Need y'alls advice! Open your PocketPC minds to me!

[XmanHP548]

A friend of mine is looking for a PocketPC...
Could you guys give me some insight to pass on to her? I have a Maestro, but I am not up on the PocketPC scene like a lot of you are.
Do PocketPC's synch Access data? What PocketPC best meets the critera she sets out? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Here is a copy of her email:

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"Okay, I've talked about it for a year - now I'm ready to do something about it. I'm going to get a Pocket PC and am looking for a great deal with the options I need. Please advise. You know me - I'm no techno freak and don't need all the bells and whistles. What I do need is the ability to sync my ACCESS data base on my home computer with my Pocket (so enough memory to do that) and be able to input info on the handheld as well as at home. I need to maintain a calendar and potentially check e-mail with it while away. I want the capability to add a keyboard later and need a sturdy case for it. I'd like to think I could dump some pictures in it - can you do that directly with a camera or does that have to be done through the big computer and then loaded??
I am so in the dark, but know you will have all the answers. Any chance of finding a used or refurbished one in good shape anywhere? Where do I start looking? I know I want something Windows compatible cause I don't want to learn new software on top of everything else......HELP!!
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[Pony99CA]

Do PocketPC's synch Access data?
No Pocket PCs will synchronize Access data out of the box (although Handheld PCs would). She'll probably need to find a Pocket PC database package that supports synchronizing Access files.

Steve

[jimski]

[quote=XmanHP548]Do PocketPC's synch Access data?


There are many third party software apps that will let you develop forms & queries and sync with your Access databases. I have tried 6 or more of these and have settled on SprintDB Pro by KaioneSoft. It is fast, stable and user friendly. SprintDB also has printing capabilities.

If you have a digital camera that uses an SD or CF card, you can view-move photos directly to your PPC. Works great with my Casio Exilim.

[prismejon]

Any chance of finding a used or refurbished one in good shape anywhere?

Why not try Thaddeus' site (http://www.usedhandhelds.com/buy.html) (this is the company behind PocketPC Magazine) or ebay.com (http://listings.ebay.com/aw/plistings/list/category3729/index.html?from=R4)?

[Crystal Eitle]

Any chance of finding a used or refurbished one in good shape anywhere?

Why not try Thaddeus' site (http://www.usedhandhelds.com/buy.html) (this is the company behind PocketPC Magazine) or ebay.com (http://listings.ebay.com/aw/plistings/list/category3729/index.html?from=R4)?

Or try the refurb area of the Dell site to get a good deal on an Axim.

[Crystal Eitle]

Even though I've never personally tried an Axim, from what I've read about them, I'd definitely recommend one for your friend. For the features, the price can't be beat. The dual slots give lots of expansion capabilities (including compatibility with any camera that uses a CF or an SD card - it's very easy to pop a memory card out of your digicam and pop it into your PPC for viewing.)

[darrylb]

Do PocketPC's synch Access data?
No Pocket PCs will synchronize Access data out of the box (although Handheld PCs would). She'll probably need to find a Pocket PC database package that supports synchronizing Access files.

Steve

ActiveSync support syncing of Access databases, the catch is that the tables that need to be synced must have an index in them for the sync to work. I have not spent lots figuring out the ins and outs of syncing access. :|

[Pony99CA]

Do PocketPC's synch Access data?
No Pocket PCs will synchronize Access data out of the box (although Handheld PCs would). She'll probably need to find a Pocket PC database package that supports synchronizing Access files.

ActiveSync support syncing of Access databases, the catch is that the tables that need to be synced must have an index in them for the sync to work. I have not spent lots figuring out the ins and outs of syncing access. :|
Yes, ActiveSync supports syncing Access files, because Handheld PCs had Pocket Access starting with Windows CE 2.1 (if my memory serves).

However, ActiveSync is not the Pocket PC OS, and the Pocket PC OS does not include Pocket Access. Even if Access files will synchronize, what good will that do if you can't view them?

As I said, she'll need to get a database package that supports Access files. I don't have any Access files, so I haven't paid any attention to which database programs support them, whether it uses the ActiveSync synchronization or something else, etc.

Steve

[darrylb]

However, ActiveSync is not the Pocket PC OS, and the Pocket PC OS does not include Pocket Access. Even if Access files will synchronize, what good will that do if you can't view them?

As I said, she'll need to get a database package that supports Access files. I don't have any Access files, so I haven't paid any attention to which database programs support them, whether it uses the ActiveSync synchronization or something else, etc.

Steve

PocketPC support Access databases by converting them to CDB files. The limitation of the PPC is that it does not support forms or any other UI. If you have an app you can use for data entry (either PocketVB or .Net) you can use this. I suspect however, that the original idea was to use the UI that came with Access - and thanks Pony, you have corrected me on that point (I misread/misinterpreted).

I wrote a eVB app to interact with my pocket access app, but this was a very tedious and painful task (due to the limitations of the ADOCE client) and I dont recommend it.