[cheewee]

Authors: Lee Chee Wee, Alvin Chang

The below article was published in Computer Times on 5 November 2003.

Can't decide on a new personal digital assistant (PDA)? Don't just read the brochures; get real advice from the people who know their PDAs inside-out. Computer Times invited two PDA enthusiasts - Alvin Chang from the Singapore Palm Users Group (www.spug.net) and Lee Chee Wee from the Pocket PC enthusiasts' website PPCSG.com - to help you decide which platform is right for your needs.


Do I need a manual to use my PDA?

Alvin: Palm OS is simple. Icons for each of your applications are conveniently categorized on a 160 x 160 pixel (older devices) or 320 x 320 pixel resolution (latest devices) color screen.

Color is now standard on almost all new Palm-based PDAs with the exception of the Palm Zire or Zire 21 models. There are usually four hardware buttons (only two on the Zires), which launch the installed Calendar, Addressbook, Notepad and Memopad applications, and these buttons can also be assigned to your favorite applications.

In essence, what you need from your Palm device is never more than a few clicks away. I've never relied on the manual to figure out how to use it out of the box.

Chee Wee: The Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 OS, which is available on new Pocket PC devices, resembles Windows on your desktop. It is intuitive for Windows users.

Pocket PC packs in familiar applications such as Pocket Internet Explorer, Pocket Inbox, Pocket Word and Pocket Excel. You don't have to install additional applications to surf the Internet, read e-mail, edit Word documents or update Excel spreadsheet. All these can be accomplished right out of the box.

You can also drag and drop documents from your PC to your Pocket PC and vice versa - if you know how a PC works, you can handle a Pocket PC device.

Contrary to popular belief, the Pocket PC is not that difficult to use. When I moved from Palm to Pocket PC, I mastered the device without reading the manual.

How do I keep my appointments with it?

Alvin: The standard personal information manager (PIM) functionalities are all present. You get a Calendar application for keeping track of your appointments and meetings, an Address Book to store your telephone numbers and e-mail messages, a Note Pad for quick scribbles on the go and a Memo Pad for notes and shopping lists. A To Do List is also available to keep track of tasks and reminders.

Chee Wee: Pocket PC synchronizes natively with Microsoft Outlook on your desktop so information in Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Inbox and Tasks is seamlessly transferred to your device.

The Calendar application keeps track of your appointments and displays them in Agenda, Day, Week, Month or Year views. Weekends are also color-coded so it is easier to schedule your appointments.

Notes allows you to scribble hand-written text to jot down important information. This hand-written text can be easily converted into typed text with the 'recognize' function. When it is not convenient to do so, you can record voice annotations with the press of a button.

It is also easy to compose e-mail messages with the Pocket PC. It automatically suggests e-mail addresses from the Contacts database, spell checks your text and appends a signature for your outgoing e-mail messages. You can embed pictures, files and even voice recordings in your messages.


Can I play games and listen to music?

Alvin: Almost all new Palm OS devices support popular audio and video formats like MP3 and MPEG. There's also usually out-of-the-box support for picture files and formats like JPEG, GIF and bitmaps.

With a device such as the Palm Zire 71 or the latest Handspring Treo 600, you can take pictures on the go with built-in cameras that have resolutions of 640 x 480 pixels.

Games and other entertainment software are also readily available on the Internet via various websites peddling Palm OS software. Among the more popular Palm OS games are Bejeweled and lately, Warfare Incorporated (a Command & Conquer clone).

Chee Wee: Coupled with Intel XScale processors and 64MB of RAM, Pocket PC devices are multimedia powerhouses. Even entry-level Pocket PC devices can play MP3 files without additional storage cards, or other proprietary accessories.

Pocket PCs are capable of multi-tasking so you can read an e-book while listening to an MP3. This ability is not limited to just music playback.

You can also use your Pocket PC as a recorder for voice memos and even entire meetings. With appropriate software, you can also perform voice commands or have text read out to you.

The Pocket PC is also great for gamers on the move. With a 65,000-colour screen, 16-bit stereo sound and the ability to display 3D graphics, Pocket PC devices rival even dedicated gaming handhelds.


What about add-on cards?

Alvin: You can store all the data you want with a Palm-based device. This is because it will likely have a slot for one of the popular memory card formats out there, be it Secure Digital (SD), Compact Flash (CF) or Memory Stick.

For example, a Sony Clie NX80 comes with 32MB of RAM built in for storage of applications and files, but it also supports Memory Stick capacities of up to 1GB (Memory Stick Pro only). This means you have almost an unlimited amount of space to store your favorite files and data.

Palm OS applications also generally take up less space on the device compared to Pocket PC software.

Chee Wee: Pocket PCs are expandable with CF, SD and PC Card slots. These are industry standards, so you can buy add-on devices from several vendors out there.

Apart form storage cards, you can add Ethernet, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to your PDA. With a host of add-on cards to choose from, you can also turn your PDA into a phone, a digital camera or an FM tuner.

Some Pocket PCs even have USB ports that let you plug in standard USB keyboards mice and external hard disks!


Can I surf the Net with it?

Alvin: Palm OS devices are well-connected to let you go online. Many of them come with built-in support for Bluetooth (Palm Tungsten series and most Sony Clies) and Wi-Fi (Palm Tungsten C and Sony Clie UX50).

You can also hook up to your notebook via an infra-red link, which is available on most Palm-based PDAs. In short, you'll get your e-mail, SMS (for cell phone combo devices like the Handspring Treo 600) and Internet access with a Palm-based PDA.

Chee Wee: New Pocket PCs let you set your Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Ethernet settings easily by using 'wizards' to guide you through.

Pocket PCs using the new Windows Mobile 2003 OS offer 'zero configuration' Wi-Fi so you can effortlessly connect to your wireless network without bothering about confusing settings.

Many Pocket PCs also come with Bluetooth, allowing you to connect to your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to go online. You can also use your Pocket PC to manage the contacts on your phone with ease.

Plus, Pocket PCs offer a true web surfing experience as Pocket Internet Explorer supports HTML 4.0, XML, xHTML, Jscript 5.5, and even animated GIFs! WAP is supported natively and MSN Messenger is also included to let you keep in touch with your pals.


Does size matter, too?

Alvin: Palm OS devices are generally small, light and 'pocketable'. In the case of most Sony Clies and the latest Palm Tungsten and Treo 600 models, Palm devices can also be said to be 'sexed up' as well. It goes without saying that most fashion-conscious young females would find the latest Sony Clie TJ35 or Palm Tungsten T3 fitting right in with their latest togs.

Chee Wee: Gone are the days when all Pocket PCs were large and bulky. Sleek Pocket PCs from HP such as iPAQ h1930 and iPAQ h1940 weigh a mere 124 grams.


What's the battery life?

Alvin: Palm OS devices can last from a few days to a few weeks without re-charging. This is because Palm OS devices mostly utilize processors of lower speed ratings (thereby saving valuable battery life) without sacrificing efficiency and usability. I once left my Sony Clie T615 without a charge for more than six months and the data I kept there was still intact!

Chee Wee: The battery life of your Pocket PC very much depends on how you use your device. If you are mostly using it for PIM, you will definitely have longer battery life than if you are gaming on the device. As Palm devices are going to use faster processors, higher resolution screens and integrated Wi-Fi, their advantage with battery life will likely diminish.

How do the prices compare?

Alvin: Palm OS devices cost between S$380 (mid-range Palm Tungsten E) to over S$900 (high-end Sony Clie). The cheapest Palm OS device goes for S$199 (Palm Zire 21), and is affordable to almost everyone.

Chee Wee: There are misconceptions that Pocket PCs are overpriced and expensive. Over the years, the prices of Pocket PC have come down. Currently, the HP iPAQ 1930 and Dell Axim X5 retail for as little as S$399. Despite being entry-level devices, they are still very capable compared to their higher-priced cousins.


Personal advice

Alvin: To me, a Palm OS device is beautiful in its simplicity. No fancy embellishments here, only substance and elegance. Everything is intuitive to use and never too complicated for the user.

Chee Wee: Out of the box, every Pocket PC offers much more than just a PIM. It is a gaming handheld, MP3 player, video player, and voice recorder. Even if you just need a diary, I am sure there is one that fits your budget and needs.


Alvin Chang is the president of Singapore Palm Users Group. Lee Chee Wee is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional and editor-in-chief of local Pocket PC enthusiast website, PPCSG.com

[hukuju]

Palm is a lost cause......... alot of people think that palm would die out soon. It might be a good thing as too many OS complicate things.

If everyone just make softwares and applications for one OS, it would solve alot of problems.

I think that betaplayer is the best..... simply the best software ever written for pocketpc followed by morphgear.

[John Teoh]

hukuju, on Apr 3 2005, 02:25 PM, said:

Palm is a lost cause......... alot of people think that palm would die out soon. It might be a good thing as too many OS complicate things.

If everyone just make softwares and applications for one OS, it would solve alot of problems.

I think that betaplayer is the best..... simply the best software ever written for pocketpc followed by morphgear.

Sorry to say that but I doubt it will be lost. Palm still has a very strong foundation and it has a lot of supporters too. Also, I don't see what is the problem with a few OS. If you are happy with one OS, then use it. If not, you still have another option to choose with.

Cheers
John

[Jfalcon]

John Teoh, on Apr 3 2005, 04:26 PM, said:

Sorry to say that but I doubt it will be lost. Palm still has a very strong foundation and it has a lot of supporters too. Also, I don't see what is the problem with a few OS. If you are happy with one OS, then use it. If not, you still have another option to choose with.

Cheers
John

Very fair words of post.

Its up to anyone to choose on the OS he/she feels comfortable with. I myself started with a Palm and have never looked back since.

In fact, i felt that with my previous experiences with a Palm, coupled with Desktop Windows usage, PPCs are probably just the right mobile devices one could have.

[BenedictSim]

Hmm... whenever I see folks comparing PPC, Palm, Symbian OS, or watever OS, I think of cars. In the sense of Saloon, MPV, Surb-urb Vehicle, Coupe etc, all cars.

I guess to each their flavour and preference. Each has their individual good points.

When I see Palm, I think of simplicity.

PPC? Office and Multimedia.

Symbian? Slow and Steady.

=P

[zuoom]

in a nut shell. it's just a tool eh? .P

what i usually tell my mates when they ask which is better. i ask, what's your purpose of getting one? your needs? ... (more often than not, they can't answer.)

then comes my standard answer. for address book, contacts, appt etc.. palm. simple and sweet.

you want video, more stuff... ppc. with plenty of addons, wonderful graphics etc.

-------

symbian.. erm.. it's for the phones. besides, MS has bought over them already. go figure.

[cqprime]

i disagree Palm is a lost cause...problem with them now is there internal management in palm is a mess i think...their palm ceo just quit...

Palm now adopting linux platform....into their os....cool....

wait for palm os 6.1 to be out....

earlier days...
i started off on windows mobile platform and was disappointed with it until i got myself a palm vx...then i started loving pda...

today i am a symbian smartphone user and also a user of treo 600...

hukuju, on Apr 3 2005, 06:25 AM, said:

Palm is a lost cause......... alot of people think that palm would die out soon. It might be a good thing as too many OS complicate things.

If everyone just make softwares and applications for one OS, it would solve alot of problems.

I think that betaplayer is the best..... simply the best software ever written for pocketpc followed by morphgear.

[jing]

Palm : Slim, high quality build. Fast OS. Some of the best application: Bike or Die - my favourite.

PPC: I still perfer because of... well it's a PC. Run flash, java, DOS and emulators (there's a palm emulator too!). Fast processor, more add-on like wi-fi and camera.