windows media player as a pocket pc

[gossipninja]

I was just checking out some specs on those new windows media portables, they are like ipods with big ole' screens that play video for those who dont know, anyway i noticed it runs an escale processor. Now i would imagine they would use either XP embedded or ce.net either of which would theoreticlaly let you use various programs for PIM and other pocket pc tasks. I was curious if anyone had any knowledge or info on this. I want to get a portable media player, but dont have the space or money for both that and a new pda. The only thing i dont see the portable doing is haveing hardwre capabilities for things like WIFI cards, but some have a CF socket so maybe.

[Janak Parekh]

Are you referring to the Portable Media Centers? While I believe they're indeed built on CE, you cannot add PIM functionality to them at this time. They're deliberately restricted to make it a "simple" consumer product.

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

Yeah, as Janak said, PMC's are not PDAs - you can't currently add software to them, sync with Outlook, or do ANYTHING other than what's on it out of the box.

[tgetchell]

For portable video & music files, the Archos line is great but no PDA functionality. I just received my new ipaq 4700 which is a great PDA but has the capability to play both music and divx or windows media video files. The draw back to the PDA route is there is no hard disk to accumulate a library. That's the choice. With the latest generaion PDAs you need to use removable storage, SD or CF memory cards. Even the most agressive and expesive of these 1gb will run you several hundred dollar. What I have found (I have both the Archose 320 and the ipaq 4600) is that if you can keep you video library on your desktop you can get by with a 512 or 1gb sd or CF card. It means that when traveling or otherwise wanting to play videos you have to attach the SD or CF card to your desktop and transfer the video file. That gives you one movie or so per trip. If you want a library of films go with the Archos (forget the new MS supported stuff - copy protection and other restrictions will be a bummer). With the Archos 320 or the new 420 you can accumulate a library of many videos (movie length) I have about 15 on my Archos 320. Plus all my music. That is the trade off. I'm a PDA user so that is a must for business etc, for short trips etc I leave my Archos home (one less item) and load up some SD cards with movies for the plan or hotel. If I'm on the road for a week or so, I load up my Archos 320 and take that along.

Good luck

T.

[gossipninja]

oh i am well aware that there is no AUTHORIZED adding of programs, but dont you think it would be possilbe? Hell they got linux on the Xbox.

[Darius Wey]

Hell they got linux on the Xbox.

Don't forget Linux for the iPod. :wink:

[Ultima]

Of course it is possible, but it's also a lot of work. They have Linux for iPods (http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/) too... however the usefullness would be dubious. First, let's assume you could get Linux for the portable media center, then what? You need video player software, time to port something else... does it work as good as the native software? Probably not. See a bug? Too bad, the developer is doing it in his spare time and won't have it patched for another couple weeks at least

I'm not saying that it can't nor that it shouldn't be attempted, but I lack the knowhow. If anyone wants to flame me for my understanding how this OS-porting-to-portable-device-of-the-week procedure works, do us all a favor and do the port yourself. :)

Lastly, these portable media centers do have good screens, I have an Archos 420, and it's great. However, how would you use it as a PDA? It has no touchscreen, so you'd have to navigate an on-screen keyboard using the directional arrows, which is an awful way of imputting even compared to the touch-a-keyboard the PocketPC offers. Handwriting recognition is far superior to that, and the portable media centers would be fully incapable of it without massive hardware overhauls. The closest that people would likely come is the address, calender, and notes function in an iPod....which is hardly a PDA. So why bother?

[Darius Wey]

http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/images/linuxOnIPod1.jpg

I still love that picture. The day the penguin ate the Apple! :mrgreen:

I'd try the port, but quite frankly, I don't have an iPod. I actually love the Creative devices (Zen Touch in particular) at the moment. I recently bought one for a friend and was thoroughly impressed with it.