Ever consider the dark side?

[Unreal32]

Do either of the new Palms - the Zire 71 or Tungsten C - make you consider going back to a Palm? I confess, the C looks pretty darn slick, fast, and has everything I'd want in a PDA except for maybe MP3 playback and possibly some native Outlook compatibility. What do you think? Any reasons you'd absolutely never go back to a Palm?

[yvilla]

Phooey!

[ctmagnus]

Back to a Palm?

I've never used a Palm in my life, except for a few short spurts on demo units in Staples/Office Depot. But that was years before I got my PPC. I just knew there was something better, even before knowing about Windows CE. Call it intuition, call it common sense, just don't call it late for dinner. :wink:

[jimski]

Not a chance! Where is the Bluetooth? And what is with the keyboard. My early Palm's conditioned me to use Graffitti (gee...wonder if I can still use that term without being taken to court) and it is still the easiest input method for me. I write Graffiti without looking at the screen. I can't touch type with a full size keyboard and I surely can't with a thumboard.

I bought my 15 year old nephew a Palm TT for his birthday (simply easier to use and his social schedule does not allow 2 hours per day for Active STINK problem solving) and got a chance to play with/set up the device for a week or so.

After playing with it I started to miss the simplicity of a Palm. But after a couple days, the applications seemed like I was working with DOS. The PPC just has so much more to offer.

[Abba Zabba]

Not a chance! Where is the Bluetooth? .

FYI, you can get a Palm with BT :wink:

And to answer the question of going back to palm. I say no way, no how,

and why should I stoop to such a lower life form of PDA. [end rant here :silly: ]

PPC :rock on dude!: . :2gunfire: PALM

[delfuhd]

Gosh I spent a couple good years sucking the life out of myself with some IBM workpads, palm VII's, the works.. Of course when I discovered ol' PPC I can't bear to see the main applications screen of a PalmOS anymore 8O
Of course, I still do have an old Palm IIIc kickin around that sits on my desk in the cradle (It's been in that cradle for probably almost a year now :D )...

[Janak Parekh]

FYI, you can get a Palm with BT :wink:
Not on the Zire 71 and the T|C. They don't support Palm's own BT SDIO card.

That, no filesystem, smaller screen == no sale for me.

--janak

[Unreal32]

So far, Janak is the only one who offers solid reasons why he wouldn't consider such a move. Anyone else? I really love my iPaq, but the following things are what is making me consider the "C":

1. The thumbboard... loved my RIM Blackberry, and even looked longingly at the Treo for a while.
2. Speed... it just appears to open *everything* much faster than a PPC.
3. Integrated WiFi. I know I can get that with my iPaq, but I need the sleeve added.
4. Better Office compatibility with Palm's solutions. Pocket Word sucks.
5. Integrated flip cover. A small detail, but nice nonetheless.
6. Easier synching.

So far the things I have against the product (and it's a small list) are:
1. Mono sound only, so I wouldn't use it for MP3's... but then, I could get an iPod.
2. It's a Palm... shudder. (But I used one for years before the PPC's)
3. I'd lose some of my favorite apps (but probably gain others)

So... anyone else have concrete reasons why they wouldn't switch if they were me? Convince me!

[Janak Parekh]

So far, Janak is the only one who offers solid reasons why he wouldn't consider such a move.
So, you want more? You alluded to some of them... here are some more:

1. SIP. I use Fitaly now, and would never go back to Graffiti. Only the Clie N(R|X|Z) series supports SIP-like functionality. I don't like the FitalyStamp idea.

2. CF and good peripheral support. Only the Clie units have a CF slot, and it's proprietary. I use WLAN all the time, but need to be able to use different WLAN cards when I work on different networks, for example.

3. Multitasking. I'll start downloading my email, and then switch to PI and do a little PIM management, or I'll be writing an email and will switch to my Contacts to pull something up, and want to return back in the middle of my email or back to my downloaded email. I'll do this even when I'm on a WiFi connection. Absolutely, positively critical for me.

4. Closeness to Outlook. I agree that Word/Excel support is mixed, but categories (i.e., more than 15 and multiple selection) is something I'd never give up again -- Palms are mystifyingly weak in this area. Plus, the fact that the fields closely match Outlook makes it easy to have multiple phone #'s, etc.

As for your other points...

1. Mono sound only, so I wouldn't use it for MP3's... but then, I could get an iPod.
Same here. Stereo is absolutely critical for me.

2. It's a Palm... shudder. (But I used one for years before the PPC's)
I try not to make decisions on brands per se, but rather would prefer to pick the best tool for what I use. For me, the Pocket PC is a better fit. Someone once posted here that he was "ashamed" that he was giving up a Pocket PC for his Sony Ericsson P800. There's nothing to be "ashamed" of, as long as he feels it's the best choice for him! Correspondingly, I have no sympathy for those say "M$ sucks! Palms r00lz!"

Who knows? Palm OS 6 might be so awesome it blows everyone away. In that case, I'll be happy to switch if MS doesn't keep up. But I don't think that's going to happen that quickly, and for now and in the near future, the Pocket PC is the best tool for my needs.

--janak

[Unreal32]

I agree that Word/Excel support is mixed, but categories (i.e., more than 15 and multiple selection) is something I'd never give up again -- Palms are mystifyingly weak in this area. Plus, the fact that the fields closely match Outlook makes it easy to have multiple phone #'s, etc.



Good point. I hadn't considered my many categories and how I have them set up in multiple categories for search and retrieval purposes. I also think I'd lose a lot by dropping my PIM application (PocketInformant) which I have grown quite used to. As for the soft input or Fitaly thing, I would gladly give up that and use just graffiti and a thumb board -- IF the thumb board worked like my old RIM Blackberry's thumb board did (sticky function and shift keys, nice tactile feel and feedback). Maybe that's the biggest "If" of all.

Actually, I'd have no thoughts of switching at ALL if the PocketPC had a model with a built-in thumb board that worked as I mention above. I thought about considering that new one Hitachi announced with the thumb board... but it sounds like it's going to be Sprint only, and I'm a Verizon user. <sigh> Guess there is no such thing as the perfect PDA... for me, or anyone else.

[dh]

I still have one of my Palm Vxs, my nine year old daughter uses my other one. Since getting my Axim, I've had no reason to touch the Palm. I'll get my daughter a PPC before the year is over as well.

Yes, the new Palm OS devices have some nice features, but nothing that comes close to making me want to go back.

I love dual expansion slots, great screen (no a little hi rez square screen is not as good), PocketMPV, @mail, PI4 and Textmaker. The only one of the programs I use everyday you can have on POS is Repligo.

I was hesitant about getting the Axim, the price seemed too good to be true. In this case it was true, thanks Dell. Good product support too!

[Mitch D]

I used a Palm OS based device for about 5 years and was happy with it, but then I examined what was out there for Pocket PC devices and what they could do for me and wasn't totally convinced till my boss offered me a iPaq 3830 at a price I could not pass up (under $200 new in box :twisted: ) because it was disco'd and taking up inventory bucks. Well I snached it up and have not looked back... I would never give up my iPaq for all the Palm OS devices in the world, a better Pocket PC device sure but I will not go back to a Palm.


Former units: Palm 3, Palm 3e, Palm 3xe,Handprring Visor Deluxe, Palm M500, Palm M505.

Current Unit: iPaq 3830 with a 3950 in my future unless the 2200 comes out first! But I would give it all up for a Fuji Loox though :!: :wink:

[Brad Adrian]

Janak hit the nail on the head with multitasking. If I can't move freely from app to app without closing them, I will NOT use a device. I've got a Handspring Treo and used it for a while and the single most frustrating aspect was the fact that I couldn't easily copy and paste from one app to another.

[Mitch D]

Janak hit the nail on the head with multitasking. If I can't move freely from app to app without closing them, I will NOT use a device. I've got a Handspring Treo and used it for a while and the single most frustrating aspect was the fact that I couldn't easily copy and paste from one app to another.

I would have to agree with you on that, I never realized how much of a hassle it was to enter things into multiple places on the Palm. I just finished reading Ed Hansberry's article in POcket PC Mag about the "Pocket PC vs. Palm" subject and I think he hits it right on the head. I hear comments from my customers all the time that the Palm is easier to use till I whip out my iPaq and show them. I have sold several iPaq 1910's after showing them how easy it is too use.

Might have to tear out the article and keep it handy at work for my staff and customers to read. Great article Ed.
:way to go: