CNet Evaluates 9 PDAs

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-2645869-8-20542449-1.html?tag=ldgif">http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-2645869-8-20542449-1.html?tag=ldgif</a><br /><br />"Hundreds of PDA manufacturers promise to save your poor disorganized, disconnected soul. We've assembled a list of the top handhelds on the market--from multifunctional Palm-based PDAs to basic Pocket PCs, from bargain-basement deals to flashy bank-busters. Clean up your life with one of these star products."<br /><br />Among the Pocket PCs evaluated were the Toshiba e750, HP iPAQ h1910 and both the 300MHz and 400MHz Dell Axim X5. All 4 were given the "Highly Recommended" rank. Of course, there were other PDA listed. One of those got "Highly Recommended" and the rest only got "Recommended."<br /><br />The last thing I need is another PDA right now, but that 1910 looks more attractive every day.

[mscdex]

I agree. The 1910 does look very tempting. I was at Staples the other day and was browsing the PocketPCs they had there. I couldn't believe how small the 1910 was in comparison to all the other PocketPCs there! 8O

Now, if only it had a battery with a much larger capacity... :roll:

[Vincent M Ferrari]

The last thing I need is another PDA right now, but that 1910 looks more attractive every day.

I can't bring myself to want it. No wifi or bluetooth, ever, is such a deal-breaker for me. I can almost live with the other shortcomings (200 mhz Proc, small amount of RAM), but no connectivity to anything is a major sticking point for me...

It's definitely attractive, but it's hard to justify, at least for me...

[ppcsurfr]

The last thing I need is another PDA right now, but that 1910 looks more attractive every day.

You'll falll into the trap sooner or later... :twisted:

I did. :wink:

It may not be a powerhouse like the other PPCs with dual slots, or Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth... but it is something you can slip into your shirt pocket and not remember it is there... It fits well with if you are well dressed... or in a suit... It isn't something like a replacement PPC for power users... but I am a power user... and I don't mind having one of these. :D

So... I got one... and guess what... :!: :?: :idea:

I bring it around when I don't need to do presentations, if I don't have to hook up to a phone line... and all those heavy duty work... I got it filled up with all the games and neat stuff I need and it works pretty well... surprising for a small thing... Just imagine running Michael Schumacher Racing World Kart 2002 in it :!: :!: :!:

Find a device that small that can do it...

Carlo Ma. Guerrero
PinoyPocketPC
Mobile Computing for Filipinos


URL: http://www.pinoypocketpc.com
Mobile Phone: +63 (918) 9020700
Mobile Fax: +63 (918) 9320350
Email: [email protected]


Choose the power of Windows.
Choose the Pocket PC.

[Steven Cedrone]

I bring it around when I don't need to do presentations, if I don't have to hook up to a phone line... and all those heavy duty work... I got it filled up with all the games and neat stuff I need and it works pretty well... surprising for a small thing...

I was thinking this would be ideal as an ebook reader. My only question is how does ClearType look on it???

Steve

[Sheynk]

muhaha my 1 day old e755 is on top!!!

[dMores]

this review sucks because they didn't even review the fujitsu-siemens pocket loox !

;)

[malcolmsharp]

I'm seriously thinking I'll get e755. I like the built in networking. But as it will be awhile before I can buy a new one, I'm hoping one with the new chipset and bus size AND networking. Bluetooth would be nice too.

But it has to have CF! I've already gotten a 256 meg card, and I don't feel like tossing it!

[Crystal Eitle]

I bring it around when I don't need to do presentations, if I don't have to hook up to a phone line... and all those heavy duty work... I got it filled up with all the games and neat stuff I need and it works pretty well... surprising for a small thing...

I was thinking this would be ideal as an ebook reader. My only question is how does ClearType look on it???

Steve

I think Clear Type looks fantastic on it.

And I haven't had any problems with the battery life. I figure, if it ever does become a problem, I can just buy a spare, or get into the habit of charging it at work.

[Crystal Eitle]

I can almost live with the other shortcomings (200 mhz Proc,

Clear Speed speeds it right up.

[yvilla]

Maybe I should stop reading Thoughts. Here I am, relaxing on a nice Sunday afternoon, perfectly happy with my e550G, and no plans whatsoever to change anything, upgrade, or buy a new PPC. Then I read this article, and the detailed review of the e750, and before I know it I'm ordering one, all the while carrying on an intense internal battle between the part of me saying "you're crazy, you don't need a new PPC"; and the part of me saying "oh, but to have a transflective display, and you won't have to swap out your microdrive to sync wirelessly!".

What am I going to do? When I upgraded from my beloved E-125 I was going to give it to my son, but I couldn't bear to part with it so I bought him a PPCPE instead (because I secretly lusted after one but couldn't justify buying one for myself). So the Casio sits on my desk, and I do use it from time to time just to feast my eyes on its display, but it truly has no useful function. Now I'll have the e550G sitting there alongside of it probably. I think I need a 12-step group!

[ctmagnus]

From the e750 review:

The good: ...96MB of built-in storage space...

The unit has that standard 32MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM, but Toshiba tosses in another 32MB of nonvolatile flash ROM...

and

Specifications

General

Installed RAM 64 MB

ROM installed (max) 32 MB

So does it have 96 MB or 128 MB?

[Janak Parekh]

So does it have 96 MB or 128 MB?
64MB RAM, 32MB NAND (which acts as a safe store on top of the 64), and 32MB NOR flash (where the OS sits, I don't think any of it is user-accessible). So 96MB.

and the part of me saying "oh, but to have a transflective display, and you won't have to swap out your microdrive to sync wirelessly!".
Far be it from me to dissuade you :twisted:, but it's worth pointing out that a Microdrive + WLAN at the same time = Insta-Battery-Drainage(TM).

--janak

[yvilla]

Far be it from me to dissuade you :twisted:, but it's worth pointing out that a Microdrive + WLAN at the same time = Insta-Battery-Drainage(TM).



Yeah, I know. But that microdrive could easily be a CF card instead, and no serious extra battery drain; yes, I've been keeping my eyes on the price of the 1gb CF cards. :!:

It's the principle of being able to sync wirelessly and still have the majority of my installed programs and data available to me; I've never been happy about not being able to do that (and the price of high capacity SD cards is still pretty high so I haven't gone in that direction with my current setup).

[darrylb]

Anyone care to comment on the battery drain of Wi-Fi vs Bluetooth?

Those 750's look tempting, but I use BT for syncing and would like to know the damage of Wi-Fi to my battery before planning a purchase.....

[Deslock]

Just a comment on the 1910's CPU and battery. PPC on the 200 MHz Xscale is quite pokey, but it runs OK at 300 MHz (ala freeware overclocker). That said, I'm considering dumping Pocket Informant... it's so sluggish that I think I'm going to go back to the standard PIM apps (even though I own PI). Of course, I've haven't seen PI run quickly on any PPC, so that's not a knock against the 1910.

If battery life really is an issue, FYI, hpshopping.com has a 50%-off rebate on 2 accessories. You can get a cradle and battery or 2 spare batteries for $58 shipped.

On a side note, I was in Staples last night playing with the Sony TG50 (the only highly recommended PalmOS device in the CNET review). Now, don't crucify me for writing this, but it was another reminder of how sluggish PPC is. As I wrote above, PPC runs OK at 300 MHz, but Palm *flies* at 200 MHz... everything came up instantly. I miss that. And of course the jog-dial is nice (why HP didn't include that is beyond me). Too bad the TG50 isn't 480x320...

[Kirkaiya]

I think people are getting too hung up on the Megahertz number of the CPU - it's been pretty clearly demonstrated that the 400 MHz XScales (PXA250) with the 100 MHz bus isn't significanly faster for most apps than the 200 MHz version (granted, I'm a hypocrit, since I have my 1910 set to 300 using TurboTray, but anyway).

With the XScale now supporting faster bus speeds, as manufacturers increase the speed of other components, then this might be an issue again.

For now - as far as PPCs, I've owned a 206 MHz iPaq 3650, a 300 MHz Viewsonic, and the 200 MHz (running at 300) iPaq 1910, and they're all comparable for the things *I* use them for.

About not having the wireless access as an option for the 1910 - true, but since I *did* have WLAN for my old iPaq, and rarely ever used it, that's not a big issue for a lot of people. As 802.11 "hot-spots" start to proliferate, it might become an issue, but when it does, my wife gets the 1910 to replace her Palm V, and I get a new version ( 1935, or whatever) that has the same form-factor with SDIO-capable slot, and I buy the SyChip/SocketCom SDIO-WLAN card.

I mean - by the time the hot-spots are that prevelant, I'm thinking HP will have out a version of the 1910 that supports SDIO (and I have YET to hear a convincing definitive answer on the current status of the SD slot in the 1910, one way or the other, actually).

So - I've had my 1910 for about 4 months, and it's the BEST - i just played around with my old iPaq 3650 after not picking it up for 4 months, and MY GOD it now feels like a total brick. Amazing how perceptions can change. I can't even imagine sticking a Dell Axim in my pocket, especially with a sleeve, as opposed to the svelte 1910. Just MHO, and only relating to MY needs - I know some people really need SDIO, or CF, or built-in BT, or whatever, so for them, the 1910 is not the shiz-nizit!!

[Janak Parekh]

On a side note, I was in Staples last night playing with the Sony TG50 (the only highly recommended PalmOS device in the CNET review). Now, don't crucify me for writing this, but it was another reminder of how sluggish PPC is. As I wrote above, PPC runs OK at 300 MHz, but Palm *flies* at 200 MHz... everything came up instantly. I miss that. And of course the jog-dial is nice (why HP didn't include that is beyond me). Too bad the TG50 isn't 480x320...
The TG50 is indeed a pretty cool device - combining both a thumbboard and Bluetooth. It's not 480x320 because the device would have to be too tall for that to happen... or are you looking for a variation on the TG50 without the thumbboard? (The Hitachi Sprint PDA will be the first Pocket PC with an integrated thumbboard, and as the pics seem to indicate, it's really tall.)

As for snappy response, it'll be interesting to see how Palm OS 6 and beyond perform. Once you add preemptive multitasking, you add another layer of complexity that current Palm OSes don't have to deal with.

Last, as for PI, I agree it's not super-speedy - but make sure you're running 4.01, which has some nice performance improvements.

--janak

[Ed Hansberry]

Anyone care to comment on the battery drain of Wi-Fi vs Bluetooth?

Those 750's look tempting, but I use BT for syncing and would like to know the damage of Wi-Fi to my battery before planning a purchase.....
WiFi will suck the life out of my iPAQ 3900 in about 2 hrs. Bluetooth - still operates after 3-4, but I don't leave the BT radio on. That infernal blinking blue light (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3207). :evil:

[CharlesWilcox]

Amazing how perceptions can change. I can't even imagine sticking a Dell Axim in my pocket, especially with a sleeve, as opposed to the svelte 1910.

Axims don't have sleeves, but I know what you mean. I've had my Axim since mid-January. Last week my screen went all squirly on me (photographically negative images). So, while I'm waiting for my replacement, I am using my 3835, ala sleeve for Socket BT and 1G CF cards. I can't believe I carried that thing as long as I did. I'm counting the hours until the FedEx truck pulls into the driveway.

[exsilio]

Love my 1910, wouldn't want anything else at the moment.

It's slim, beautiful, fast enough and with SD, memory is not an issues.

[Paul P]

WiFi will suck the life out of my iPAQ 3900 in about 2 hrs. Bluetooth - still operates after 3-4, but I don't leave the BT radio on. That infernal blinking blue light (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3207). :evil:

That bluelight was the coolest. Like having Xenon headlights on your ride. 8O

Btw, what happened to 545X in that review?

[PacMan]

If the 1910 had serial i/o (so I can use my Targus keyboard) and SDIO (just in case I'm ever tempted to use it...) I'd have bought one long ago.

Everything I've read about it leads me to conclude that it is speedy enough (esp. with "overclocking" software).

One accessory they should produce is an optional battery that has a longer life. It would make it bigger (a bulge out the back) but for those times when you need it, it would be handy.

[Jason Dunn]

There's so much to love about the 1910, but for me, HP crippled it in two ways:

1) No Bluetooth or HOPE of Bluetooth via SDIO
2) No keyboards

:evil:

(and no, the IR keyboard doesn't count - I want a real folding keyboard with a physical connector)

[Ed Hansberry]

2) No keyboards

:evil:

(and no, the IR keyboard doesn't count - I want a real folding keyboard with a physical connector)
I just spent 2 hrs with my 3900 and Stowaway this weekend. Without a real keyboard, the 1910 is out for me too. I can get by without BT given an IR connection, but not without a full sized keyboard. No thumbboard or mini-keyboard. Full size stowaway, physical connector.

[ZiL]

Owner of an iPaq 1910 for a month now and compared to all the other iPaq's and Pocket PC's I've use, is the coolest most sexy PocketPC of all. I have a 256MB SDCard on it, so space is not a big issue. :twisted:

Though SDIO support is a must in this unit for it to be perfect. :cry:

[Deslock]

The TG50 is indeed a pretty cool device - combining both a thumbboard and Bluetooth. It's not 480x320 because the device would have to be too tall for that to happen... or are you looking for a variation on the TG50 without the thumbboard? (The Hitachi Sprint PDA will be the first Pocket PC with an integrated thumbboard, and as the pics seem to indicate, it's really tall.)

As for snappy response, it'll be interesting to see how Palm OS 6 and beyond perform. Once you add preemptive multitasking, you add another layer of complexity that current Palm OSes don't have to deal with.

Last, as for PI, I agree it's not super-speedy - but make sure you're running 4.01, which has some nice performance improvements.

--janak4.01 runs slowly, but adequately immediately after a soft-reset. However, after clicking on a few tabs and editing a few records, it turns into a pig. I'm not upset since it was free after the rebate anyway. I deleted PI this morning and while the default PIM apps don't have the greatest GUIs (especially the lame calendar week and month views), at least I don't have to wait for screen redraws as much.

I'll also be curious to see if PalmOS6 holds up, performance-wise. I am not at all interested in a thumb-board... but if the TG50 didn't have one, it could fit a 480x320 screen no problem. Look at what HP fit into a 4.2-ounce device. Also Garmin fit a 480x320 screen into a 5.2 ounce device (along with an integrated GPS), so Sony has no excuse. The Garmin device I'm referring to is the upcoming iQue3600, which looks sweet except for the lack of removable battery and $589! price tag. Still, it's a cool unit.
http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600/

[Kurt Hunciker]

I would add two other concerns to Jason's list:

1. 16 MB of NAND ROM.

2. The use of Pocket PC 2002 Professional Edition rather than Premium Edition.

As a result of these design choices: (a) an upgrade of the operating system will most likely be impossible - unless the next version of Windows CE takes up less than 16 MB; (b) various software components, including Windows Media Player and Microsoft Reader, are not in ROM and have to be separately installed; (c) the spell checker is unavailable; and (d) a significant amount of RAM must be allocated to the mirror of the operating system, plus the optional Pocket PC 2002 components not in ROM. (Does anybody know how much free memory remains in RAM once the optional components are installed?)

I love the form factor of the IPAQ, but as a result of these concerns - and the earlier ones mentioned in this thread - I bought the Axim.

[Kirkaiya]

Amazing how perceptions can change. I can't even imagine sticking a Dell Axim in my pocket, especially with a sleeve, as opposed to the svelte 1910.

Axims don't have sleeves, but I know what you mean. I've had my Axim since mid-January. Last week my screen went all squirly on me (photographically negative images). So, while I'm waiting for my replacement, I am using my 3835, ala sleeve for Socket BT and 1G CF cards. I can't believe I carried that thing as long as I did. I'm counting the hours until the FedEx truck pulls into the driveway.

Oops - that was actually a typo on my part (my brain was on my iPaq). I meant to say that "I can't imagine sticking a Dell Axim in my pocket, especially with with a cover..."

I'm still waiting for my proporta aluminum 1910 case to arrive, but the sheer difference in size, when you hold the naked units in your hand, is pretty amazing.

I'll be happy when a 1910-form-factor PPC comes out with either SDIO, or integrated BT or WLAN, but until then, I can't go back to the bigger size. I just can't... *whaaaaaaaaaa*