Palm to Pocket PC

[ethanding]

I am currently considering buying a Pocket PC after having been very frustrated with my Palm for many years. So I am new to this and excuse me for the silly questions. One of the reasons that I am considering getting a PPC over a new Palm is I still use my laptop and I think because PPCs use Windows OS and applications, they can probably sync better with my laptop. Am I correct?
My second question is which models will you recommend? I travel quite a bit for work and I use handheld devices primarily for e-mail, internet and calendars etc.

[applejosh]

I am currently considering buying a Pocket PC after having been very frustrated with my Palm for many years. So I am new to this and excuse me for the silly questions. One of the reasons that I am considering getting a PPC over a new Palm is I still use my laptop and I think because PPCs use Windows OS and applications, they can probably sync better with my laptop. Am I correct?
Actually, I find the syncing in the PPC to be its weakest point. ActiveSync doesn't work as well as I would like. And the PPC may use an OS called Windows something something, but it isn't the same thing and has nothing to do with the desktop OS. An application for Windows XP won't run on your Pocket PC. I actually prefer HotSync on the Palm platform for most things. (Although I do have a love/hate relationship with the always sync'd feature of ActiveSync.)

My second question is which models will you recommend? I travel quite a bit for work and I use handheld devices primarily for e-mail, internet and calendars etc.
Look at the Dell's. They probably offer the best price/feature ratio. But read all the forums here to get an idea of what the strengths/weaknesses of every device.

[emuelle1]

Dells do seem to be the hottest Pocket PCs right now. Ipaqs have previously blanketted the market, so if you don't mind used that might be the way to go.

ActiveSync has it's issues, that's for sure. I prefer Pocket PC to Palm for a lot of reasons though. The Pocket PC comes standard with Pocket Outlook, which allows you to sync your email if you use Microsoft Outlook. I think you can find programs to help you sync Outlook Express, however.

[Brad Adrian]

If you can find an iPAQ 4100 (kinda "last year's model"), that might be a really good device for a new Pocket PC user. It's got integrated Bluetooth and WiFi and is REALLY compact in size.

But, as was said, take a look through these forums, and don't hesitate to ask any questions that come to mind.

[Darius Wey]

I agree with Brad. If you're after a model that doesn't necessarily have to be the best and latest out there, the iPAQ h4150/h4155 are great first-time units.

I think you'll prefer Pocket PC over Palm in many ways. I've tried both copiously in the past, and I have to say that the Pocket PC offers better integration and connectivity with the PC... and it's only getting better as the years go by. ;) Whether you intend to use your Pocket PC for PIM, multimedia, gaming, internet/email checking, among other things, I think you'll find that the Pocket PC offers the edge over the Palm in more ways than one. But browse around the forums - get a feel of what people have and have not recommended, and hopefully, you'll be wanting a Pocket PC even more. If you do end up purchasing one, it's great to stick around here for recommendations on software, hardware accessories, and just general tips and tricks worth knowing that help you get the most out of your device. :)

[PatrickD]

I switched from palm to PPC about two years ago, and I have no regrets. Some people complain about activesync, but I have never really had any problems. With hotsync I used to get a lot of duplicate enteries for some reason. There are things I would like to improve in activesync, but overall it works well. I like the fact that is syncs continuously without having to hit a button. I can just pick it up out of the cradle and head for the door. There are lots of models to choose from, and the people here are very friendly and helpful.

[surur]

Hey guys, just because he's new does not mean he's poor.

Ethanding, you may want to consider getting the latest and greatest. This will improve your experience over Palm significantly.

The latest VGA pocketpc's have higher resolution that palms, while qvga actually has less.

You'll want a pocketpc with wifi built-in, again something thats very difficult to get with a current palm.

Get 128Mb RAM, which will mean you can use your device easily without jumping through hoops (again not available on palm).

I suggest a pocketpc with wmp10, which allows tighter integration with desktop wmp10

The best pocketpc for trouble free operation currently is the loox 720. If you in america it may be difficult to get and support however. The Asus also looks good, but appears to have small battery.

So in summary, get the latest unit for the best experience, look at additional software such as pocketplus, Pocketinformant, Pocketbreeze, Resco file explorer and Textmaker. Get the latest unit, get vga and 128MB, and look beyond HP.

Oh yes, you've done the best thing already. You've found this website. Keep asking questions, people are friendly here.

Surur

[ethanding]

Thank you all for the info. I really appreciate it. Will come back soon with more questions.

[Vidge]

I agree with applejosh. Hotsync just works for me, while I have trouble with Active Sync (got some notes that will sync just fine to my T3 but not to my hp4155).

Of course, I've just about had it with ALL PDAs and I've got a Sony U750P on order. Hopefully, that will solve my PDA needs.

[ipaq_wannabe]

i have been through both platforms, and i would have to say that in comparison with Palm's Hotsync, ActiveSync has much much to be desired...

just a note, it is wrong to assume that just because a product comes from M$, it would be more compatible with other M$ stuffs than those coming from non-M$ manufacturers

-@PIE@Loox

[Darius Wey]

ActiveSync's intended function was to allow for synchronisation between devices. As far as I can tell, it does that. Not brilliantly, but it does it. There's certainly room for improvement and I'm hoping the v4.0 release will bring with it many new fixes and feature enhancements that will actually make synchronisation easier and less painful. While ActiveSync problems occur day in-day out, so too does it occur with other synchronisation programs out there. All of them have their ups and downs, but personally, I wouldn't consider a synchronisation program as the deciding point between choosing a Pocket PC or a Palm. There are so many other parameters out there worth diverting your attention to - which is why I've preferred the Pocket PC in the past, in the present, and most probably, into the future. ;)