08-05-2004, 06:38 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 491
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18 months of using a PPC, & not much has changed :-(
I bought my first -- and only -- PPC about 18 months ago. The HP iPAQ h1910. A handy little device, great display, affordable, a terrific geek gadget to explore, play with, and figure out how to actually make my life better.
Pocket Informant alone made my PPC a worthwhile investment. I actually have a manageable task list and calendar. Beautiful.
I added things like eBooks (I read American classic literature during the summer), PocketStars, Pocket Bible. I tried listening to WMAs using WMP, but there isn't an equalizer in WMP and other programs play WMAs erratically (at least on my device). I use my PPC to listen to a few MP3s now and then.
I bought SprintDB Pro and created a handy database program to keep track of my homeschooling lessons, book lists, tests, more. That's been great, too -- except the lousy Microsoft engine that runs on the PPC platform.
I used to frequent this forum a lot. But after about nine months or so, not much was really going on with PPCs. Windows Mobile 2003? Not much compelling with that release. WM2003SE? Landscape, I suppose, is nice, but not worth me spending $300+ to replace my 1910.
My 1910 was soon obsolete and the iPAQ 1930/35 and 1940/45 came. Aside from running WM2003, there wasn't much compelling about the devices. I have a WiFi network at home now, so a WiFi-enabled PPC would be nice -- but not to die for.
I've been waiting for VGA screens on PPCs, iPAQs in particular. Finally, they arrived!
But they run on the same tired WM2003 operating system. Pocket Excel and Pocket Word are as awful as ever (does Microsoft ever plan on updating them?). The ADOCE database engine (which is the engine used by SprintDB Pro, Data on the Run, etc.) hasn't been updated in four years!!
Worse, the new iPAQs lose the softly curved design of the 1900-series. They're as clutzy looking as ever.
A PPC with a touchpad is touted as "innovative." Innovative? Adding technology that's been around for years on laptops? Hardly.
There just isn't anything exciting and really new and really compelling going on with PPCs these days.
I like my iPAQ 1910. I use it everyday. It runs as well as my kids' Windows 98SE computer runs (eg, not terribly reliably, and slowly). I'd like to upgrade to something just as sleek as my 1910, with outstanding battery life, VGA display, is umpteen-times faster to use, and can perform really useful tricks that my current PPC can't.
There just isn't anything exciting going on with PPCS these days.
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