RIP Photon, next pocket pc = ?

[Verdagon]

Hey everyone,

My h4300 is going through its death throes. About a year ago, its screen became slightly permanently misaligned, a few months ago, it started freezing randomly, a few weeks ago, it's sound systems completely died, and today, its SD card abilities disappeared. My poor beautiful Photon is dying. *tear*

So it is with a heavy heart that I start shopping for a new pocket pc. I've looked around, but I just don't have enough experience in the WM5 area to know my decision. What I absolutely need in a pocket pc is:
- WM5, because I'm going to start developing for it soon
- Keyboard, either attached (like my 4300, or like the 6500s) or a full-size, external, attachable/bluetooth one
- QVGA or VGA
- Wifi
- Cradle that can hold and charge a second battery
- Memory card and headphone jack for music, but thats only a minor point

There's a few models I've considered:
- h4300 again, because it had the attached keyboard, wifi, and the extra-battery cradle, and because if I get it I can use my current battery and have two altogether. However, it doesn't have WM5, so another h4300 is a last resort...
- Axim x51v (x51? x50v? I don't know the difference), because it has WM5, VGA, Wifi. However, the recent news about damaging my motherboard worries me, and the fact that I'd have to get a bluetooth keyboard, and none of the ones out there appear to be full-size.
- HTC Hermes (I've been drooling over this one), because it's going to have WM5, Wifi, the extra-battery cradle, and of course that really cool slide-out keyboard. However, the lack of an audio jack, and the fact that it's a pocket pc phone worry me.

The reason I'm nervous about getting a pocket pc phone is that I don't know if I could use the phone part. I've heard about people being able to put a sim card from a regular phone into a pocket pc phone and being able to work it, but would putting my Razr's sim card into it work too? I'm worried that if I get a pocket pc phone, I'd be paying that extra few hundred dollars for phone capabilities that I wouldn't use.

So would these models here work for me? Are there any other models that I should be considering?

Oh, and I'm running Vista, if that matters. Don't know if there's compatibility issues I should be worrying about.

Thanks for your time, I really do appreciate it. :D

- E

PS. Photon's funeral will be awesome. I'm gonna write a elegy and bury it in a wooden box somewhere safe. Has anyone else here ever done something like that before?

[patrickj]

I have some quick thoughts for you on some of what you're asking:

Primary difference between the X50V and X51V is that the X51V is a full Windows Mobile 5 device out of the box. The X50V requires an update / upgrade for Windows Mobile 5 - and a huge number of users have had huge problems with that update. So I'd say if you are going to consider an Axim and you need WM5, definitely look at the X51V.

The Hermes does look excellent and seems like a device that would meet most / all of your needs. I use its 'little brother' the HTC Wizard (Cingular 8125) and love it - and the Hermes offers a real upgrade on hardware buttons and scroll wheel, HSDPA support and processor speed. On the SIM card issue, you should be able to get a quick answer on that from your mobile carrier.

Hope that may help a little ...

[isajoo]

cremasion is a nono for electronics... bury it on the backyard... maybe in 50 years somewill dig it up and say WHAT THE hell is that... by that time all pc computing will be integrated into human bodies and charge off the foods consumed. 8O

bean burito's have 3 hours battery life. :lol:

[Nurhisham Hussein]

I've heard about people being able to put a sim card from a regular phone into a pocket pc phone and being able to work it, but would putting my Razr's sim card into it work too?

If you're on a GSM network, there should be no problem at all about switching sim cards. I know some people who switch phones 2-3 times a year - no problems there.

BTW, I doubt you'd be able to get a 4300 or a x50v new anymore. Hermes is nice, but have you considered getting a PDA with USB host? That way you can hook up any USB keyboard to your device.

[Menneisyys]

- Axim x51v (x51? x50v? I don't know the difference), because it has WM5, VGA, Wifi. However, the recent news about damaging my motherboard worries me

With the safety tricks I've listed in the original article (additional PCI USB2 card etc), there will be absolutely no problems.

and the fact that I'd have to get a bluetooth keyboard, and none of the ones out there appear to be full-size.


The Stowaway BT keyboard IS full-size. It's only, for example, the (IMHO, pretty low-quality) Belkin BT keyboard that isn't.

HTC Hermes (I've been drooling over this one), because it's going to have WM5, Wifi, the extra-battery cradle, and of course that really cool slide-out keyboard. However, the lack of an audio jack, and the fact that it's a pocket pc phone worry me.

IMHO, if the Hermes is in no way worse than the Wizard, you can safely go for it. As far as the headphone jack problem is concerned: get a BT headset.

The reason I'm nervous about getting a pocket pc phone is that I don't know if I could use the phone part. I've heard about people being able to put a sim card from a regular phone into a pocket pc phone and being able to work it, but would putting my Razr's sim card into it work too? I'm worried that if I get a pocket pc phone, I'd be paying that extra few hundred dollars for phone capabilities that I wouldn't use.

It will work.