ComputerTimes Asia Hosts a Palm Versus Pocket PC Debate

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://computertimes.asia1.com.sg/specials/story/0,5104,1554,00.html?">http://computertimes.asia1.com.sg/specials/story/0,5104,1554,00.html?</a><br /><br />"Can't decide on a new personal digitalassistant (PDA)? Don't just read the brochures; get real advice from the people who know their PDAs inside-out. Computer Times invited two PDA enthusiasts - Alvin Chang from the Singapore Palm Users Group (<a href="www.spug.net">www.spug.net</a>) and Lee Chee Wee from the Pocket PC enthusiasts' website PPCSG.org - to help you decide which platform is right for your needs."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2003/20031105-palmvspocketpc.jpg" /><br /><br />I was really hoping for an interesting read and a solid evaluation of the platforms. Both Pocket PC with the new sleek hardware of the HP iPAQ h1930 coupled with Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC and Palm devices with wireless functionality/storage card capability and the new OS5 are both much improved devices, both in the hardware and software experience.<br /><br />Fortunately, Chee Wee, representing the Pocket PC camp stuck to this. He presented the facts on Pocket PC 2003 and gave his opinion and own experiences when he switched from the Palm platform. Alvin, unfortunately, had the "Palm Book O'Cliches" out.<br /><br />"<b>Alvin:</b> Palm OS devices can last from a few days to a few weeks without re-charging. This is because Palm OS devices mostly utilise processors of lower speed ratings (thereby saving valuable battery life) without sacrificing efficiency and usability. I once left my Sony Clie T615 without a charge for more than six months and the data I kept there was still intact!"<br /><br />Come on Alvin! The T615 is almost 2 years old and can do very little of what you bragged about in the rest of your comments. :roll: Try leaving a T3 uncharged during a few days of use. Still, there are some tidbits of knowledge in there and if you are at all on the fence of which device to purchase, you should check this out.

[Thinkingmandavid]

It just seemed like more of a review to me than it did a debate. IN the sense of a debate it was boring, we already knew that information.
I would like to have read what makes a ppc better than palm,oh excuse me, palmone :roll: and what the advantages are. That would have been great for those on the line trying to make a decisiosn.

[rzanology]

The fact still remains...the only thing palms were ever good for was the fact that they had a really nice look next to our StarTacs. Those days are long gone!!!!

[Thinkingmandavid]

multi tasking, need i say more :!: :?: :idea: :mrgreen:

[Prevost]

This obviously was not a debate. They just numbered facts on what someone can do with them, and the exposition leaves you thinking you can do pretty much the same things. They missed giving PERFORMANCE and USABILITY comparisons.

For what they had supposedly as their goal, they just failed. It's not giving place for new info to PPCT, just some more fuel for ranting!

Or, was this the purpose of the posting indeed :mrgreen: ?

[Deslock]

That's a poorly written comparison. It' almost entirely fluff and both Alvin and Chee Wee present several half-truths and/or mistakes. I'd like to say that I would've expected better from a user group president and editor of an enthusiast website/MVP, but I'm actually not surprised. The reality is that few enthusiasts (PDA-professionals or not) produce thorough, well written, even-handed reviews.

A moderated, timed (or limited by word-count), debate would've been more interesting and would've forced them to address the weaknesses of their chosen platforms (as we all know, both Palm and PPC have shortcomings).

Then again, many good points are brought up in forums (here, at Brighthand, and elsewhere) without any response or with only sound-bite-responses (just as it happens with political debates). So perhaps it's wishful thinking to assume that a debate between those two would be any better.

[HTK]

Lets give credit where it is due
at least palm alarms work
one of the most important features of a PDA is messy on some pocket pcs, im mad at this right now because my cassiopeia EM-500 always worked fine, now my 1910 is sounding the alarms at random times when i turn it on

[cherring]

That was a slam dunk for pocketpc's over palms.

[GregWard]

"Alvin: Palm OS devices can last from a few days to a few weeks without re-charging. This is because Palm OS devices mostly utilise processors of lower speed ratings (thereby saving valuable battery life) without sacrificing efficiency and usability. I once left my Sony Clie T615 without a charge for more than six months and the data I kept there was still intact!"


I'm continually amazed that Palm Enthusiasts don't shift this arguement onto (for them) stronger ground. It seems to me that one strong advantage of the Palm platform is that it can appeal across a very wide range of potential users. After all if you only want basic PDA functions then you don't need big/colour screens and high speed processors. So you CAN have long battery life. If you want extended capabilities (movies, mp3, games - what ever) then you need better screens/processors etc and bang goes your battery life. Palm do (did at any rate!) offer a broad spectrum of choice.

To imply that Palm can a. be the equivalent off PPC in all things b. runs for six months vs PPC six hours is just plain daft and - surely - not going to fool anyone.

[dh]

Lets give credit where it is due
at least palm alarms work
This is rather alarming. :D I don't have any issues with alarms on my PPC2002 Axim. SuperAlert wakes me up every morning and Pocket Informant alarms work fine.

It seems to me that too many people claim alarms are the reason Palms are better, when PPC beats them in everything else. Heck, we even have the best screen resolution now.

If alarms were the thing that mattered most to me, I'd go and buy a clock.

[cheewee]

That's a poorly written comparison. It' almost entirely fluff and both Alvin and Chee Wee present several half-truths and/or mistakes. I'd like to say that I would've expected better from a user group president and editor of an enthusiast website/MVP, but I'm actually not surprised. The reality is that few enthusiasts (PDA-professionals or not) produce thorough, well written, even-handed reviews.

A moderated, timed (or limited by word-count), debate would've been more interesting and would've forced them to address the weaknesses of their chosen platforms (as we all know, both Palm and PPC have shortcomings).


Hi Deslock,
I would like to state a few points.

1) The word limited set by the editor is about 500. That is definitely not enough to bring across all the features of the Pocket PC. In fact, the draft I submitted was much longer than that. Unfortunately, a few points were edited out. :?

2) The article is targetted more at the general consumer and not PDA enthusiasts. Therefore, we were told to write as simple as possible so as not to confuse first time PDA buyers. Remember, not everyone is as tech savvy as you. :D

3) The intent of the article is not exactly a debate. It is just to bring across the advantages of Pocket PC to the consumer so as to help them decide whether the Palm or Pocket PC is a more suitable PDA for them. Of course, if I am given the choice, I would have come up with a very different article focusing on both the pros and cons of the Pocket PC platform. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury to do so. :|

Comments like yours are exactly the reason why I didn't agree to write the article initially. I only agreed when the assistant editor called me on the phone to convince me. It is not my style to sing praises of the Pocket PC (although I love it) and totally ignore its shortcomings.

I'm not trying to find excuses for myself if you think I poorly represented the Pocket PC platform and my article sucked. I'm fine with that. I just wanted to clarify the above as I don't believe I presented half-truths or mistakes like you claimed.


Cheers,
Chee Wee
http://www.ppcsg.com

[crass]

If alarms were the thing that mattered most to me, I'd go and buy a clock.

I am sorry I think this is just a bad excuse. I have owned both platforms and my latest PDA was a 3870. I sold it to get a new one. I was looking for a 2215 or a T3. After some research and because I am ipaq-less currently, I started using my old Palm V again. All the Palm deficiencies came back to me. And all the reasons I had switched to PPC also became evident.
For every single need of mine PPC is far superior. Even battery life (the last Palm line of defense) in the 2215 is better than the T3.
But the fact remains that after 2 PPC's and three operating systems, alarms simply DON'T work. It's the most basic functionality in every PDA and I cannot simply accept it. It's like a super-duper mobile phone with bad reception. Basic functions must be 100% reliable.

As for the debate, it was utterly boring.

[Ed Hansberry]

For what they had supposedly as their goal, they just failed. It's not giving place for new info to PPCT, just some more fuel for ranting!
As Chee Wee has said, this is not for PDA enthusaiasts. This would be for more casual readers of Pocket PC Thoughts for for someone that is interested in finding out about Pocket PCs in general. After all, PPCT is #3 in Google when you just type in Pocket PC.

We try to balance some of our deeper articles/reviews/rants with some ligher stuff for those just getting into the market, and that clearly seems the focus of this article. :D

[JustinGTP]

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

This statement can come true in the technological sense because of the fact that each user and review, Chee Wee and Alvin both love their device, and have both chosen their operating system for a mobile device. I can understand both points, but just because I prefer Pocket PC over Palm, I am not going to really bash Pam over it, because they did invent this first, Microsoft (IMHO) just improved on it. :D

Also, I think that what Alvin writes about his beloved Palm is fluffed up, especially when it came to battery life. Read this:

Palm OS devices can last from a few days to a few weeks without re-charging. This is because Palm OS devices mostly utilise processors of lower speed ratings (thereby saving valuable battery life) without sacrificing efficiency and usability. I once left my Sony Clie T615 without a charge for more than six months and the data I kept there was still intact!

A slower processor is not good, but then again, why would you need one in a Palm when all you can do is one thing at once anyways?

To me, a Palm OS device is beautiful in its simplicity. No fancy embellishments here, only substance and elegance. Everything is intuitive to use and never too complicated for the user.

- Who wants a simple device? If you are going to be spending $380+ on a Palm go with a Pocket PC that can do so much more. I like the way Chee Wee says it:
Out of the box, every Pocket PC offers much more than just a PIM. It is a gaming handheld, MP3 player, video player, and voice recorder. Even if you just need a diary, I am sure there is one that fits your budget and needs.

Anyways,

that is what I thought about it.

And long live the Pocket PC!

-Justin :D

[ddwire]

This alarms thing must be an HP problem. Both my Casio E-200 and Dell Axim X5 alarms work as they should all the time. I will say that they are both much quieter than my Philips Nino 300and 500 palm size pc's One thing I would like changed, is a separate volume setting for the alarms than the other system sounds etc. (I listen to ebooks or mp3 files in bed before going to sleep needing to turn the volume down. Then in the morning if I forget to turn the volume back up I do not hear my first appointment alarm while in the car).
Dan

[eustts]

Going off topic from the alrm issue :roll: :D

Was this a debate or allowing each user read a paragraph from the product brochure?

I really didn't get much from it....

:mrgreen:

[Thinkingmandavid]

I see where cheewee iscoming from and it is a good point.
I think the problem with the ppc is price, and people always look at that when deciding on getting a pda. they want to spend around 200, tungsten e and get all the options it offers. If hp would put the 1935 or even 45 at that price, then game over for palm, oh excuseme, palmone :roll:

[JustinGTP]

...then game over for palm, oh excuseme, palmone :roll:

You and your obession with PalmOne.

LOL, 'tis great :D

-Justin.

[dorelse]

I realize I'm about to get flamed...but I actually moved off the PPC platform b/c alarms were unreliable. It could have been a piece of software on my PPC (1910, 2210, Dell X5)...so I'm willing to concede that point, although, when I removed them, I still had issues.

But at its very core...I depend on my PDA for its primary PIM features. If I can't depend on the alarms going off, the expense & benefit of a PDA is unjustifiable to me...I'm sorry, but for MY needs, it isn't an option.

I actually see benefits in both platforms...I thought the 1910 was PDA nirvana...small, great screen, buttons felt good, etc. I didn't like the 'disconnectedness' of it though. Battery life didn't bother me one bit. The other thing that killed it for me though was Pocket Word. I use my PDA as a reference tool for my tech. docs...the way it chewed up a doc to make it viewable was horrible. (I don't know if this is improved with PPC2003, as I haven't looked.) Using the included DTG v6 is a nice feather in Palms cap....again...for MY needs.

There are plus's on the Palm side too, as well as drawbacks for sure...but my alarms always sound. (Ok...my 256MB Sandisk card is toast...but I'm hoping that will be resolved soon.)

[William Yeung]

Alarm is the key, I think at least 8 out of 10 ppl using a PDA is to keep themselve burnt by the alarm to rush things on time, so if Alarm doesnt work, forget about it.

I own iPAQ h5450, very hateful on the alarm once I did my WM2003 upgrade... too bad I need the improved email client and browser ... otherwise I am not going to touch it, simply just to make sure my alarm fires.

[PlayAgain?]

I love topics like this, always make me laugh!

Someone, somewhere on the internet, has said something nice about a Palm PDA and Ed has to go and shoot them with his big gun!

Excellent!

[Thinkingmandavid]

I agree alarms are important. My alarms work great on my toshiba e355. It came withwm2003 and I havent had any trouble.
I dont think you will get flamed, but in actuality what does palm, oh excuse me, palmone :roll: have that ppc doesnt? given the alarm trouble. what else? :?: anyone :?: :mrgreen:

[dorelse]

I honestly don't think there is a lot of seperation anymore. UI is probably the biggest thing. Its the old Apple/PC comparision. Some like Apple (and despise MS), others Windows only (thank you very much), etc.

The T3 & TC now use xscale 400 mhz chips, 64 MBs Ram, BT (or) WiFi. Sounds a lot like PPC specs....

I think it will get interesting when Palm OS6 comes out...if people will 'get' Palm's UI anymore with multitasking, etc. The next year will be interesting indeed.

[sshattuck]

I don't think that there is a huge difference today between the functionality of the Palm and PPC platforms. Essentially, they can all do the same things. PIM, contacts, MP3, video, games, etc.

However, it is how they do them that illustrates the differences between the platform.

I always hear Palm enthusiast touting the simple, easy, elegant interface of the palm OS. Now, maybe I am an idiot, but when I get on a palm I feel like I have one styli tied behind my back. As opposed to using PPC, where I feel like I just sat down in a nice comfy easy chair.

My PPC recently broke, and I pulled out my old CLIE to get me by, I HATED every minute of it. I ended up getting a used HP 568. Getting around the Palm OS, to me, is not intuitive. The lack of decent file management capabilities was killing me. I read every night on my PPC, and trying to convert books, move them to the palm and the find them, was a pain in the a$$.

Not that I don't want to like the Palm OS, to be honest when the new Treo 600 came out I really wanted to like the OS again. I even tried to like the OS and put up with what I feel is an inferior interface. But I just couldn't.

In the end, I don't feel the either OS has a strong advantage in functionality, rather I think it comes down to which interface works best for each person.

Just some thoughts.

[ppcsurfr]

I'd say Lee Chee Wee has a very valid point.

Given the limitations set, it's good he was able to squeeze in a fairly good amount of info.

As for the person who commented on half truths made by Chee Wee, I just don't see it...

Chee Wee's points are all valid. I fact Chee Wee has it a bit toned down... :-)

Have you asked a Palm afficionado if he has truly experienced multi-tasking on a handheld? There are still some who haven't.

Here is how to experience true multi-tasking on a PPC. With a wireless connection (with Internet access), you can be logged on to MSN Messenger while your email is downloading in tha background, and while AvantGo is updating in the background. You can then have a web page open with Pocket IE and jump from one app to the other. You need to insert some text (copy and paste) while you're in Yahoo! Mail? It's as easy as opening your Word Document and cop the text and paste it back into the open web page (Yahoo! Mail compose page)... Now that is multi-tasking. And yes the Pocket PC still gets the job done.

The truth of the matter is that Palm is now following the ways of the Pocket PC. They're starting to offer faster processors, better screens, more memory, multi-media, etc., etc., etc., and in time will also be offering multi-tasking abilities. It is obvious that up to this date, the Pocket PC still leads in certain aspects, but Microsoft and the hardwae manufacturers will soon have to redesign the Pocket PC and add even more functionality to it as standard to maintain the design advantage they have over other devices.

But then again, bottom line is... it really depends on the user's preference.

I still feel that for my needs, the Pocket PC is the more capable one and the one I choose.

Mabuhay! ~ Carlo

[theon]

Having read the article in the papers yesterday morning, I have to say that given the context of it, the article was pretty good.

The Computer Times is more of an introduction to the masses to all things tech, so it has got to be simplified. I reckon that both parties managed to get across their points given the constraints they were handed.

[plankan]

The PDA is dead! Long live the PDA!

I dont care if I use a Palm or a PocketPC or some other PDA. I dont care if HP or some other makes it. I just want a PDA that works fine for my usage. I also think that today there is a lot of cons with PDA computers, both PPC and Palm, but in computer world there is always a "work around".

As long as I can find any usage for a PDA I use it, if not, I will look for an other solution.

Today a ppc, tomorrow something else.
Today Microsoft, tomorrow something else.

I think evolution will work for all customers and I think that companies that acts like the old Sovjet uninon to day will die tomorrow.

[Bill Gunn]

Out of the box, every Pocket PC offers much more than just a PIM. It is a gaming handheld, MP3 player, video player, and voice recorder. Even if you just need a diary, I am sure there is one that fits your budget and needs.

-Justin :D

The problem is that it doesn't do any of them really well and MS has not put much effort into fixing the things that don't work well.

[David Prahl]

I won't try to lie for my cause: The Palm is simple. The Pocket PC is more complex and difficult to learn.

My mom (who is doesn't like learning new "computer things") picked up a Palm and was using it, Graffiti and all, within two weeks. I don't think she could've done that with a Pocket PC. While it's true that the Pocket PC is the "king of the hill" in almost every area, it lacks the simplicity and usuabililty of the Palm OS.

Yes, the PPC is similar to Windows. But don't you need an advanced understanding of how Windows works before you can really use a PPC? The Palm OS is simple and it makes sense!

Pocket PCs are for nerds (like me), Palms are PIMs on steroids. If you need a PIM, get a Palm.

[Janak Parekh]

My mom (who is doesn't like learning new "computer things") picked up a Palm and was using it, Graffiti and all, within two weeks. I don't think she could've done that with a Pocket PC.
Really? My mom uses an iPAQ 1910, picked it up very quickly, and loves it. About the only thing I had to spend any time explaining was how the SIP can best be exploited.

--janak

[JustinGTP]

Out of the box, every Pocket PC offers much more than just a PIM. It is a gaming handheld, MP3 player, video player, and voice recorder. Even if you just need a diary, I am sure there is one that fits your budget and needs.

-Justin :D

The problem is that it doesn't do any of them really well and MS has not put much effort into fixing the things that don't work well.

Thats the point of 3rd party software, MS has other things to do aswell. I love my Pocket PC and of course its much better than palm, even out of the box... :roll:

-Justin.

[maximus]

My mom (who is doesn't like learning new "computer things") picked up a Palm and was using it, Graffiti and all, within two weeks. I don't think she could've done that with a Pocket PC.

My girlfriend mastered the ipaq 2210 in less than a week. I think the learning curve depends on how often the person is using it. My gf is using the 2210 almost everytime, for mp3-ing, ICQ-ing, sms-ing, making voice calls, etc. She even installed several drafting and modelling applications on the 2210. Two weeks after I got her the 2210, she sold the sony ericsson P800 that she used to adore very much. I personally consider that an excellent move. :mrgreen:

[crass]

I love Palm devices because I owe them the beautiful world of PDAs. It's just that after a while you want sth more than an (overpriced) PIM on steroids. I would happily pay $200 for a T3 but not $400 when I can get a far superior feature-packed device like the 2215.
Personally I find the point of simplicity of Palm OS as invalid. I really can't see how it's simpler and easier for a non-geek. For both platforms you simply press the respective buttons (calendar, tasks, contacts) and the corresponding app shows app. You tap at a time slot and enter an appointement. What's so complicated about PPC? I think is simply a misconception. And Palm IMHO is not better as a PIM device (except for the alarm reliability). Since I 've been using my old Palm V lately, I get messages when syncing with Outlook like "unsupported repeating pattern" for some repeating appointements or "don't support dates after 2031". Never got any such messages with my ipaqs. ActiveStink was terrible in many respects but Outlook intergration was amazing.

And again given the fact that devices in both platforms cost more or less the same, I would not settle for a crippled multimedia device. If I have to bother buying extra commercial applications to convert multimedia files to the proprietary pdb format just to be able to see them on my PDA, I think its just plain silly. Native file support is THE significant advantage of the PPC platform. I can simply drag and drop anything I want on my PPC and watch it later.

Another point was is often omitted to mention is multilanguage support. I can understand that the great majority of PDA enthusiasts are from countries with Latin character sets. But for the rest of us, surprisingly, only Microsoft has given out of the box unicode support. I can read any non English web page without third party applications for Greek language support. Try that with a Palm where users have to rely on a Russian software developer to release an updated version of their language kit evey time Palm does an OS upgrade or changes screen resolution.
I can drag and drop any WINDOWS font to my PPC (no extra conversion required) and have full unicode support.

Personally, I find dozens of reasons (stronger or subtle) that make the PPC platform superior.

[harry]

Hmmmmm I don't see the ease of use debate between the two. Like crass said they're both easy to use.

[ghoonk]

Guys, btw, I have written for the ComputerTimes before and it appears that this was not a true head-to-head debate. From the style, it appears that the editor had simply emailed both parties with the questions and they were left to fill in the blanks.

I'm a Singaporean and can safely say that CT isn't exactly an authority on things like this. My experience with them has led me to believe that they aren't overly concerned about editorial quality or integrity.

[Deslock]

Hi Deslock,
I would like to state a few points.

1) The word limited set by the editor is about 500. That is definitely not enough to bring across all the features of the Pocket PC. In fact, the draft I submitted was much longer than that. Unfortunately, a few points were edited out. :?

2) The article is targetted more at the general consumer and not PDA enthusiasts. Therefore, we were told to write as simple as possible so as not to confuse first time PDA buyers. Remember, not everyone is as tech savvy as you. :D

3) The intent of the article is not exactly a debate. It is just to bring across the advantages of Pocket PC to the consumer so as to help them decide whether the Palm or Pocket PC is a more suitable PDA for them. Of course, if I am given the choice, I would have come up with a very different article focusing on both the pros and cons of the Pocket PC platform. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury to do so. :|

Comments like yours are exactly the reason why I didn't agree to write the article initially. I only agreed when the assistant editor called me on the phone to convince me. It is not my style to sing praises of the Pocket PC (although I love it) and totally ignore its shortcomings.

I'm not trying to find excuses for myself if you think I poorly represented the Pocket PC platform and my article sucked. I'm fine with that. I just wanted to clarify the above as I don't believe I presented half-truths or mistakes like you claimed.


Cheers,
Chee Wee
http://www.ppcsg.com
Hi Chee Wee:

I appreciate that you took the time to respond to my post. It's unfortunate that they editted down what you wrote. Also, I should mention that I think your points are generally better than Alvin's. However, some of the things that you wrote are misleading in the context of PPC vs Palm. I'm not saying it's your fault... I don't know what was editted or even if Computing Times made it clear to you that what you wrote was to be used in a PPC vs Palm article. Regardless of all that, here are a couple examples of what I think is bogus in the article on the PPC-side:

Pocket PC packs in familiar applications such as Pocket Internet Explorer, Pocket Inbox, Pocket Word and Pocket Excel. You don't have to install additional applications to surf the Internet, read e-mail, edit Word documents or update Excel spreadsheet. All these can be accomplished right out of the box.

That implies that you can't do email, edit Word or Excel files out of the box, etc... on a Palm. You can (even the $199-USD Tungsten-E specifically pictured in the article comes bundled with Docs-to-go). It's also glossing things over to not mention the reformatting that ActiveSync does. Again, if Computing Times simply asked you to write what PPC does (as opposed to what it does that Palm doesn't) then it's certainly not your fault. But the way it's presented on the page is misleading.

There are misconceptions that Pocket PCs are overpriced and expensive. Over the years, the prices of Pocket PC have come down.

{snip}

Out of the box, every Pocket PC offers much more than just a PIM. It is a gaming handheld, MP3 player, video player, and voice recorder. Even if you just need a diary, I am sure there is one that fits your budget and needs.

It's true that PPC prices have fallen, though in this context, it should be mentioned that Palm does offer cheaper models than PPC. Sure, no power user is going to buy a Zire, but the fact remains that if you just need a diary, you can get a cheaper Palm. But that doesn't really matter much since the price differences between the platforms has dropped to basically nothing (though both platforms have a price advantage for handhelds with certain combinations of features). It's the "offers much more than just a PIM" line that I think is misleading. I realize that you wrote "every" PPC and it's true that not "every" Palm does all that. But plenty of Palms in the PPC-price range also offers gaming, MP3 playback, video playback, spreadsheets, word processing, email etc...

Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, but IMHO, the Computer Times article really didn't cover them too well, even on a basic level intended for "normal users". Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to address my post.

[HTK]

This is rather alarming. I don't have any issues with alarms on my PPC2002 Axim. SuperAlert wakes me up every morning and Pocket Informant alarms work fine.


Keep using 3rd part software, this way you wont miss any appointments

[Prevost]

My girlfriend mastered the ipaq 2210 in less than a week. I think the learning curve depends on how often the person is using it. My gf is using the 2210 almost everytime, for mp3-ing, ICQ-ing, sms-ing, making voice calls, etc. She even installed several drafting and modelling applications on the 2210. Two weeks after I got her the 2210, she sold the sony ericsson P800 that she used to adore very much. I personally consider that an excellent move. :mrgreen:
Can you let me know which drafting and modelling apps are those? I'm interested in finding out if they allow precision drawing.

[blusparkles]

That implies that you can't do email, edit Word or Excel files out of the box, etc... on a Palm. You can (even the $199-USD Tungsten-E specifically pictured in the article comes bundled with Docs-to-go). It's also glossing things over to not mention the reformatting that ActiveSync does. Again, if Computing Times simply asked you to write what PPC does (as opposed to what it does that Palm doesn't) then it's certainly not your fault. But the way it's presented on the page is misleading.

Any implications or misleading statements re the PPC v Palm issue was out of Chee Wee's control - he was required to write about Pocket PC and Pocket PC only. The failure to mention that Docs To Go now comes as standard on most of the newer Palm devices was an omission of the other writer - Chee Wee didn't even see the other guy's bit until he'd sent in his part of the "debate" for publication.

As to the glossing over things like reformatting Word documents in ActiveSync, again you need to keep in mind that the Computer Times is not a very technical paper and mentioning anything to do with a loss of formatting when synchronising documents on a round trip conversion would sail right over the heads of most readers and look entirely out of place in context with the rest of the "keep it simple, stupid" tone of the article.