2002 in Review by You

[Jason Dunn]

2002 is almost over now - what do you think were the biggest events of 2002 as it related to the Pocket PC? What product launches, technology breakthroughs, or new software releases really got you excited about the Pocket PC? What's your top Pocket PC memory of 2002?

[Daniel]

Pocket PC Thoughts goes down (fatal).
Pocket PC Thoughts up again.
Pocket PC Thoughts goes down (temporary).
Pocket PC Thoughts up again.
Pocket PC Thoughts goes down (temporary).
Pocket PC Thoughts up again.

All's well that ends well right? ;)

Daniel

[Janak Parekh]

Hmm, I think Daniel has the correct answer. We can just go home. :lol:

I'd say three things were big, myself:
- Mass adoption of transflective displays enabled people to switch to color en masse;
- Lower pricing on the Pocket PC's, starting with the Dell but also including the Viewsonic;
- New smaller sizes, e.g., iPaq 1910 and Viewsonic V35.

--janak

[JonnoB]

The biggest thing to impact the Pocket PC world was the merger of HP and Compaq indicating the demise of the Jornada. The second biggest thing was the introduction of low cost alternatives such as the Dell Axim. Unfortunately, non of these events were as important as the release of the 2002 OS late in 2001. I am hoping the impending 2003 release next quarter will have as positive an impact on the growth of the Pocket PC.

[fmcpherson]

My top three in chronological order:

1. Toshiba entering the Pocket PC market, providing another credible big name, and bringing a Pocket PC with built-in WiFI to market.
2. Pocket PC Phone Edition, which has transformed how I use my Pocket PC.
3. Dell entering the market, and introducing low-priced Pocket PCs and moving the price sweet spot from $500 to $300.

[Kati Compton]

Well OBVIOUSLY the biggest thing that happened for PPC's in general is that I got one.

Same for this board. At least, if you're counting "big" as in "number of posts"...


;)

[crispeto]

1. Winning my ipaq from Brighthand
2. Selling my ipaq and getting a Maestro
3. Selling my Maestro and getting a Dell Axim!

[spg]

The biggest thing to impact the Pocket PC world was the merger of HP and Compaq indicating the demise of the Jornada. The second biggest thing was the introduction of low cost alternatives such as the Dell Axim...
Those would be the two events I would choose as well, although I would switch the order. Both events had (or are starting to have), very big impacts on the PDA market. I think the low price deal is bigger though, because it allows the Pocket PC to finally begin to compete with Palm on the lower end of the PDA market.

Now, if you asked me about the biggest technology event of 2002, it would no doubt be - The Tablet PC Launch! Since Jason asked for Pocket PC related things, I won't say anymore. :)

[pt]

-pocket pc phone edition.

-toshiba, dell, viewsonic, new ipaqs.

-t68i starting to make a dent in the phone market and the bluetooth usage w / pocket pcs increasing.

-wifi at starbucks (large scale).

-wifi at more destinations in general.

-wifi at homes.

-macromedia flash 5 for the pocket pc :-]

-spb software ;-]

cheers,
pt

[Jorgen]

Wi-fi coming to the UK in Starbucks and Megabeam.

Buying a Palm Tungsten T and connecting it to a Bluetooth dongle. Sorry, but it is *so* cute!

I will be keeping my two hp's for Wi-fi, PowerPoint presentations and whatever else they are best at.

Jorgen

[Daniel]

-pocket pc phone edition.
-toshiba, dell, viewsonic, new ipaqs.
-t68i starting to make a dent in the phone market and the bluetooth usage w / pocket pcs increasing.
-wifi at starbucks (large scale).
-wifi at more destinations in general.
-wifi at homes.
-macromedia flash 5 for the pocket pc :-]
-spb software ;-]
cheers,
pt

What no mention of the Segway™? ;)

Daniel

[bljarv]

I agree with others who think the most significant change has been the introduction of cheaper handhelds. Cheaper units available means more appeal to the masses which should translate to more development. I'm all for better, cheaper hardware and software for my pocket pc! :)

If pocket pc can continue to grab market share away from Palm, I think we'll see an explosion in pocket pc development which will benefit us all! It will take some time, but I think there's a bright future for pocket pc's. We'll see what 2003 brings...

Happy New Year everyone!

[toml]

- Casio, an early pioneer of the PPC, leaving the Pocket PC arena :cry:
- Toshiba and Dell entering
- The prevalence of Wi-Fi in coffee houses, hotel lobbies, etc.

[Ed Hansberry]

Definitely the sub $300 Pocket PCs!
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2002/goofy.gif

[ux4484]

Dell dropping the price bomb, no doubt about it.

I wish they would do the same for high end Palms. The ridiculously priced Tungsten was the trigger that had me talking about a Dell so much(which led the Mrs to order me one).

I just hope Dell can keep it up and not trip over their own inflated heads. Their customer service for PDA's is obviously not up to their computer ratings (which are also falling).

[T-Will]

Nice one Ed! :D

[jutae]

When I learned ( in Jan) that there was a Divx player for my Ipaq :lol:

[fyiguy]

To me it was getting one, then my friend got one, then their friend got one and so on and so on...

Now with lower pricepoints, better battery life(removable batteries),better screens, and a more stable OS many more will be using PPC's in their personal lives and in enterprise, which the market tends to be moving towards.

The wide acceptance of Bluetooth and WiFi by the masses enabling an untethered lifestyle.

The dramatic price drop in Flash memory as well as increase in capacity, I can't believe a 1GB SD from Panasonic will be available next week...

The increase in the amount of hardware accessories and software applications, especially the steps games have taken are simply amazing...

And of course community websites that help, inform, and share opinions about PocketPC's and the Mobile Lifestyle, we all have to come to love...

I think that next year will be even better...

(as my ears pop out of my hat and everyone laughs)

Happy New Year, One and all!!!

:way to go:

[Ed Hansberry]

The wide acceptance of Bluetooth ...by the masses enabling an untethered lifestyle.
What planet are you posting from? :lol:

[jngold_me]

For myself...getting a PPC with a beautiful transreflective display in a form factor smaller than a Palm V for less than $200 (Staples discount)!

The days of $500-$600 annual pda changes are over! Phew!

[szamot]

That's relatively elementary:
hacking Audrey - I just love this thing
netStumbling with iPAQ
getting Axim

[pt]

What no mention of the Segway™? ;)

well- not yet, since the pocket pc <-> segway stuff i'm working on isn't ready yet.

but yah-- the segway ht really is one of the best things (for me) this year.

cheers,
pt

[JonnoB]

The wide acceptance of Bluetooth ...by the masses enabling an untethered lifestyle.
What planet are you posting from? :lol:

I knew you couldn't resist!

[Palmguy]

The most critical PPC event in this last year has definitely been the shattering of the price barrier.

Secondary is the progress in size, i.e. iPAQ 1900...

[ledowning]

Price! Price! and Price! It's great that prices are coming down to more reasonable levels. Hopefully, 2003 will bring in a much updated operating system for the Pocket PC. :wink:

[Mike Temporale]

I would have to say the new price point, and the new weight ala 1910 and v35.


but yah-- the segway ht really is one of the best things (for me) this year.

cheers,
pt

pt, I've really enjoyed watching your segway videos. Glad your enjoying it. I wish I had the coin to drop on one. :(

[Daniel]

The wide acceptance of Bluetooth ...by the masses enabling an untethered lifestyle.
What planet are you posting from? :lol:

Maybe "Vastly differeing experiences of BlueTooth" should be one.

I know that I am extremely happy with my BT devices. They all work together and all work well. I had a h3660 with the CF+BT expansion pack. I have a T39 and a HBH-15. I have a PowerBook and a cheap (cheapest I could find actually) BT USB dongle (model: bt3030 FCC ID:D6XBT3030), I don't even know what brand it is!

It seems strange to me that so many people complain about BT when I've had a really good experience with it.

Daniel

[spg]

The wide acceptance of Bluetooth ...by the masses enabling an untethered lifestyle.
What planet are you posting from? :lol:
Must have been bluetoothia. :-)

No actually, bluetooth has grown by leaps and bounds in the past year, and that is an event worth recognizing. I don't really think though that I would call it wide acceptance quite yet.

[jerryd]

The biggest thing to impact the Pocket PC world was the merger of HP and Compaq indicating the demise of the Jornada. The second biggest thing was the introduction of low cost alternatives such as the Dell Axim...
"Those would be the two events I would choose as well, although I would switch the order. Both events had (or are starting to have), very big impacts on the PDA market. I think the low price deal is bigger though, because it allows the Pocket PC to finally begin to compete with Palm on the lower end of the PDA market.

This would be my thought as well. I jumped into the ppc community as a direct result of this (with my Axim 400mhz) and I've seen many similar posts. :P

Jerryd

[rgremill]

I agree that PRICE was the big story.

Until the Toshiba e310 came along, the price was too high for me.

The next story is SIZE. I think the e310 was the start of the smaller Pocket PCs.

Now there's the ipaq 1910, which is smaller, cheaper and has a nicer screen.

The other story is the decline of Palm (Can you say reverse 1 for 20 split?).

[Foo Fighter]

With the exception of the unexpected massive drop in Pocket PC pricing, 2002 has been a dull year for the PDA industry, IMO. A lot of that has to do with the poor state of our economy. The PalmOS market was dead, in terms of excitement (thank God for Sony), until very late in the year when OS5 finally reared its ugly head...being late to the market. Likewise with PPC, until late in the last quarter when Dell and other PPC licensees caused bay area hospital Cardiatric Life Support wards to be filled with Palm employees. I'm still in shock that I got a full fledged PPC from Dell for $175. I feel like I stole this thing. 8O

Beyond that there really hasn't been enough activity to make this an "exciting" year for mobile devices. I would describe 2002 as a year of refinement and retrenching. Palm finally stabilized and reorganized. Pocket PC finally got to where it needs to be in price, in order to compete with PalmOS.

2003 will be a year where we see the seeds of 2002 (i.e. low cost PPCs, OS5/ARM based PalmOS devices) finally bear fruit.

[Steven Cedrone]

Pocket PC Phone Edition...
Dell...
New 'Thoughts layout :wink:

Steve

[JonnoB]

In general, I agree with Foo. The before-mentioned events (low price, HP/Compaq merger, etc) have an impact, but the full effects are yet to be fully felt.

I think that the 2003 OS (coming soon according to my sources) hopefully will have the same impact as the 2002 OS did and brought about a flurry of new devices like my beloved, but aging HP568. :cry:

[SassKwatch]

It seems strange to me that so many people complain about BT when I've had a really good experience with it.

'Tain't about the 'experience'. It's about the continual bombardment of hype of BT as 'The Next Big Thing' for what...the 6th or 7th yr in a row.(??)

At least BT did begin to register as a blip on the radar screen, albeit a very minor one, in terms of product availability and actual use this year....unlike past when it was 99% vapor.

The only quibble I have w/ BT at this point is the price of those devices that are available. I mean..., it'll be a cold day in the hot place before I consider spending only slightly less for a BT headset than I would for a Dell Axim....or when I would pay twice as much for an MS BT keyboard than I would for the oh so un-cool Logitech 'wireless' keyboards that have been out and selling for longer than BT has been hyped. I'll be all over it when these type issues are resolved, 'but'.......

Of course, we're probably just a few short hours from another round of 'This is THE year of Bluetooth' prognostications spewing forth. :)

[Foo Fighter]

In general, I agree with Foo.

Oh my God! I take back what I said. 2002 was a surprising year....it was the year JonnoB agreed with something I said! 8O :wink:

[Foo Fighter]

Speaking of low cost Pocket PCs, I don't expect to see any impact from the new low-cost devices until late Q1/early Q2. Why? Simple economics. Post holiday sales are usually very weak. There is a slight surge during this week from sales returns (i.e. people trade in that Zire they got for Christmas, for a Sony or HP). But the next 3 months are generally poor for consumer electronics. Once we move into Spring, CE sales (no I don't mean Windows CE) begin gathering momentum.

So all of you that are waiting for Pocket PC to grab 50% marketshare next month are going to be sorely disappointed. Wait till Spring..or perhaps early Summer..for PPC to make a stronger showing.

[pt]

I'm still in shock that I got a full fledged PPC from Dell for $175. I feel like I stole this thing. 8O

best quote of 2002.

cheers,
pt

[JonnoB]

In general, I agree with Foo.

Oh my God! I take back what I said. 2002 was a surprising year....it was the year JonnoB agreed with something I said! 8O :wink:

See, the year isn't so bad after all... Now, maybe you will join the Pocket PC faithful fulltime? :P

[fyiguy]

The wide acceptance of Bluetooth ...by the masses enabling an untethered lifestyle.
What planet are you posting from? :lol:

Uhhh... the Blue one... :roll:

:mrgreen:

[Janak Parekh]

I think that the 2003 OS (coming soon according to my sources) hopefully will have the same impact as the 2002 OS did and brought about a flurry of new devices like my beloved, but aging HP568. :cry:
You're just hoping your little 568 holds out before the "ultimate" device comes out. What if it doesn't? :twisted:

--janak

[JonnoB]

I think that the 2003 OS (coming soon according to my sources) hopefully will have the same impact as the 2002 OS did and brought about a flurry of new devices like my beloved, but aging HP568. :cry:
You're just hoping your little 568 holds out before the "ultimate" device comes out. What if it doesn't? :twisted:

--janak

Eventually, the desire to get 'something' to replace my trusty 568 will overcome my desire to hold out I guess. I have faith that although the 'ultimate' device is not necessarily going to come soon, we are likely getting closer - close enough possibly to make me open my wallet again. If 2003 OS is as important to a new family of devices as 2002 was, I suspect we will see a crop of new devices in the next 3-6 months that will win my heart over.

[Duddy]

Well, probably the intergration of bluetooth:)

And me getting my Dell Axim:D

[rcecme]

I agree with the cheaper PocketPC as one of the significant happenings.

Also, I remember reading an article in FORBES a couple of years ago about the PC in 2010 being the size of a handheld which you could plug into a slot on your desk. Your keyboard was "projected" onto the desk. The monitor was projected onto the wall of your office. With some of the things I have seen introduced on Thoughts this year, I believe this will happen. 8O

[Stuart]

My top three in chronological order:

1. Toshiba entering the Pocket PC market, providing another credible big name, and bringing a Pocket PC with built-in WiFI to market.
2. Pocket PC Phone Edition, which has transformed how I use my Pocket PC.
3. Dell entering the market, and introducing low-priced Pocket PCs and moving the price sweet spot from $500 to $300.

#1 followed by #3. I'd stayed on the sidelines since selling my Casio E-115 over a year ago. Then I finally bought an iPaq last summer, but quickly sold it to get a new e740 (below $400). First time I've been completely satisfied with a PPC as far as bang for my buck. The built in Wi-Fi and TWO on-board memory card slots have me playing again. :lol:

[chrisdavies]

A big step forward was connectivity for Mac owners and PocketPCs. Anything that provides more choice is a good thing.

Mac owners are usually seen as outcasts in the PPC world - or Palm advocates - simply because it is so hard to do the most important thing - sync contacts and diary and stuff.

But as that has finally happened (with PocketMac) it could be abig step forward (for Mac users anyway!)

[fmcpherson]

Ed... step away from the Photoshop!

[The Big Jay]

V35 incident is what I remember (besides the merger destroying the quite decent HP line)

[ipaq38vette]

My most memorable event was,
getting my 3800!! :D :D

Kind of off topic, what happens if this much discussed new PPC OS is too big for 32MB ROM? Will I have to give up my iPaq? 8O 8O

[Kevin Daly]

1) As others have pointed out, the HP/Compaq merger. Which from the sad point of view of a Jornada user, points out that corporate-wise, you are what you eat.
2) Any and all of the Compact Framework betas. In 2003 this will finally become apparent as something that is truly huge.
3) The proliferation of Wallaby, Joey, and any other Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition marsupials from HTC.
Aside from scoring several zillion on the cool scale, these devices provide a truly connected platform for the Pocket PC and open up fertile new ground for applications (see 2 above, think "web services").[/b]

[marlof]

I have a few surprising things in the Pocket PC world in 2002:

people
1. PDABuzz became the-site-formerly-run-by-Wes-Salmon.
2. Foo Fighter got a Pocket PC
3. we ended with an awesome crew of frontpage posters ;)

devices
1. New cheap Pocket PCs
2. Launch of Pocket PC Phone Edition
3. Merger of HP and Compaq announced the end of the Jornada line

technology
1. Bluetooth became very usable
2. WiFi on Pocket PCs became pretty cheap
3. GPRS kicked off

[Dave Conger]

I think the best thing this year had to be the $300 (and under) Pocket PC's. Pro-palm arguments went even further into the garbage with that one.

[bbarker]

1. Low-priced Pocket PCs toward the end of 2002.

2. The size of the new HP iPaq 1900 series.

3. HP's acquisition of Compaq and the demise of the superior Jornada in favor of the clunky, original-sized iPaqs.

4. The releases of Microsoft's SmartPhone and Pocket PC Phone Edition.

5. Wider availability of wireless options, including Wi-Fi and online connection through cell phones. I don't consider Bluetooth to be in the same league. That may happen for real in 2003.

6. The release of Pocket Quicken for the Pocket PC.








Oh, they still haven't released Pocket Quicken? It was supposed to be the big news of 2001.

[dean_shan]

The best thing was the introduction on WiFi built in to PPCs. Having a wireless home rules. It has had me even lazier than before. :D

[heliod]

For me the really important facts were:

1. the HP-Compaq merger
2. the growth of the use of wireless communications with Pocket PCs
3. the release of low-price pocket pcs.

Helio

[pjerry]

1. Toshiba and Dell entering the Pocket PC market causing Compaq/HP to flood us wit rebates. Thus lowering the price.
:D

[Timothy Rapson]

The bad news

1.Sales of all PDAs, (Palm and PPC) were down. This is the worst of news. Like home desktop PCs people are deciding that computers are not worth the effort. So they are getting cell phones and big screen TVs.

2. The Intel/Microsoft/OEM X-Scale debacle. Imagine how well a real browser, video player, or TextMaker would run if it really took advantage of that 400 MZ.

3. Blue Tooth is still not completely there yet.

4. There is still no enhanced resolution (above QVGA) PPC. Ipaq has plans for one, but it is not here yet.

5. Still no PPC with a camera built in. PPCs still lack flip covers, standard ports, and the stability they should have.

6. Rapson is still a nitpicking, Palm OS preferring, whiner.


The good news.


1. Dell will rule the world one day. Film at 11:00

2. TextMaker will put a big plug in Rapson's mouth when he again wants to whine about the lack of true Word Processing on PPC.

3. The Axim is the deal of the decade. Wish they had one with Palm OS.

4. Transflective screens are a greater improvement (in my opinion) than higher resolutions. Both would be best and they will surely both be coming on a single model in 2003.

5. One online retailer was offering the performance (64 meg) Axim WITH a 128 meg flash card for $282 shipped, a couple of weeks ago. Amazing value.

6. PocketPCThoughts rocks. The best front page posting staff, best editing, best deals, best giveaways, most enthusiasm.

[Steveb123]

in my opinion, the new dell line of pocket pc's would rank as one of the most important events for 2002. the affordable nature of these products is the first step in bringing pocket pc's to the general masses.

[SassKwatch]

in my opinion, the new dell line of pocket pc's would rank as one of the most important events for 2002. the affordable nature of these products is the first step in bringing pocket pc's to the general masses.

After following this thread for a while, I would have to second the above.

From a 'big picture' perspective, the HP/Compaq is a non-issue, IMO. I understand why some of the HP device owners would feel differently, but I just see little point in 'brand loyalty'. If I've had particularly good luck with one brand of an item, any future models from the same mfr might have an initial 'leg up' in future purchasing decisions, but it won't be *THE* determining factor. OTOH, particularly bad luck with one particular mfr just might make me a little more reluctant to give them a second chance.....especially these days when one can find an online 'discussion forum' on just about anything and find out if troubles experienced personally are also being experienced in large numbers by others.

In the end, I'll purchase whatever device seems to suit my needs best at the time. They're all just tools. It's simply a matter of capabilities and the price those capabilities are offered at.

From that perspective, Dell providing a high bang for the buck option just has to be THE story of the year.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

The two I'd like to add are:
-PocketMVP support for OGG VORBIS (variable bit rate music files averaging 64bps... sweet!!)
-PERSONAL NOTE: HP customer support deciding to send me a brand new 3870 to replace my stolen 3835 unit (as a gesture for the multiple services that my 3835 required)!!

Aside from that, most everything has been said:
-Sub $300 PPCs
-Smaller Palm-sized PPCs
-Toshiba/Dell/Viewsonic/Asus all joining the PPC camp
-Casio exiting the PPC camp
-Bluetooth actually becoming a practical technology (for me at least)
-PPC support for WiFi
-wide adoption of Backlit Reflective Technology
-XScale disappointment
-GSM/GPRS launch in the US
-PPC Phone