07-31-2006, 09:00 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Pathetic!
Last night, I had to set up a Palm T|X for my mom. (She was a happy Pocket PC user, but the hospital she's working at has deployed some Palm-based solution to manage patients, so she doesn't have much of a choice, and would prefer to carry one PDA instead of two.) While I was setting up the Palm, I rapidly saw all the pathetic aspects of PalmOS I forgot having to deal with: 15 categories, proprietary file system, no omnipresent Start menu (or multitasking), primitive SIP, and so on.
However, the Palm blows the Pocket PC away in one very simple scenario: when I finished, my mom pointed out she didn't have an extra sync cable, and would prefer not to carry the cable back and forth. There were two solutions: either buy a new cable, or set up wireless sync. I told her the latter should work, and proceeded to set up WiFi sync, on the latest Palm, in about 30 seconds. It just worked, and was just as fast as the USB sync. I couldn't help but think that the i-mate JasJar or the Palm 700w I own, two of the most advanced handheld computers on the market, can't accomplish this simple task. Meanwhile, a rapidly-outdating device with a rapidly-outdating and possibly-dead operating system has consistently supported network sync for the last 10 or so years and still does perfectly, whereas Microsoft developed a halfhearted implementation that was a pain to set up and then proceeded to ditch it. Sorry, I know we've been down this road before many times, but I can't help but rant after having seen how an utterly primitive handheld trumps the Pocket PC in this simple and useful scenario. Pathetic!
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07-31-2006, 09:19 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 181
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I never really tried the Wifi sync that so many people lament the loss of with WM5. I have always synchronized my PPCs using bluetooth. In fact, after the initial ActiveSync with the computer during setup, I usually put the USB cable either in the car or back in the box the device came in. I leave it in the car as a car charger or in the box because I won't be using it with the computer or anywhere else.
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07-31-2006, 09:47 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 63
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Another thing is the alarms always work 
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07-31-2006, 10:04 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 215
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Well I can't get bluetooth to sync either thats assuming when I turn it on it doesn't want to soft reset first!
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07-31-2006, 10:09 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 58
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With so many websites complaining about this one would hope/dream that Microsoft listens to us... Just because they thought some corporate users didn't want this feature should not mean we all get stuck without it.
They really need to bring this back, I miss it, and it is clear many others miss it too.
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07-31-2006, 10:28 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
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Re: Pathetic!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
Sorry, I know we've been down this road before many times, but I can't help but rant after having seen how an utterly primitive handheld trumps the Pocket PC in this simple and useful scenario. Pathetic!
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One word....AGREED!
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07-31-2006, 10:51 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 Silver5
I never really tried the Wifi sync that so many people lament the loss of with WM5. I have always synchronized my PPCs using bluetooth.
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I use Bluetooth with the 700w as well. However, it's not nearly as nice as the WiFi syncing experience. It's significantly slower and less reliable; I usually have to start Bluetooth syncing twice before it works. It's also less useful for PCs that don't have Bluetooth built-in (e.g., many desktops).
--janak
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07-31-2006, 11:28 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,386
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Well... I'll make an even broader statement... while I've certainly never looked back since switching from my old Palm V to the Casio EM500 four years ago, I will say that HotSync NEVER gave me ANY issues at all. It was completely seamless, very easy, and it just worked. So it wouldn't surprise me at all that the wireless syncing is the same.
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08-01-2006, 01:32 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 181
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[quote="Janak Parekh"]
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Silver5
It's also less useful for PCs that don't have Bluetooth built-in (e.g., many desktops).
--janak
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Good point...I sometimes forget that most people are using desktops. Everyone I know has a laptop and almost all of them have built-in bluetooth.
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08-01-2006, 03:46 AM
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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 Silver5
Good point...I sometimes forget that most people are using desktops. Everyone I know has a laptop and almost all of them have built-in bluetooth.
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Laptops are quite prevalent today; I have a Powerbook with integrated Bluetooth. In fact, my mom uses a laptop, but hers is a bit older and lacks that integrated Bluetooth functionality.
--janak
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