a big leap if they want to rub anything in MS's face.

[JonnoB]

What is sad? that he is purposely wanting to sway people to the palm platform and not the ppc.

What is sad is that the is largely misinformed, uneducated, lacks practical experience, technical knowledge, etc - and yet speak from a position of authority for the masses that are just a step below them. Thus leading many down a path of inferiority (IMO)

[Scott R]

What is sad is that the is largely misinformed, uneducated, lacks practical experience, technical knowledge, etc - and yet speak from a position of authority for the masses that are just a step below them. Thus leading many down a path of inferiority (IMO)What you say is completely untrue. David Pogue has been involved in the handheld industry much longer than you or I, I imagine. Does he prefer the Palm OS platform? Clearly. But that doesn't mean that he does so out of ignorance. But of course, this is not an issue for which we can agree (certainly not on a PPC-focused site).

To those who claim that reviews should be unbiased, I say that there is no such thing. Unless you can compare apples to apples and produce a review that consists of little more than a boring set of measurements, unbiased reviews are impossible. If the author can clearly express why he doesn't like something as opposed to just making some broad, unsubstantiated claim, then I see nothing wrong with that.

Scott

[JonnoB]

What you say is completely untrue. David Pogue has been involved in the handheld industry much longer than you or I, I imagine.


You make assumptions. I doubt that Mr. Pogue has been involved in the technology industry longer than I - but that does not automatically qualify me just as him being a tech reporter qualifies him. What else would make him more qualified than I or anyone else? I can honestly say that the user community at-large are much more critical, thought provoking, helpful, and knowledgable en-masse than tech reporters.


Does he prefer the Palm OS platform? Clearly. But that doesn't mean that he does so out of ignorance. But of course, this is not an issue for which we can agree (certainly not on a PPC-focused site).


I would argue that he (like others) do some mis-reporting out of ignorance. I am sure that most of the time it is not from a particular bias or hatred of one product or company, but out of a real lack of deep technical knowledge, assumptions being made, influence by non-technical bias, etc. I am pleased to read when reporters find fault with companies and products (MS or others) when it is deserved... but too often blanket statements are flat out wrong and misleading.


To those who claim that reviews should be unbiased, I say that there is no such thing. Unless you can compare apples to apples and produce a review that consists of little more than a boring set of measurements, unbiased reviews are impossible. If the author can clearly express why he doesn't like something as opposed to just making some broad, unsubstantiated claim, then I see nothing wrong with that.


I agree. A good review should include the persons personal experiences and I would expect a certain level of bias... but when speaking of what can/can't be done, it irks me when reporters say this is good/bad/better/worse when they are just wrong and it would not have taken them much to know better. Again, most users would benefit to a greater degree from hearing from fellow users to get a broader perspective rather than fall prey to those who perhaps have a big chip on their shoulder - which I believe he does.

[Hyperluminal]

Yes, David Pogue writes every week for the NYTimes's Circuit section. Many of his articles (especially those about PDAs) have incorrect facts, assumptions, etc..
What worries me is, how many other reporters out there are like him, but since they don't report in our "specialized" field- ie. PDAs/Computers- we don't realize it and think what they're saying is true?

[TawnerX]

who want to bet their shiny dime david pogue is about to write PPC: The universal guide.

I mean how many more books can he wrote about Palm? There is nothing more to write about it. :lol:

[Scott R]

I agree. A good review should include the persons personal experiences and I would expect a certain level of bias... but when speaking of what can/can't be done, it irks me when reporters say this is good/bad/better/worse when they are just wrong and it would not have taken them much to know better.Jumping right to the point...What specifics mentioned in David Pogue's article were wrong?

Scott

[KayMan2k]

Other than his extreme bias, his indicating that a PPC has no way of playing a full length movie. He lets consumers have false impressions about video playback - video files are not as large as he lets on.. with WMV and DiVX compression. You can also use an expansion card.

"Alas, Microsoft has missed a perfect opportunity to address some longstanding weaknesses. It's like getting your car back from the shop to find the broken taillight fixed, but the noisy muffler still noisy."

-This is not true. This was never intended to be a major release (ZERO press for the 'launch'). Many little changes have been made to reduce the 'noise' of the operating system. It doesn't have huge graphical changes, its all under the hood improvement - such as SPPPPEEEEDDD.

"For example, you still can't write an appointment directly onto, say, the 1 p.m. line of your day-planner screen, as you can on a Palm; "

-Seems to inform the consumer that PPC has more features than a Pocket PC - which is obviously false. If anything, PPC has more features.

"You still have to search two different places to find a program you're looking for; the Start menu has room to list only nine programs. "

-How big do you want the freakin' start menu to be on the PDA???? You can always access programs the same way as on a palm - from the explorer view. It just adds the menu for quick access. Again, misleading.

"And when you tap on a button, the system sometimes provides no "Just a moment" cursor as it processes, leading you to tap on the button again in frustration. "

-Its called running a program.. some take longer to load. This is not really dependt on the OS but the program you have chosen to run.

"leading you to tap on the button again in frustration. "

-No it doesn't!

And again.. "Otherwise, Pocket PC's don't have much individual personality" - personality is not the word to use.

"the h1945 is underpowered"
-wait for the specs, I think a 1945 might be as fast as a 300Mhz X-Scale, which is not underpowered. How fast are palm devices on average? Much less...

He makes a big deal about the Toshiba having protected "flash memory". Well, the h5555 has this also! Not as much space (actually abotu half), but still...

"Unfortunately, none of these Pocket PC models have flip lids to protect the screen"

-They have cases with flip lids and the 3xxx, 5xxx series has a "door" sleeve to protect the LCD and buttons.


"Note, too, that this Wi-Fi business is brutal to your battery"
-Same goes for Palm devices buddy!

"Still, even though Microsoft made very few changes"
-They replaced the ENTIRE KERNEL of the OS!!!!!! How is that very few???

[rhmorrison]

Wouldn't it be better to send an email to the author (or the 'Letters to the Editor' section assuming there is one) and list the comments / misconceptions made in the article and the way it 'really' is, e.g. :
Can only view opening credits of a movie...
Virtually all PPC's have some form of mass storage device. One of the most common is CompactFlash and a 256 MB CF card only costs $ 40 to $ 50. A full length movie optimized for PPC using DivX can be fit in 80 MB. Ergo it would be possible to have 3 full length movies on a $ 40 to $ 50 storage card. Various 1 GB CF cards are available for way under $ 200 (for as little as $ 170).
Speed...
If you look at the following benchmarks...If printed (displayed) in the letters to the editors section it might actually repair some of the damage done by the article, at the worst it might set the author straight on a few issues.

[Scott R]

Other than his extreme bias, his indicating that a PPC has no way of playing a full length movie. He lets consumers have false impressions about video playback - video files are not as large as he lets on.. with WMV and DiVX compression. You can also use an expansion card.It's all relative and memory cards are definitely getting bigger and cheaper. But for the average consumer, a 256MB card is big and (when purchased locally) still a significant % of the cost of the PDA itself. Also, for the 1900-series, they'd have to buy an SD card, which when you get to the larger sizes gets significantly more expensive (again, prices are continually dropping).

"Alas, Microsoft has missed a perfect opportunity to address some longstanding weaknesses. It's like getting your car back from the shop to find the broken taillight fixed, but the noisy muffler still noisy."

-This is not true. This was never intended to be a major release (ZERO press for the 'launch'). Many little changes have been made to reduce the 'noise' of the operating system. It doesn't have huge graphical changes, its all under the hood improvement - such as SPPPPEEEEDDD.He acknowledged that there were speed and stability improvements (or at least one of those two, I don't remember exactly). But again, he's talking to general consumers here, not geeks. Feature-wise, it's pretty spartan. And in the line you quoted, he wasn't even talking about features so much as improving upon nagging issues that have existed since the beginning, would be easy to fix, and would add significantly to the overall user experience.

"For example, you still can't write an appointment directly onto, say, the 1 p.m. line of your day-planner screen, as you can on a Palm; "

-Seems to inform the consumer that PPC has more features than a Pocket PC - which is obviously false. If anything, PPC has more features.I don't get that impression. As I stated above, he's discussing nagging usability quirks.

"Unfortunately, none of these Pocket PC models have flip lids to protect the screen"

-They have cases with flip lids and the 3xxx, 5xxx series has a "door" sleeve to protect the LCD and buttons.There's a big difference between a sleeve and a slip case. Most Palm devices have flip lids (not all), while most (all current?) PPC devices don't. I've read numerous posts by PPC users complaining about a new device's lack of a flip lid. This is only perceived as biased and off-base because of the person saying it.

"Note, too, that this Wi-Fi business is brutal to your battery"
-Same goes for Palm devices buddy!Well, he didn't say that it wasn't brutal to a Palm's battery. That said, the only Palm OS device with built-in Wi-Fi is the Tungsten C which is known for having great battery life. Just out of curiosity, how do the PPC devices with built-in Wi-Fi compare battery-wise?

"Still, even though Microsoft made very few changes"
-They replaced the ENTIRE KERNEL of the OS!!!!!! How is that very few???Again, he's not writing this article for geeks. Average consumers don't care what's under the hood. Speed and stability improvements are important and he acknowledged those. But when he talks about "few changes" he's clearly talking about perceivable new features or usability improvements.

Scott

[TawnerX]

Well just wait until Palm inc. comes out with T|T2. I am willing to bet he'll think it's the greatest gadget man ever made. Never mind it's even less of 'nip and tuck' that he sees in PPC2k3 models.

Does he even realize that h2210 benchmark about 6hrs battery life as oppose to old PPC? that mean one can watch an inflight movie plus do something else unlike before, wher eyou got lucky just to finish a movie.

"Now, in the great constellation of Pocket PC rivals, the h1945 is underpowered (266 megahertz, 64 megabytes of memory), and it lacks built-in Wi-Fi. "

He doesn't know power if it bites his ass. the h1945 benchmark nearly as good as h2210 and beats all previous PPC, and he is complaining about underpower? shsss..... and Z71 is in comatose if h1945 lacks power.


"Unfortunately, none of these Pocket PC models have flip lids to protect the screen. You can wrestle yours into and out of the included slip case each time you need to check a phone number."

uhmm, it's called, button 'off" maybe? Does he even touch the h2210 HP is sending him?

--------------

scot, if that dolt failed to mention one of the biggest change user will notice right away, ie. speed. Which makes some previously slow or downright unusable apps run at good speed, then he is not reporting the right thing. He is whining about trivial stuff and forgot to mention the big obvious.

but then again probably his PDA universe only encompases organizer level of activity.

[Hyperluminal]

I just want to add on to TawnerX's last comment. Scott, no, he's not writing for geeks. So saying that "they overhualed the entire kernel. Wow!" may be something that most readers wouldn't understand, nor care what it means. However, as has been said before, his job is to explain these things so ordinary readers can understand it. This OS, under many circumstances, makes the PPC much faster. That would be worth noting.

And I do think average customers care about what's under the hood. I mean, if he goes babbling about the kernel, using lots of technical terms, no, most readers won't care about what he's saying. But if he says, "they changed the foundation of the Pocket PC operating system, making it much faster in some cases," that's something most people would care about. And of course some people wouldn't care, but it's one line- I don't think anyone would complain.

BTW, weren't you Srauly on PDABuzz, and on OS arguments, you always argued for the Palm side? :D

[Scott R]

I just want to add on to TawnerX's last comment. Scott, no, he's not writing for geeks. So saying that "they overhualed the entire kernel. Wow!" may be something that most readers wouldn't understand, nor care what it means. However, as has been said before, his job is to explain these things so ordinary readers can understand it. This OS, under many circumstances, makes the PPC much faster. That would be worth noting.Two things:
1) I was wrong when I said that he made note of the OS being faster and/or more stable. He made no mention of either (I guess I got it confused with my own article ;) ).
2) At the time of writing his article, no one really knew for sure whether the OS was faster or more stable (which, BTW, what was so unstable about the older OS?). All we knew was that the h2210, according to initial reviews, was very fast (at most things). That could have been due to faster RAM, or other tweaks that HP made. The latest info hinted at a 10% or so increase in speed with an upgraded 3970, no? While that's a welcome improvement, is it significant enough to be noticed by an average user. Bottom line is that I'd still like to see more numbers and user opinions regarding upgraded devices before we all jump to the conclusion that the new OS is either noticeably faster or more stable.

Getting back to the article in question, there were several positive comments made. The closing remark is definitely positive:
Still, even though Microsoft made very few changes, all of them are welcome. If you plan to buy a Pocket PC, you'd be wise to shop for one that bears the Pocket PC 2003 label. The magic and drama of the early palmtop days may be gone, but shuffling toward excellence is better than no movement at all.David Pogue had previously criticized some user interface issues that have plagued the OS since the beginning. I agree, and I think that most everyone here would agree if it had been Jason Dunn ranting about it instead of Mr. Pogue.

BTW, weren't you Srauly on PDABuzz, and on OS arguments, you always argued for the Palm side? :DYes, I posted as srauly there (side note: it was the first forum I ever registered for and I didn't know at the time that I would have people calling me "srauly", which was based on the email address I used at the time). But no, I didn't "always argue for the Palm side." I always argued (and still do) for the side of consumer-advocacy and good user interface design. ;)

Scott

[KayMan2k]

Still, even though Microsoft made very few changes, all of them are welcome. If you plan to buy a Pocket PC, you'd be wise to shop for one that bears the Pocket PC 2003 label. The magic and drama of the early palmtop days may be gone, but shuffling toward excellence is better than no movement at all.

I agree with this statement, but don't like the wording. Perhaps "not many noticeable changes" - but I would hardly classify it as very few. While the major changes are beyond the terminology of the average reader (about the kernel...) I agree with previous posts to include 1-2 scentences about it. I agree with the magic and drama WITH THE EXCEPTION of the Zaurus models - ful VGA 3.7" screen - sweeeeeet :)

I didn't mean to say the article didn't praise PPCs enough, but it was too bitter for NY Times, it should've been in the opion section for some of his wording.