I want to Switch but...???

[Watti3460]

Hi:

I have a venerable Visor Deluxe which is about 5 years old. still works and chugs along. But I want a new PDA, mainly because the Visor stopped Hotsyncing when I moved to Windows 2000 and will not talk to Outlook 2003.

I also admit it would be nice to have a color screen and slick graphics. I am considering a PocketPC, or now I understand it is called a Windows Mobile device. My main reason for not considering a new Palm is the lack of replacable batteries in the new rechargable units. This is nothing short of planned obsolence.

So I have some questions.

1) How much does the OS rob you of storage? I've heard some "32 MB" units actually only have 20 - something MB is storage because the OS is so huge?

2) How easy is this to intergrate with Windows? I mean do I need to install a CD of interface software or does the Windows 2000 machine have all it needs to sync with a PocketPC? Does this work remotely through a modem to my Windows machine?

3) My wife has a Compact Flash card for her digital camera. Can this be accessed from a PocketPC with the correct slot of course, if the files are like .jpg format?

4) I am very reliant on my datebook functions. Assuming this intergrates well with OutLook is it comparable? Are there any serious (or not so serious) limitations to datebook? Do you have complaints (ex. I do not like the fact that in Palm only the appointments have alarms and not ToDo items)?

That's all I can think of now.

Watti.

[ST8]

1. With most ppcs u get rom & ram storage, the os usually occupies the ROM, on my 2210 the 32mb rom is dedicated to the os, and the 64mb ram stores programs and acts as program ram.

2. Most ppcs come with cradles and sync with outlook via a supplied program called activesync, you can also sync over wifi and bluetooth if needbe

3. Some ppcs have compact flash slots others dont, u need to look around for a ppc with compact flash. (Again my ipaq h2210 has both sdio and cf slots)

4. Not a clue about databook sorry :)

[dean_shan]

The thing that's nice about the Pocket PC is that it has a true file system. This means that you can stick .jpg, .gif .mp3, etc on you hand held without having to convert. That's what I really hated about POS, having to convert everything to .pbd format. What I like to do is plug my CF card from my camera into my PPC and email photos to people (WiFi) on the fly.

The OS does not rob you of any storage. The OS resides in the ROM.

It syncs with Windows out of the box. All you need to do is install the included ActiveSync software and you are set to go. It integrates fully with Outlook and most PPCs come with a full copy of Outlook.

I hope that answered your questions. I too used to be a Visor user. I made the switch and never looked back. I hope you will do the same.

[Watti3460]

This has been helpful so far.

I am not very wi-fi savvy, not having anything like this on the visor. Is this purely "cell phone"driven? I mean do I need a provider or are we talking the wi-fi stuff in starbucks and airports. I am not interested in having a cell phone bill monthly, but I could see where publically surfing the net from time ot time, for a few minutes, would be handy.

Watti.

[dean_shan]

Wi-Fi is not a cellphone technology. WiFi runs on the same frequency as some cordless house phones and microwaves among other things. Some 'hotspots' are free as others leave them open for all to use (librarys, universites, coffeshops, etc). Others are closed and you can only gain access if you pay like in Starbucks and in Airports. There is also a third kind of Wifi, the kind that is locked down and you can only get on with authentication. This is used in people's home (if they don't want to share Internet), business, etc.

[Vidge]

4) I am very reliant on my datebook functions. Assuming this intergrates well with OutLook is it comparable? Are there any serious (or not so serious) limitations to datebook? Do you have complaints (ex. I do not like the fact that in Palm only the appointments have alarms and not ToDo items)?


Note that the newer Palm units allow alarms on ToDos. I think the Datebook you have on the Visor is a smaller version of DB5 that CESD wrote for Handspring. If you want something like that on a PPC, look at Pocket Informant or Agenda Fusion.

I'm using PPC and Palm side-by-side. My major complaint with PPC is that untimed alarms go off at 8 am and so far, I haven't found any way to change that. (I'm usually asleep at 8am.) So I try to make sure my HP4155 is NOT on my nightstand when I go to bed. (Forgot to move it last night and it woke me up this morning :evil: Funny - most of the time I can't even HEAR my 4155 go off but at 8am, it sounds like a freight train is going thru my bedroom.)