However, if your primary interest is in a portable audio recorder, you may not want a PocketPC at all (as to my knowledge, there is not a single multitrack recorder in existence for it). The synth software is quite nice, however; something that can't be matched on a standard midi-generating pocket recorder. You can then plug your pocket PC into one of these for serious recording. Some of them have CF media, which means you can then just transfer the files onto your pocket PC for use, which is pretty neat.
I really don't know why they haven't made any multitrack recording software for PPC - it should be able to handle it, the processor is fast enough at least to handle 2-track recording, i'd imagine... guess they decided there just wasn't a huge market for it. Too bad. But still a decent solution for recording single-track live stuff - when my band starts playing, i'm going to leave my PPC recording while we rock out so i can put the songs straight onto my computer without having to deal with analog transfers. Pretty cool.
Cool.. thanks for that link droppedd.. I've checked it out and it looks promising. My only concern is that it's only a digital interface so you can't actually record straight from mic and threfore will need another unit to be an A/D converter. This extra unit itself will also have to be powered therefore reducing the 'mobility' factor of the overall recording device...
But I see they have a Mic2496 pre-amp A/D converter in production and am keen to see how mobile (and expensive) this unit will be.
Not having true multitracking ability may be a little limiting, but I can see most users only needing to record to a single channel from a microphone anyway, and at up to 24bit the sound quality is potentially amazing (depending on the converters of course) for more serious mobile multitracking there are plenty of other devices around from the likes of fostex and Tascam, which are more dedicated to the task. some of them have CF also
I'm looking at using my PPC to record voice and ambient sounds to add as samples to my music, and being able to include beats and basslines, synth stabs and programmable filter sweeps through the likes of Griff and others is potentially a pretty darn powerful scratch pad. especially if (and I'm pretty sure you can) export all the sequences as MIDI files which I can use to control my hardware synths and VST plugins - I'm really getting excited now - 2 more weeks till Australian releease of the 2210 :clap: woohoo
as for the post on the JVC, I'd be very hesitant to buy a JVC b/c it seems that over time all the first generation (meaning a company's first foray) have had significant problems. which i guess is to be expected. it's hard to design and produce something flawlessly on your first try. Dell did so well b/c they just slap their name on it. I used to have a 3630, then a 3970, and now a 2200. Aside from the pelasure of not shellign out more than $300 for my ppc ( abrand new one at that) I'd have to say that I love it. The screen size is the biggest drawback but the size and weight make it worth it. i hardly know it's in my pocket even with my 1gb microdrive in it. it's fast and i use it for listening to music and audible books a lot. sounds good to me.
bahhhhh.... the 3.5mm jack on the 2210 doesnt double as a mic jack like my 5455's did, does it? that sucks.
damn... i hadn't checked into that yet... how did that work on the 5455? was there a setting you had to change from "headphone" to "mic" or something?
I know the 2210 does support an external mic, at least through Bluetooth (there's a headset profile)... so it doesn't seem like it would've been that difficult to let the headphone jack support it... bah.
Why 1940 ties with 2215 in my book (for multimedia)
Before you read this, you should know that it was my intent for a long time to get the 2215, and that I still think the 2215 is a great PDA. I didn't want to like the 1940 because, well, it only has 1 SD slot and the lure of having CF+SD was enticing. However, the following things swayed my purchase:
1. The 1940 has a record button for a total of 5 buttons. I sometimes use it for recording, but I like to map it to the Start menu for quick access to programs while having 4 other buttons to apps.
2. The 1940 direction pad is tighter and less unpredictable. While using the 2215, I found myself having to be really careful depressing the action button - I would frequently press a direction by accident. This also sucks for me because I like to map the direction pad and action button to Windows Media Player commands while I jog. The loose action of it would cause too many music interruptions.
3. The 1940 screen, while more yellowish, has less "jitter" - I can see wavy "scanning" going on the 2215 while the 1940 is rock solid. Of course, I really wish I had the 1910 screen :?
4. Though similar in size, the 1940 still is significantly smaller and easier to pocket than the 2215. This is probably due to the roundness of the bottom and the amazing thinness of it. When I carry it in my coat pocket, I can barely tell it's there.
5. The 1940 is $100 cheaper. Can't argue with that.
6. Application-wise, I could not tell the difference AT ALL between the 1940 and 2215. They are both 100% snappy and responsive.
7. The file store is 14MB instead of only 3MB. Real minor thing here, but just an added bonus.
8. Matter of preference, but I like the 1940's app buttons better because the ideographs next to them are bigger and they are easier to depress.
Still, some things I wish I had:
1. Nevo - but I was willing to sacrifice the slight novelty to save $100
2. CF slot - this is the biggest thing by far. So many CF toys to buy. But, the main ones - camera and 802.11 will also be available in SD (though I have to remove my 256MB SD card).
3. ClearType tuner - my cleartype looks just fine though, so I don't need to tune it.
4. 1/8" jack - that adapter is really annoying. I went to Radio Shack and bought 2 more and they permanently live with my fave speakers and headphones.
All in all, I have to go with the 1940 because I get many things I prefer while saving $100. I'm not a wireless nut, so when I buy the SD 802.11 card, it'll only be for casual use - especially since T-Mobile service is so expensive.
Anyways, that was my purchase justification. Total tally:
Well you cant really argue that the 2210 is more expensive, I got mine for $267 from HP. That's cheaper then your 1940.
Granted, they do have their pluses and minues... the 2210 just seems to make more sense. Once you are as small as the 2210, size doesnt really matter anymore because they are both tiny. The 2210 is more expandable and thats what I needed.
__________________
ConnectedMobiles.com - Windows Mobile connected Smartphones and Pocket PCs
For me it's the ability to have the CF permanently filled, like an hdd, and then use the second SDIO for things like WiFi. I have no complaints about the screen though it's not as nice as the 3970. The D-pad is a bit touchy an di's pretty damned small as it is. As it ges, they are both pretty good devices and it really depends on your needs and preferences.
If I hadn't gotten the 2210 for $267 i'd actually quite agree the 1940 is a better value. Although if I were in the market I'd still like to see the Asus A620 when it gets out in the US... i've seen VERY good benchmarks for it (better than the 2210 at PocketQuake), and it has a CF slot (no SD, but i'd rather have one CF slot than an SD slot anyways).
Also, if you plan on getting a wi-fi card you may want to take into account the fact that when sdio wifi cards come out, they'll be significantly more expensive than CF ones (which you can get for as little as $30-$40 after rebates), which narrows the price gap between the 2210 and 1940. That price difference will likely remain for a while (look at the price difference between 512 MB SD and 512 MB CF, for example).
Why 1940 ties with 2215 in my book (for multimedia)
Linear Mode
