PC World Does a Wireless Handheld Shoot-Out

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,111642,pg,1,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/arti...642,pg,1,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"We marveled at the very first Palm handhelds because they stored so much information, made data entry easy with a touch screen and stylus, and, best of all, synchronized with our desktop contact managers. Since then, screens have gotten nicer, cases have gotten skinnier, and Microsoft has gotten into the act--but in many respects personal digital assistants haven't changed a lot over the years. For many users, they're still primarily electronic organizers, enhanced by software that lets one edit a spreadsheet or play a game. But in the last year or so, advances in processors and other electronics have given rise to a whole new breed of connected handhelds--powerful devices that send and receive data over wireless networks, and others that double as cell phones.<br /><br />For this review, we looked at ten shipping PDAs with some sort of connectivity--either a phone/PDA hybrid such as Sony Ericsson's P800, or a Wi-Fi-enabled device such as Palm's Tungsten C handheld. Each model was entrusted to a different PC World editor to live with for a few weeks. We used these handhelds to access our contacts and calendars, to browse the Web, to manage e-mail, to send instant messages, and--on the phone/PDA hybrids--to make and receive voice calls."

[ucfgrad93]

Nice comparison of the various models, especially the chart on how to pick a handheld. However, the individual reviews were too short.

[farnold]

I think that's quite a poor comparison given the fact that there is not even a single PocketPC of the market leader HP involved... what's fair about that? And how will you ever get a result when you have different people testing something? No, mates, the only thing I learn from that is that someone wants to tell me what I'm supposed to think... and I don't :wink:

[Janak Parekh]

farnold, that's because they were only looking at "WAN" devices (not WiFi devices), and HP doesn't have any.

--janak

[Jeff Rutledge]

Actually, I can see farnold's point.

For this review, we looked at ten shipping PDAs with some sort of connectivity--either a phone/PDA hybrid such as Sony Ericsson's P800, or a Wi-Fi-enabled device such as Palm's Tungsten C handheld.

If the Tungsten C and Toshiba E755 were there, why not the HP5500?

[Janak Parekh]

If the Tungsten C and Toshiba E755 were there, why not the HP5500?
Oops. I totally missed pages 5 and 6. :oops: I stand corrected.

Must get more sleep...

--janak

[iamchocolatemilk]

Meh...I'll have to try out a Tungsten C i suppose eh? I love how they dont mention any of the Pocket PC's other stuff that, make it a "Pocket PC"...Whatever though, I guess most hardcore business users can only use OEM stuff, anyways. And Hey...who even NEEDs more then 64mb...Bah CF slot. Ha, they dont DESERVE a Pocket PC...:)

Later,
Andrew

[Jeff Rutledge]

If the Tungsten C and Toshiba E755 were there, why not the HP5500?
Oops. I totally missed pages 5 and 6. :oops: I stand corrected.

No worries Janak. I think you're allowed an average of one mistake for every 500 or so posts here. 8)

Must get more sleep...


Or you could take a book from one of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies (II or IV I think) and just wash down a heaping tablespoon of instant coffee with a Coke. :wink:

[QYV]

It seems like most of the reviewers - including the ones who reviewed the Samsung and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition - were dedicated Palm users. That's a pretty poor way to get an unbiased review, IMHO. There's a learning curve associated with any new OS, and the familiar often seems "better". I guess if your staff all use Palms, there's not much you can do, but it still disappoints me.

[The Half-Ling]

I completely disagree with this supposed fair compatison where is the bluetooth/wifi devices...go 5500!!!

Jake

[szamot]

Is that what this long article was about WI-FI and connectivity, I totally thought it was about how good Palms are, every review had to mention it at least once - Palm this, Palm that. Now does any one know who paid for this independent review, me thinks PALM has its dirty hands in this one again. Further more iPAQ's included - what is that all about, not including market PPC leader. Sorry this review was far too short in descriptions, far too long for what it actually provided, and far too shallow to be actually informed...another 15 minutes I will not get back in my life. NEXT!NEXT.

[Pocket PC Dubai]

I skimmed into this article, and I didn’t want to even complete it, it is one of the worst reviews I’ve ever seen so I didn’t want to waste anymore time. This is perhaps another desperate move from palm.

[ctmagnus]

Hm... Maybe we need a new emoticon. An image of a smiley retching. It could be :pcworldreview: or similar.

[beq]

No worries Janak. I think you're allowed an average of one mistake for every 500 or so posts here. 8) Look at his post count, I think you meant one every 5000 :D

[Prevost]

No performance comparison, no real usability remarks, actually no comparison between platforms or devices. I agree in reading this "shoot out" (too big expression for this to fill its shoes) was a major waste of time.

Sounded like having a high end PDA and saying "oh, how beautiful, how cute it is". Or, to remark how deep the color of a Porsche is and ommiting saying anything about its handling and speed. Or...well, for those of you following football there in England or Portugal, saying Maradona was able to "kick the ball very hard" (I read this before 1986 World Cup)...

But come on, why to say this is another Palm desperate move or that they have their hairy hands behind it? Should there not be Palm around, which kind of Pocket PCs do you think you would have now? Would you ever have anything?

[oturn]

This review is a perfect example of what Microsoft and the Pocket PC camp have been up against for years...the "press" is loaded with stodgy old-timers who can't drag themselves out of the stone age. They're the types who's VCR's are blinking 12:00, and who only this year bought a DVD player.

I blew past my monochrome Palm many years ago. Being up to date with technology is obviously not a requirement to write for a "computer" magazine.

[JonathanWardRogers]

Come on, guys and gals! Isn't this exactly what you expect from anti-MS land? (I mean PC world, of course)

They have always existed to influence peoples opinions so that they are more in line with their own. Like a bunch of nerds, bitter at their lack of popularity in school, all sitting around laughing at the bunch of sheep in the corporate world now hanging on their every word.

Sorry... I have little respect for that publication, in case you couldn't tell.

[BTS]

Oh man, these guys continue to frustrate me. I read the e755 review and I swear this guy doesn't have a clue. I own a 755 and had never used wi-fi on a handheld before. My findings?

- Connecting is easy. Select "internet"!
- Pocket IE is just fine for most web pages. Sure, some are not rendered as nicely as you want but I had similar experiences on a T|C
-The system never bogs down on me.

These guys are so Palm brainwashed. I have been trying to figure out why the PPC OS is "clunky" compared to Palm's. I just don't get it!

[Jeff Rutledge]

No worries Janak. I think you're allowed an average of one mistake for every 500 or so posts here. 8) Look at his post count, I think you meant one every 5000 :D

Yeah, but if I put 500, then I have one-in-hand. :lol:

[farnold]

If the Tungsten C and Toshiba E755 were there, why not the HP5500?
Oops. I totally missed pages 5 and 6. :oops: I stand corrected.

Must get more sleep...

--janak

What makes me so angry about these "unbiased" reviews is that I know to well how they are been made. It's not that there are people who just stick with old technology and don't know any better... it's just a question of money...

I worked for a BIG5 company for a number of years and appointed the so called analyst organisations a few times. The more we paid the better was our ranking in the magic quadrants and so on... One was in particular funny. While our company never managed to win a CRM project we still got listed amongst the top-5 for our experience and ability to deliver... 8O

What I learned from that is to make up my mind myself... and guess what: I'm biased myself as well 8) ...

[gorkon280]

Everyone has a bias. That is a fact of life. Everyone will reach for the familiar first and the new second unless your tech geeks like us and you'll reach for anything. Ok, well, anything powerful which when the PALM came out it was powerful compared to anything else except the Newton. If they want to do a Palm and Pocket PC shootout, they need a TRUE geek to do it, or the following:

1. Have 4 types of people review it:

A. A newbie.
B. A Pocket PC Power User.
C. A Palm Power User.
D. A Other Power User(be it a Zaurus, Symbian or Danger OS based).

2. Review period of a month and the reviewers must ALL give up the daily driver as collateral and so they don't go back to the familiar.

3. At the end of the review period is when the write it. Taking notes during the period is allowed. Full tech support provided by either the guy organzing the review, or the company that made each handheld.

The only other way to do this is to do a process comparison. For example creating a calendar event or writing a short note. Try to do it as a newbie would. Do not use any shortcuts you'd normally setup on these unless it's a easyone (example: some palm shortcuts are printed directly on the pda in a graffiti sticker...). Do it strictly with the builtin keypad and the stylus. Tell us how fast each device was, how intuitive, and use some reasoning. The one who did the review of the 755 needs to realize if it automagically powered on the WiFi everytime you went into a app that usually used internet, your battery would be gone in a hour! Also, correct me if I am wrong, but the 755 does not use the bult in WM 2003 app does it? I thought they still used their own (unlike HP! I LIKE the new WiFi interface a ton!)? Anyway, the BEST unbiased interviews I have ever found were on The Gadgeteer website. Julie and Judie like both Pocket PC and Palm. They were in love with the iPaq's but now are using Tungstens. Someone needs to hire these two to write reviews for the bigger magazines as I have seen no bias in either of these. The reason why is that they like gadgets. Period. Does not matter if it's palm or Pocket PC they are still cool. These gadgeteers are the people that PC World and other magazines should hire to do this kind of a review.

[Kati Compton]

I agree that method would be ideal, but magazines are already decreasing the amount they pay, and they've generally paid less for reviews. So splitting a single review 4 ways would mean very little money for the effort required over the month, etc...

I think you'd only find that kind of review if magazine writing wasn't the person's job, but instead a hobby.

It really is too bad that "reviews" have gone out of favor in magazines for the most part. Magazines tend to want "features", more along the lines of "how does company A use product B to solve problem C", not "Which device is better X, Y, or Z?".

[GO-TRIBE]

I didn't see any iPaqs in that shoot-out!

You can't have no stinking PDA shoot-out without the market leading iPaqs!