How Long Have You Been A Pocket PC User?

[Ed Hansberry]

I am curious to hear how long some of you have been users of the Pocket PC or even its predecessor, the Palm-Sized PC. I got my first device, a Philips Nino 320 (8MB of RAM and included a modem) in 1998 and have never looked back.

[Don Tolson]

The first real 'PDA'-type device I got was a Sharp Zaurus, but I can't really remember when that was. I think it was around 1997/98, since I was working on Y2K stuff in Vancouver, but it's a little hazy. I seem to remember having some sort of Sharp Organizer thingy before the Zaurus, then a no-name electronic telephone book before that. My guess is that I starting getting into PDA-type functionality around 1996/7.

My first 'Pocket PC' was the HP Jornada 568.

[sting0r]

My first pda was a casio boss, forget the model number, but it was way back in 1990. So it's been about 14 years for me!

[David Prahl]

Wow! Some real veterans here. I got a Palm m105 2.5 years ago, and a PPC about a year later.

[Chris Spera]

I had a Casio E-10 as my first PsPC. I bought it in March of 1997. Sometimes I think my "PPC age" is "OLDER THAN DIRT."

I even went an purchased the E-11 when it came out because (if I remember right) it had 2 MB more RAM than the E-10. Other than that (I think) they were identical.

Since then, I've owned an HP 360LX, Jornada 680, Casio E115, iPAQ 3150, 3635, 3765, 3850, 3955, 5455, Jornada 567, Casio E200, Palm Tungsten T3, and Samsung i700.

Hmmm....

Hi, my name is Christopher; and I am a PPC-aholic.

(All together now...) Hi, Christopher!


Kind Regards,


Christopher Spera

[Talldog]

Only 3 years for me, but I was a PalmOS user for 3 years before that.

[psionite]

my first pocket pc (still usable) is a psion 5mx about 5 years ago. My 2210 is my second pocket pc.

[johncruise]

I started with Casio E-11 ;-) I really like that brick.

[garrans]

I still have my Casio BOSS 32K unit. I then prepurchased an original US Robotics device, then when CPQ came out with the iPAQ I went with that. Altough, i could have sworn it was longer than 3 years ago with the PPC - or is my memory fading.

[ucfgrad93]

My first PPC was the Casio EM-500 and I am currently using a HP 1910.

My PDA linage is

Palm Vx > Palm IIIc > Casio EM-500 > Palm m515 > Sony T665 > HP 1910.

[brianchris]

I started fairly far back (read early early 90's) with a Sony PIC-1000 (running the Magic Cap OS). The cool (or geek) factor was definetely there, especially becuase of the GUI of Magic Cap, BUT, alas, the device proved too big to be a truly mobile device, so it was jettisoned for a Psion series 5, which was sleek, slim, and powerful. However, overtime I found it was still too clucnky to fit into my not-too-busy lifestyle (was in college back then), so I ditched PDA's altogether, knowing full well they'd get better / smaller / faster, and I'd get busier once I was out in the "real world."

Indeed, I got busier, and my need for a PDA was apparent right before Microsoft launched the very first Pocket PC's.....the problem was, I hadn't heard the Pocket PC's were imminent, and therefore purchased a Palm V. Wasn't bad....until I DID hear about the PPC's imment launch. After some quick research, I realized how much more powerful the PPC's were going to be, so I returned my Palm V (still in my return time window), and bought a Compaq Aero 1500 PPC when it launched. The Aero PPC was everything I hoped it would be and more.....so much so that I realized a greyscale screen wouldn't cut it for such a powerful "mini-computer." SO, I returned it as well (again, still within my return window) and started scheming on how to get one of the first availible iPaq 3600 series PPC's.

Thanks to a tip from a post at PPC thought (regarding all Ciruit City store getting shipped two iPaq 3600 units, no mater the store's location), I rushed down and found that Circuit City store in my quite small town, not only had two in stock, but didn't even know they had them, or what they were. I bought one (although, in retrospec, should have bought both and made a fortune on ebay, as the 3600's were very hard to come by back then), and I have never looked back, going to the 3835, and now the 5455.

So, for the purposes of this poll, I got into PPC's about the time they launched, but my exposure to PDA's in general go way back.

-Brian

[Fuzzy John]

I started with the long long long ago Casio BOSS... 7500 if I remember right. Hmmm... that must have been in the very early 90s. I played with a Casio Zoomer for a while and then with an early Psion and for a brief time with the first Palm.

I switched to what became the real PocketPC when Philips released their Nino, went thru 3 generations of Casio E-xx series, then for a brief time an HP 568 and I have now been for over a year going steady with the Dell Axim X5 (upgraded to WM2003).

[rlobrecht]

My first was a Casio E-10, then an E-11. Next was a iPaq 3630. I'm currently using a Toshiba E740.

My first PDA was an HP 95LX. I loved that little machine (and of course Lotus 123 was still king back then.)

[WyattEarp]

My first PDA was the Sharp Wizard OZ-7000 in 1990 followed by the rest of the Wizard line up. Then graduated to an HP 95LX, 100LX, 200LX, a Palm V, Vx, m505, an iPAQ 3870, 3975 and currently the 5555.

That's about 14 years now. Time sure flies.

[bblock]

Even though it's not a Microsoft PDA, I'm proud to say I've owned and used a real PDA (as opposed to a digital address book) since 1993, when the Education rep from WestWorld Computers in Edmonton, AB (where I worked as a service tech) brought a prototype Apple 'NotePad' into the store. I had been reading about Apple's plans for this device for a year and a half in MacWeek prior to this, so needless to say my jaw dropped, and he wasn't leaving the store without letting me get my hands on it. He knew I'd love it, too, and when he gave it to me and I held it in my hand for the first time, I literally shuddered with excitement. Now for the acid test - the first thing I did was write my first name, and the recognizer recognized it perfectly the first time! (This was 1993, folks.)

I bought the Newton MessagePad 100 as soon as it was available (the NotePad was only a prototype - it even had 'Apple NotePad' printed on the back, which was a product that never existed) and have had a true PDA ever since. I still have my MesagePad 2000 (wish I still had the MP100), which still works when I put good ol' AA batteries in it.

Does this qualify me to be a PDA pioneer? I now use my 2+ year-old iPAQ 3850, and will upgrade just as soon as there's a PPCPE with CDMA 1xRTT, BlueTooth, 128MB internal RAM, and preferrably a 640x480 screen. Let's go, convergance!

-Bryan

[abl00m]

I got started with a HP 95LX in the early 90's ('92 or so?)... Geek factor was definitely high as I was a junior in high school.

HP95LX->HP200LX->Jornada 720->548->565->3955->5455

[bjornkeizers]

I am curious to hear how long some of you have been users of the Pocket PC or even its predecessor, the Palm-Sized PC. I got my first device, a Philips Nino 320 (8MB of RAM and included a modem) in 1998 and have never looked back.

Really?! I have one of those as well! Those really were some great machines, weren't they? As large and heavy as a brick, but it was truly a small PC.

[pocketpcfox]

Middle of the high road: Jornada 548 in 2001 and now an Ipaq 2210. Two super, but affordable devices.

[jgrnt1]

My first was a Sharp Wizard (1996?), then a Rolodex REX, Palm IIIxe, iPAQ 3650, Toshiba e550g, iPAQ 2215.

I got the 3650 when they first came out. My boss and I had been discussing them. He is technologically challenged and wanted me to show him how to use it, if he bought one. I had just returned from a business trip and stopped in Best Buy on the way back from the airport. They had two under the counter (not on display yet). I called my boss and told him that I would need one, too, if I was going to be proficient enough to teach him. He agreed. I bought both and expensed mine.

I've probably spent more on peripherals/accessories than on PPC's.

3650 -- 64MB CF, 2x128MB CF, 1GB Microdrive (now deceased), CF sleeve, Silver Slider, Whitney-Krussell CF case, Archos 20GB MiniHD, CF to PC Card adapter, extra power supply, cigarette lighter adapter, a couple planner sized binders with PPC holders.

e550g -- 256MB CF, usb host adapter cable (for Archos HD), Vaja case, Brando screen protector, Targus travel power supply with tips for PPC and notebook, Cross MicroPen stylus.

2215 -- Brando screen protector, CASESonline eDesk binder, PDA Panache stylus (have stopped using because of the reported issues).

As soon as the Twin Paradox CF usb host adapter comes out, I'll buy it (assuming it makes it to market). I have 16GB of mp3's on the Archos drive, which I can't use when I travel now. I may also pick up a MuVo2, for the 4GB Microdrive.

[buckyg]

I started back at least 5 years ago on a Casio E-105, then to an E-125, then to an iPAQ 5455, now an iPAQ 5555.

Started out as a cool geek toy but has evolved into a practical tool for both business and personal use. I've been enjoying it more and more as time goes by.

[VanHlebar]

I started out with an HP527. I quickly decided this wasn't going to work once I started looking at the various sites and saw some other impressive units. So I went and upgraded to the only unit I could afford a HP547. :( I used this right up until the time that HP came out with the 56x series. I then purchased the 567 or 568 can't remember and Ialso bought one for my wife. I used this until the Dell Axim X5 came out and I purchased the X5. This one I kept for about a year or so and then I purchased the X3i this summer. My wife is now using the X5 and I have her old HP sitting in a box somewhere.. any takers :)

I really like my X3i and I don't think I will be getting a new ppc for quite some time. It does all I could ask for it to do and the only thing I really would want now is for a good phone-ppc combo. I wouldn't buy one until the prices are reasonable and the phones would have to have the same memory size as my X3i at least (64Mb/64Mb)

-Eric

[Andy Roberts]

I also started my love affair with a Nino, the 200 range. Mono with CE 2 but pure beauty with its sexy hardware buttons to its slick style. I wonder what a nino would look like if it was still around today.

Nowadays I currenty switch between my Ipaq 2210 and my Netbook Pro...nice device. Ahh the advantages of being able to see so many wonderful devices in my job.

[quidproquo]

I started out in 1992 with a Casio BOSS organizer..... if the batteries ever went dead there was no such thing as back up so you were HOSED! :devilboy:

A couple of BOSS type organizers...all the way up to 256K (whoo hoo!)

I got my first USRobitics Palm Pilot in early '97..... went through several Palms and got an iPAQ in 2000 when they first came out.

Now I have a T-Mobile PPC Phone Edition. I love having the converged devices. My wife will download some lame sounding ring tone/file for her Sprint phone which plays some popular song....(sounds like the old MIDI format) and I show her up by putting my favorite MP3 as my ringtone. :way to go:

Anyway....I will always have an organizer of some type.... and likely to always be PPC vs. going back to Palm. (or PalmOne or whatever they are now)

[dmacburry2003]

I started my PPC obsession about 2-3 years ago, however, I have owned the following handheld devices in that time period:

HP 300LX
HP 320LX
Nino 310 (B&W)
Nino 510 (Color) Whatever Model #'s...
Jornada 430 SE
Palm M130
Palm VIIx
Palm III
2 Handspring Visor Deluxe's
Sony Clie SJ10
NEC Mobilepro 780
iPaq 1935

And a nifty little orange calculator... :wink:

[dean_shan]

I have been a PPC user for almost 2 years. I started my PPC life with the Toshiba e740.

[DrtyBlvd]

c1989 - 1995: Psion X, XPii, 3, 3A, 5, 5MX
c1995 - 2003: Casio E10, E11, E105, E115, E125
2003 - 2003: HP 658
Sony NX70 (<--Lasted 3 weeks) :oops:
2003 - to date iPaq 5555

[agyger]

I started in January 1998 with a Psion Series 5. I used it for 4.5 years. What a great device 8) . Now I'm using a Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket Loox 600 (since September 2002).

[wocket]

I started with the Psion 3 then moved up to the 3A. I've still got them.

3com palm (got nicked in a pub which in hindsight was the best thing to ever happen)

My next step was the HP Jornada 420.

Casio's E115 with a great screen.

iPAQ 3850 lousy screen

HP iPAQ2210 great screen again

[ctmagnus]

I had a Sharp organizer in 1997. But since PPCs came out and I got my iPaq 3670 in 2001, I haven't looked back. No more single-function devices for me!

[sub_tex]

I thought this poll was what was your first Microsoft OS powered PDA, not PDA in general.

No?

I voted "still not a PPC user" since I don't own a PPC yet.

As for other PDAs my first was a Palm IIIe in 2000 December of 2000.

[Swordsman74]

hah - all the ex Psioneers speak at once...

Just out of college in '96, I stopped at Staples and saw the Psion 3a on display for $300... After a couple years of "backing up" my data from my Sharp organizer ON PAPER, I was salivating at the PC link. After reading the blurb about downloading or creating custom programs, I couldn't get to the counter fast enough!
I traded up to the Series 5 when it came out and, although alot bigger than the 3a, the touchscreen and memory card functionality raised me to a position of uuber-geek among friends, family, and coworkers.
I continued using the 5 until the Psion Revo came out. I had enough of carrying around the brick and never had used the memory card, so the Revo made sense.
I used these Psions through the explosion of Palms and even weathered the early 'handheld pc' days of WinCE. The Palms were easy to ignore - I couldn't give up my keyboard. The WinCe devices had the hardware I wanted (color, modem, etc) but the OS couldn't hold a candle to EPOC 5 and the price was too steep to make it worthwhile.

Then Dell came along.

The Axim had the features and price that made me overlook the keyboard-less-ness and less powerful OS. The breadth of PPC programs and add-ons and such compared to the "niche" of Epoc software was just too vast...

So, here I am, living in a portrait-oriented world. I use a stylus. I complain about how long some programs take to start. I miss having a screen that allowed me to read a decent sentence per line instead of a half-dozen words. But, I am here to stay. I don't think I could go back to a "niche" device and give up the multitude of options and support that I have with PPC. I am hopeful that with MS rumored to be building in landscape support to PPC2004/5 we will see new devices with keyboards built in.

Thus endeth my 2¢...

[yawanag]

My first PDA was an HP Jornada 548. Thought that was cool until I got my T-Mobile. Never used a Palm and get offended when I pull my PDA out and someone says, "Oh, you've got a Palm!"

Totally addicted to my PDA and this site.

[Ed Hansberry]

I thought this poll was what was your first Microsoft OS powered PDA, not PDA in general.

No?
Yeah. Glad someone got it. :wink:

I have more chance of winning the lottery than PPC Thoughts has of having a thread that isn't subjected to thread drift, or outright hijacking. :lol:

[JvanEkris]

Started with a good old Philips Nino. A heavy brick that served me for nearly 2 1/2 years.

Jaap

[draiken]

The signature says it all...

but still, before the nino, I also had a Casio BOSS (64KB) back in the early 90's

[acronym]

ah - it was a toss up between the casio z-7000 and the omp. bought the casio, but a year later got a newton 110

13 newtons/HPCs/ppcs later theres a HP4150 somewhere in a UPS truck with my name on it.

[ChristopherTD]

My first Pocket PC was a iPaq 5450, purchased exactly 1 year ago, to the day!

I now have a 5550 but only because HP messed up my CarePaq repair so badly that they felt compelled to replace the 5450 with a 5550...

[seatec]

Started with a Casio E-10 > Jornada 430 > 548 > 568 > to a Hp 2215
Miss the covers on the Jornadas and they all still work!!!
My son still plays with the E-10. But where to go from here, hard to find anything newer with CF Slot.

[arnage2]

my first real pda was in june 2001. (handspring visor) My first ppc was exactly one year later. (ipaq 3835) Thats when a budget ppc was $400, and a budget palm was $150.

From june 2002-now i have had an ipaq 3835, 3955, e335, 2215,4155, e755, and i think some more. :roll:

[Anthony Caruana]

Gee...I got a HP320LZ almost as soon as they were avaialble in Australia. Shipped with Windows CE 1.0. I updated its ROM (a hardwre upgrade - none of this new-fangled Flash ROM back then) to Win CE 2.0 and then traded the device to a colleague for a Cassiopeia E10.

Ebayed that and bought a Compaq Aero 2130. Another eBay and then I had my first iPAQ; a 3850. Accessorized like crazy (sleeves, cards, cases,,etc). Sold all of that and bought Spike - my 2210.

I'm thnking that Spike's days are numbered as I consider an o2 XDA 2. Played with one the other day and it's awesome. If it had WiFi it would be perfect. Either that r I'll keep Spike and get a Smartphone.

[moaske]

Also see my signature for the whole history... :D
My very first WinCE device was the sharp Mobilon (HPC 2) somewhere around '96 or '97 i think, or was it the casio E11 (PsPC) i owned first ? ;)
My first 'real' PocketPC was the casio E105; a huge brick but i'm still proud i've owned the #1 grand-daddy of ALL PPC's ! :mrgreen:

[possmann]

Man I used a Sharp pocket orginizer I bought back in 1991, then after it finally dies I bought the Palm Pilot Professional in 96 and have been pen-based ever since...

[mmarlor]

I am curious to hear how long some of you have been users of the Pocket PC or even its predecessor, the Palm-Sized PC. I got my first device, a Philips Nino 320 (8MB of RAM and included a modem) in 1998 and have never looked back.

Ah, the Nino. Never did get a chance to get the modem over here. It remains the only PDA I could confidently bounce off concrete :lol:

[blot]

I bought a Compaq Aero 2130 back in '98 or '99. The battery no longer held a charge after a few years. I didn't buy a new PDA until last year, when I got my Toshiba e755.

[bbarker]

My first was the Casio A-11, the original clamshell model. I bought it in Las Vegas after seeing it at Comdex right after they came out. A few months later I got the Casio E-10 as soon as it came out. So I was among the very first. I found it to be superior to the Palm Pockets of the day, which I never owned....

[snip -- cut out all the history stuff :wink: ]

...The sleek and fast iPaq 4100 is very tempting right now. It lacks a screen cover, so I'd have to get a case and make it bulkier (yuck), but it still would be relatively small. Now I'm hearing about faster processors and more screen resolution so I may wait. The problem is that the Jornada's text digitizer is on the fritz and is making text entry awkward.

What to do...

[Jason Dunn]

I thought this poll was what was your first Microsoft OS powered PDA, not PDA in general.

Yup. I think people got a little confused, because they get excited about telling their PDA history. :lol:

[striker2001]

Started around 1998-1999 (a bit fuzzy)

Everex Freestyle (4 meg version, can't remember the model number)
Casio E-10
Phillips Nino 320, kept a couple weeks after seeing the Aero
Compaq Aero 2100 series, upgraded to Pocket PC
HP Jornada 548, until I received the "Pumpkin Screen of Death" around Halloween
HP Jornada 567 from Dec '01 'till the present

Still using the Jornada as my main PPC device for over two years, still waiting for a PPC that has a built-in flip cover.

[NeilE]

Well, looks like I'm about 5 pages late to the party, but here goes anyway.

My first MS-powered device was an NEC prototype device that eventually became an HPC 1.0. Believe it or not it still runs when I stick a pair of AA batteries in it. I remember fondly the days of jiggling it into just the right place on the debug board so I could put the latest daily build on it and see the web browser in all its glorious 1.0, black and white, beauty.

Neil

[Jeff Rutledge]

I thought this poll was what was your first Microsoft OS powered PDA, not PDA in general.

Yup. I think people got a little confused, because they get excited about telling their PDA history. :lol:

Whew. I voted 3 years (when I got my 3650), but then saw everyone sighting their Palms too. I felt totally ripped off for a minute! :lol:

[hellogts]

Casio A-10 (2MB or 4MB? cant remember)
Casio E-125
Mio Digiwalker 338
*Asus A620BT

*Currently using, very, very nice machine

[Rob Alexander]

I started with the Velo 1, which I bought after reading Jason's review of it on a newsgroup. (The microsoft.public.windowsce group I suppose... I don't remember now.) I was very pleased except for how big it was to carry around and how difficult it was to use while I was standing up. So when the Palm-sized PCs came out, I bought a Casio E-11. That was definitely the right form factor for me, but I really craved color, so bought a Jornada 430. In some ways, that is still my favorite, but time moves on so eventually I moved to the iPaq 3650 and now to the iPaq 2215.

[ppcsurfr]

I am curious to hear how long some of you have been users of the Pocket PC or even its predecessor, the Palm-Sized PC. I got my first device, a Philips Nino 320 (8MB of RAM and included a modem) in 1998 and have never looked back.

Woohoo!!!

I had a Philips Nino 391... a 320 with 8MB of RAM and a click-on 19.2K modem with a serial cradle. ( I think the one marketed for Europe... hence the weird model number)

BTW, I still have it complete with modem. :clap:

Wow!!!...

Check out how big the Philips is compared to the Jornada 548 and iPAQ 1910...
:-)

Carlo

[beq]

I got the very first Compaq iPAQ model, from their first production batch, that first week or so. Don't remember exactly when that was, Fall 2000 maybe? I also remember starting to visit PPCThoughts right after it opened...

[The Half-Ling]

its been awhile. i started with an ipaq 3635, w/ a bunch of battery and memory upgrades. then i used a ipaq 5450, then a 2215 for 2 weeks, then a 5555 and now im typing away on my brand new 1 day old ipaq 4300!

whats next hehehe!

cheers,
jake

[bjornkeizers]

did get a chance to get the modem over here. It remains the only PDA I could confidently bounce off concrete :lol:

I never knew there were so many Nino lovers on here! They truly were great. I always thought I was the only one who had one...

I wanted one ever since I saw a review of one in a Dutch computing rag. Back then, I still had my Palm Pro and Psion Siena - yes, I've always been a multiple device user. I finallhy found a second-hand one around.. I think.. late 1999 or thereabouts. I used it every day for several months, before I got my first real PPC - the now legendary Ipaq 3630. It cost me almost *two thousand guilders* with the CF sleeve and a 128 mb CF card, but I must say: it's the best investment I made to this day.

[felixdd]

I am curious to hear how long some of you have been users of the Pocket PC or even its predecessor, the Palm-Sized PC. I got my first device, a Philips Nino 320 (8MB of RAM and included a modem) in 1998 and have never looked back.

Woohoo!!!

I had a Philips Nino 391... a 320 with 8MB of RAM and a click-on 19.2K modem with a serial cradle. ( I think the one marketed for Europe... hence the weird model number)

BTW, I still have it complete with modem. :clap:

Wow!!!...

Check out how big the Philips is compared to the Jornada 548 and iPAQ 1910...
:-)

Carlo

391? I never heard of that model number before; but then again...it's been so long

My first CE device was a Philips Nino 200. Before that was Royal's Da Vinci; before that was a casio BOSS.

I still use HPCs -- I'm using one right now, in conjunction with my smartphone

[imorton]

I started with a PalmIII, and thought that was enough, then one day saw a Jornada 565 and was blown away by all the function's and capabilities.

Use it for email's (with a TDMA cell, yes I know , pretty ancient) and use Pocket Streets with a CF GPS, and access WIFI via a CF card.

Just waiting for the next wave of new devices.

In reponse to VanHlebar's request to any "taker's" for his Jornada 56x,
please contact me at imorton1800(at)hotmail(dot)com

Thanks, IAN...

PS, this is my favorite PDA site, keep up the GREAT work :)

[Lotto]

I also started with a Casio Boss sf-89OOx 256mb memory bought in early 1997. I did manage to find a program (PCLinK) to sync it to my computer.

I upgraded to my Casio E115 early in 2000, that one was hard to beat.

Now I have my Toshiba e805 as of Nov. 2003.

[bk227865]

ouch ... my first one was an Atari portfolio ...

Came with MS-DOS 2.2 and Lotus 1.2.3.

Had a whopping 128 KILO Byte RAM

And you know what... THE ALARMS WORKED WITHOUT FLAW....

:!:

[Sunnyone]

Started with a Casio E-10, then a HP620LX then a HP545, HP548, iPAQ 3650, Axim X5, HP 2215. And I've loved every minute of the journey! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[Len Egan]

I got hooked using a Sharp wizard back in 1990-1991. After a 10 year hiatus, I came back with a iPAQ 3650.

[iclark]

Apple Newton or Message Pad 120....

Image the PPC world if Steve Jobs had stuck at it and delivered an iMac or iPod solution.....

We would be asking HP who ??

[orcas]

i believe i used some casio based credit cad size organizer (phone numbers memory and multi alarm scheduler wich used a stunning 8k memory back in 86/88...1 or two years later i bought a casio pb1000 (not really an organizer but a programable (basic) calculator with full keyboard that i used for some years...much later on i bought a psion revo and with the advent of pocketpc i bought the ipaq 3660...now i have a ipaq 5450, a symbianos nokia 6660 and a presario X1000 series...i love tech...i probably won't be here to try cyber implants, but if they become available soon........... ;)

[ppcsurfr]

391? I never heard of that model number before; but then again...it's been so long

My first CE device was a Philips Nino 200. Before that was Royal's Da Vinci; before that was a casio BOSS.

I still use HPCs -- I'm using one right now, in conjunction with my smartphone

Okay... I still have the box with me and here is what's written on the box... NINO 300 on the sticker on the side it says:

NN010303HK
NINO 391 8MB INTL
W/MODEM & UK TRVL ADAPTER

hehehe 8) I still have the original packaging after all these years!!!

Mabuhay!!!

Carlo

[Fabulas]

My first was the Casio E-100(still have it) back in 2000

[Ketsugi]

THere needs to be another poll choice for those of use who used pre-PSPC Windows CE devices... my first PDA was an HP 320L... or something like that. Windows CE 1.0 device, as I recall.

[Richard76]

My first electronic organizer was a Rolodex which I purchased from Grand & Toy around 1990. This unit had no capability of connecting to a computer so everything had to be entered manually. Good job it had a keyboard, such as it was. Entering information for over 300 customers was a daunting task to say the least. Then I lost this unit during a business trip, ended up buying another one and had to re-enter everything from scratch. My 10 year old daughter is still using this unit today!

From there I moved to a Sharp IQ-8500 in 1993. When I first purchased this unit, I did not buy the serial cable option to connect to my computer so, here we go again entering information manually. Later I got a cable from a friend but could not locate the software to make this work, so I never was able to "connect". I also still have this unit.

In 1997, I purchased a Uniden PC-100 with 16 MB of RAM (woohoo), which I used until 1998 when I bought a Nino 500 colour. I sold the Nino to a friend in early 2003 and purchased a Treo 180, then shortly after that, I ordered a Dell Axim X5 Advanced (which I am still using).

Just this week I purchased a Palm Tungsten W to get back to a single device for voice and e-mail/internet.

And the funny thing is, in 1974 I purchased my first Daytimer organizer and continued to use this system until 1999. It was a difficult transition to move into useing a PDA 100% of the time but I finally broke the mould sometime in mid-1999.

So, I currently use both the Axim (with a CF GSM/GPRS module, CF GPS module, wireless keyboard) and the Tungsten W, synching both with ACT on my laptop.

Long live the PDA!

Richard

[Craig Horlacher]

I think that was the model. 8MB, monochrome, snap-on 19.2 modem.

However, my first handheld device was the HP OmniGo 120. It was big and heavy but game with the best software package I've ever seen on a handheld out of the box - database, spreadsheet, wordprocessor (no spell check though), graphing calculator, unit conversions, scientific calculator, world clock, "jotter" scribble pad, and more. It was also very cool that I could use it as a handheld pc or palm pc - by rotating the screen and flipping the keyboard behind it.

OmniGo 120 -> Nino 320 -> Casio E125 -> Time to upgrade - Right now I like the Toshiba E800

[MrChevy]

HP 18C in 1986, $175.00, first one I could put phone numbers and notes in.
HP 19B in 1988, $175.00
HP 19B II in 1990, paid $175 just to get RPN

The thread is about how long have "we" used an MS based PDA. 1991 makes me using one for 13 years this year. Bunch of newcomers using them [Microsoft based] it appears from reading all the posts. Of the thousands of people I meet/know (I manage a business, meeting new people every day), I don't know ANY who own PDA's that pack and USE them EVERYDAY, that have it with them EVERYTIME you see them. (ie It is part of their clothes, they aren't dressed without it)

I REALLY miss the SOLVE function that is part of the *00LX series. I did find a program that would sort of work that way for the Jornada but it will not run on the Axim5 :( Anyone know of a solve type program that will run on the Axim5 CPU? Any link/info would be appreciated!

HP 95LX in 1991, $500.00 if I remember correctly. 512KB, had Lotus 123 etc :D First Microsoft OS based PDA I owned, used MS-DOS.
HP 100LX on 03/03/94 1MB ram! MS-DOS
HP 200LX on 11/10/94 2MB ram, $660.00 MS-DOS
HP 547 Jornada 48MB 07/21/01 $400.00 @ Costco WinCE
Dell Axim5 64MB/48MB 05/23/03 $267.00 delivered from Dell

[JJames5150]

Its good to see someone else who started with the Phillips Nino. A friend of mine bought his at the time I was using the Franklin Planner and I coveted that Nino like crazy! I longed to be able to toss all that paper crap and just keep all my info in this one little device.

Prior to this I had owned a little computer made by Texas Instruments I believe. It had a large display composed of little lcd squares with a touch sensitive pad below that was the keyboard. On the flap that opened on the case was another soft keyboard that contained all of the letters. It looked more like a fancy calculator than a PDA, but it was fairly powerful and even had numerous alarms that could be set and the ability to use plug in cartridges that you could buy to expand it (i.e. financial software, etc...) Anyone remember this? It really was innovative for what was available. I think I still own both of these.

Anyone up for a game of pong? :D

[Intrigue]

I had a Rolodex electronic organizer thingy back in 93ish; however, I don't count that. My first "real" PDA was an Everex Freestyle, which I adored. Since then I've had one form or another of Jornada (a 548 currently), but I'm thinking about trying to make the leap to PDA phone (hard because I expect so much out of both of them).

[minimage]

Well, I guess the WinCE 3 PIM (Casio BE-300) I bought in October 2002 doesn't count, so the Axim X5 Advanced I got in December 2002 woud be my first. I had been using PDAs since late 1999, however, but they were Palm-based (a work-issued IBM WorkPad, then my own Palm III). I loved my Casio, but I craved more storage space and Infrared. I still use my Casio today, as secondary device and as a spare ebook reader, but my Axim goes everywhere with me, even on rollercoasters!

[PROlenick]

I've been a desktop PC hobbyist since about 1982, but didn't use a pocket toy (a much friendlier term than PDA) until I got an HP Jornada 548 in December '01. Within weeks of my buying it and loading it with software, the Jornada 568 was introduced with a faster processor and a brighter screen that could actually be seen outdoors in the daytime (sort of). I was still within BestBuy's one-month return period, so I bought the 568 and returned the 548.

I was faithful to the 568 for two years, cursing HP when it dropped the entire Jornada line upon merging with Compaq - I loved both the clamshell lid that prevented accidental screen presses and the side scroll buttons that the media player would remap to a volume control - I could start an album and put it in my jacket pocket, and simply reach in to adjust the volume or use the record button to pause or resume play. (The IPAQs of that era had no side buttons due to their need to slide into a sleeve to use CF cards.) No PPC that I have seen since has a hard clamshell lid - more's the pity.

I kept a grab-bag of CF modems, and a retractable phone cord, in the leather cover that had previously contained my address book and calendar - land-line, WiFi, and one that plugged into my old Motorola StarTac (another device that should never have been discontinued). After losing the whole bunch of them while traveling, and being offered a discount on new phone by Verizon Wireless, I went to their web site and saw the Samsung SPH-i700.

Wow - a full-sized PPC (not a Smartphone toy) with a much brighter screen than the 568, similar side buttons, a faster processor, built in speakerphone - and high speed internet (up to 150kbps) all in the same form factor as my Jornada. It even fits into the Jornada's leather case, with some creative use of Velcro (which I had mastered with the 568, since the case was designed for the 548), even with the extended life battery (they include both batteries in the box).

The lack of a hard clamshell cover is mitigated by its disabling of most of the buttons and screen taps when the screen is turned off. (It also acts as a high-speed internet connection for my laptop through its synch cradle.)

The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. A PPC already has most of the guts of a cell phone: microphone and speaker, processor and memory. Dialing can be done by showing a touch-tone keypad on the screen, and since the device already has your Outlook contact list, it can also dial any of those numbers or let you assign any of them to a speed dial. The only things that had to be added were a radio transmitter and receiver, a headset jack, and software to tie the whole thing together.

I've given my 568 and StarTac to my fiancee, though she hasn't started to use them.

I've been actively participating in the Samsung i700 discussion forum at pdaphonehome.com - where I've even found users posting freeware to speed up the processor even more (and it works!).

[Steve Jordan]

I started out in the mid-1980s with the first credit-card-sized organizers, some of which also kept notes... remember those? Personally I consider those the first of the pocket PCs. I kept copious work-related notes on mine, which I used out in the field daily.

I had my eye on portable PCs then, but was dissatisfied with cost and performance. I picked up the Radio Shack branded Casio Zoomer (Z-1000), which I used for years, getting it cheap as R.S. was phasing the machine out. I still think Geos would have made a good OS for future small devices, and I was sorry to see it go.

I watched PPCs and Palms, but was still unhappy with both at the time... so when I needed to replace the Zoomer, I picked up the TI Avigo, again as it was being phased out, and I could get it cheap. A few years of that, and I moved again to the Diamond Mako, just before it disappeared.

I just bought my first PPC this year. I almost bought Symbian's Palm unit (I liked the built-in keyboard), but it was discontinued before I could get it. So I picked up a Toshiba e330, and bought Belkin's fold-up keyboard for it. (Had a major "D'Oh!" moment when I saw Palm's Tungsten T2 a few weeks later.)

After all these years, I've always bought based on cost, performance, and my present needs. At the moment, the Toshiba is satisfying me, more or less. But when it comes time to replace it, I may leave the PPC arena again. There may be fewer system choices out there, but I'm still not convinced that PPC is the best of them. And if they don't offer what I need, **** 'em.

[trunkguy]

I acquired my Pocket PC in Septmeber of 2003 as I managed to get one from work! I used to use Palm previous to this. Not sure which OS I prefer (mind you my Palm never used to crash as much!)

[cesarfong]

i bought my ipaq 3635 in august 2001 ... in Peru there were few pocket pcs.. (almost all of them owned by microsoft people 0X ) so i was the weird with that gadget.. now i have a tons of friends with pocket pc :D

i have currently an ipaq 5455 and waiting for a xda2 or the new ipaq 6000 :)

[sasquatchw/ppc]

The first PPC I really took note of was the Compaq iPAQ h3135 in Sep 2001. I believe they were being phased out, but when I saw the price tag of $200 I had my eyes on those units until I got my hands on one about 6 months later, still for $200, off of half.com. It was slightly outdated but it fit my budget at. I then purchased a Compaq iPAQ 3835 from someone online for $200. Then I suddenly saw a deal on an e740 for $200 and snatched it up there are things that I miss about an iPAQ (larger stylus, bigger screen, better speaker, etc) but I would rather have brighter screen, WIFI, dual expansion, faster processor, removable battery, etc.