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View Full Version : HP vs. DELL - Needs some final Help


Mr_Blonde
12-16-2004, 06:16 AM
Hello All,
I have gone out and done the research but I still am having trouble deciding which PPC to get. I know I want Bluetooth, Wi-FI and SD or CF cards.

I am not sure about VGA or the whole Nuvo remote thing that the HP's come with. Anyone tried the Nevo remote out and seen if it works that fantastically as people say? Could the Nevo Remote actually make the HP score higher than the Dell one? Thoughts and comments? Here are the ones I am looking at from HP. Basically all of them BUT the HP 4705 (no touchpad for me)

http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/hpdirect/shopping/scripts/generic_store/generic_subcategory_view.jsp?landing=null&category=handhelds&subcat1=digital_entertainment&catLevel=2&BV_SessionID=@@@@1700618142.1103171532@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccadddgedijhkcfngcfkmdflldfjl.0

And of course the Dell ones are these

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/pro...s=19&l=en&s=dhs

MROX
12-16-2004, 07:32 AM
Hello, Mr_Blonde

I'm almost in the same situation as you.
I was on Palm and now moving to PPC. (Thank to the thief who is stock with my Sony PEG J-22C. Haha! :jester: ) So I ended up very close to your position. HP or Dell. Like you, I'll need BT, WiFi, SD or CF. And hopefully NO camera! (I'm working at many customer sites, so it's a matter of time before I get trouble with that.)

The difference: After changing my mind back and forth 4 times, I'll probably go VGA. The improvement is too big. After that, it's a matter of short time before all QVAG will look like age of stone. Think about it. (Unless you tell me you'll buy another one in a year or two to get better 3D acceleration and whatever else).
You said "no touch pad for me". Why? Because I'm not so sure about that either.

My other problem, at my position, I need to SEE and FEEL it for real (the 4705 is supposed to be so big...). But I can't find any store who got those in stock (HP I mean). I went USA- Best Buy, Fries, Circuit something, Canada- Future Shop, Compusmart and Dumoulin! Where can I see the thing!
For Nevo, my friend told me he's not using it much finaly. (But that just one guy...)

Good luck and let us know!

Ripper014
12-16-2004, 08:22 AM
If you are in Canada check out a Toshiba e830... you can find them at Staples or London Drugs... the current price is $549.98can... $599.99 at London Drugs but you can get them to price match. I picked mine up tonight... after months of indecision...

The Toshiba is the same size as the Hx4700... but with double the ram. It has a slightly slower processor... but I do not believe it is that much of an issue. The Toshiba also features usb host capabilities... other than that it is a push.

The Toshiba IMHO is the best bang for the buck... and based on its list of features... a very nice device.

MROX
12-16-2004, 08:51 AM
Hmmm. Thanks for the tip.
But isn't a discontinius model?
I see that it's heavier. How does it feel in the hand or the pocket?

hrbngr
12-16-2004, 06:34 PM
I'm still trying to decide too, if I could get the Loox at a decent price, that would be a good thing. However with the dell x50v's at 25% off of $500, that is a pretty good deal too--the main problem w/the dell for me is the smallish battery, w/the hp 4705 it's that darn touchpad, i wish they made the same model w/a choice of touchpad or regular dpad.

Mr_Blonde
12-16-2004, 08:11 PM
Thanks for the feedback guys. Well I know the 4705 is out because of that damn Touchpad feature. I have heard way too many complaints. The real ones I am looking at are the rx3700 and the Dell X50.

Has anyone had RX3700 and is it really the Media Machine it's cracked up to be? I mean can the Nevo Remote thing really do everything it says.

I am reading up on the LooX right now but several bad things are

No USA support
EUR 559,00 = Expensive as Hell in US Dollars.....

So back on track. HP rx3700 vs Dell Axim

More thoughts? 8)

kozak
12-16-2004, 08:27 PM
I'd go with the Dell X50v. You can get it for under $400 on ebay and dell allows owner transer and warranty transfer, meaning if you buy on eBay and do those things, you will have the full Dell warranty and you as the owner as far as Dell is concerned. Also, with the free apps and tweaks that are listed on www.aximsite.com, it will be faster then the HP counterpart. The only downside is no support for the HP Stereo Bluetooth Headphones, yet.

I've read on the forums, people buying on eBay, getting them shipped to Europe, bypassing taxes and just transfering ownership on the Dell website. Saving hundreds of dollars.

Ripper014
12-17-2004, 12:45 AM
I personally would stay away from the Dell for two major reasons... one is the small battery... and the second is the small amount of user ram. I site that I saw suggest that it only has 43mb of user ram... a polster tells me there is 49mb... either way... I have 53mb on my Hp2200 and it is not enough... I have been as frugel as I can... and I normally sit around 16mb available to me... roughly another 4mb for storage... so a total of 20mb...

There is a person selling his Loox 720 at Brighthand for $550us... plus another $20 for shipping...

The Hx3700 I believe is not VGA... if your happy with that... then maybe you should consider the Dell x30... it has a nice feature set... and is priced under $300us I believe...

I just bought a Toshiba e830 for $549can... and I might be getting another $50 off... (promotional coupon from the store)... For the polster above... As far as I know the model is not discontiued... however... the price has dropped $150can in the last 4 weeks so it does make me wonder what is up... Either way it does not matter... after I purchase a device I do not need the manufacturers support unless it is a warranty issue. The unit is a little heavier... but I like that... I guess I am a bit old school makes me think I bought something substantial... and not a gameboy.

I was concerned about the size... but in playing with it... I really like it. Like I said I like the added heft... it makes it feel really solid. And the screen is incredible... I opened a PocketExcel spreadsheet... set it to Tahoma 8... and reduced the zoom to 50%... and I could still read the text clearly... on my Hp2200... it was all a blur... basically unreadable...

I have been on the fence since September about a new unit... ruled the Hx 4700 out a long time ago... based on the appearance... the touchpad... the cost and the small amount of ram. I was willing to look at the Dell x50V... a promising device.. but it has a small battery... and again lacking in ram. The Loox 720 was my device of choice... but it was not available locally.. and the cost was high. The Asus a730W... just took to long to arrive... should be here in the next few weeks... small battery... and middle of the road pricing. That left the Toshiba... e830... which offered a great set of available features... at a modest price... made my choice a lot easier... Especially once I realized that to really take advantage of the realestate of a VGA screen I would require it to be larger...

Just my process for the selection process... I am sure others will have other feelings or needs for choosing their specific devices...

Cybrid
12-17-2004, 02:21 AM
I have been on the fence since September about a new unit... ruled the Hx 4700 out a long time ago... based on the appearance... the touchpad... the cost and the small amount of ram. I was willing to look at the Dell x50V... a promising device.. but it has a small battery... and again lacking in ram. The Loox 720 was my device of choice... but it was not available locally.. and the cost was high. The Asus a730W... just took to long to arrive... should be here in the next few weeks... small battery... and middle of the road pricing. That left the Toshiba... e830... which offered a great set of available features... at a modest price... made my choice a lot easier... Especially once I realized that to really take advantage of the realestate of a VGA screen I would require it to be larger...

Just my process for the selection process... I am sure others will have other feelings or needs for choosing their specific devices...
Well, you sly dog! congrats....I was beginning to think I was going to have to push you... off that fence.... :devilboy:

Mr_Blonde
12-17-2004, 03:56 AM
Hmm damn you guys are really steering me towards the LOOX.....or the Toshiba....I thought I was narrowing it down but it looks like this is giving me even more choices. :devilboy:

Well I will have to skip the LOOX though. The price is just too high for me to justify to my work. I am starting to lean towards the Dell but I will wait and see what else people have to say

Ripper014
12-17-2004, 03:58 AM
You mean it wasn't you...??? I did feel a push from somewhere... NOW... how about YOU...??? YOU KNOW YOU NEED VGA...

and more than that... you know that you WANT IT... by the way... the pricing in store said that the price is only good till December 24th...

Mr_Blonde
12-17-2004, 04:08 AM
Cool...one question on the Toshiba. How is the warranty and how well does the USB host option work? 8) Any reviews that you read that really swayed you?

timcolling
12-17-2004, 05:27 AM
I would never buy another Toshiba PDA! their treat ment of e740 owners was shabby and dishonest.

-Tim

Ripper014
12-17-2004, 05:34 AM
The warranty is the basic year through the manufacturer...

The problem is I can not find a review... no one reviewed it in english... there are a couple of French sites that posted but I do not read French very well. And babelfish does not do a very good job. I think the reason is this unit is not sold in the US or in England.

What convinced me is that I have seen the e805 in person and played with it... I also got to play with the e830 in the store. Beautiful machine... bigger than most of the new units... but features lots of display area... Usb keyboards will work out of the box. Other things like hard drives will require additional drivers... Usb on PPC's are still in their infancy...

The main thing that swayed me was two-fold... well maybe three-fold... the features you get for the price... the fact that all the users that I see on-line love their devices... and the two people I was with last night basically forced me to buy it. I am weak... :)

I have been reviewing my options since September... and for the money... I truly believe this is the best unit available. Especially if you are in Canada and can purchase it from a brick and mortar.

Ripper014
12-17-2004, 05:40 AM
I would never buy another Toshiba PDA! their treat ment of e740 owners was shabby and dishonest.

-Tim

Unfortunately I am not that familar with the situation around the e740... but almost every manuacturer has made someone unhappy regarding the treatment of a particular device. Check at Brighthand and one of the longest post is in regard to the Hp2200... and the lack of wm2003SE...

Note though... that Toshiba was the only company (that I am aware of) that offered a wm2003SE upgrade... and that was for the e805...

But in the Toshiba line of products... the only consistant complaints have I have heard come from e740 owners... From the e755 and up... it seems customers are happy...

timcolling
12-17-2004, 06:02 AM
...
But in the Toshiba line of products... the only consistant complaints have I have heard come from e740 owners... From the e755 and up... it seems customers are happy...

That doesn't help us e740 owners, does it? Anyway, I will NEVER trust Toshiba again...

"If they burn me once, shame on them, but if they burn me twice, then shame on me!"

- Tim

Ripper014
12-17-2004, 06:56 AM
I do not disagree with you... but as consumers we do need to take some responsibility in what we purchase. This is why it usually takes me so long to buy in... As a rule I am not an early adopter... I try to be more thoughtful... and get back as much feedback as I can. Which is why the Toshiba e740 never made it into my possession. Though originally I loved the possibilities... I dismissed the thought of owning as more disgruntle posts showed up. As I said I did not pay specific attention to the issues... just due to the shear volume of them was enough to discourage me.

If you go to the Aximsite... you will see that there are several negative posts about the x50V... most are regarding delivery... at iPaqHQ the Hx4700 is taking a heat for the touchpad... and other issues... so the Toshiba e740 is not alone... It is seldom that a PocketPC makes everyone happy.

All I can say is due your research and be the most informed consumer you can be. Listen to what others have to say... but dig for your own information...

Mr_Blonde
12-17-2004, 07:33 PM
Thanks guys you have been an awesome help. I am really tired of researching at this pioint and don't have the luxury of waiting for a Toshiba to be imported so I think I am going with the Dell or HP. I will do some shopping this weekend and either pick up the HP or order the Dell online. I wonder if they have them at those Dell Kiosks in the mall?

kozak
12-17-2004, 07:48 PM
The only Real Complaints are about the battery life. Delivery problems are because the units are selling faster then Dell can build them. Anyway, dell doesn't build them, HTC, same guys that make most Pocket PC's make them.

As for the battery, there is a cpu scale option to get better battery life aswell as a double capacity battery available.

As for screen sensitivity issues some posted about, when I used a 1910 ipaq, then went to the h2215, i complained too. After a week or so, it felt normal. Same with the X50v. I dont' notice any problems with sensitivity.

For the most bang for the buck, the Dell X50v is the best option currently. It's feature set is extensive and if you dont' want to deal with delivery problems, buy it off ebay. THE WARRANTY WILL STILL BE VALID if you buy through ebay, just transfer owenership on the dell website, that's it.

famousdavis
12-17-2004, 10:19 PM
I'll give you a two-thumbs-up for the Dell X50v. I've lived with mine for a few months now, I guess, and it's a fantastic unit, overall.

I've posted on this on other threads, so I'll be brief here. The X50v feels great in my hand, the VGA screen is bright and vivid, the performance is snappy, the reliability is what I had hoped for. When I compare the VGA screen of my X50v to my QVGA screen of my old iPAQ 1910 (which, when it was first released, was touted as having the finest display on the market), there is no question that VGA is the way to go -- much, much sharper text and images. The list of VGA-supported software grows daily, and I'm awaiting only a few of my software titles to get VGA-optimized.

The battery life isn't great on the X50v, but that's not been a problem for me whatsoever. I usually only spend short bursts of time using my X50v, except when using it as an MP3 player or listening to an audio book -- then, with the screen turned off and the processor setting set to Auto (which adjusts the processor speed dependent up on the need) -- I get wonderfully long hours of use between charges. You can always opt for an extended battery, or a second standard battery (the battery is user-swappable).

I don't like the relative insensitivity of the X50v screen -- my old 1910 was more sensitive, so that's what I grew to like. I'm still learning to make my taps a little more precise and firm. I prefer my old 1910's stylus, which seemed easier to slip in and out of place (but I'm gradually getting used to the X50v's stylus now).

The RAM issue is, for me, not an issue. I can run all my programs just fine. Having lots of ROM is nice because I can load programs to ROM and not have to reinstall them if, for some reason, I run my battery dead. Unless you have a specific need for lots of RAM, then for the vast majority of regular PPC users, 64MB of RAM (with 40-50MB user accessible) is going to be plenty. By the time I outgrow 64MB of RAM, I'll want a new device anyway.... :-)

Know that every make of PPC is going to have adherents and naysayers. No one device will suit the entire PPC community. So, figure out what you're going to use a PPC for, figure out how much you want to spend, and make a reasonable choice based upon those parameters.

Good luck!

Mr_Blonde
12-23-2004, 09:58 PM
Hello Everyone,
Thanks for all your help. My project deadline was drying close so I ended up buying a HP rx 3715 at CompUSA. I really like it a lot. I have already connected the remote to all the TV's and DVD's in my house as well as added my wife and I as users. Now I just need to set it up on the Xbox. The wireless is great and it is always picking up different wireless networks as I drive down the road to and from my house. 8O Who knew this many people had wireless networks in my neighborhood. Time to do some wardriving! 8) Anyway I gotta work on getting it to pair with my Bluetooth printer but other than that it seems really cool. A good powerfull device. Also the speaker for MP3's is much better than on my Palm Treo 600. Anyway just thought I woulod share! :)