View Full Version : New User... Any advice?
I'm new to the whole pocket pc scene. Wasn't sure where to go. I was thinking about buying a iPAQ 3835. I like the expandability of it using sleeves and all. I was also considering getting the Axim. Is Dell going to make expandability options for the Axim like sleeves or cards? I really like the thought of dropping a microdrive and a wireless card on my iPAQ eventually. Right now I'm on a budget so I'm looking at the 3835. I saw some on ebay for under $300. I know they're refurbs, is that really that bad though? It comes with a 1 year warranty. Any opinions?
solus
12-07-2002, 04:00 AM
As far as I know, the Axim has the capability to accept all those cards WITHOUT an extra sleeve. The reason the iPaq needs a sleeve is because it only has SecureDigital (SD) card expansion. It needs a sleeve for the CompactFlash (CF) expansion - which is what most wireless cards and microdrives are in.
The sleeve also makes the iPaq actually bigger than the Axim (not that the Axim is big :wink: ).
Pay a little extra and you get a NEW item with faster cpu(Axim's 400mhz vs. 3835's ..206Mhz is it?), more expandibilty out of the box, and better screen. $349.99 - $50 Mail-In rebate = $299.99 for the 400mhz, $199.99 after all is said and done for the 300mhz...there is also a new 10% discount ..I think. Not sure. That would be another 34 (400mhz) or 24 (300mhz) bucks off.
Hope this helps.
Interesting points. I was actually looking at the dual pc card sleeve. Are there any cons about that? I really don't mind the size too much. I like the thought of the 2gig pcmcia card. I heard about the 1.5 gig cf cards coming out but they're so expensive. The 2 gig micro/mini whatever drive by toshiba is nice for around $100. Are there any other options? I see you guys talking about viewsonics? Are they any good? I'm liking the Dell, but do they plan on any other expansion options?
My ideal situation if I get the 3835:
Get an SD card for program files and leave it in the slot. (Any idea how big would be big enough?)
Buy the sleeve. Sleeve comes with a cf pcmcia adapter and I already have 2 256 cfs that I use for my digi cam so I could spare one for files.
I still have open a slot for wireless or other expansions. And I don't really need to take them out to swap files etc.
Plus the trickle of added battery life from the sleeve.
Is that realistic?
I'm still thinking about the Dell though. I like the 400mhz and in the long run it'll pay. But it's 2 expansions vs. 3 expansions (possible). Now if I knew Dell would be releasing a expansion sleeve or if I could find one I would definately go Dell. Any news on that?
Pony99CA
12-07-2002, 12:57 PM
As far as I know, the Axim has the capability to accept all those cards WITHOUT an extra sleeve. The reason the iPaq needs a sleeve is because it only has SecureDigital (SD) card expansion. It needs a sleeve for the CompactFlash (CF) expansion - which is what most wireless cards and microdrives are in.
While the Dell will accept either the Microdrive or the WiFi card, it won't accept both. The iPAQ, with a dual CF sleeve or dual PCMCIA sleeve, will. As usho sounds like he wants to use both at the same time, the Dell won't meet his needs (at least, not until an SD WiFi card is available).
Steve
Pony99CA
12-07-2002, 01:07 PM
Interesting points. I was actually looking at the dual pc card sleeve. Are there any cons about that? I really don't mind the size too much. I like the thought of the 2gig pcmcia card. I heard about the 1.5 gig cf cards coming out but they're so expensive. The 2 gig micro/mini whatever drive by toshiba is nice for around $100. Are there any other options? I see you guys talking about viewsonics? Are they any good? I'm liking the Dell, but do they plan on any other expansion options?
My ideal situation if I get the 3835:
Get an SD card for program files and leave it in the slot. (Any idea how big would be big enough?)
Buy the sleeve. Sleeve comes with a cf pcmcia adapter and I already have 2 256 cfs that I use for my digi cam so I could spare one for files.
I still have open a slot for wireless or other expansions. And I don't really need to take them out to swap files etc.
Plus the trickle of added battery life from the sleeve.
What you're considering is definitely realistic. I have an iPAQ 3870 with the dual PCMCIA sleeve, and my sleeve contains a 512 MB CF card and a PCMCIA WiFi card. I also have a 128 MB SD card in the iPAQ's built-in slot.
The one thing I'm concerned about in your case is that you said you're on a budget. The dual PCMCIA sleeve is $200 or so. You might be better off looking into either the MemPlug dual CF sleeve (http://www.pitech.com/hardware/iCFCF/ipCFCF_index.htm) (about $50, but without a battery) or the NexiPak dual CF sleeve (http://www.nexian.com/product/nexipak.asp) (about $150, and includes a battery).
Steve
enemy2k2
12-07-2002, 01:39 PM
While the Dell will accept either the Microdrive or the WiFi card, it won't accept both. The iPAQ, with a dual CF sleeve or dual PCMCIA sleeve, will. As usho sounds like he wants to use both at the same time, the Dell won't meet his needs (at least, not until an SD WiFi card is available).
Steve
Sadly the Dell does not incorporate SDIO so expansion other than memory in the SD slot is not possible. But that's where compact flash comes into play, that's the beauty of built in dual slots :D
enemy2k2
12-07-2002, 01:43 PM
What you're considering is definitely realistic. I have an iPAQ 3870 with the dual PCMCIA sleeve, and my sleeve contains a 512 MB CF card and a PCMCIA WiFi card. I also have a 128 MB SD card in the iPAQ's built-in slot.
The one thing I'm concerned about in your case is that you said you're on a budget. The dual PCMCIA sleeve is $200 or so. You might be better off looking into either the MemPlug dual CF sleeve (http://www.pitech.com/hardware/iCFCF/ipCFCF_index.htm) (about $50, but without a battery) or the NexiPak dual CF sleeve (http://www.nexian.com/product/nexipak.asp) (about $150, and includes a battery).
Steve
Dang, that must be one sweet setup. When taking the unit outside with you or just out for a quick walk or something just remove the sleeve and you have your sleek svelte unit back :) If I had bought WiFi I would definitely consider something like that, but I didn't due to not being able to justify buying a laptop this year :( Now that's amazing expandability...
Sven Johannsen
12-07-2002, 05:38 PM
I honestly don't know a darned thing, but here is a thought. My Jornada has a 12 pin connector at the bottom. They have the facility to connect USB, serial, a thumbkeybord, a stowaway keyboard (it's serial). The removeable battery compartment sports another 11 pins. Through it, I can stick an SD/MMC slot on the Jornada via a special Battery or a PCCard sleeve. We are up to 23 pins.
The Dell specs say they have a 40-pin Cradle/Sync Connector. I could believe they got a real good deal on 40 pin connectors, but I would guess they have something in mind beyond USB (4 pins, if you count power) and serial (3-5 pins usually). Possibly there are plans for a next generation device and the hardware form was just done up front, but who knows.
Pony,
I like the sound of your setup. I've seen the dual slot sleeves on ebay for around $150. One question, do you need to buy a special wifi card for pocket pcs or will a general pcmcia wi-fi card work?
Are the cf wi-fi cards out? I've enever seen one so if someone know of some reviews or where they're selling it, could you post some links? And how much do they run?
My whole thing is that I want a pocket pc that is versatile. I can keep the sd card permanently in and use as a hard drive. Use one slot as a swappable drive for media, files, etc. And have one more slot for peripherals. I just love the expandability possibilities of the ipaq.
So many questions in buying a pocket pc. I guess my budget is getting thrown out the window. Maybe I should be looking at the toshiba e740. Or are there any other pocket pcs that have integrated wireless, cf, and sd?
Another thing...
Can you guys give me some sites with reviews on pocket pcs or a site that has a list of the major ones and all thier features? Thanks for the help.
Kati Compton
12-07-2002, 08:41 PM
Can you guys give me some sites with reviews on pocket pcs or a site that has a list of the major ones and all thier features? Thanks for the help.
If you just want a feature list and device spec comparison, there's some good tools at Dave's PDA (http://www.davespda.com/)
Pony99CA
12-08-2002, 08:40 AM
While the Dell will accept either the Microdrive or the WiFi card, it won't accept both. The iPAQ, with a dual CF sleeve or dual PCMCIA sleeve, will. As usho sounds like he wants to use both at the same time, the Dell won't meet his needs (at least, not until an SD WiFi card is available).
Sadly the Dell does not incorporate SDIO so expansion other than memory in the SD slot is not possible. But that's where compact flash comes into play, that's the beauty of built in dual slots :D
Maybe my point wasn't clear. If the current Dell doesn't have SDIO, then it will never be able to use both a Microdrive and a WiFi card at the same time, unless they come out with a sleeve/backpack system. And, if they do, you'll hear the same complaints about size that you do about iPAQs.
Yes, you can use a RAM card instead of a Microdrive, but a 1 GB Microdrive is still cheaper than a 1 GB CF card.
Steve
TheNewSteve
12-08-2002, 09:01 AM
Just to keep in mind, Dell should be rolling out the new Axims with integrated WiFi or Bluetooth sometime in first quarter of 2003 I read!
Axim X7 or something, not many details.
-Steve
Pony99CA
12-08-2002, 09:02 AM
What you're considering is definitely realistic. I have an iPAQ 3870 with the dual PCMCIA sleeve, and my sleeve contains a 512 MB CF card and a PCMCIA WiFi card. I also have a 128 MB SD card in the iPAQ's built-in slot.
Dang, that must be one sweet setup. When taking the unit outside with you or just out for a quick walk or something just remove the sleeve and you have your sleek svelte unit back :)
Thanks, but it's not where I want it yet. I want at least a 1 GB CF card and an iPAQ 5450. :-)
As for taking it outside, I actually don't remove the sleeve. I just pop the WiFi card out (because its antenna sticks up and gets in the way); I don't have a CF sleeve (but see below), so if I want to use my CF card, I have to take my dual PCMCIA sleeve with me. I don't mind, though, because the extra battery life is nice.
The only time I take my iPAQ out of the dual PCMCIA sleeve is when I put it in my NavMan GPS sleeve. Fortunately, that has a CF slot, so my CF card can still go with me (it has the GPS software and maps on it, plus my MP3s). That let's me drive with GPS and listen to MP3s in my car at the same time.
For more on my system, see my Pocket PC site (http://www.garlic.com/~svvg/svvgppc.html#HISTORY).
Steve
Pony99CA
12-08-2002, 09:43 AM
I like the sound of your setup. I've seen the dual slot sleeves on ebay for around $150. One question, do you need to buy a special wifi card for pocket pcs or will a general pcmcia wi-fi card work?
I wouldn't think just any PCMCIA card would work, because you need drivers. If a card you're interested in doesn't claim Windows CE support (specifically on the ARM), ask about it.
I got lucky, though. I bought an SMC WiFi card for my laptop, and found the driver disk had Windows CE drivers. When I tried them on my iPAQ, they worked. :-) The software looks like it was written for a Handheld PC, though (the driver application is too wide for the screen, so you have to move the window around).
Are the cf wi-fi cards out? I've never seen one so if someone know of some reviews or where they're selling it, could you post some links? And how much do they run?
Yes, there are CF WiFi cards out. Check out Chris De Herrera's table (http://www.cewindows.net/peripherals/cfwirelesslan.htm) comparing various CF WiFi cards. Prices for the ones that I've checked run from $85 to $160.
So many questions in buying a pocket pc. I guess my budget is getting thrown out the window. Maybe I should be looking at the toshiba e740. Or are there any other pocket pcs that have integrated wireless, cf, and sd?
There aren't any that I know of. TheNewSteve mentioned the Dell Axim X7, but that's just rumored now, and I don't know if it will have WiFi or Bluetooth. Neither did PCWorld on November 19th (http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,107043,00.asp). :-)
Steve
jizmo
12-08-2002, 09:51 AM
If the current Dell doesn't have SDIO, then it will never be able to use both a Microdrive and a WiFi card at the same time, unless they come out with a sleeve/backpack system.
Dell with a sleeve? That's a frightening thought 8O
/jizmo
Sweet. Thanks for all of the information. I think I'm leaning towards the Toshiba e740 right now. I still like the expansion possibilities of the iPAQs though so I'm not completely sold. I'm still contemplating getting the 3950. Any word on that one? I heard the battery life is great and the screen is better then the other 3xxx? Plus I could add a sleeve. Hmm... still no integrated cf or wi-fi. But that could be solved with a sleeve. Plus, I'm not too in a hurry for wi-fi. I love the all-in-one feature of the e740, but the fact that there's the possibility of different combinations of expansions with pcmcia,cf, and sd is just a thought that's stuck in my head. Geez... decisions. Any input? By the way anyone know how the seek time of microdrives, cf, sd, and pcmcia hard drives compare?
The things I'm looking for:
400 mhz is a want not a must.
Compact Flash a must.
Wi-Fi in the long run.
Size isn't a big deal.
Being able to have wi-fi and cf at the same time. eventually.
It's funny because writing these down i just said the specs of the e740, but I can't commit to it because I still like the sound of the dual pcmcia with added battery life to a pocket pc that supposedly already has good battery life. *Sigh*
jizmo
12-08-2002, 10:34 AM
Here's an additional thing to consider: Removable battery.
If you occasionaly travel for longer periods, more than four hours at a time, removable battery is a must. You can have one extra in your bag and you really don't ever have to worry about running out of power.
Having to stop working in a train because of low battery is a nightmare. Three more hours to go and now you have nothing else to do than count the number of hair the guy sitting in front of you has. My late iPAQ 37xx got me into this situation too many times :roll:
Toshiba has one, I'm not sure of the current higher-end iPAQ models, though.
/jizmo
Hmm.. good thought. I usually do all my traveling by car so a regular car adapter would suffice. I hear the 39xx has good battery life. Plus if/when I get the dual sleeve it provides some extra power. I don't think power will be too much of an issue with me. At least not yet.
nosmohtac
01-09-2003, 11:17 AM
http://www.pdabuyersguide.com/tips/iPAQ_memplug.htm This is the route I think i am going to go.
I just bought a 3970, after cancelling my order for a dell axim.
this sleeve is only $49 and has 2 CF slots on type II and one type I. It doesn't have an extra battery, but it is thinner than the cf plus expansion pack, not to mention half the price.
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