Ed's Thoughtcast - August 18, 2005

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/podcast/PocketPCThoughtsCast-20050818.mp3">http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/podcast/PocketPCThoughtsCast-20050818.mp3</a><br /><br />After an almost 2 week absence, Ed's Thoughcast is back! :)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/thoughtcast.jpg" /><br /><br />Show notes:<br />• Talked a bit about the Treo 670 and the 240X240 resolution<br />• That other square screen device, the <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=42216">iPAQ Messenger 6700</a> series.<br />• <a href="http://redmondmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=6868">Exchange 2003 SP2</a> tech preview releases tomorrow. Only <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=42261">15% of you are synchronizing</a> with Exchange Activesync? You should look at a <a href="http://www.4smartphone.net/affiliates.aspx?go=referal&ref=JD10726">$4/mo Exchange hosting plan</a>.<br />• <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,42332">Opera</a> for the Pocket PC? <br /><br />The RSS link with enclosures for your podcasting software is <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/xml/thoughtcast.xml">here</a>.

[mangochutneyman]

Sorry, but sms-triggered pull even if transient to the user is NOT a true push email solution. If that is indeed the way MS will be implementing so called push email, then it will not compare to other 'real push' solutions like Goodlink, BB Connect and even Chatteremail on the Treo...

[Ed Hansberry]

Sorry, but sms-triggered pull even if transient to the user is NOT a true push email solution. If that is indeed the way MS will be implementing so called push email, then it will not compare to other 'real push' solutions like Goodlink, BB Connect and even Chatteremail on the Treo...
Agreed - SMS is how it is done now and no one is happy with that overall. I didn't mention it, but while SMS at least is workable in a cellular situation, it doesn't work where you have no coverage but you do have a WiFi connection.

The new method uses HTTP to maintain a connection with the server, so if you have *any* TCP/IP connection (BT modem, BT WLAN, WiFi, GPRS, EDGE, EVDO, whatever) the Exchange server can ensure the device gets the message.

[Chris Spera]

Ed,

you need to register your ThoughtCase with iTunes so I can download this along with all of the other PodCasts I listen to in one place.

Thanks for the great job you're doing!

[Don't Panic!]

I am about to be assimillated 0X

I'll still have 2 or more devices with me (convergence? :lol: ) but at least one will keep me on top of the job. :wink:


I always thought that convergence would mean one device for everything, but your recent thoughtcast showed me that personal wants and corporate necessities aren't merging any time soon.

Okay, so a treo 670 or any recent/upcoming square screen converged device isn't going to be as great a movie, music, GPS, or picture player than a E-125. But wow! the possibilities to get office work done you spoke on are really convincing.

Do you think having a VGA device for fun, a Smartphone for personal stuff, and a converged device for work is overdoing it?

[Jonathon Watkins]

Do you think having a VGA device for fun, a Smartphone for personal stuff, and a converged device for work is overdoing it?

I hope not, as that's the way I'm thinking at the moment. :wink:
(Though in all honesty, it may be a tad much).

[ikesler]

I have always wanted PUSH email for my PPC 6601 on Sprint. And have my POP account set to pull mail every 10 minutes as it is now.

I looked at 4smartphone.net and went to set up a trial account....... but I am worried about battery life from each message/sms coming in and the fact that it will whipe my contacts, appts, tasks etc. when it sets up the device.
Is this something that I should be worried about? I really only want the email pushed. I don't need my PIM info on an exchange as well.

Comments?

Thanks and I love the thoughtcast!

[Ed Hansberry]

I am 99.9% sure when I set my Exchange 2003 server account up, I had the option to "combine" data - not wipe data out. I happend to choose the "wipe" command because my E2003 account was populated with the data already from outlook 2003.

As for SMS push - I don't do that usually. It is hard on the battery. During work hours, I use a 5 minute sync. As long as you are not on WiFi, it is very battery friendly. It can sync all day and not burn 20% of my juice on GPRS.

On nights and weekends I do use SMS-push because I may only get 20-30 emails on the weekends or weeknights so that means instead of 906 syncs during those off hours (every 5 minutes) I get 20-30. Plus it has the added benefit of waking the device up and turning on the backlight - something that is nice to see when a message comes in off of work hours, but a major pain and battery drain during the day. Unless traveling, I read and answer 75% of my emails at my desk anyway so the syncing is more or less keeping my device up to date.

[marcol]

Ed,

you need to register your ThoughtCase with iTunes so I can download this along with all of the other PodCasts I listen to in one place.



It's there. Search for 'thoughtcast' or 'pocket pc' and subscribe to 'ThoughtCast: Pocket PC Thoughts' and you'll get Ed's as well as Jason and Dave's.

Thanks for the great job you're doing!

Seconded!

[ikesler]

I am 99.9% sure when I set my Exchange 2003 server account up, I had the option to "combine" data - not wipe data out. I happend to choose the "wipe" command because my E2003 account was populated with the data already from outlook 2003.

As for SMS push - I don't do that usually. It is hard on the battery. During work hours, I use a 5 minute sync. As long as you are not on WiFi, it is very battery friendly. It can sync all day and not burn 20% of my juice on GPRS.

On nights and weekends I do use SMS-push because I may only get 20-30 emails on the weekends or weeknights so that means instead of 906 syncs during those off hours (every 5 minutes) I get 20-30. Plus it has the added benefit of waking the device up and turning on the backlight - something that is nice to see when a message comes in off of work hours, but a major pain and battery drain during the day. Unless traveling, I read and answer 75% of my emails at my desk anyway so the syncing is more or less keeping my device up to date.

Thanks for the reply!

Personally I kinda feel like pulling every 10 is just as good as push for me....... I am not in IT or responsible for minute by minute responses..... but I do email all day long and have a ton on email stock alerts etc. And I would like the ability to have immediate receipt of email. Still 10 minutes is pretty darn good.

Through 4smartphone when you go to set it up it says "you ARE aware that this will whipe your sytem clean" or something like that. So I figured that it must clear you device off and replace with you desktop....... or something like that. That worried me a little bit as I am only setting up the trial to 'see' if that is somthing that I am interested in using. I can imagine having the calander, task, and contacts synched through exchange is nice as well......... just don't know how 'needed' that is for me right now.

Curious if anyone else is using 4smartphone here......... opinions?

Thanks again Ed! And keep up the good work on them podcasts! It's on my itunes under ppc and I listen to it regularly!

[dazz]

Ed, LOVIN' the podcasts!! Keep 'em comin'!

I think that Ian is probably like a large number of users, if not the majority. How many actually "need" to have push e-mail. For me, I would be just as happy with a regular 5 or 10 minute sync or pull. You really only need push if you regularly need e-mails immediately. I think it would actually be too distracting to have e-mail coming in all day long in ones!

Obviously, there are going to be people that need push but probably not the majority.

I have to say, after listening to the podcast, I am pretty sure the HTC Blue Angel (or whatever you want to call it) would be what I go for right now. It is really too large as a phone but the convenience for me would outweigh the size. At least with a large unit like this the screen is big.

Maybe a combination of the Magician and the Blue Angel would be just about perfect. :wink: I like the HTC Universal but probably will not see one at a Canadian carrier anytime soon. :roll:

[ikesler]

Ed, LOVIN' the podcasts!! Keep 'em comin'!

I think that Ian is probably like a large number of users, if not the majority. How many actually "need" to have push e-mail. For me, I would be just as happy with a regular 5 or 10 minute sync or pull. You really only need push if you regularly need e-mails immediately. I think it would actually be too distracting to have e-mail coming in all day long in ones!

Obviously, there are going to be people that need push but probably not the majority.

I have to say, after listening to the podcast, I am pretty sure the HTC Blue Angel (or whatever you want to call it) would be what I go for right now. It is really too large as a phone but the convenience for me would outweigh the size. At least with a large unit like this the screen is big.

Maybe a combination of the Magician and the Blue Angel would be just about perfect. :wink: I like the HTC Universal but probably will not see one at a Canadian carrier anytime soon. :roll:

I love the PPC 6601 that I have. I really do.
And I think that the push mail is less necessary with my device getting my mail every 10 minutes...... although I used a Danger Sidekick for a while and loved the push mail it had. I would like to try the Exchange Hosted plan but don't want to wipe anything out.........

[Ed Hansberry]

I had to start over with my PPC and when I set up the Exchange ActiveSync for Contacts, Calendar and Inbox, all 3 asked me if I wanted to combine or replace data.

I can't possibly see how a hosted Exchange solution would overwride that info on your device and wipe it.

[ikesler]

I had to start over with my PPC and when I set up the Exchange ActiveSync for Contacts, Calendar and Inbox, all 3 asked me if I wanted to combine or replace data.

I can't possibly see how a hosted Exchange solution would overwride that info on your device and wipe it.

That is what seemed so strange to me as well.
But it was a section that required an 'agree' tab, saying you are awere that this will wipe it clean.......... doesn't seem right. Might have to go with the ol' backup and give it a shot. Save myself trouble of fixing it all if it happens.

[Ed Hansberry]

Of course, for me, it only makes sense to do this kind of thing if I am also syncing Outlook 2003 with it, and I know when you set this up for Outlook, you create a new empty Exchange profile, then just drag all of your stuff from your PST to your OST, and then that will be pushed down to the device. With 4Smartphone for example, it is $4/mo for device only and $8/mo for device+Outlook 2003 (and they provide OL2003 if you don't have it). I'd be doing the latter.