Advice for a (hopefully) soont to be new ppc user

[aaja]

So, the last pda a owned was a visor deluxe and although it was kind of neat I never really used it. Recently my girlfriend got a dell axim x30 624 MHz model and having played with it and seeing what a completly different beast the pda has become since the visor deluxe, I've decided to get a ppc pda. Unfortunatly I'm on a limited budget and I'll have to set my sights a bit lower than the she has. I'll probably try and get one used maybe of ebay, but since I don't really know one model/brand from the next I don't know what would be a good older model to get. I'd like to spend around 150. if I can and I realize that will get me a fairly limited machine but hopeful I can get something with some video and gaming potential. Any advice on what models would be good to look for and which I should avoid?
Thanks for any advice.

[Brad Adrian]

I suggest you try to find a Hewlett-Packard iPAQ 1900 series device. It's beeon out for awhile, so they are easy to find, and they only cost about $200 new. It's got all of the features that make any Pocket PC great, and it's got one of the best-looking screen around. You can expand its memory with an SD card, too.

If you feel you have to have a device with wireless capabilities, I'd got for an iPAQ 2215.

[JimPAQ]

This may be stretching it, but maybe you could try to get an IPAQ 2215. It's the PDA that I use, and I love it. It has everything that I need, and I need a lot because I use my PDA to completely run my life both personal and professional. It has CF support, which I absolutely had to have when I bought it, because of the many CF devices I already owned. It plays all the games that I have come across. It has built in Bluetooth support. It does not have built in WiFi support, but I had two CF WiFi cards already. Now, when I bought this PDA new about a year ago (or at least it seems like a year ago) it was $399 I think. I have noticed that it has dropped a lot since then and I'm thinking that if you can get one for $150 to $200 on eBay, then it would be a good purchase. Like I said, I use my PDA to basically run my life and I have never really had any major problems from the 2215. The only little announce that I seem to have is when I switch from my CF WiFi card to my CF GPS receiver. Some times it makes me do a soft reset because it will not recognize the GPS when I switch from one to the other.

--Jim

[aaja]

So would you say that the 2215 is as old a ipaq model as I would want to get, i'm afraid i'll get something so old that it's more frustrating than usefull.

[Falstaff]

One thing you're going to need to keep in mind, is that no matter what PPC you get, you will need extra storage space if you want gaming and video on the device. The internal memory fills up pretty quickly, especially when you start installing games on it, and to get any viewable quality video, you really need to keep it on a storage card, so while you look for your PPC, keep in mind that you will also need an SD and/or CF card (if you get a 2215 or other CF enabled PPC) to really do video or have a lot of games. Another advantage to the 2215 over the 19xx or other lower priced PDAs is that it can use CF memory, which is cheaper per MB than SD.

[Janak Parekh]

So would you say that the 2215 is as old a ipaq model as I would want to get, i'm afraid i'll get something so old that it's more frustrating than usefull.
Perhaps, but be careful: the numbers aren't strictly increasing. You certainly don't want to get a Pocket PC 2000 device, like the 3600 series, and probably want to avoid most Pocket PC 2002 devices at this point. The 19xx and 22xx units from HP are certainly ones to take a close look at. :)

--janak

[Kevin C. Tofel]

I would also consider the Dell refurb outlet....you can get the following for less than you want to spend:

Dell Axim X3 Handheld: Intel X-Scale 400MHz, 64 MB SDRAM, 64MB Intel StrataFlash ROM, 3.5inch QVGA color 16-bit display, USB cable

This will set you back $145... 8O

Good luck...
KCT

[aaja]

Did you see this recently when I look the lowest I see is 180 (which is still a good deal)

[Kevin C. Tofel]

I looked on their site and immediately posted. Just checked again and they now have x3 Advanced inventory available at $161. My guess is that these units move very quickly, so you have to pounce on them right away!

Good luck!

KCT

[aaja]

thanks for the advice
0X