Buy now or wait?

[Glohamar]

I have saved enough to buy a new PPC, but should I wait? I know that the x50v and iPaq 4700 will get upgrades to WM2005, but are the devices that might release in the fall going to be better that what I can get now? Any speculations? I am PPCless right now, so I am tempted, but can wait if there is something better around the corner.

What does everyone think...

Thanks,

Dave

[Darius Wey]

If you're after a converged device (i.e. with phone functionality included), I'd wait. If you're after a straight PDA, then I'd consider one of the current VGA Pocket PCs (the X50v is proving to be the best bang for buck at the moment). The fact is, there's no set date for a new wave of Dell, HP, or Fujitsu-Siemens devices hitting the market. You could easily be waiting half a year for new devices to surface. If you want to avoid the wait and are after a device which will be supported by the new WM5.0 platform, then look to either the X50/X50v, hx2000 or hx4700 series, or Pocket LOOX 718/720.

[gregmills]

I'm think I'm going to order the X50v today. None of the coupons that I'm finding online work though. Does anyone have any Dell coupon codes?

[Kowalski]

there is no guarantee that you will wait afew months and get a better device than the ones in the market now.
if i were you, i would get the one i like now. i dont expect new devices will hit the market earlier than 6 months

[pocketpcadmirer]

@author to this thread

Like said b4 in this thread i would rather wait.

Take a quick glance at the current vga ppcs. They all something special.
For ex Dell x50v, it has wonderful processor and a gr8 graphic card.
but at the screen front it sucks when compared to ppcs like hp hx4700 and pl 720.

but yes if u r in a hurry go 4 FL

Sunny

[Glint]

Just my two bits - I'm waiting for the next models. I'm pretty sure that there will be some feature that I just do not want to live without in the new systems (typical tech junkie).

Fujitsu Siemens will supposedly be releasing an upgrade to the PocketLoox 720 in October, which would be my PDA of choice if only it was marketed in Australia, and I'm sure that with the release of WM5 there will be many new models.

[Glohamar]

Thanks for everyones insite. I think I will go ahead and get one now, if I can clear it pass the wife. Now the hard part, Dell or HP.

Dave

[Darius Wey]

Thanks for everyones insite. I think I will go ahead and get one now, if I can clear it pass the wife. Now the hard part, Dell or HP.

I'd say Dell. For what it's worth, the HP is just far too pricey now when put head-to-head with its competitors.

[kaitanium]

just buy it now. i just got an axim x50v for $262+tax = $283! go to ebay and grab a $35 off $300 coupon. those coupons usually come in 2 and codes are emailed to you right away! sweet deal considering i got my 2200 for $265 back when.

i dont like what hp is doing with their devices now, you can get cheaper devices that offer what they offer, for the price nothing can beat dell. even the comparable asus or fujitsu dont match dell in price.

[ppc_md2b]

I too was recently on the hunt for a new PPC after defecting from the Palm OS world. I bought an HP4700 and not only was it pricey, it also was a POS that I returned after a week. I took the plunge and bought a Loox720 just today. Despite its price I think it is the best on the market, we'll see if I feel that way later! 8)

The Axim x50v appears to be good ... for its price. And that's the key thing. If you have the dollars to spare, aim high. If not, I'd say Dell is your best bet. As for clearing the purchase past the wife, try my handy approach - put lots of great pictures of her (plus your kids if you have) on that beautiful VGA screen.

Waiting is an option, but that's the thing these days. No matter what, something new always comes along, at some time, if your wallet is ready or not. If you want a new device now, and can use it now and enjoy the current features, waiting for something maybe-better/maybe-not might not be the best approach. As a former Palm OS user, I was very satisfied with my T3 but I wanted an even better screen and higher performance for my work/school (meds). So I heard about this "T7" that was all hyped, and then when I actually played with a LifeDrive you can imagine how dissappointed I was. See what I mean?

Good luck!

JG

[LiteBright]

I bought an HP 4700 and am glad I did. Though DELL has faster video benchmarks, there is no real world difference right now. The 4" pad, battery life, clear magnetic screen cover, and simple black look are big pluses for me. It would be more difficult for me to write and do 1280 x 960 Terminal Server on a Dell.

Well worth the extra $'s for me. Others may not like the strange touchpad which doesn't work well for games, and lugging around a larger size unit.

[shindullin]

If you're looking for a stand alone device, I would buy one now. All the PPC's out there are great machines. It's all shades of grey at this point. Even the next MS upgrade is really just an incremental improvement on an already very good product. The Dell seems to be the budget choice and the LOOX the high end choice, but the LOOX isn't offered everywhere.

If you're looking for a converged device, I would wait. The general consensus seems to be that they're not quite at the stage where you can say that any of the devices out there now will satisfy almost anyone who buys one. I have a Treo 600 for work and it's pretty junky in a lot of ways. When compared to my very old Genioe, the Genio is still slightly better.

[Glohamar]

Thanks for all of the great responses everyone. I think I will get the Dell x50v. Some of my reason is the price, that way the wife doesn't have too big of a problem with the new toy.

Dave