08-29-2003, 03:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Another Week, Another New Pocket PC - or Two?
[This is a republishing of my editorial from this week's edition of Pocket PC Thoughts Weekly - I'm trying an experiment to see how well it works to publish my editorial here as well as in the newsletter, since you can't comment in the newsletter.]
Momentum continues to build on the Windows Mobile 2003 platform with news about a few new Pocket PCs coming out soon. First up, we have the iPAQ 1930, a non-Bluetooth version of the 1940 that has a slower CPU and less Flash ROM. But at a price of $199 USD after a $50 rebate [Affiliate], I'm predicting that this device will cut sharply into sales of mid-range Palm devices. The Dell Axim X5 was the first Pocket PC to hit the $199 USD price point, but the Axim wasn't a small device - and if a Pocket PC OEM hopes to lure Palm converts over to the Pocket PC, size matters (a lack thereof to be more precise).
The 1930 represents a solid left-hook at the mid-range Palm market. The greyscale Zire is a bottom-end device with almost no profit margin, but it continues to prop up Palm's market share numbers and solidify Palm mindshare. I have to admit, though, that the Zire 71 is a nice little device - great screen, high resolution, fast, and with a camera. But if a consumer looks at the iPAQ 1930 side by side with the Zire 71 (priced at $299 USD), will the Zire 71 have $100 of apparent extra value? Both devices are small, have great screens, and are fast. Will a poor-quality integrated camera be worth an extra $100 to most consumers? Probably not. The 1930 is a solid hit from HP. I have to hand it to HP: they're consistently the most aggressive Pocket PC OEM out there, and I hope they keep it up with new and innovative designs at every price point.
Some rumours about the forthcoming Dell Axim X3 started swirling around again thanks to a Brighthand article, and it's a device worth getting excited about. If Dell hits their previously-stated goal of a $150 USD colour device, Palm could be reeling from the double-trouble effect of HP and Dell gunning after the entry-level Zire market. Let's hope that the X3 is a bit more svelte than the X5 - geeks might be willing to put up with a bigger PDA, but most consumers want something small and chic. It will be a great Christmas season for consumers interested in buying a Pocket PC, that's for sure!
The biggest Pocket PC Thoughts news this week revolved around some evolution to the site - we can now accept credit cards for subscriber services, and we launched a huge contest to help celebrate the success of the subscriber services. We're continuing to work hard on making Pocket PC Thoughts the most valuable site for Pocket PC enthusiasts there is, and all the encouragements we've received in the past few weeks have been greatly appreciated.
Have a comment about something that happened in the past week? Post away!
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08-29-2003, 03:07 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 89
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Your phrasing is very biased and weighted...
"Will a poor-quality integrated camera be worth an extra $100 to most consumers? Probably not."
This assumes most consumers will consider the camera to be of poor quality. With that very subjective term out of the way...
"Will a[n] integrated camera be worth an extra $100 to most consumers? Probably not."
Now your conclusion seems awkward and out of place. Frankly, yes, it is worth $100 to most consumers! Even I wouldn't mind having a machine with even a semi-cheesy camera *completely invisible* like the zire. Or shall I buy a CF camera for more, plus get to tote it around separately from my iPaq?
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08-29-2003, 03:30 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jmarkevich
Your phrasing is very biased and weighted...
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Not really. I think Jason raises a valid point. Are consumers going to pay $100 more for any device...camera or no camera? In this economy, cheaper is better in the minds of many consumers. A lot of people will find the 1930 more compelling simply because of the lower price tag and thinner form factor.
Another problem with the Zire 71 is the screen. The display is absolutely gorgeous...but it's still square. 320x320 does offer much sharper picture quality over 320x240...but without a full aspect ratio screen, what's the point? I own a Zire 71 and a Dell Axim X5, and despite the much nicer screen (on the Zire) I always find myself coming back to the Axim for reading ebooks...browsing PIE/AvantGo...or viewing pictures, simply because the screen is larger and offers a more "natural" viewing experience. Obviously this won't be an issue for long as PalmOne introduces 320x480 devices. But for now, I honestly prefer a 320x240 screen over a 320x320, just for the shear utility.
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08-29-2003, 04:19 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,639
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It is great that we are getting more, and better, PPCs at the entry price level. This is the high volume part of the market that has always belonged to Palm. Having good PPC options here will help grow the market nicely.
Although I wouldn't want a 1930 or Dell X3 for myself, I would certainly consider getting one for my 10 year old daughter, to replace her Palm Vx.
Dell having a wider product line will be good for the PPC platform as well. Even with just one model Dell has made a big impact. I'm sure that in time we will see Dell compete head to head with HP at all the price points.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the release of the HP4000 series and the Dell X7. I'm pretty sure that my next PPC will be one of these.
New PPCs arriving on the market is always good news, all we need now is some innovative new form factors, maybe Dell's OEM should hire some Sharp or Sony designers.
Oh, I agree with Jason on the camera thing. I don't want a camera on my PDA thank you, so I don't want to pay anything, let alone $100.00 for one.
__________________
Cheers!
David
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08-29-2003, 04:30 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 279
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True 'dat.  But also, some time ago (shortly before the 1930/40 came out) I posted a Brighthand poll--iPaq 1910 vs Zire 71. That time, I found myself defending the Zire... from a lot of iPaq nuts.
Though of course Brighthand _has_ been a sort of traditional Pocket PC hangout, so maybe this means nothing.
But the 1900 series in general is so cool that, resolution aside, it has virtually no weaknesses vs. the Zire 71. The camera is nice and the battery better, I'm sure, but the bigger screen, smaller size, fabulous design, and very strong platform of the 1900s just scream "buy me!" from the retail shelves.
At this point, I could never fault anyone for choosing either over the other. I might scratch my head over someone buying an X5 (which is just so 'PPC 2k2') or a Zire (the original, which has been a anti-consumer scam from the very beginning).
But besides those, pfft, all the Toshibas, all the iPaqs, the Palm 71, the Sony's--all are just so many delicious ounces of PDA goodness.
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08-29-2003, 04:39 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jmarkevich
This assumes most consumers will consider the camera to be of poor quality. With that very subjective term out of the way...
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No, it is definitely mediocre at best. Even Palm review sites have said it. The main appeal of the camera is similar to the appeal of camera phones: for quick, random snapshots, and as such while it may be a nice feature, it's debatable whether or not consumers will consider that a key feature. Certainly not if they're planning to take hi-res shots.
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Now your conclusion seems awkward and out of place. Frankly, yes, it is worth $100 to most consumers!
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Well, it is Jason's opinion piece. We're not pretending to be unbiased here. :lol:
--janak
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08-29-2003, 04:42 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 238
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Compitition is always a good thing, Dell is the reason I got into PPC's, now HP is trying to get into the low-end market.
The cameras are nice gimmicks, but from the pictures I've seen with them, there not very good for anything but basic e-mail.
Give me a VGA lcd with 32-bit color and keep it the same size as the 19xx series and include that 533 MHz Samsung chip,128 MB RAM and I'd be sold in a heartbeat.
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08-29-2003, 04:56 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 31
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dh
Although I wouldn't want a 1930 or Dell X3 for myself, I would certainly consider getting one for my 10 year old daughter, to replace her Palm Vx.
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Jeez, talk about your �bergeeks 
But an Dell X3 would be very very welcome. I love the small formfactor of say, the HP 1910/15. Add some nice features on there, and you will have a winner.
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08-29-2003, 05:06 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jmarkevich
Your phrasing is very biased and weighted...
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Right. That's what editorials are - opinion pieces. Pick up any newspaper and you'll see the same thing.
You seemed to have missed my point, because you're saying that you'd have to go out and buy a CF card add-on. Look at the numbers: most Pocket PC owners don't buy these add-ons. That tells me that having a camera on their PDA isn't very important to consumers, and that then tells me that if they have to pay $100 for it, most people wouldn't want to to do. The 1930 and the Zire 71 are pretty close in terms of performance, size, screen quality, etc. And at $100 less after a rebate, the iPAQ 1930 is significantly less expensive than the Zire 71, and price matters more to consumers than features, once a basic feature set is reached (small size, colour screen, etc.).
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08-29-2003, 05:07 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 68
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Size does matter....
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