Questions before making the switch (About QVGA, WM2003 SE and more)

[mr.brainstorming]

Hi,

I am a Palm Zire 72 user and having problems with it. (In fact I am having problems with all computers nowadays.) I have never used a Pocket PC.

I want…
- to be able to read saved web pages, word documents, pdf and chm files that contains non-english characters.
- to be able to run programs from SD card.
- to be able use CF cards (mainly for viewing photos).
- to listen MP3’s and occasionally watch videos.
- to be able to record sound while taking notes (or using some other program).
- to be able to use it as an alarm clock.

I don’t want…
- to charge the device every night.
- a screen that is unusable in daylight.
- to hear any screen whine.
- another PDA that makes me crazy.

I found a used iPaq 2410 for a good price. This is a WM2003 SE device. It has an Intel PXA270 520 MHz processor, 64 MB ROM and 64 MB RAM, and a QVGA screen. I think it is also good to have a flip cover.

Now my questions are:
1. My Zire 72 has a 320x320 screen. What are your thought about Palms Hires screens vs QVGA screens?
2. Should I buy a WM2003 SE device?
3. The document reading capabilities really important for me. Is it a good document reader considering its QVGA screen? And non-English character support is really important for me!
4. What is the maximum size of SD cards that I can use? I currently have a 1 GB Sandisk SD card.

Thanks.

[Darius Wey]

1. My Zire 72 has a 320x320 screen. What are your thought about Palms Hires screens vs QVGA screens?

The differences are insignificant. You'll find the QVGA screen to be very usable. If you happen to purchase a Pocket PC with a VGA screen, then that's a different story altogether. A VGA screen offers clarity and sharpness beyond what a 240 x 240 and 240 x 320 screen can offer.

2. Should I buy a WM2003 SE device?

If it was me, I wouldn't - only because I feel that Windows Mobile 5.0 has far more benefits. One is persistent storage, so if your battery was to deplete, you wouldn't lose your data.

3. The document reading capabilities really important for me. Is it a good document reader considering its QVGA screen? And non-English character support is really important for me!

Pocket PCs include Office Mobile. Windows Mobile 5.0 upgraded it to include PowerPoint Mobile and enhanced functionality in both Excel Mobile and Word Mobile. All are very usable on a QVGA screen. Now there are other alternatives to Office Mobile. Both SoftMaker (http://www.softmaker.com/english/) and Westtek (http://www.westtek.com/) offer some great viewers.

4. What is the maximum size of SD cards that I can use? I currently have a 1 GB Sandisk SD card..

It depends on the Pocket PC, but most should be able to support up to 4GB SDs. Windows Mobile itself can support even higher capacity memory cards (e.g. 8GB+ CompactFlash).

Don't worry. You won't have to bother about this with today's newer Pocket PCs, and especially with a 1GB SD, which works in all of them.

Now if you want a device recommendation, I'd look at the Dell Axim X51v, or perhaps the HP iPAQ hx2790 (if you don't care much about a VGA screen). These are just standalone PDAs. If you want some recommendations for phone-enabled devices (Pocket PC Phone Edition), feel free to let me know.

[mr.brainstorming]

Thanks a lot :)