For those that have PDA (PocketPC or PalmOS), what do you use it for?

[NFS4]

Compaq iPAQ H3630:

1) Avantgo, NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT
2) Contacts
3) Calander/scheduling
4) Word & Excel, with the targus Stowaway keyboard, it acts like a miniatrure notebook computer
5) MP3 player
6) Pocket Streets 2001 (have maps of cities that I need to go, yet don't know my way around)
7) Games
8) Photo viewer/slideshow
9) VNC, to VNC into desktop machine

I could go on, but there's just so much to do

 

[astroview]

Palm Vx, I would love to have the iPAQ but too much $$$

mainly as a todo list
some games
reading avantgo when I am bored in class

QUESTION: is the keyboard for the Vx worth it?

 

[HansXP]

I have an @migo Pocket PC (like an iPAQ but better )

On a day-to-day basis, I carry it with a 2 GB PCMCIA hard drive. I listen to MP3s, read AvantGo, and play games. One of these days I'll get off my lazy ass and organize my contacts in Outlook so that I can sync them.

When I'm at home, I carry around the @migo with a wireless network card plugged in - browse the net from anywhere in the house

When I go on trips, I take a cellular modem card along and get my email from where I'm staying. I also use Pocket Streets if I don't know the area.

All in all, it's pretty handy!

 

[Charles]

<< Word &amp; Excel, with the targus Stowaway keyboard, it acts like a miniatrure notebook computer >>


I thought there's Microsoft Transciber? Is it not good enough? How exactly does AvantGo work? Saves all the web page channels &quot;offline&quot; so that you can view them later?

 

[HansXP]

<< I thought there's Microsoft Transciber? Is it not good enough? >>


Transcriber is nice, but NOTHING can ever replace a keyboard.


<< How exactly does AvantGo work? Saves all the web page channels &quot;offline&quot; so that you can view them later? >>


Yes, Avantgo saves certain web pages directly to the PPC and allows you to read them later using Internet Explorer. These web pages are pre-formatted to the screen sizes and small storage spaces of PPCs.

 

[Hyudra]

I have a pocket PC, I use it for nothing. Not sure what I can use it for, heh.

 

[GL]

1) Todo List
2) Calendar
3) Avantgo
4) Contacts

 

[HansXP]

<< I have a pocket PC, I use it for nothing. Not sure what I can use it for, heh. >>



Then why did you buy it?

 

[Schola]

Palm IIIxe

1)Avanto go
2)Homework Assignements
3)To-Do list
4)contacts.

Thats it mostly, plus some games

 

[TheOverlord]

got a visor deluxe...use it all the time:

1. Appointments
2. AvantGo
3. typing stories for newspaper (w/ targus keyboard)
4. taking down the homework
5. games
6. and much much more

 

[Rectalfier]

I've got an EM-500. I use it to listen to MP3's on the way to work and back. I stay organized with the calender, to do list, and I enjoy writing e-mail's in different places. I plan on getting a cell phone to go with it so that I can have internet access.

 

[Charles]

For those who own a PocketPC:

1. Do you think that a built-in expansion slot is necessary?
2. HansXP, how long the battery of your @migo Pocket PC last? 12 hours?
3. Is 32MB RAM enough for basic Pocket PC usage (Contacts, AvantGo, Notes, Calendar...)? I know it won't be enough if you use it as an MP3 player...
4. NFS4, did you buy and use any expansion pack for your iPaq? If yes, what do you use it for? CF? or Micro drive?

 

[HansXP]

<< Do you think that a built-in expansion slot is necessary? >>


That all depends on what you want to use it for. If you don't need MP3s or a lot of data, and you don't need Internet access, then no expansion slot would work. But if you need either of those, or a lot of other things, then an expansion slot is probably necessary. I myself never leave the house without something plugged in to the PCMCIA slot.



<< HansXP, how long the battery of your @migo Pocket PC last? 12 hours? >>


Well, I am almost always using the PCMCIA hard drive, so it's hard to say how long the battery normally lasts. URthere says it lasts 8 hours, and I'd guess that is fairly accurate.



<< Is 32MB RAM enough for basic Pocket PC usage (Contacts, AvantGo, Notes, Calendar...)? I know it won't be enough if you use it as an MP3 player... >>


32 MB is fine for just the basic stuff. In fact, before I had the hard drive, I could fit about an album's worth of songs on there in the ultra-compressed 32kbps WMA format.

 

[TimeKeeper]

According to my wife, she use her EM500 for lots websurfing, email, words, and show off family photos to her colleagues.

$29 pocketpc-to-cellphone cable really works like wonder...no need to subscribe to wireless isp, no matter where you go, as long as you can received your regular call, you can log on to internet.


p.s. EM500 is onsale for $299.88 at your local GoneUSA. That's like $350 saving over iPaq

 

[randomlinh]

i want one, but can't justify the cost for myself

 

[HansXP]

<< p.s. EM500 is onsale for $299.88 at your local GoneUSA. That's like $350 saving over iPaq >>



I'd pay $350 just for that extra memory storage. I couldn't stand 16 MB.

 

[Noriaki]

I'm getting a Visor Deluxe, I will use it for:

Appointments/ToDo List/Calendar
Contacts (i hope to consolidate all my phone number lists in it)
Jotting down notes in meetings, and tracking my homework assignments when I'm back at school.
AvantGo
Maybe a few games here and there

 

[TimeKeeper]

HansXP:

for that extra $350 you spend on ipaq, you could get yourself 320MB extra memory. (64MB mmc X 5)

 

[HansXP]

Nothing ever replaces the built in memory. You can't use storage cards for running programs, you can't use storage cards to store certain data, and you can't use storage cards when you're using another card. Those 16 extra megs really add to the speed of the PPC and I wouldn't give it up for anything.

But then, I'm rich, so I can afford that

 

[Noriaki]

32MB!
Holy crap...how much RAM do those PocketPCs take....

Kim's Palm is LOADED and he's only using like 4MB....

Oh wait...I forgot MS makes the PocketPC OS...

 

[randomlinh]

actually, the EM500 i believe you can install programs onto the MMC's. Tho, the more built in the better cause those MMC's are expensive, and only 64MB (right now anyway).

 

[TimeKeeper]

<< Nothing ever replaces the built in memory. >>

.......true.


<< You can't use storage cards for running programs, >>

....not completely true.


<< you can't use storage cards to store certain data, >>

....such as?


<< and you can't use storage cards when you're using another card. >>

...true.



<< Those 16 extra megs really add to the speed of the PPC >>

...true.

and I wouldn't give it up for anything.



<< But then, I'm rich, so I can afford that >>


okay..hmm......you had me there, I arrest my case.

 

[Rectalfier]

I've got a 28meg MMC card to go along with my EM-500. I can load everything onto it, Programs, Data, Etc, the only problem is that it is a little slow. I have loaded doom2, Hexen, and Quake onto it, it takes a while to load, but it isn't unbearable.

I am waiting for SD cards to become widely available, they are about 5 times faster than MMC cards and are suppossed hold up to 256megs sometime this year. Of course a microdrive or a pcmcia drive would be better, but I don't have that much money to burn.

 

[HansXP]

<< Oh wait...I forgot MS makes the PocketPC OS... >>



Yes, which means they work well, are very stable, and have many useful features. If a Palm could do what a Pocket PC could, it would need 32 MB too.



<< << You can't use storage cards for running programs, >>

....not completely true. >>



Yes, it is. You cannot use storage cards as &quot;working RAM&quot; where programs that are currently running reside. You can only use storage cards to store programs when they aren't being run.



<< << you can't use storage cards to store certain data, >>

....such as? >>



Anything in the \Databases folder (Outlook contact/todo/calendar databases, system databases, the registry) Certain programs won't install to storage cards, and certain games can't work off of storage cards because they are too slow. Let's not forget all of the add-on DLLs and fonts in the \Windows directory.



<< okay..hmm......you had me there, I arrest my case. >>



hehe

 

[Noriaki]

What can a PocketPC do that a Palm m500 or m505 can't?

I'm actually curious...I'm not trying to start a flamewar here...I thought they were pretty equally capable.