Ideal Pocket PC Size/Form Factor?

[Jonathon Watkins]

Poll time again folk. This time it's all about size. One of our readers sent us a thought provoking email about the ideal PDA size and a great idea for a poll. So, we're trying to gauge the impact of the iPaq 1900 and Viewsonic V35 "pocket sized" PPC form-factor on you guys. How do you <b>want </b>to carry your Pocket PC around the office or to meetings etc.? <br /><br /> :dilemma: What's the most important factor for you when it comes to Pocket PCs, size, power or the idea balance of the two? Why "settle" for less if you just throw it into your backpack anyway? Thoughts?

[ctmagnus]

No eVest option! :twak:

Once in a very long while I'll shove it in my pocket (in an appropriate case, of course). Otherwise, dependingbon the weather and my activity I'll either use a case attached to my pocket rather than my belt, or an eVest.

btw, the poll options are too long to read comfortably. :sleeping:

[Mandrake]

I'm halfway between the first two really. I tend to carry my pocket pc in my jacket pocket, so it's always with me but it's not as uncomfortable as in my trouser/shirt pocket. Also, my jacket pockets are generally bigger, so I can have a more powerful pda! Well, I will when I replace my jornada 565..... ;)

Also, I should add that since I use it as an MP3 player a lot, there's no point in putting it in my bag. And that the jornada hard cover is fantastic. Why does no-one make a pda like it anymore?

[cmonkey]

Being a teenager, my pants pockets are huge. I don't mind carrying my Ipaq 3650+modified CF sleeve in my pocket. As long as it's not as big as one of the old grey brick-sized Gameboys, I'm fine with it.

[Jonathon Watkins]

No eVest option! :twak:

Sorry, forgot. :oops:


btw, the poll options are too long to read comfortably. :sleeping:

Indeed. It is my first public Poll, so bear with me. :) I'm afraid I can't change it now once the voting has started - it's a known defect. :?

[OSUKid7]

Being a teenager, my pants pockets are huge. I don't mind carrying my Ipaq 3650+modified CF sleeve in my pocket. As long as it's not as big as one of the old grey brick-sized Gameboys, I'm fine with it.
wow, same with me. I have my iPaq 3870 with PC Card Plus Expansion Pack, and a WiFi card - all in my pocket sometimes. But usually I just carry the iPaq and standard case when I don't need WiFi.

[Jason Dunn]

wow, same with me. I have my iPaq 3870 with PC Card Plus Expansion Pack, and a WiFi card - all in my pocket sometimes. But usually I just carry the iPaq and standard case when I don't need WiFi.

Back in MY day, we didn't wear tents on our legs! :lol: I like baggy jeans too, but a 3870 + PCMCIA sleeve? No thanks!

[fireflyrsmr]

As I said once before - I wear the ultimate geek gear - the electronic suspenders that are sold by eholster. I want it all and I want it at hand. That is the limiting factor for me - it has to be a palm top - something I can hold in one hand - in the hall - when someone comes up and tells me about a meeting or contact I need to call. I'm tempted to go on describing the ultimate machine but that would be off topic. a smart phone with that little screen is not it. A Newton was the right form factor for me. I will forever curse steve jobs and never buy an apple product out of spite. :evil:

[PR.]

iPAQ 5450 in a black Vaja case on my belt :)

Easy to get to and when I am out my coat hides it.

[Gen-M]

My 1910 is always in my shirt pocket (unless I don't have a shirt pocket - in which case it is in my pants pocket.) No case, no problems so far. :D

Often, my e740 is in my pants pocket (when I know I'm going to want Wi-Fi). Extended battery slip case. 8)

When I need the storage, my 3850 with PCMCia Sleeve with 5 GB card is in an iHolster on my belt. :?

I will seriously consider an OQO in an eHolster to replace my laptop when it is available. :drool:

[c38b2]

I voted for the first option because I always have my PDA in my pocket. However, I have been known to bring & use my laptop anywhere & everywhere - even when walking - so size really isn't an issue for me when it comes to portable electronics. :lol:

[arnage2]

my pda is always in my left front pants pocket. (now mug me)

[powder2000]

I have an eg-800 with large battery (adds considerabley to the weight and size) plus either a cf wifi or bluetooth card sticking out all in my pants pocket all the time. I'm not a punk kid either (I'm 28) but I do tend to wear relaxed fit jeans or cargo pants a lot. I want a larger screen and I want to be able to carry it in my pocket so anything up to the size of my current ppc would work. I do wish it was thinner and lighter, but the width and heighth do not bother me. Oh ya, I'm also 6'5".

[powder2000]

That's funny, I typed in 28 followed by an end parenthesis and I got a smiley. LOL.

[OSUKid7]

wow, same with me. I have my iPaq 3870 with PC Card Plus Expansion Pack, and a WiFi card - all in my pocket sometimes. But usually I just carry the iPaq and standard case when I don't need WiFi.

Back in MY day, we didn't wear tents on our legs! :lol: I like baggy jeans too, but a 3870 + PCMCIA sleeve? No thanks!
LMAO! Yep, that's why I usually only carry the iPaq in the included hard case. But sometimes I really want WiFi, and don't want to have to lug around another bag.

[OSUKid7]

That's funny, I typed in 28 followed by an end parenthesis and I got a smiley. LOL.
Yeah, that's a good point...maybe they can mod that to look for a space before the 8) smiley.

[Zack Mahdavi]

My iPaq 4155 is always in my side jeans pocket, and it never leaves there. I could never deal with a Pocket PC that was any larger than an iPaq 1910/4155. Well, there is an exception: if it had built in phone capabilities, then I will accept something SLIGHTLY larger. :)

[pr0vider]

I'm caught in the middle ground somewhere; I had an Ipaq 3955 which I dearly loved but sold it and got an Ipaq 2215, which has built in CF in a much more svelte size with the same capabilities. I'll probably get flummoxed again though once those large, beautiful VGA/landscape screens show up on Ipaqs in the near future.

[Kati Compton]

I'm torn between two extremes. I either want 320x240 in a unit at least as small as the 19xx series, or I want a 640x480 unit with a 4" screen. I can't decide! :silly:

[Falstaff]

I keep my e755 in my pocket all the time, most of the time in a slightly padded aluminum case, so it's pretty bulky, but I don't mind at all. The only problem is when I wear jeans, it kinda forms a bulge... but I don't like wearing jeans that much. I also keep an extra CF card, 3.5 male-male cable, 3.5-RCA male-male cable, ear bud headphones, keyboard, and AC power adapter in my backpack. Next year in college though, I'll probably just carry the keyboard and headphones around with me.

[Lday]

Mobile Dockers!!

My E755 with extended battery lives in the left side zipper pocket.

[andbrown]

my pda is always in my left front pants pocket.

Me, too! Ever since I got my first Pocket PC, my beloved iPAQ 3630, I've carried my device that way every time I left my house (can't do a belt holster, sorry :mrgreen: ). I even carried a Dell Axim X5 that way for almost a year, although my much more svelte iPAQ 2215 is probably the first device that really felt right in terms of fitting in my pocket.

Laptops? Who needs them?! :wink:

[divajess]

I adore my 1910 (though I yearn to trade it in for a model with WiFi capabilities...) because of the size. Even with my Sena case, it's nice and small. I always carry it in my purse, which is a small almost messenger-style bag that holds my portable keyboard, headphones, PDA, wallet, makeup bag, cell phone, various pens and a small notebook without being bulky or big. :) On the plus side, I'm fashionable to boot

[dh]

Personally I would not get an SD only PPC, so my ideal would be the 2210 form factor, with slightly larger screen. I'm sure this could be done with a bit of rearranging.

Include 128MB, WiFi as well as BT and it would be a fantastic PPC.

On the other hand, I could also be tempted by a C760/860 form factor as well. Hmmm........

[dean_shan]

I just keep my e750 in the leather slip case that came with it and stick that in my front pants pocket.

[disconnected]

I carry my iPAQ 5555 in my purse at all times. I wouldn't consider anything with a smaller screen, and my next PPC will probably have a 4" screen.

About those teenage baggy pants -- they always look like they're about to fall down anyway. How do you manage with heavy stuff in the pockets? 8O

[Mark Johnson]

my pda is always in my left front pants pocket.

Me, too!


Couldn't agree more! Less is more! Smaller is bigger!

Funny thing is that from a "feature set" perspective, I feel like Redmond went to sleep when the Jornada 568 came out. I bought my Toshiba e310 in the failed hope it would be small enough to really be a "Pocket" PC but I still needed my uber-geeky belt holster. I was greatly pleased by my 4.4 oz iPaq 1910 and it has been in my jeans pocket since December of 2002. I'll NEVER go back!!!

It's pretty sad that the PPC platform has changed so little that from a "feature set" perspective I would have not bought another device in the last three years! I had the Jornada 568 for quite awhile and my e310 as well. Since 2001, the only way MS has been able to get me to buy something has been based on form-factor ALONE and not OS changes...

[ignar]

I put my 4150 in my left front pants pocket. I found that to carry in a pants pocket, thickness of the PDA is more important than other dimensions or weight, and in the Handheldplanet case, my 4150 might be practically as much slim as PDA can be. :D

[Mark Johnson]

Personally I would not get an SD only PPC


Just out of curiosity, why? If, hypothetically, there was something like an iPaq 1900 or 4100 true "Pocket" PC that had WiFi and BT internally then why would you need CF?

Seems like with 1GB SD cards there should be enough space, and if most peripherals like GPS use BT then it doesn't seem like it really should make a difference.

I'm one of those guys who thinks the majority of PPCs are huge bricks and wants to see smaller form factors. It looks like OEMs are still "catering to" folks like you who feel a CF slot is really important. You guys seem to be defining the devices quite a bit, and I'm just a bit puzzled about what the "gotta have cf" camp wants it for...

[webagogue]

but when SD prices started falling and built-in wifi became available I reconsidered. I bought a 4155 and I have to say, I'll never carry a larger machine again.

Oh.. a bit off topic but some people have posted in the past about "dress up" PDAs. IF there were such a thing, I'd have to imagine that the 41xx series would be in that category.... but there is no such category... so let's not kid ourselves, okay? :mrgreen:

[Prevost]

Belt holster or, better, a belt pocket.

Not this much for power or show-offs, but simply for I work in the construction field and I need my hands free. In my shirt's pocket it will fall outside down easily.

[nosmohtac]

I voted for all the power. Give me a Vulcan FlipstartPC.


I too only want a PPC with dual slots. Until BT devices are more mainstream and cheaper. I want the ability to use a 512MB or 1GB SD card for all of my programs and documents, and the CF slot for anything and everything else. The cost per MB is still cheaper, and with 4GB CF cards already in the $700 range, what better way to have fun with multimedia files.

How are you going to use an SDIO only PPC to put on a presentation with a 35MB Powerpoint file? Just my $.02

Just wondering.....why does the poll only add up to 96%?

[arglebargle]

I use the pod from www.roadwired.com. It houses my 2215,extra battery, extra cf, wifi card, headphones, cf gps, s56 cell phone, canon a70 digital camera, and even my car stereo faceplate when needed. Still have pockets to spare and little holders just for aa sized batterys I dont even use. Kind of a man purse but who cares! Looks like a camera bag. It can attach to your belt if you feel the need to be hands-free and really geeky. Got it when I used to have an Axim X5 that was too big for my pocket.

Now that I have a 2215 I can feel comfortable leaving the house with just my ipaq and cell phone. Slightly exposed, but comfortable.

ArgleBargle

[SHoTTa35]

I just got my 4155 and so far it freaking rox! It's small yet has everything! Driving home from work so far i picked up about 5 spots (2 Linksys, 1 Netgear, 1 2Wire and a "BridgesF" whatever that is )

(powersave OFF so that's killer distance!!)

[bjornkeizers]

My 1910 is always in my shirt pocket (unless I don't have a shirt pocket - in which case it is in my pants pocket.) No case, no problems so far. :D



8O Boo! Hiss!!! you don't deserve a PPC! :D

I carry my 1910 in a Krusell holster on my belt. It's a great case. Still, I'd happily sacrifice size for power and screen real estate. I'd love to have a tablet PC like device, say twice as big as a PPC and more rugged. Something I could toss in my backpack and use it like an electronic binder. (I'm a journalism student, so I carry a big ass binder with my notes, schedules, handouts, assignments - everything)

[Jonathon Watkins]

It looks like OEMs are still "catering to" folks like you who feel a CF slot is really important. You guys seem to be defining the devices quite a bit, and I'm just a bit puzzled about what the "gotta have cf" camp wants it for...

An investment in large capacity CF cards and compatibility with serious digital cameras (e.g. Canon D300, Powershot Pro1 etc.), which tend to use CF cards. CF card are (and will probably remain) significantly cheaper than SD cards.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I'm torn between two extremes. I either want 320x240 in a unit at least as small as the 19xx series, or I want a 640x480 unit with a 4" screen. I can't decide! :silly:

I'm all for a 640x480 unit with a 4" screen myself. I wear a belt holster, so it's not a problem. I am slightly surprised by the number of people who really do want a *Pocket* PC. It takes all sorts.... :wink:

[edramsey]

I clicked on the first one, but I really don't know how big the 1900 is. I carried an early Jornada and now have an Axim X5 with at least an SD card in it and generally some kind of CF accessory. Always in my shirt pocket unless I am camping or working outdoors, then it is on my belt in a padded holster. I would even be willing to have it a little heavier for more features (battery, wifi, etc..). Bear in mind that in my shirt pocket used to live a Daytimer with a leather cover and phone book and note book and two months of schedules and project timelines, etc... and it was WAY heavier than my pocket pc :-).

[Jimmy Dodd]

I didn't know what to vote for, since I carry my PPC all of the time, but where I carry it depends on what I'm wearing. I go the shirt pocket, pants pocket, and belt holster route at varying times. I even have a slip sleeve that fits in my Franklin Planner binder, though it rarely gets used anymore.

I have a 2215 and a V37, both of which fit easily in a shirt or jeans pocket. Size definitely matters, but I don't think I need anything smaller than my 2215.

[whydidnt]

I want the guts of an E800, including the 4" screen stuffed into the 4155 body. I can do without the CF slot to make this happen, and if it was a few mm bigger to accomodate the screen that would be okay.

I carry my PPC in my pants pocket except when travelling, then I take advantage of my laptop bag. Given the relative popularity of the 4100 series (or even the 2200 series). I'm really suprised a manufacturer hasn't figured away to give us the best of both worlds - more power in a relatively svelte form factor. I guess we are prisoners of the battery police still.

I've been looking at the E800, and love the specs, but that thing is almost as big as my old E-105 which was never pocketable, IMO. Still.....

[duncanhbrown]

My HP iPAQ 4150 (in EB Cases leather; love the magnetic closure of the flip-up screen protector) replaces a small notebook I used to carry in my left front pants pocket. It's small enough to fit comfortably.

There are four tools I need instantly at hand, carried in my left and right front pockets: my Pocket PC, my Dragonfly knife, my Fisher Space Pen and my wallet. (Information, cutting, writing and spending: four constants in life. 8))

[Kati Compton]

I'm torn between two extremes. I either want 320x240 in a unit at least as small as the 19xx series, or I want a 640x480 unit with a 4" screen. I can't decide! :silly:

I'm all for a 640x480 unit with a 4" screen myself. I wear a belt holster, so it's not a problem. I am slightly surprised by the number of people who really do want a *Pocket* PC. It takes all sorts.... :wink:
So, the smaller it is, the easier it is to carry with me everywhere instead of just home&lt;->work and in my carry-on when I travel. But the better resolution and the bigger screen would make it more useful... so it's a trade off between frequency of use and depth of use for me. Most likely, anyway.

[normaldude]

Seems a lot of people are like myself.. and want the small form factor, and want to carry the PDA in their pocket.

And personally, I think Pocket PCs should come with optional/removable FLIP COVERS. That way..

- Hard screen protection.

- Minimal bulk in the pocket.

- Syncable in the cradle.

[fixerdude]

I think Pocket PCs should come with optional/removable FLIP COVERS. That way..

I agree. I'd carry my 4150 in my pocket if there is flip cover. Right now it's in the stock HP pouch modified with a belt clip.

[Mark Johnson]

I want the guts of an E800, including the 4" screen stuffed into the 4155 body.

I've been looking at the E800, and love the specs, but that thing is almost as big as my old E-105 which was never pocketable, IMO. Still.....


Oh yeah! That would be perfect!

I too could never carry my E-100 in a pocket. I had a belt-holster and it was a lot less convenient than the way I can have my iPaq 1910 in my front jeans pocket. I'd never get something the size of an E800.

I know I will ONLY buy a VGA unit next month when they show up, but I'm not sure if I care if it is a 3.5" or 4" screen. Sure, the larger 4" screen would be great to look at, but to me smaller is better.