pocket pc newb, help?

[TimDgsr]

I'm new to pocket pcs, and I'm looking into getting one for Christmas. I'm trying to find out pros and cons for all the different brands. I've been looking at the Ipaq line, but not sure what all I need to look for in a pocket pc. Like battery life, built-in bluetooth vs wi-fi, etc. Do the toshibas not connect to any type of foldable keyboard? Any kind of information/opinions would be greatly appreciated

thanks

[Sheynk]

WELCOME

First of all you have to decide the $$$ issue.

If you want top of the line with blue tooth : GO Ipaq 3970
If you want top of the line w/o blue tooth : Go Ipaq 3955

Things you have to keep in mind are
- How important is the screen to me
- How important is expansion to me
- How important is speed to me
- How important it is to have top of the line
All the factors need to be considered. If you dont cara much for size, then the Ipaq is the most expandable thru sleeves, but if you do, then all you get with the Ipaq is SD. Also consider the Dell Axim 5 and the new Toshiba (i dont recommend the wifi one. bat life sucks./ instead go ipaq battery sleeve with wifi card) I believe the name is 33x (x=some thing)

Also, do you need/want xscale?


Good luck.

[TimDgsr]

I'd like to have an xscale. I can't really think of any reason I need bluetooth, but then again I'm not really sure of all its capabilities. I was looking to spend under 1k, with accessories. I was thinking the 3955 or the 3970, but I wasn't sure if any other brands had a model similar to these. I don't have a wi-fi setup in my house or anywhere I go for that matter, but it wouldn't hurt to have it for future use.

I have a few questions about the compaq sleeves though. They have their own battery on them, right? Does this work seperately from the battery in the ipaq itself, or do they work together once the sleeve is on? And what is the difference between a CF and a PC card? And can you use one sleeve for both types with any type of adapter.

[spursdude]

For iPaq sleeves, some sleeves have an independent battery, while some have none.

A CF card is much smaller than a PC card. You may be able to get a PC card expansion sleeve, and you a PC card to CF adapter (for about $10 at amazon) to use CF cards in your PC card sleeve.

With the Viewsonic being nearly $400 less than the newest iPaq's, I am feeling hardpressed to find any major differences. The one major difference I see is the lack of the multitude of expansion sleeves for the Viewsonic. However, SD accessories are becoming more widespread and you may actually not need a sleeve soon enough. The Viewsonic V35 has a 300mhz X-scale processor (100mhz less than the iPAQ) and no TV remote control built in.

I would honestly go with the Viewsonic b/c it's much cheaper, has just as good a screen, and is thin and light. But if you really want your accessories, the 3955 or 3970 is probably the way to go. (and with 1k to spend, you are one of the few who can afford it)

[Kati Compton]

I'm new to pocket pcs, and I'm looking into getting one for Christmas. I'm trying to find out pros and cons for all the different brands. I've been looking at the Ipaq line, but not sure what all I need to look for in a pocket pc. Like battery life, built-in bluetooth vs wi-fi, etc. Do the toshibas not connect to any type of foldable keyboard? Any kind of information/opinions would be greatly appreciated

Sounds like you're in a similar situation to the one I'm in (getting first PocketPC around Christmas). Not having a PocketPC yet, I can't tell you which is the best, but I'll tell you my own plan, in case it helps.

I'm going to get one of the cheapest ones I can that has semi-reasonable features (most likely the $200 Dell unless I hear there's something significantly wrong with it). Basically, I don't know for sure if I'll like the interface, and I don't know which features will be most important to me (other than wanting a CF slot).

True, getting a "cheap" one means that I'll most likely want to replace it in a year. But there will probably be neater things out then, plus I'll have a better idea of what's important.

Is the "large" size of the Dell actually significant to me? While I of course would *like* one of the sexy small ones, I'm not sure that it'll make all that much difference to me personally in practice except for "I am a cooler geek than thou" contests :P. Do I need WiFi? It's cool... But for the most part, I'm pretty near a computer when I'm in WiFi range for syncing, and for net access I'd just use my laptop. Probably. I think I'd like the 4" screen of the 550g, but I don't like the dust horror stories. How much battery life do I *actually* need between recharges? Dunno yet.

Also, assuming this works out, I'll be able to justify spending $500-$600 on a unit after having had some real experience with one. Right now, shelling out that kind of money for something I'm not sure of doesn't seem reasonable.

Your situtation may differ, and there's some validity to starting off with an expensive one with all the features, and figure out from there what features you do and do not actually use (as opposed to using a lower-end model and trying to discover "what features am I missing?"). But starting cheap and working my way up is what's right for me (and my budget).

[Rirath]

A spending limit of under 1k just doesn't make sense at the moment. With the new Ipaqs right around the corner on the highest end, and the Dell on the cheaper side of things, it's not a good plan.

Personally I say look into the $299 Dell coming up. If you don't think you'll need Bluetooth, you won't be losing much of anything over the 39xx Ipaqs. You'd get a year warranty as well, and have plenty of cash left for software and accessories.

[mashtim]

Some other things for you to consider:

1) Do you want the ability to change batteries? This is VERY important if you plan to spend a lot of time away from your cradle/outlet. Be aware, though, that some batteries are larger than others.
2) Are the built-in slots on the unit both input AND output? This is important if you plan to use the slot only for memory or whether you plan to use add-ons (i.e. camera, GPS, bluetooth, etc)
3) Do you need XScale or not? Many people are reporting underwhelming performance with their XScale devices. MS probably won't optimize the OS for a couple more years, which brings me to my next point....
4) How long do you plan to keep the device? Since this is your first PPC, you would probably be better off getting a less expensive unit like the Dell, Viewsonic or Toshiba e330 and learning to use the unit without worrying about all the other stuff. Then, once you determine your needs through hands-on use, you can buy your next PPC purely on design features. The reality is that all PPC2K2s are basically the same, software-wise, so your purchases should be based on how the unit feels in your hand, since it will hopefully be there quite a lot! :D

I've probably just clouded the issue for you even more now, but what it really boils down to is your list of needs, not ours. Using a handheld is a pretty personal thing. So, go to a store and paw all the PPC2K2s you can for a while and then decide!

[TimDgsr]

thanks for all your help. I think I've decided to go with a cheaper pda for now and buy an ipod as well ;)

[Pony99CA]

I have a few questions about the compaq sleeves though. They have their own battery on them, right? Does this work seperately from the battery in the ipaq itself, or do they work together once the sleeve is on? And what is the difference between a CF and a PC card? And can you use one sleeve for both types with any type of adapter.
I'll answer these questions, even though it sounds like you've decided not to get an iPAQ.

Q. Do the sleeves have their own batteries?

A. Yes and no. Some do, some don't. The basic CF sleeve does not, the newer one does (a removable battery). All PCMCIA sleeves have batteries, the dual PCMCIA sleeve having a bigger battery than the single sleeve. My Navman GPS sleeve does not have a bettery.

Presumably, the sleeve designers take into account how much battery drain will occur in typical use, and provide batteries for larger drain uses. However, if this is important to you, you'll have to research each sleeve.

Q. Do batteries in the sleeves work with the battery in the iPAQ?

A. As far as I know, every battery in a sleeve works with the iPAQ's battery. This means that hooking up your iPAQ to a charger will charge both the main battery and the sleeve's battery.

Q. What is the difference between PCMCIA and CF?

A. PCMCIA (or PC Card) is a larger format card than CF. Many peripherals are available in both formats, but not all. For example, there are 5 GB hard disks available in PCMCIA format, but the largest CF hard disk that I know of is 1 GB.

Q. Can you use an adapter so both PCMCIA and CF cards work with one sleeve?

A. Yes in both cases, but with an important difference.

There are many adapters which allow a CF card to be used in a PCMCIA slot. In fact, one came with my dual PCMCIA sleeve, and I use it with my 256 MB CF card.

There are also adapters which allow PCMCIA cards to be used with CF slots. However, because PCMCIA cards are bigger than CF slots, these adapters stick out of (or hang down from) the CF slots, leaving your PCMCIA card exposed and making the package more unwieldy.

My suggestion is to get a PCMCIA sleeve if you think you'll have any reason to use a PCMCIA card with your PDA.

Also, note that the iPAQ line is one of the few Pocket PCs that have PCMCIA support. None of those cheaper ones (Viewsonic, Dell, Toshiba, etc.) currently support PCMCIA as far as I know.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

Some other things for you to consider:

...

2) Are the built-in slots on the unit both input AND output? This is important if you plan to use the slot only for memory or whether you plan to use add-ons (i.e. camera, GPS, bluetooth, etc)

I have to nitpick here. The issue is not support of both "input AND output". The issue is whether the slots are memory-only or general purpose, as you mentioned in the second sentence. In the case of SD slots, general purpose slots are called SDIO, not just SD.

Memory-only slots certainly support both input and output. If they didn't, they'd be either read-only or, worse, write-only. :-)


4) How long do you plan to keep the device? Since this is your first PPC, you would probably be better off getting a less expensive unit like the Dell, Viewsonic or Toshiba e330 and learning to use the unit without worrying about all the other stuff. Then, once you determine your needs through hands-on use, you can buy your next PPC purely on design features. The reality is that all PPC2K2s are basically the same, software-wise, so your purchases should be based on how the unit feels in your hand, since it will hopefully be there quite a lot! :D

I don't know. I bought an iPAQ 3650 because I didn't want to pay over $100 more for a 3670 for a mere 32K memory, and very quickly regretted that. I bought a 3870 less than 6 months later.

I went with the 3870, even though I had no use for Bluetooth (and I still don't), because I figured I might have a use for it, and I didn't want to give up a slot or sleeve for Bluetooth if I ever needed it.

While I might take Rirath's advice and wait for the 5400 series, if you have to buy now (and if you can afford it), I'd rather get more than I need now than be disappointed and have to upgrade a few months down the line.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

A spending limit of under 1k just doesn't make sense at the moment. With the new Ipaqs right around the corner on the highest end, and the Dell on the cheaper side of things, it's not a good plan.

I suppose that depends on how quickly someone needs a Pocket PC. The warning about the newer iPAQs is great, but telling someone else their idea "doesn't make sense" is a bit much, don't you think?


Personally I say look into the $299 Dell coming up. If you don't think you'll need Bluetooth, you won't be losing much of anything over the 39xx Ipaqs. You'd get a year warranty as well, and have plenty of cash left for software and accessories.
If you can find the accessories you want for the Dell. :-) Will the Dell have foldable and thumb keyboards, PCMCIA support, GPS, cases, etc. when it ships?

Pocket PCs will run most software pretty interchangably, but that's not true with hardware and accessories.

Steve

[Rirath]

suppose that depends on how quickly someone needs a Pocket PC. The warning about the newer iPAQs is great, but telling someone else their idea "doesn't make sense" is a bit much, don't you think?

Figure of speech. :roll: I said a spending limit of under 1k "doesn't make sense", not his idea. I said his idea was "not a good plan." Just want to get it clear. :wink:

Although, I really don't think it makes sense to have a budget of 1k, want an Ipaq (at the time), and not at least wait and see what the 5000 series will be. True, it's possible he needs one before Jan 2k3... but considering this looked to be a purchase for himself, and not an absolute need, I stand by what I said. At any rate, it was a suggestion, not an order.

If you can find the accessories you want for the Dell. Will the Dell have foldable and thumb keyboards, PCMCIA support, GPS, cases, etc. when it ships?

I believe I read keyboards, cases, and the like will be available from Dell. I was under the impression at launch, but if not I'm sure shortly after. I'm not positive, but considering he said he's a Pocket PC newbie and doesn't have need for bluetooth I'm guessing he doesn't need GPS, PCMCIA, etc. At least, not right off the bat.

Thanks for the critique Steve, any more questions feel free to ask. :lol:

[Kati Compton]

I bought an iPAQ 3650 because I didn't want to pay over $100 more for a 3670 for a mere 32K memory, and very quickly regretted that. I bought a 3870 less than 6 months later.

I went with the 3870, even though I had no use for Bluetooth (and I still don't), because I figured I might have a use for it, and I didn't want to give up a slot or sleeve for Bluetooth if I ever needed it.

Was the 3650 your first PocketPC/CE device?

[mashtim]

My first nitpick!! LOL ! LOVE it! :lol: :P I knew I had to watch every word, I just knew it, but I guess I finally slipped! Good to know someone has my back!

And re getting more than you need, yeah, you're probably right, but in my experience, it is better to let a new user get the basics and then upgrade once they figure out exactly what they need. But then, I'm a guy who gets a new PPC every 6-8 months, so what do I know? :wink:

[Rirath]

Congrats Mashtim. :wink: