Color Palm Pilot...

[Gurm]

So, I need a new Palm Pilot. My old one is just too old and slow and icky. Plus I want to reward myself for getting a swell new job.

So, I'm looking into devices.

I'm thinking about the Visor Prism. A 65,000 color screen sounds nifty. But I could order a Sony CLIE Color from Japan, and those have 320x320 resolution (what's the resolution on a Visor, anyone know?).

Or I could wait for the Palm m505, which is supposed to be all spiffy.

OR I could get a Pocket PC. Maybe something like the Compaq iPaq?

Ok, maybe I should lay out what I want from it.

1. Must be capable of eventually playing MP3's. It doesn't have to do it in hardware on the base unit... but there must be an add-on AVAILABLE TODAY that will do it. The PocketPC's play them in hardware, the Visor has several not-too-expensive addons to do it, and I dunno if there's one for the Palms.

2. Must have a nice color screen. 320x320 would be nice, certainly. 160x160 is NOT nice. 256 colors is not nice. 65000 is nice. 4096 is... well... livable, I guess.

3. Must not weigh 8 tons.

4. Must have a steady supply of pirated... err... I mean CHEAP software.

5. Must not SUCK.

6. Price range: around $400-$500, give or take. (A Visor Prism is $400 online, but it takes another $150 to make it play MP3's...)

Ok that's all. Ideas? Comments? Thoughts?

- Gurm

P.S. Anyone wanna buy my Palm IIIx?

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[isochar]

Hey Gurm, I seem to be in the same boat. I recently purchased a Sony Clie for a really good price, and it really did the Palm OS justice. (With the JogDial) However, after using it for a few weeks, I've found that I want so much more.

The new clie (N700C) and the new palm (m505) are nice units, but they still don't match up to what the PocketPCs are capable of.

It seems that an organizer isn't enough anymore, and I believe Palm has realized that. For $400 why buy a color organizer when you can buy a pocket color PC for $350-400? (Casio)

Now, assuming you've narrowed yourself down to a PocketPC, you have 3 general choices to make:

Ipaq, Jornada, Cassiopeia
Go here for reviews (both offical and user): http://www.zdnet.com/special/filters/sc/pda/

From my research at both forums and reviews, I've come up with these key facts about the units:

Ipaq - slimest of the bunch when not using an expansion pack. It weighs 6.3 ounces! (Comparable to the Palms). It has a decent indoor display, and the best outdoor display. Best expandibility due to the expansion packs. Best support from software vendors. Fastest processor. Best tech support. One of the major problems with these units is the quality control Lots of users have complained about dust specs appearing inside the display. (Rumor has it that the 3650 & 3670 have improved this) These units also have the average or most memory. Either 32mb (3650) or 64mb (3670) and the 16mb ROM.

HP - I couldn't really find anything to justify purchasing any of the HP Pocket PCs. (The jornada 720, a Handheld PC is excluded from this comparison) They are priced about the same as the competition. They have the slowest processors, worst screens, worst tech support. All other categories they are "average". They have the CF built in, so they will always be heavy. I have noticed complaints about the build quality of these units.

Casio - The screen is the best by far indoors. Every review praises the display. However, outdoors the screen practically useless. It does have the CF built-in, so it will always be bulkier than a Palm. The EM500 is crippled by too little memory. (16mb ROM, 16mb RAM) Whereas the EM125 has the average for a Pocket PC (16mb ROM, 32mb RAM). The EM125 also has improved audio output for both the speaker and headphones. The Casios have 150mhz processors, which are slower than the Ipaqs, but faster than the HPs. Support for the from software vendors is decent. (Better than HP, but worse than Ipaqs) Build quality is excellent since they are manufactured in Japan.

Ok, hope I summed up the units fairly well.

IMHO, here are your choices: (from the criteria you mentioned)

Casio EM125 - $498 (I think it still has a $100 rebate)
IPAQ 3650 - $489

Between these two choices, I would tell you to go with the Compaq. It is sleeker, more supported, with nearly every feature you can imagine. It also comes with a CF expansion pack, so you will not have to throw in any extra cash.

However, those expansion packs do add bulk to the IPAQ, and most IPAQ users recommend doing an upgrade to the CF expansion pack:
http://www.medicalpocketpc.com/slider.html

Basically the guy trims down the expansion pack and paints it to match the IPAQ.

I personally ordered the 3670 this week, and should have it in 1-2 weeks. (Due to the huge backorders on them ) My decision behind this was that I liked the size of the clie, and didn't want the bulk that comes with carrying the expansion packs on the IPAQ. So, the extra memory (64mb RAM) should allow me to do without the expansion pack. It did come at a cost since I dished out an extra $150.

You can ICQ or email me if you want to discuss the hardware and/or software.

[This message has been edited by isochar (edited 27 April 2001).]

[isochar]

One more thing I forgot to add. The PocketPC platform is going to be very strong by the end of the year...

Intel should have their X-scale processors out. (2x the speed @ ~400mhz, 50% less power consumption than StrongARM processors)

[isochar]

Link:
http://developer.intel.com/design/intelxscale/

Interesting Chart:
<img border="0" src="http://developer.intel.com/design/intelxscale/pic/chart2.gif" width="534" height="382"></p>


[This message has been edited by isochar (edited 27 April 2001).]

[Gurm]

Of course the problem with the iPaq is of course the 12-bit color. I tried downsampling some things and decided that I really either need to stick to 256 or go all the way to 65,000.

Is the Casio that bad a unit?

I'm down to the Casio and the Visor Prism (since Sony's whamma jamma Japanese unit is still only 256 color).

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[xortam]

The iPaq has a wireless add-on (uses its own batteries)!

[isochar]

The problem with 16-bit is that it drains the batteries faster than 12-bit. Hence Compaq's decision to sacrifice the screen depth in exchange for a faster processor. IMHO, 12-bit isn't as bad as people make it sound. I've seen the Casio next to the Ipaq, and there isn't THAT much of a difference between the depths. (However the Ipaq is "milkier" due to its reflective screen)

My largest complaint with the Casio is that the screen is worthless in ANY sunlight. Which includes being near a window indoors.

Other reason I didn't choose it was because I love the size of the Palm units, and the Ipaq can be the same size if I want it to.

If you can live with those two drawbacks, then go with the Casio EM125 and enjoy the "better" screen!

Xortam, the Ipaq also has the PCMCIA adapter that uses its own batteries as well. (They've also released a solar panel recharger for the Ipaq, and a Battery Expansion Pack) The Ipaq is undisputedly the best supported PocketPC out there.

[This message has been edited by isochar (edited 29 April 2001).]

[xortam]

I'm not a fan of Tampaq's PCs but it looks like they're really concentrating on this mobile market. I would be sorely tempted if I had any need for such a thing. I don't care to be straddled down with technology (no cell phone, thank you).

[isochar]

Technology is supposed to make our lives better

I too at first saw PDAs as a commodity rather than a necessity. However, using a Palm for a few weeks "converted" my beliefs. Their use for everyday is still a commodity, due to the lack of an easy way of inputing information. However, as their processor speeds increase, maybe voice dictation will be an available method of input.

What I really look forward to is the epitome of what a PDA is really for.

They will serve as:
-digital money (debit cards, credit cards) that's easy to use. Just put the PDA up to the register and use the IR to tranmit all the necessary data for the transaction. (Which then records the transaction in Pocket Money)
-form of ID. They'll have built-in fingerprint recognition. So you'll be able to use it as driver's license/passport/etc.

That's just the beginning too! I'm sure others have creative ideas for what PDAs should accomplish.

[isochar]

Let me add:
- Virtual communication. The screens are capable of video playback, and the devices have video cameras. Now the units just need that 2mbit wireless internet connection.
- Virtual data lookup/sending. Think about being able to make a reservation for a restaurant from your PDA. Or finding out where your bus is on its route. Or even finding out where your friend or family member is. (Via the built-in GPS tracking capabilities )

I really see the current devices as forming the infrastructure for what is to come. People who are adopting them early are just helping to promote what will eventually come to the masses. (Just like PCs )

[xortam]

All exciting things but I don't have a need for any of it. I'd be happy to develop the technology for others though. In fact, I looked at starting my own mobile SW company back in '91. I finally decided I'd rather be an engineer than run a company. Its taken quite a while for the mobile market to take off but its finally happening.