PocketPC momentum slowing down

[hdsalinas]

Back in 2000 I bought my first PDA, a palm 3. Few weeks later PocketPC came along offering a world I never thought possible. I immediately bough a Jornada 540 and could not beleive all the great things one could do with it. I could listen to music, write emails, view movies... well you know the rest -a bunch of unlimited things that you never thought possible with an organizer . We had great killer applications popping out of nowhere. (pocket TV, Windows Media player that could play movies, remote controls, offline web content, PDF and Bilble readers, audible player ect) It would seem that everyday there was something exiting and new.

Now we have better hardware and cheaper prices, and although that alone is something to be excited about, it seems that there is less interest in the platform. Weeks go by that I don´t read anything exciting about PPC. Just look at the news on this website, there are many that are not PPC related. I think that it s because there is nothing on the PPC world to write about.

That is my point exactly.

Even Microsoft seems to be less exited about the PPC as before (I hope I am wrong on this) Hey, Palm is getting closer if not ahead!!

We don´t need PockectPC2003, we need PocketPC 2004 today! Something fresh and new with new possibilities. Something that can play DVDs or VHS, whatever it takes, we want something to make us fall in love with our PockePCs all over again.

my humble opinion.

Hector David Salinas
Honduras

[Jacob]

Palm already is ahead in market share.

I'm not too worried about Pocket PC. I'm not sure how often I really need an update to an OS.

I certainly don't need an OS update for my desktop every year, why would I for my PocketPC?

[hdsalinas]

I certainly don't need an OS update for my desktop every year, why would I for my PocketPC?

True,

So far I have not heard anything about the new version that is worth upgrading to. I have an old 3650 ipaq And i can see myself with it for another year until it dies but so far is not giving me signs that it will.

Even the hardware that is available today is not much different from my ipaq, I can do the same things that a newer device.

Don´t get me wrong, I would love to upgrade to a dell or an ipaq, but I don´t see much gain in it.

I love PocketPC, I don´t think I would ever go back to Palm. (too simple too boring)

[AhuhX]

Palm already is ahead in market share.
I certainly don't need an OS update for my desktop every year, why would I for my PocketPC?

Well that's just it. The PC market has been stagnating lately because nobody has bothered to update their hardware when the old hardware still serves perfectly well. Same as the PPC... the platform is starting to stagnate because MS isn't pushing the hardware. We don't need OS updates every year but we do need the one that comes every 2nd year to count. PPC 2003 sounds devoid of anything truly progressive. They need to inject some excitement and innovation back into the hardware and OS.

It seems MS and HP are beginning to wakeup with the PC platform. Next-gen hardware and Longhorn OS with 3D interface they are demoing looks killer. If only something that exciting was on PPC's horizon!

IMHO Palm doesn't seem to have the answers either. One model with in-built camera and another with in-built keybaord and Wi-Fi. Nothing earth shattering there. Nice screens though LOL.

[Stephen Beesley]

Up until yesterday I probably would have completly agreed with you about the PPC appearing to stagnate. Sure there is Xscale and the new PPC 2003 looks like it might have a couple of things that I really want but basically my HP 568 does pretty much the same as a current model Dell for example.

But then I picked up my Bosses Ipaq 5455 and turned on the wireless....

Wow :D

A year ago when I bought my 568 the idea of a PPC with built in wireless and built in bluetooth would have just about blown me away and do you know what it still does. Okay the palms are catching up on features and (with built in cameras etc) even passing the PPC maybe, but for my money the PPC is still the most exciting product out there.

Goldtee