Help buying a new Pocket PC

[Jeanette Hedrick]

I'm trying to decide on a great Pocket PC for our son-in-law for Christmas. He wants it to be Windows compatible, doesn't need a camera,etc. Ability to use Microsoft Word, keep addresses, phone contacts, messages, appointments.

What are things I SHOULD NOT get? Can I get some opinions on what are the best, ie, Sony, HP, etc.

Thanks everyone,
J.

[dh]

All the Pocket PCs will do the basic things you mention. They also cover quite a wide price range from about $165.00 (Toshiba e355) to over $800.00 (XDA II phone version).

Which would be best depends on a lot of things - including your budget of course. I've just bought my daughter the e355 for a Christmas prezzie. She does not need too many extras, just the basic PPC for her school homework schedules (I'm sure she'll still leave till the last day), music, games and movies.

If your son would also be happy with a basic one at this point, the e355, the HP 1930 and the Dell X3 are all good values. I have a Dell X5 which shows it's age a bit compared to the others, but has the advantage of better expansion options.

Check out Brighthand they have a gift giving guide for beginners that you might find helpful. http://www.brighthand.com/article/Holiday_Gift-Buying_Guide_-_2003

Oh, you mentioned Sony. They make Palm devices, which compete with Pocket PC. I don't know much about them, I've not used a Palm for a while, but some of their designs are nice.

[Jeanette Hedrick]

Thank you for your help, David. I'm confused tho. What is the difference between a Palm and a Pocket PC?

Regards,
J.

[jgahr]

They are different operating systems, just like Windows and Mac are different. Pocket PC is the Windows version of operating system, and Word, Excel, etc are all part of the system. Palm(POS) has its own proprietary operating system, and with 3rd party add ons can approximate Word usage. Really depends, as dh indicated, what he will be using the handheld for. I have used both extensively, and now use PPC exclusively, just because it suits my wants and needs, and I can tie it into my desktop/laptop/network/MPx200 smartphone, etc.
Hope that helps
:mrgreen:

[sdcromer]

Jeannette,

Having used both operating systems extensively, I can say that neither one is head and shoulders above the other. Both PPC and POS have their good points and their bad points.

To make a long story short, the Palm OS machines are slightly easier when you start but you reach the limit of the machine pretty quickly. Palm is a little easier from the point of view of the person interacting with the device.

Pocket PC is much, much, easier when it comes to the handheld device interacting with the desktop computer. File transfer between the desktop and handheld is a snap - it's Windows, you just drag and drop. You will also find that most PPC devices have more bells and whistles than the average Palm device, but that gap is narrowing as time goes on.

If your son-in-law is a gadget lover, go with the Pocket PC. If you son-in-law is the type who never learns to program the VCR and make the time stop blinking, go with Palm OS. :D :D :D

Stephen

[Dave Potter]

Well said sdcromer. A good and accurate summary of the two operating systems in my opinion. I too have used both, and as a gadget lover I prefer the Pocket PC operating system. For folks who are not as technically inclined, Palm may be the better choice. Although, my wife, who is not particularly techical, was able to pick up the gist of the Pocket PC operating system within about 10 minutes.

[Jeanette Hedrick]

Thank you all very much. I was able to take bits and pieces from all three replies and figure the Pocket PC is the way to go. Our son-in-law is an engineer and obviously would be able to operate the PC. And , most importantly, he needs the ability to connect to Windows, Word, etc.. So, Pocket PC it is.
NOW, does any one have recommendations. Or ones to stay away from?
I'm leaning towards HP products.

Thank you all so much again!
J.

[Janak Parekh]

I personally don't think you can go wrong with HP's iPAQs; they're all quite good. The only tricky part is deciding which one, seeing as how they have something like 7 active models :lol: A major consideration will be CF memory and WiFi support.

The Dells are also considered to be solid units, and you can occasionally find bargains for them.

I'm mixed on the Toshibas. They're generally good hardware, sometimes cutting-edge, but their tech support leaves a little to be desired.

--janak

[Dave Potter]

Since this is a Christmas present and I assume that you don't want to mortgage your house, I would recommend either the HP iPAQ 1930/35 or the HP iPAQ 1945.

The 1930/35 does not come with Bluetooth or WiFi (wireless networking) - but both can be added via an SDIO expansion card at a later date. (the 1930 and 1935 are exactly the same - different model numbers for different countries) Price for this unit is around $200 USD

The 1945 does come with Bluetooth but not WiFi - again, it can be added via an SDIO expansion card at a later date. The 1945 also has a faster processor and a bit more memory. This unit is around $300 USD

In either case - shop around for the best price. Your best bet for price is online if you are comfortable purchasing the unit from an online vendor. Will your son-in-law want to return or exchange the unit? If so, perhaps a conventional retailer would be better.

Where online? That's up for debate and is somewhat dependant on where you are located. Many US base online stores will not ship outside of the US - others will. Something else to consider is delivery time as well - we are getting sort of close to Christmas.

[Jeanette Hedrick]

Thank you all so much again. I think I'm going to go with the HP 1935. I'll investigate a bit more this week. I'll buy locally as, you're right, it's getting close to Christmas. AND should he want to exchange it, he can easily enough.
Thank you all.
Happy holidays to everyone and a safe and happy New Year!

Gratefully
J.

[sdcromer]

Jeanette,

You can get a h1935 from Amazon.com for $187 (after $50 mail in rebate from HP). I've got one on order now to replace my h1910.

:D :) 8)