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

[BreakApart]

All my fav nudie websites...

lol, j/k...

All my favorite websites, seperate categories include:
General info
Linux
CCNA sites-info
MCSE sites-info
Monthly bills
Online shopping sites
etc
etc

Calender
Address Book: Personal & Business(use this about 4 times a day-absolute must have for me)
Calculator- (always seem to be using this)
Chick magnet-they always ask me: "Am i in your lil book." I say: "JHUgftjhgHUYHHHUHggY"
Sorry can't give away my best pick-up lines...

 

[HansXP]

<< << PPCs can also hook onto wired and wireless networks, and use both landline and cellular modems for Internet access. >>

Same with Palm, except for wired LAN (for now). Strangely enough, wireless 802.11b exists. >>



Yes, but only a couple of devices can do this. Because most PPCs have either a CF or PCMCIA slot, they can connect to more devices.




<< << Palm's have an awkward way of adding, where basically you need to copy anything to main memory before you can use it. >>

Not correct. With several Palm OS machines you can run programs directly from FlashROM >>



Only if you have specially-made applications. Normal apps can't use stuff in FlashROM.



<< << -PPCs play MP3s and videos, which Palms can't do because they don't have a fast enough processor. The new Sony Clie is able to play MP3s only because they added a special audio processor to it. >>

Strangely enough, you can play videos on a Visor. If you buy a CompactFlash adapter for the Visor, it includes software that allows video playback right off the CF card. Haven't tried this function though, since I so far have no use for it. >>



Heh, in greyscale...I bet that looks wonderful, especially at <15 fps.



<< Do you guys really care about wireless connectivity? Do you guys actually use iPaq or other Pocket PCs to browse the internet or write e-mails on the road? >>



Yep, all the time. It's awesome.

 

[arod]

anybody know where to get some freeware games?

 

[Eug]

<< Normal apps can't use stuff in FlashROM. >>

??? Yes you can. People use FlashROM cards and modules all the time with normal apps. You can read files and run software directly off of it.


<< Heh, in greyscale...I bet that looks wonderful, especially at <15 fps. >>

Yes, it's slow, but colour depends on whether or not you want to spend the extra money. Video works in both colour and greyscale in PalmOS. Not that I care at this point, since I don't think the extra money is worth it for my purposes, even with PocketPC. When the video capable colour machines drop below US$300 I will consider one, as long as I can still do what I do now.


<< Because most PPCs have either a CF or PCMCIA slot, they can connect to more devices. >>

In all honesty, I don't think full size PCMCIA is really a great idea for any PDA, although it can work fine. CF is a good form factor and design, and fortunately, there are a couple of PalmOS machines that support CF. But yes, it would be nice if there were better standardization in form factor for the PalmOS machines.

 

[HansXP]

<< anybody know where to get some freeware games? >>



For what platform?

 

[HansXP]

<< Yes you can. People use FlashROM cards and modules all the time with normal apps. You can read files and run software directly off of it. >>



What devices can use add-on memory directly, in all apps?

 

[arod]

win ce (i think dont know version)or what ever os omes with the casio e125

 

[HansXP]

arod, that is Windows CE 3.0 aka the Pocket PC OS.

 

[Eug]

<< What devices can use add-on memory directly, in all apps? >>

Well, I don't know too much about how the add-on memory in all the different PalmOS PDAs work, but for instance, it does work fine on the Handspring Visor series. There are Springboard modules and CompactFlash adapters now that will use data/apps directly off the FlashROM. For the Springboard module it's plug and play. For the CF Adapter you need to load an extra piece of software.

The caveat though is that data on the ROM card cannot be directly edited. So, it's good for things like games and application software, and for databases like dictionaries, etc. which don't get modified. However, if the database is going to be modified, it should be in main system memory. For example, if you want to work on a spreadsheet, then the spreadsheet program can be on FlashROM, but the actual spreadsheet should be in main RAM. OTOH, if you are reading an e-book, both the book and the reader can be on FlashROM.

 

[arod]

yeah thats probably it does anybody know of a good site?

 

[HansXP]

arod, try Pocket Gamer

 

[NFS4]

OK HanXP, I got this info regarding storage cards and running apps. I started this thread over at Brighthand and got quite a few responses:

http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&amp;threadid=24299

 

[pmark]

Hey NFS4, you mentioned that you have the silver slider, did you consider the mod by GeorgeM?

Also what do you use as a screen cover for the silver slider?

 

[NFS4]

<< Hey NFS4, you mentioned that you have the silver slider, did you consider the mod by GeorgeM?

Also what do you use as a screen cover for the silver slider? >>


Ummm, if you see my post about, I got it from George. And I'm not using a screen cover.

 

[Eug]

The way I understood it (but feel free to correct me) is that for the Visor, the FlashROM module acts similarly to system RAM. Ie. System memory can be RAM or RAM plus FlashROM in specific forms. In other words, the FlashROM module of the Visor acts just like RAM, except that you just can't modify the data there directly.

On the other hand, CF works differently, but I'm not sure of the specifics. However, CF can be made to simulate RAM, but there is overhead involved, sort of like virtual memory on a PC.

Here is a very short article.

 

[pmark]

Oops...I mean Whitney 's CF sleeve/case mod

 

[BD2003]

On pocket PC's it loads into ram, but only the parts you need, just like a PC. Its just like a hard disk and ram. The programs in ram also need memory, but a lot less. And the CF card can emulate program memory, I've had to do it for pocketsnes, but I dont suggest it.


As far as palms go, as far as I know the dragonball processor cant even address more than 8mb. And thats the reason why no palm has 16mb of ram, not even the newest, when some ppcs have 64mb of ram. Most programs are so tiny that if you put them on a cf card and supposedly ran them from there, you wouldnt even notice that it copied it over to main memory. But youre gonna need some degree of free space. Even some programs decompress and need some amount of it.

PPCs have finally evolved to the point where I wouldnt take a palm over one, but they can still use a few tricks from palm. For one thing, form factor. PPcs are too fat and big. And secondly, optimization. Palm runs their apps like a champ on 16mhz, you dont really hear many people complaining about slow palms, even on those who have the original 16mhz processors. But PPC will get complaints everywhere. Noone should be complaining about the speed of even a 133mhz PDA. Some optimization is definitely in need.

 

[Eug]

<< As far as palms go, as far as I know the dragonball processor cant even address more than 8mb. >>

I believe the earlier Palms couldn't only address up to 8 MB, but the actual CPU can address more.

Linky

Support 8 bit / 16 bit port DRAM / Synchronous DRAM.
Support CAS-before-RAS refresh cycles and self-refresh mode DRAM/SDRAM
EDO or Automatic Fast Page Mode for LCDC access
Single LCD DMA cycle transfer with SDRAM
Programmable refresh rate
Support up to 2 banks of DRAM/EDO DRAM/SDRAM
Programmable column address size

 

[Zach]

jack. I should sell it.

 

[go_unix]

Palm IIIxe

1. 1. Appointments
   2. Addresses
   3. Avantgo
   4. Vindigo (NYC)
   5. Wireless email, surfing, telnet, and palm.net pqa apps (cable to Qualcomm Thin Phone)
   6. Project planning and organization (Brainforest)
   7. e-text (iSilo Free, etc...)
   8. Games
   9. Mini disc titling (MD Titler)
   10. Remote control (OmniRemote)
   11. Timesheet (PunchClock)
   12. Calculator (EasyCalc)
   13. Unit Conversion (YAUC)
   14. Databases for movies, CDs, etc... (HanDBase)

It's very very useful day to day.

-go_unix

 

[BD2003]

Maybe its something about the internal mainboard or something, but it seems silly that no palm has more than 8mb of ram for any other reason, especially when ppcs always have more.

Palms are way overpriced, at least the more expensive ones. The palm m100 is a deal though. Small, cheap, and does what it does very well.

Microsoft could still learn a lot from palm. For one thing, processor standardization. At this point, people are starting to write programs for only one processor, simply because itd be too much trouble to do it for all three. Most apps run fine written in visual C or basic, but the best are in assembly. One that comes to mind is iplay. An ipaq only mp3 player, written specifically for the arm cpu. Plays mp3s with 10% cpu usage (20 mhz!), with eq and everything. I'd kill for that app on my jornada, but its not likely to ever happen.

 

[NFS4]

<< Maybe its something about the internal mainboard or something, but it seems silly that no palm has more than 8mb of ram for any other reason, especially when ppcs always have more.

Palms are way overpriced, at least the more expensive ones. The palm m100 is a deal though. Small, cheap, and does what it does very well.

Microsoft could still learn a lot from palm. For one thing, processor standardization. At this point, people are starting to write programs for only one processor, simply because itd be too much trouble to do it for all three. Most apps run fine written in visual C or basic, but the best are in assembly. One that comes to mind is iplay. An ipaq only mp3 player, written specifically for the arm cpu. Plays mp3s with 10% cpu usage (20 mhz!), with eq and everything. I'd kill for that app on my jornada, but its not likely to ever happen. >>


1) Well considering that Palm's can't do any serious multimedia stuff like full-speed movie playback or even have the speakers for MP3 playback could be a factor. Also, PalmOS apps tend to be a lot smaller than PocketPC apps.

2) I agree on the overpriced part. When you can get a feature filled Casio EM-500 for $299 before rebates/coupons, the higher priced Palms ARE overpriced. And the m100 feels TOO cheap for me. Feels like a damn toy.

3) Most people only write for the iPAQ b/c it is the only PocketPC with the raw horespower to run a lot of the more complex apps. The Jornada is just a dog with that piddlin' 133MHz SH3 processor. That's why you see most apps made for MIPS and ARM. In fact, Microsoft is dropping support for the SH3 processor in the upcoming PocketPC OS.

 

[vinayag]

For all of you who keep honking about a Palm or a IPAQ, just take a look at the Psion Revo. Psion is very very popular in Europe and Diamond markets its in the US as a mako (www.diamondmako.com). This piece of hardware blows the hell out of the Palm with its simplicity and design. Full integration with microsoft office, integrated keyboard, 32 bit OS and what not.

I started with a Palm IIIx, moved to a Palm V. Moved to the IPAQ and now Im settled with the Psion Revo !

 

[NFS4]

<< For all of you who keep honking about a Palm or a IPAQ, just take a look at the Psion Revo. Psion is very very popular in Europe and Diamond markets its in the US as a mako (www.diamondmako.com). This piece of hardware blows the hell out of the Palm with its simplicity and design. Full integration with microsoft office, integrated keyboard, 32 bit OS and what not.

I started with a Palm IIIx, moved to a Palm V. Moved to the IPAQ and now Im settled with the Psion Revo ! >>



Bah! No color, no MP3's, no videos! Where's the fun at? I use my PDA for work and play. What about CompactFlash or PC Card support? Wireless LAN? How about IE 4.0 web browsing functionality, java support, and Shockwave support?

 

[Skaven]

Hey guys! Good thread with some great info!

My very first question to all of you: Do you carry your PDA around EVERYWHERE you go? Do you just put it in your pocket? Belt-clip? I'm just curious as to how many of you have it on you at all times, and where you put it!

Secondly, I'm still not 100% convinced on the &quot;multimedia&quot; aspect of the more powerful PDAs. Sure you can play your MP3s on it, and see games/pics in color... but how many of you actually fill your memory with videos and MP3s? I mean, 32mb is a decent amount of space, but that runs out quick, right? Then how much do you have to spend in addition to that for the expansion jacket, and on top of that the PCMCIA memory card? Sure, it's probably nice to have an &quot;all in one&quot; solution. But for the money spent, I'd rather have a seperate MP3 player with CHEAP media. Like my Rio Volt... but I digress..

I've never actually played with an iPaq, so I can't say too much about them. I've just always loved the simplicty and functionality of my Palms. The thought of a registry on a PDA just scares the crap out of me!

As for what I use my lowly Palm IIIx for?

1. AvantGo
2. Appointments/Notes
3. Todo
4. Contacts
5. Games
6. Finance tracking
7. GPS tracking and mapping (hooked up to my GPS12)

What else I plan on using it for?

-wireless internet (as soon as Sprint gets a phone with an IR modem - screw the cables)

-accelerometer: to be used similarly to the GTech, but with more options. IE, actual HP/Torque curves, log and save the data, infinite number of tests. Also want to use it to monitor speed and lateral accel on a track. That way I can see how fast I went into the turn and how much G I was pulling... lots of other cool stuff!

-ECU programming: to be used to link up to the engine management system of the car. So I can just click on the screen to go into &quot;economy mode&quot; or &quot;high-boost mode&quot; or &quot;race-fuel mode&quot; etc.. Also to monitor and do data-logging.

All of that in the confines of 4mb of space. Gotta love it!

-Pablo

oh yea, fits in my pocket perfectly!
Did I mention that I bought it over 2 years ago for less than $200?