Is the pocket PC ready to replace the laptop for surfing?

[bupkus]

My niece asked me to be on the lookout for a new laptop for her. She sits at her job and wants to cruise the Internet when things are slow. She may be in a "hot spot" as here job is in a mall less than 100 ft from a Starbucks. I personally have no experience with this wireless hotspot stuff so please give me the ABCs.

Edit: Ok, can a pocket pc hook up to a small 15" LCD and just be a pocket pc when you unplug?

 

[NitrouseXpress60]

i have a ppc, hp 4150 with the wireless b. i have a wireless network at home, so its a benefit for me. i downloaded AIM, which i had to pay for btw, and now i can instant message people anywhere there is a hotspot. as for browsing the web, the screen is WAY to small. the ppc second edition lets you put the screen in landscape orientation so this might help. connecting it to a LCD display? i havent heard of that one, although some ppcs have usb ports and special docking ports, which you hook up to ur pc. IMO, just buy a light laptop

 

[p0lly]

You might think about Nokia 770
http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,1522,,00.html?orig=/770

but it won't ship until "q3 2005" (yeah, that sucks)

 

[Tostada]

Most pages are optimized for 1024x768. Even this forum can't show you the whole nav bar at the top in 800x600. Usually things work OK in 800x600, but it starts to get painful in 640x480 (notice that XP won't even let you choose 640x480 as a resolution anymore). Pocket PCs with resolutions below 640x480 are pretty useless for browsing.

What's this about a 15" LCD? Does she really have a job where they'll let her hook up a 15" LCD and sit there playing with it while she's supposed to be working?

I haven't seen anything smaller than an 8" tablet with an 800x600 display that would really be decent for the web:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16858112003

 

[bupkus]

Yah, it's her own business selling young woman fashions like purses, belts and such at a stand in a mall.

 

[Rottie]

Smartphones are going to replace PDA soon.