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View Full Version : hp vs. dell vs. toshiba...


ckufta
12-01-2004, 04:47 AM
I am currently looking to purchase a ppc. I'm leaning towards going with a dell device, since I have used their laptops and desktops before and like, for the most part, their customer support.
Does anyone have any other suggestion? Does one brand really stand out for any reasons? what is your experience with customer support: best/worst?
cheers

Ripper014
12-01-2004, 07:53 AM
Customer service is sketchy across the board... you never know what you will get...

It depends what you are looking for... how you want to use it and how much money you want to spend. Of the models you listed... both the Dell and Hp... top of the line units... only have a pultry 64mb of ram. The Toshiba e830 has a full 128mb of ram, along with a usb host... Each has their own features... but the one that stands out the most is the lack of ram. Do not let them fool you by selling you on the additional rom. Rom can be replaced with a storage medium...

If you are looking at getting a QVGA device then... the x30 series by Dell seems like the way to go.

ADBrown
12-01-2004, 08:03 AM
Unless you're hyper demanding, extra ROM is just as good as extra RAM. Better in some ways, because the extra ROM survives a hard-reset, making it easier to back up the machine.

ckufta
12-01-2004, 07:26 PM
does that mean that there is no way to add additional ram after you purchase the device? I was under the impression that when you put in a SD or CF card with extra memory, it acts as extra ram? Also, i thought that a hard reset clears the cards as well? does that mean that the only thing a hard reset clears is the ram? if thats the case, what would it be clearing? do you usually install programs on the ram? I thought thats what the rom was for?
Thanks again

ADBrown
12-01-2004, 08:41 PM
does that mean that there is no way to add additional ram after you purchase the device?

You can't add additional RAM, but you can add more storage via memory cards. Think of them as additional hard drives--somewhere to store more files, and to install programs.

Also, i thought that a hard reset clears the cards as well?

No, memory cards and internal flash memory (ROM) are both safe in a hard reset.

if thats the case, what would it be clearing?

The PPC's main RAM is divided into an area for storage, like a desktop's hard drive, and an area for program memory, like a desktop's RAM. The storage area of RAM is where Windows Mobile keeps its settings, registry, and other files related to programs you've installed. You can also install programs to storage RAM if you want. When a device is hard-reset, it wipes out everything in RAM, including all the programs you have installed there and all the settings for the system. This brings the system back to a factory-new state, except for whatever files are on the memory cards and internal flash ROM.

[quote]do you usually install programs on the ram? I thought thats what the rom was for?

I usually install programs to ROM. Fewer files in RAM means less to back up in case a hard-reset becomes neccessary. Rather than having to back up 40 odd MB of programs and files from RAM, I only have to backup about 8 MB of files and settings. This in turn makes for less wasted space, and if I end up with a hard-reset I can be back up and running in minutes.

Some people prefer to install programs to RAM because they feel it offers better performance and speed.

Ripper014
12-01-2004, 09:12 PM
Unless you're hyper demanding, extra ROM is just as good as extra RAM. Better in some ways, because the extra ROM survives a hard-reset, making it easier to back up the machine.

Can't agree with this statement... From my personal observations... rom is slower than any of my storage cards... Yes... files will survive a hard reset in rom... but so will a files on a storage card... which you can access quicker.

Ripper014
12-01-2004, 09:26 PM
does that mean that there is no way to add additional ram after you purchase the device?

You can only add additional ram if you can find someone to do it for you. This means having someone physically taking apart your device and adding the additional memory. This process will also void your warranty with your manufacturer. The process is also expensive. An example.. for the new Dell x50V it will cost you an additional $199us plus taxes.. and probably shipping both ways... for PPCTechs to up your ram from 64mb to 128mb... Which is almost half the cost the unit brand new.

Also, i thought that a hard reset clears the cards as well?

Nope... as I mentioned earlier... Storage Cards... are akin to rom... (well removable rom)... If you analogize Rom as your hard-drove... then Storage Cards could be considered a removable hard-drive.

if thats the case, what would it be clearing?

You are clearing ram... like your computer everything happens in ram... programs are loaded into this area and executed in there. However in the PocketPC something different happens... Unlike your computer which you turn off when you are done... the PocketPC is left active. It continues to draw power to keep the ram active. Because of this... you can save programs in ram on your device. And because it is in ram it is much faster to load and execute. The downside... well if you lose all your power... you will lose your programs.

do you usually install programs on the ram? I thought thats what the rom was for?

I load programs in ram that are slow to load... programs such as Pocket Informat and Agenda Fusion this increases the speed and performance of the program, if I had the room Textmaker and Planmaker would also reside there... There are also programs that will only run from ram... Rom is for storage... no different than a storage card except that it is built into the device.