HP iPAQ 2215 or wait for 3800 series upgrade in...OCTOBER!!

[pschultz]

I currently have a Compaq iPAQ 3835. I am starting to come down with what I call "new hardware syndrome". In a pervious topic here: http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14272 I asked which was better: the HP iPAQ 2215 or the Dell Axim X5 Advanced. Most people (all but 1) recommended the iPAQ. The only thing that is holding me back from purchasing the iPAQ is the price. Is the $400 worth it, or should I wait for the Windows Mobile 2003 upgrade for the 3800 series devices in October?

[Jacob]

With all due respect, why don't you just start one poll with all your options...i.e. 2215 or Axim or upgrade or toshiba xx.. or etc. ..

What do you need in the 2210 that you don't have?

Is any of it something you can't wait for?

[pschultz]

With all due respect, why don't you just start one poll with all your options...i.e. 2215 or Axim or upgrade or toshiba xx.. or etc. ..

What do you need in the 2210 that you don't have?

Is any of it something you can't wait for?
Well I should of started just one poll in the first place, but when I was deciding between the iPAQ and the Dell I forgot to consider the upgrade. Now, you can't edit your polls so I am SOL.

I am considering the 2215 because of the faster processer, better screen, and new os.

[blazingwolf]

I am considering the 2215 because of the faster processer, better screen, and new os.

That is exactly why you should get the 2215.

[Enderet]

Because of the good screen and the backwards compatability with older ipaq's gizmos...

[WyattEarp]

I'd say wait to see what else pops up. PPC 2003 just came out and only a few manufacturers have PPCs with the '03 OS on it. I'm pretty sure more will come in the next few months. But if you really can't wait, then get the 2215. But take in account that it cannot be used with any of the iPAQ style sleeves if you have any.

[Thinkingman]

I think with the expandability of the 2215, you really arent going to need the sleeves. The cf slot should take care of what you are wanting to do for the most part in my opinion. I personally feel the sleeves make it too bulky and then you are looking at that size ipaq, which is bigger. I think the 2215 gives you the opportunity at a good size. One of Hp/Compaq better choices. :wink:

[WyattEarp]

Yes it does, but some people like having the backwards compatibility. The built-in CF slot was definately one of HPs better choices. However, I personally am dissappointed with the 3.5" screen size, 100Mhz Bus and 32MB FlashROM. I think if they at least kept a 3.8" screen, 200Mhz bus and 48MB FlashROM as a standard it would be a killer device give its size. I guess you can't have everything.

[Pony99CA]

Because of the good screen and the backwards compatability with older ipaq's gizmos...
Which device are you referring to? The 2215 has the "good" screen (compared to the 3800s), but the 3800 has backward compatibility with the older iPAQ devices (serial devices and sleeves).

Steve

[Jerry Raia]

I had a chance to play with a 2215 at a store today. It's cute. Thats about it.

[Pony99CA]

I think with the expandability of the 2215, you really arent going to need the sleeves. The cf slot should take care of what you are wanting to do for the most part in my opinion.
How do you know what pschultz wants to do? I didn't see any requirements listed. Without knowing what he(?) wants to do with his Pocket PC, I can't make a decent recommendation.

You're also assuming that he doesn't already have any sleeves. While the 2215 looks very nice, I wouldn't get one. Why? Because it wouldn't work with my GPS sleeve and Dual PC Card sleeve.

My 3870 usually contains a 256 MB SD card, a 512 MB CF card and a WiFi PC Card. If I got the 2215, how would I get WiFi and 768 MB storage? I'd either have to buy a CF WiFi card and a 1 GB SD card (when they become available) or a 1 GB CF card (there may be 768 MB ones, I don't know) and an SDIO WiFi card (again, when they become available).

The same is true with GPS. Sure, I could buy a GPS CF card or a Bluetooth GPS receiver, but I already have a GPS sleeve, so why would I?

Steve

[Jeff Song]

Yes it does, but some people like having the backwards compatibility. The built-in CF slot was definately one of HPs better choices. However, I personally am dissappointed with the 3.5" screen size, 100Mhz Bus and 32MB FlashROM. I think if they at least kept a 3.8" screen, 200Mhz bus and 48MB FlashROM as a standard it would be a killer device give its size. I guess you can't have everything.

The H2215 has the new 200mhz bus correct? It fully utilizes the new PXA255 processor.

[WyattEarp]

Yes it does, but some people like having the backwards compatibility. The built-in CF slot was definately one of HPs better choices. However, I personally am dissappointed with the 3.5" screen size, 100Mhz Bus and 32MB FlashROM. I think if they at least kept a 3.8" screen, 200Mhz bus and 48MB FlashROM as a standard it would be a killer device give its size. I guess you can't have everything.

The H2215 has the new 200mhz bus correct? It fully utilizes the new PXA255 processor.

Nope, the memory runs at 100Mhz my friend and IMHO that's very dissappointing :cry: . Check out Jason Dunn's review HP iPAQ 2215 - The New Shining Star In The Pocket PC Galaxy (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,13980)

[madbart]

Off load what you have now before your 3XXX is worthless!

[Pony99CA]

The H2215 has the new 200mhz bus correct? It fully utilizes the new PXA255 processor.
Nope, the memory runs at 100Mhz my friend and IMHO that's very dissappointing :cry: . Check out Jason Dunn's review HP iPAQ 2215 - The New Shining Star In The Pocket PC Galaxy (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,13980)
Don't be too sure. If you look at the Intel PXA255 Web page (http://www.intel.com/design/pca/prodbref/252780.htm), you'll see that the internal bus on the PXA255 runs at 200 MHz, while the PXA250's internal bus was 100 MHz.

Faster internal system bus (At 400 MHz core, internal bus runs at 200 MHz vs. 100 MHz on the Intel® PXA250 processor
The external buses on both chips are 100 MHz.

Steve

[spursdude]

Nope, the memory runs at 100Mhz my friend and IMHO that's very dissappointing :cry: . Check out Jason Dunn's review HP iPAQ 2215 - The New Shining Star In The Pocket PC Galaxy (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,13980)
Considering the 2215's good performance, it's not too disappointing....

[WyattEarp]

The H2215 has the new 200mhz bus correct? It fully utilizes the new PXA255 processor.
Nope, the memory runs at 100Mhz my friend and IMHO that's very dissappointing :cry: . Check out Jason Dunn's review HP iPAQ 2215 - The New Shining Star In The Pocket PC Galaxy (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,13980)
Don't be too sure. If you look at the Intel PXA255 Web page (http://www.intel.com/design/pca/prodbref/252780.htm), you'll see that the internal bus on the PXA255 runs at 200 MHz, while the PXA250's internal bus was 100 MHz.

Faster internal system bus (At 400 MHz core, internal bus runs at 200 MHz vs. 100 MHz on the Intel® PXA250 processor
The external buses on both chips are 100 MHz.

Steve

My original source of the memory bus speed was from the HP website, which gave the specs of all the new iPAQs. Of course they have since pulled it. Although, the 200Mhz is the new standard output for the PXA255s, I'm pretty sure it can be changed for specific devices. In this case I would like to be wrong. And since Jason had one, box and all; I don't think he would give out false info. He just confirmed what I read from HP.

I don't find the performance dissapointing only the 100Mhz bus (if it's true) since I think all should use the 200Mhz bus.

So Jason, can you give us the specs for the iPAQ 2215 please :?: We need a resolution.

[Jerry Raia]

What about the LINES on the screen? They are very annoying.

[pdaided]

Just traded in my 3955 for the 2215 and we got two more for my employees. I am so excited to now have a real "pocket" device that has real strong specs. It is very fast in comparison to my 3955. Cradle is much better and weight is perfect. REMOVABLE IPAQ BATTERY. I don't miss the bigger screen as I thought I would. I even have bad eyes but no complaints here. Yep, no more pocket "bricks" for me.

The only thing that will get me to change from this pda is internal gsm/gprs for email. You wouldn't be disappointed.

pdaided

history: 3650, 568, 3835, 3955, 2215

[Pony99CA]

My original source of the memory bus speed was from the HP website, which gave the specs of all the new iPAQs. Of course they have since pulled it. Although, the 200Mhz is the new standard output for the PXA255s, I'm pretty sure it can be changed for specific devices. In this case I would like to be wrong. And since Jason had one, box and all; I don't think he would give out false info.
Please go back and reread what I wrote. Jason didn't give out false information; the bus to external memory is 100 MHz, just like the old PXA250. Here's what the Intel PXA255 page (http://www.intel.com/design/pca/prodbref/252780.htm) says about memory:

Integrated Memory and PCMCIA/Compact Flash Controller with 100 MHz Memory Bus, 16-bit or 32-bit ROM/Flash/SRAM (six banks), 16-bit or 32-bit SDRAM, SMROM (four banks), as well as PCMCIA and Compact Flash for added functionality and expandability
Note that the memory bus is 100 MHz, just as Jason said.

However, the processor will still operate faster, because it can retrieve data from internal memory twice as fast. Here's another quotation from the PXA255 page:

Based on the Intel XScale technology with a new, fast 200Mhz internal system bus, the Intel PXA255 processor cost-effectively boosts processing speed and power management over the Intel PXA250 processor.
I suspect the internal bus speed is set by the chip hardware (1/2 the processor chip speed), and HP couldn't do anything to affect that directly.

If you slow the processor down to 200 MHz, that may lower the internal bus speed to 100 MHz, but I don't know for sure.

One reason that people said the 400 MHz XScales seemed slower than the 206 MHz StrongARM SA-1110s is because the StrongARM's internal bus was 103 MHz. According to Intel's StrongARM Web page (http://www.intel.com/design/pca/applicationsprocessors/1110_brf.htm), the external bus speed was 100 MHz, though, the same as the XScale's. Here's the quotation:

High-speed 100 MHz memory bus and a flexible memory controller that adds support for SDRAM, SMROM and variable-latency I/O devices—provides design flexibility, scalability and high memory bandwidth.
The bottom line is that there's nothing to be disappointed about. The external memory bus is 100 MHz, as it was for the PXA250. The internal memory bus is twice as fast, giving you a performance boost. People (myself included until I actually read the Intel page) were just getting the internal and external buses confused, leading to claims that the PXA255 would have a 200 MHz memory bus.

Steve

[WyattEarp]

Again, I understand what was said and I am not dissapointed in the device. I was just stating that if the bus wasn't what it was claimed to be then that would be dissapointing :D . Sorry if it came out wrong.

[Jerry Raia]

Just wait for the 5555.

[WyattEarp]

Just wait for the 5555.

That's a definate "me too" 128MB of RAM built-in :D :D :D .

[Jerry Raia]

There will always be a better one to wait for. I say get them all! Dont wait! :mrgreen:

[WyattEarp]

There will always be a better one to wait for. I say get them all! Dont wait! :mrgreen:

Just trying not to look too greedy... You know :wink:

[Mitch D]

I currently have a Compaq iPAQ 3835. I am starting to come down with what I call "new hardware syndrome". In a pervious topic here: http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14272 I asked which was better: the HP iPAQ 2215 or the Dell Axim X5 Advanced. Most people (all but 1) recommended the iPAQ. The only thing that is holding me back from purchasing the iPAQ is the price. Is the $400 worth it, or should I wait for the Windows Mobile 2003 upgrade for the 3800 series devices in October?

pschultx, I walked into this conversation late but I would think the added features like the built in CF & SD slots make the unit far more functional that the out of the box 38xx series. I own a 3830 and it has served me well but the added CF slot adds to the sixe and wieght of the unit, plus the brighter screen make for an all around better unit in my book.

[MitchellO]

The 2210/2215 has a 200mhz bus doesn't it? That is the difference between the PXA250 and PXA255 versions of the XScale 400mhz I believe. I was reading about the 2210 when I was in the market (last week actually!) for a new PPC and from the information I read the PXA255, which the iPAQ 2210/2215 uses, is a 200mhz bus.

[dmacburry2003]

CEWindows.net has the specs on it (including the bus speed).