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View Full Version : Can someone help me decide?


Kahsm
05-06-2005, 07:12 AM
Hello, I'm brand new to this PocketPC stuff and I see all the different features by all the different companies, and I have no idea what I want. Money isn't going to be a deciding factor for me, but lets not get too crazy. I don't want some 2010 prototype. =)

Anyway, I WAS seriously considering a rx3115. My requirements do tend to be mostly media based, but I don't need a camera. But after reading a large amount of posts on this very forum, you all seem to dislike it!

My requirements/Wishes:
- Play mp3s & video, streaming Wi-Fi would be nice. (a la the IPAQ rx3115)

- It's goign to have to come with the windows pack (word excel yadda yadda) though I havn't found many that don't.

- I need the WiFi connection

- I need to be able to remotely control my desktop over the wi-fi connection. I know the IPAQ rxs have built in features for that, but I don't hear much about it for other PPCs.

- I also need a sharp screen for video/picture/PowerPoint. VGA would be nice, but I hear that can actually slow down the PPC. Are there PPCs that allow you to switch between modes? is this viable?

- I'd like to be able to play the games that are out there. I've seen some 3D screens for the Dell x50, are there any other PPCs that can do thoes? if not I'd like to be top of the line in that department with the next best thing. The 3115 only has a 300mhz processor, when others are in the 600mhz range. What are PPC games requiring these days?

- Lastly, that remote control feature of the IPAQ rxs just seems so handy, the IR port is there anyway, why not... Any other PPCs that have these? or are there software alternatives?

Hope you guys can help.

- Kahsm

rhmorrison
05-06-2005, 09:38 AM
First of all you might want to take a look at the old PDA Buyers Guide (http://www.mobiletechreview.com/ppc.htm) which has information on many different PDAs.

Play MP3 and VIDEO (streaming WiFi)
All PPCs (that have WiFi) can accomplish this. I still use an ancient hp Jornada 568 and it can accomplish this if I have my WiFi CF card plugged in.
Windows Pack - Work, Excel, ...
As you mentioned also included with all PPCs.
Remotely Control Desktop over WiFi
This feature is available using different FREEWARE programs, for example Pocket VNC (http://www.cs.utah.edu/~midgley/wince/vnc.html).
Sharp Screen
Yes, VGA is the only way to go to achieve this and YES it can be slower (4 times as many pixels). And YES you can switch between modes.
Play Games
YES, the Dell x50v is the only PDA that I am aware of that has a 3d accelerator. Again, on my 266 MHz hp Jornada 568 I have had no problems playing any games that I have tried and any units with VGA have faster processors. Here I would recommend the Dell x50v!
IrDA (IR) Remote Control
All PDA's have an IrDA port. Well, there might be one or two that don't but I am not personally aware of them. What you want is consumer IrDA which not all PDA's have. Again I purchased TV remote controller 5.5 (http://www.pdawin.com/tvremote.html) and it works flawlessly with my old hp Jornada 568. There are many other (http://www.handango.com/PlatformSearch.jsp?optionId=1_2_2&jid=XC215FXD8BX3X6FEACX891F24BX2C177&platformId=2&osId=119&siteId=1&sectionId=1535&txtSearch=remote+control) TV remote control programs available (such as Vito Remote (http://vitotechnology.com/en/products/remote.html)) and there are also extra IR transmitters for those PDA's that don't have a consumer IR transmitter built-in. This should be no problem.

stevelam
05-07-2005, 12:07 PM
It all depends how much you have to spend. I would recommend an HP Ipaq h2210 as it has CIR (consumer infra-red (the same as remotes)) so you would not need extra hard-ware for that, but it does not have wifi.

stevelam
05-07-2005, 12:09 PM
Ive just remembered HP dont sell the h2210 anymore :bad-words: (although you probably can find it online)

rim
05-09-2005, 11:43 AM
Lastly, that remote control feature of the IPAQ rxs just seems so handy, the IR port is there anyway, why not... Any other PPCs that have these? or are there software alternatives?

I've been choosing between HP iPAQ 6340 and rx3715. Finally I got rx 3715 (a nice qwerty!), and the software for remote control is Novii Remote PPC 2.2 (www.novii.tv). First I read the feedbacks and after I purchased NoviiRemote I found that no other remote control software work on rx 3715.

Hope this will help you to find what you want.

Menneisyys
05-09-2005, 01:55 PM
First of all you might want to take a look at the old PDA Buyers Guide (http://www.mobiletechreview.com/ppc.htm) which has information on many different PDAs.


On many, but not all. Speaking of current VGA devices, the Toshiba e830 and the Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket Loox 720 aren't even mentioned. So, if you want to have a look at VGA devices too, I'd (also) look elsewhere. For example, I recommend the VGA thread at http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=39891 , which discusses VGA PPC's.

Menneisyys
05-09-2005, 02:13 PM
I need to be able to remotely control my desktop over the wi-fi connection. I know the IPAQ rxs have built in features for that, but I don't hear much about it for other PPCs.

Any PPC can do that. There're a quite few media remote controller apps too: NetRemote ( http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35465 ), Total Input Elite ( http://www.xronox.com/XronoxSite/TotalInputEliteInfo.aspx ) etc.

Incidentally, the desktop media companion of the rx3xxx isn't very good in that it can't stream MP3 files to the Pocket PC; it only supports streaming Windows Media formats.

I also need a sharp screen for video/picture/PowerPoint. VGA would be nice, but I hear that can actually slow down the PPC.

The speed hit is noticeable but can definitely be lived with. The advantages of VGA heavily outweight the speed descrease in the screen rendering speed. And, it's only the screen rendering speed that gets a hit; the raw CPU power is generally higher in today's VGA devices than in the iPAQ 2210. You may want, for example, to read my direct Pocket Loox 720 vs iPAQ 2210 benchmark results in searching for a word in a long Mobipocket document at http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=36376 .

The 3115 only has a 300mhz processor, when others are in the 600mhz range. What are PPC games requiring these days?

Most, if not all, games run pretty OK even on 300 MHz devices. Emulation (game consoles, old home computers, PC's), however, is a completely different question. There, the faster the CPU, the better - the VGA devices definitely outperform slower, even QVGA devices.

Lastly, that remote control feature of the IPAQ rxs just seems so handy, the IR port is there anyway, why not... Any other PPCs that have these? or are there software alternatives?

Quite a few of them have. Of the VGA devices, the Pocket Loox 720 also has it. However, you can always buy hardware-based infrared boosters. There are two of them for the PPC: the CF-based (which, therefore, will not work in all PPC's) UltraMote ( http://www.ultramote.com/ ) and Total Remote ( http://www.griffintechnology.com/software/software_totalremote.html ), which is a dongle that must be inserted in the headphones jack. So, with some additional purchases, you can make almost any Pocket PC CIR-capable. But, it's better to buy a device that has it built-in. If you really need a decent screen, you may want to consider getting the Pocket Loox 720. It's not only VGA but also has the same screen as the iPAQ hx4700. These two devices have by far the best Pocket PC screen IMHO.

fly
05-10-2005, 06:17 AM
Finally I got rx 3715 (a nice qwerty!), and the software for remote control is Novii Remote PPC 2.2 (www.novii.tv).


Yes, a nice piece of software! I've got HP iPAQ h6340 and I have programmed all my remotes (tv, dvd, vcr, stereo) in it and I can use the HP from comfortable 15 to 20 feet. Novii remote comes with a huge database of codes and if you still have your remote it is easy to "copy" or record the codes.
I also enjoy Bluetooth® enabled GPS iPAQ Navigation System FA196A (hp.com). I usually check for the software I'm interested in on pocketgear.com or via google search