Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 109

There has been a small battle waging in these forums and others between Pocket PC fans and PalmOS fans. I'd like to point out some indisputable features of the PocketPC that I don't think PalmOS will ever have:

- Pocket PC or more ergonomic. One of the primary concerns of ergonomics is the prevention of repetitive strain disorder. Long periods of continued use can cause muscle strain. Pocket PC combats this by locking up or crashing every once in a while. In order for the user to resume, they must reset their device, which breaks the repetitiveness of their actions.

- Pocket PC is set to push aside the MPAA. With the ability to play high-quality MPEG movies (ranging from 13 to 35 seconds due to memory limitations), the Pocket PC platforms is ushering in an era of new short films. The traditional films of the members of the MPAA have often been criticized for being too long to grab the modern American's attention span. With the shorter playtime of Pocket PC movies, everyone will benefit.

- Pocket PC is part of a strong industry leader. Despite the government's smear campaign to label Microsoftr a monopoly, Pocket PC is going forward to promote Microsoft as the chosen platform of the people. Pocket PC is not openly supporting the dark, alternative operating systems like Linux and BeOS and third party applications. Instead, Pocket PC users will be guaranteed a steady supply of annualy named products familiar for the PC also available on the Pocket PC. Potentially harmful third party products and operating systems are being excluded to be sure that no unknown variables are put into the system. You wouldn't want to have your PDA crashing for an unknown reason would you?

- The narrowing market of hardware hardware vendors mean their will be a more focused approach for everyone involved: manufactures of hardware, sofwtare developers, and especially users. Comparison shopping will certainly also be easier. The forthought behind the platform's move to fewer hardware manufacturers was thorough. Meanwhile, PalmOS users and potential customers are facing more and more choices every day. As Palm spreads itself out, it is leaving itself vulnerable to innovations.

- Shorter battery life means fresher electricity. While PalmOS devices boast long battery life as a good thing, Pocket PC believes shorter battery life is actually a godsend. Although further research is needed, it is believed that the longer electricity stays in a battery, the less useful it becomes -- the electricity becomes stale. While Palm batteries have the potential to become "rotten", Pocket PC devices rejuvinate their supply daily, if not on the order of hours.

So, please, all of you, do not forget the features when you are trying to unfairly bash the Pocket PC. We all know who the real winner will be. And if anyone else has more features to point out, please do so.

Brian.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Trinition:

LOL. I hope enough people get to read this before it gets demoted to Off Topic. C'mon, James, you can make an exception in this one case, can't you?

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: South Lyon, MI
Posts: 7

I'm still trying to figure out what makes the Pocket PC significantly different than the H/PC's that have been out for a couple years.

It looks like this is just another version of WinCE, with some serious media spin. Don't get me wrong, I've generally been happy with Microsoft products, but I've yet to see anything the Pocket PC can do that my Philips Nino couldn't.


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Twinkie

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 151

Finally, someone who goes against the grain and hammers Microsoft! I own a Visor and I really like it. But I also think Pocket PCs are really cool. I have a feeling that if the Pocket PC devices had "Palm" written on them instead of "Microsoft" you wouldn't have written this. Responses:

-Let those that have Visors that have never had to be reset (soft, hard, warm, whatever)stand up. Now that we are all seated...

-I agree with you here. Palm has cornered the market on playing long, high-quality MPEGs on their devices. Microsoft shouldn't have even attempted to put Media Player on Pocket PCs. They should realize that people would rather watch movies on a 4-bit greyscale screen.

Do Palm devices "openly support the dark, alternative operating systems like Linux and BeOS"? No. Do both the Palm and the Pocket PC platforms support 3rd party apps? Yes. How many posts are on this board about Visors crashing "for an unknown reason"? A crapload. My Visor has crashed for "an unknown reason" many times.

-Somehow, you are forgetting that Palm creates the hardware AND the OS for its system. Is it beside the point that Palm has at least a 75% share of the market?

-Color=shorter battery life. See the Palm IIIc. When you create a device with a color screen that has the same battery life as a black and white screen, please include me in your will.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

LOL

What did you say? I couldn't hear you! I was too busy listening to MP3s while reading my email............something my Visor still can't do!

As for stability, well it's been almost six days and still no crash, maybe I just have a "bad" unit?

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Foo

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

As it stands now, there is only one Springboard module I would ever consider purchaseing...a Springboard to hold my Pocket PC!

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Foo

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Twinkie:

There's one thing the Pocket PC can do that the Phillips Nino can't: be sold in store anymore! Pocket PC owner don't have to worry about their units being discontinued due to poor sales for at least the next six months.

na2rboy:

People are hammer the product, not the company behind it. Judge J. is the man with the gavel.

I have never reset my Visor once -- soft, hard or whatever. I did reset my Palm III twice in the 14 months I had it: once when I accidentally sat on it, and once after the OS crashed from an AvantGo download. So no, it's not perfect, but it doesn't crash frequently enough to be an issue. I should say in fairness that I've spent an accumulated five or six hours with various WinCE units, and only had one crash.

It's to Palm's eternal credit that they didn't embarrass themselves by offering MPEG capabilities that didn't amount to a hill of beans and eat up precious megs of internal RAM in the bargain.

"Do Palm devices 'openly support the dark, alternative operating systems like Linux and BeOS'? No."

I used GnomePilot for Linux synchronization and had a few Linux conduit apps on my Palm III, but at the end of the day it was just easier to use Windows for the Palm since I don't do much synching anyway. I usually only HotSynch when I'm installing applications, or else once a week. I believe that Palm and Handspring include GNU Palm software (on an as is basis) on the CD that comes in the box, although they don't support it. I've seen Palm OS software available for BeOS, but I've never installed it.

It's true that Palm OS and WinCE both support third party apps. 55,000 developers' worth compared to 200. Maybe we'll get lucky an MS will release a free CE SDK to jump start development. I know they've been talking about this for a while.

Palm not only creates the hardware and software for its system but it also licenses its OS out to other companies, not the least of which is Handspring. The monopoly you're implying is truer of Apple than Palm, or even MS. Apple won't release the technical details for its G3 and G4 architectures, locking out MacOS' competitors -- Linux and BeOS -- so they own the hardware and the software exclusively. A 75% market share in itself doesn't constitute a monopoly unless Palm is guilty of anticompetitive infractions. For instance, MS is on trial for practices like browser bundling, not having an 85% market share. So yes, it is beside the point that Palm has the leading market share.

And a shorter batter life = a shorter battery life, period. Whether that shorter battery life is acceptable is a judgement each of us has to make. Red Mercury's tests of the IIIc's battery life demonstrated it to outlast the Palm Vx when the backlight was at it's minimal setting. What I would really like is some technical journal to do a really scientific test and construct a battery life comparison chart of all the popular PDAs.

[This message has been edited by Gameboy70 (edited 04-24-2000).]

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 151

I would definitely say that people are hammering the product BECAUSE of the company behind the product--MS.

That is great about resetting your Visor only a couple of times. But I have had to probably 7 or 8 times (soft), and judging from posts on this board, others have too.

I think it was a step in the right direction for MS to include Media Player in the Pocket PC. Of course the tech. is not perfect and requires tons of memory, but it is not bad for a first shot at integration. Besides, with memory add-ons, it could work well as an MP3 player.

Most Linux and BeOS users that I know (all in fact) decry all MS products concerning how unstable, bloated, etc. they are. So the chances of those users turning around and using a WinCE/PocketPC device are infinitesimal. I would love to know how many Linux/BeOS users would choose to purchase a WinCE/Pocket PC device over a Palm-compatible device. Maybe 3 or 4. On a different note, MS does make their own operating system that they of course would want to push over Linux/BeOS. It is popular to complain about how MS is trying to make itself "the chosen platform of the people" (to quote the original post), but any other company would be doing the same thing in their position--pushing their own product over their rival's product. They are trying to make money. That is acceptable in a capitalist society.

Palm has an many different development platforms, more developers, more third part apps, etc. Palm also has 85% marketshare, with WinCE/PocketPC around 10%. So it makes sense that it would have fewer 3rd party developers/apps.

I am in no way implying that Palm has a monopoly. Monopoly laws bother me. If a company is making a good product, people buy it. If a better product comes out, people buy it. If Apple doesn't want to release info on their G3/G4 architectures, they are well within their rights to do so.
Do you think that Palm is looking out for the good of all handheld users by licensing its OS, or is it looking out for the good of itself? Of course, itself. Greater market penetration is what they are seeking. But if Handspring suddenly took off and became a real threat to Palm, would Palm sit idly by while its sales slipped? Would it be happy that "at least the Visor is running our OS"? No. It would probably rescind its PalmOS license at the earliest point it could. So no, it is not beside the point that Palm has the leading market share when the original post is complaining about lack of choice, fewer hardware manufacturers, etc. due to MS's monopolistic practices. Palm, and any other company, would do the same thing if it was trying to gain or hold on to market share.

I am not sure what your point was on the battery life thing. Color devices have shorter battery life than black and white. The Pocket PC has shorter battery life than the IIIc, but also has a bigger screen and more pixels per square inch, thus drawing more power. I think maybe the original post should complain about battery manufacturers instead of Microsoft. Or actually not complain at all.

To sum up: I really like my Visor. I think the PocketPC devices are neat-o.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Valparaiso, IN
Posts: 146

Wow, I think foo is trying to save his soul by promoting Pocket PC's. Why else would he so zealously promote the product on a discussion board dedicated to the rival OS? I think the sarcasm that he adds really makes the topics and replies that he posts so much more palatable!

I especially love it when he says that he never accused Palm OS devices of being inferior, and yet with every post he makes he's constantly boasting of the superiorities of his beloved PPC. Well foo, if you're not trying to insult Palm OS you're doing an aweful job. Maybe you don't have the ability to understand that someone who buys an entry level Visor or Palm may be able to do everything a PDA was meant to do.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm perfectly capable of looking up a phone number or address without an MP3 playing in the background. Everything else that PocketPC boasts can be performed on a Palm OS device.

Foo, why don't you quite trying to justify the money that you spend on your dear little PPC on Palm OS boards. It's not our fault you found out that a Palm OS device is every bit as much a PDA as a PPC. It's also not our fault that Microsoft realized that CE sucked so bad because it was trying to do too much. They conceded that you don't need a full function PC in your hand. Instead, you just need to perform key functions.

The fact of the matter is that we're all pretty tired of hearing how much better you must be since you have a PPC and we're "stuck" in Palm OS land. No one cares!!! Give it a rest. So why don't you just go listen to you're MP3's and play with your small selection of games and quit bragging.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 109

Can't we all just get along? I posted this originally for some humor and satire pointed at Microsoft's marketing.

For the record, I use Microsoft products. In fact, I am posting this through IE5.0 on Windows 98 SE right now.

I don't, however, like the concept of Microsoft's Pocket PC. I have never used one for an extended period of time, so I know I can't be a fair judge. So what are you going to do? Sue me?

But, I also don't like Microsoft's marketing campaign. That one ad in USA Today implies that something that is simple just isn't as good as something that isn't simple. Most of the population can't even program their VCRs, folks. Simple IS sometimes better. In this case, I believe it is.

I do think it would be neat to have MP3s in my Visor. I might even by the Minijam by Innogear. But I don't want to dedicate part of my precious RAM and CPU power to playing those while I have other things to do. I'd like it to be as separate as possible. My desktop system has an unlimited power source and many hundreds of megahertz to spare, but my PDA doesn't.

I also think it's silly to put movies on something so small. When hurricane Hugo ripped through my town a while back, my family and I huddled around a 2" portable TV we got from looking at a time share. ALthough it brought us closer together, we couldn't stand it for too long. I just don't see the purpose of watching movies on such a small screen and for such a short length! It would be a neat trick for about 5 minutes before its usefulness wore off.

I believe that in PDAs simple is better. I carry a pocket knife because I don't want to carry a tool box. I think a PDA should be alike a pocket knife. Everything you think you need fitted in their nice and tightly. I think Pocket PC is trying to cram one too many cork screws, sweing kits and fishing hooks into their pocket knife.

So, laugh if you will. Take it seriously if you must. But this was a joke. If nothing else, this proves a point that people would rather argue than laugh for the most part about their PDAs. So why have such non-serious things like movies and music on them?

Brian.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Hawkeye,

First off, you may want to look at the name of this forum..."Off Topic". The name indicates that users can discuss whatever they please, you can even talk about sail boating if you like that sort of thing. And let's not forget that a discussion board is all about the free exchange of ideas. If you don't like the discussion topic, just ignore it.

Secondly, I'm here because I am a PDA user, a two platform PDA user to be exact. The general idea I've tried to get across is that both platforms have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. There is no wrong or right answer, it comes down to the needs of the end user. And by the way, if you think that the features of a Pocket PC don't belong in your Palm/Visor, then you had better check out the news article at CNET News.com. In the article Palm executives have admitted that features such as voice recognition and MP3 playback are going to find their way on the Palm as well. And remember those fast processors that Pocket PCs use?...you know, the ones that go up to 200 MHZ or faster? The same ones that everyone keeps saying "a Palm doesn't need because it can do more with a slower processor", well apparently Palm seems to agree with Microsoft because they are have made it known that they are moving to the ARM processor (yes, they are dumping the Dragonball) and will, eventually, move to speeds at 200 MHZ or faster. I guess the PPC isn't the worthless "toy" that you seem to think it is, at least Palm doesn't seem to think so.

Now, do you really think that Palm would have announced a move to these new features if it hadn't been, at least partly, due to pressure from the Pocket PC? This is what happens when we have competition in a market....companies innovate. Competition isn't just good, it's great! Competition means...better features...lower prices....and more innovative designs. And who doesn't want that. Can you honestly say that you don't ever want your Palm or Visor to change or have new features? If you don't then your in the minority. That's why I bought a Pocket PC, it offered me something the Palm didn't. And when Palm releases a "Killer PDA" with stereo playback, more memory, expansion, high-res color screen, and better integrated applications, I'll be the first one in line to get mine! You, Hawkeye, are trying to turn this into a political issue. I don't give a damn who offers me the features I want, Palm, Microsoft, or the fuc*ing Hostess Twinkie corporation. I buy whatever device satisfies my needs as a PDA user.

Lastly, in case you haven't noticed, your in the extreme minority. Everyone here seems to enjoy having debates or sharing information. Personally, I get a devilish grin on my face every time I see a reply from Gameboy70 to one of my posts. And I'm sure he feels the exact same way. We have fun! And isn't that what were really here for?

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Foo

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Valparaiso, IN
Posts: 146

foo,

I don't disagree that PPC's are valuable devices. As I've stated in previous posts, I wouldn't mind getting one soon. The point of my post was not only to point out that Palms are adequate PDA's, but more importantly to point out that it's your attitude that annoys me, and many other users. (see http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/000131.html )

Every time any seemingly normal topic or reply is posted, you inevitably seem to chime in with a "well, if you had a Pocket PC you could ..." type comment.

I agree that this is an Off Topic Section and you could talk about picking your nose with you PPC if you wanted. However, the site in general is dedicated to a Palm OS line of devices, so it only stands to reason that visitors to this board would be here for that reason.

Maybe if you could be a little less condescending and a little more humble other users wouldn't cringe every time they see you post another "PPC will rule the world" post.

Besides, I'm not trying to turn this into a political debate. I'm not anti-MS. I use their stuff all the time. Again, the point I was trying to make is that, whether you're aware of it or not, you're condescending when you post.

I look forward to reading your reply (if the topic remains open)!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Uh...Hawkeye? I think you may want to go back and look at that discussion topic link. At last count it was only one person who said negative comments about me, and everyone else attacked him for saying them!

I may have been condescending in my past posts because I'm excited about my new toy. It's funny that your pissed off at me now, because I thought I had cooled off a bit.

I'll be more sensitive in the future.

Cheers!
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Foo

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

na2rboy:

Is it possible that people dislike WinCE because of the OS itself? Let me be clear about this, even at the risk of repeating myself. When the first Casio Palm PC (that's what it was called then) came out, I read several articles on it and was eager to buy one. Judging by the specs compared to the Palm, it seemed like like a no-brainer: more RAM, higher screen resolution, voice recording, etc. The I went down to Staples to try one out, and frankly I reversed my decision within minutes. Why? There were a lot of problems that were forgiveable -- it weighed more than the Palm, it was bigger, the battery life was allegedly shorter -- but the one thing I just couldn't stand about WinCE, and still can't even with the improved PPC is the heirarchical menu and file navigation. It looks awkard, feels awkard, is unnecessary, and is just plain slower. Hence the recurring joke that it makes people "wince." The Win 9x desktop UI just doesn't port well to a tiny screen. This is why the Start button has received so much criticism, and relocating it doesn't change that.

Every complaint I have about the Pocket PC applies equally to Samsung's Linux-based Yopi, which has the exact same problem. Architecturally it's just bad design to shoehorn a desktop OS into a handheld unit. So it's not about Microsoft.

Many Palm OS users who think they're being objective in their admiration for WinCE products base their opinions on specs rather than actual experience with the interface. When you go from the elegance of the Palm OS to a kludgy OS like CE, it's no surprise why people are so critical. Judging from ZDNet talkback flame wars, it looks as if CE users tend to be computer professionals, while Palm users are generally in some other field.

The fact that some people hate Microsoft for ill-defined reasons does not mean that Microsoft is above criticism. Most people like some MS products and dislike others.

Since I could go on for days about monopoly law and am already long-winded to begin with, let's just say that I don't share your libertarian outlook on Apple's policy, which I regard as manifestly anticompetitive.

Your stereotypes of Linux users are more bothersome. Every month I go to a Linux installfest and help people add Linux to their hard drive. Overwhelmingly, most people opt for a dual-boot setup with Linux and Windows. Maybe once or twice over the course of three hours, someone will make a snide remark about MS, but in no way does the general tenor of the Linux community resemble the likes of Slashdot or ZDNet. In other words, Linux users are quite different in real life than what you see in flame wars, which always polarize issues to the point of monomania.

I'm not as concerned about WinCE's lack of third party apps. WinCE is like Mac: there may be few applications, but the essentials are all there. What I am concerned about is spending hundreds of dollars on a platform that has a history of being abandoned by manufacturers. I got bitten once with the Newton, so I'm twice shy. If I'd spent $600 on the Nino, which was subsequently killed by Phillips, I'd be furious.

You raise a very good point about the Palm OS licensing to Handspring. At the very least Handspring should be obligated to disclose their licensing terms with Palm. It's possible that Palm contractually may not be able to rescind their license to Handspring. I'm sure Jeff and Donna thought about this before founding a multimillion-dollar company on volatile intellectual property. Maybe someone should reverse engineer the OS with an open-source license (are you listening GNU?).

However, propriety OS licensing is a problem in itself. Market share is beside the point. When Apple killed the Newton it had a 16% market share. That didn't make me feel better for owning one.

Since I haven't used a WinCE PDA long enough to drain the battery, it hasn't been an issue for me. I'll assume the battery life is as bad as everyone says it is. My point is that having a long battery life vs. having a color screen with higher resolution is a judgement call, and it seems like the majority of users have voted with their wallets for battery life. Two years from now, when the cost comes down, the opposite may be true.

[This message has been edited by Gameboy70 (edited 04-25-2000).]

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 151

Sure it is possible for a person to not like WinCE. Please go back and read the original posting by Trinition to see why I am rebutting his statements. The general tone of it was down on MS, and I happen to really dig MS. MS is not above criticism, but it IS overly criticized. It may be a generalization, in fact it is a generalization and a stereotype, but a lot of Linux (and Mac) users are rabidly anti-MS and must let it be known to all. That is more than bothersome, it is extremely annoying.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Texan in Calgary for a while
Posts: 1361

foo,

While you have toned down your... enthusism over the PPC, you are still going to get rebuttal after rebuttal when posting pro-WinCE topics on a site on the PalmOS. And saying things like

quote:

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As it stands now, there is only one Springboard module I would ever consider purchaseing...a Springboard to hold my Pocket PC!

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Gameboy70,

You poor a mean cup of coffee my friend.

Good points!

Linux has great potential, and I like the idea of the Operating system being an open platform just like the PC itself. However, in terms of the interface, Linux is awful! It doesn't have a real GUI. My friend said it best when he described it as looking like cheap shareware. It lacks the elegance of MacOS X. KDE and Gnome are a joke, although the work being done by EASEL looks promising. But so far Linux developers have criticized Windows as being big, bloated, and ugly, and yet their only solution has been to copy the look and feel of Windows. I don't want a cheap looking rip-off of Windows, I want an intuitive and elegant interface! Hell, I'm even excited about MacOS X, and I'm not a Mac user! If there were a way to run OS X on a PC I'd be using it in a second. But so far the only way to run the OS is purchase Mac hardware, which I never will. The specs don't adequately correspond to those on the PC. Case in point: The lowest priced PowerMac G4 comes with 64MB Ram, 10GB HD, and a 400MHZ processor for $1600. For that money I can get a 650-700MHZ, 128MB RAM, and 20GB system from DELL. There is no comparison. Apple is simply too proprietary, and their systems are less of a commodity...hence the higher price.

As for the Yopi...I couldn't agree more. Linux users showed their lack of original thinking once again. They claimed Linux is better suited a Palm-size form factor than Windows CE, and yet what did they do? They copied the interface of CE! What the hell is wrong with these people? It seems as if this is nothing more than an attempt to prove that you can stick Linux in a handheld...a practice Microsoft has been guilty of with WinCE...and look what happened! I will give Microsoft credit, they finally realized that a Palm form factor device requires a different interface. And yes Gameboy, your right...my admiration for CE is based, almost solely, on features. It's one of the main reasons why I bought the Jornada. As I've said to Hawkeye, I don't care whether Palm, Microsoft, or McDonald's gives me these features....I select the features I want, and then purchase the corresponding handheld. Personally, I'd kill to see Palm market a PDA that features a higher resolution color display, expansion (but not that damn SONY memory stick!), MP3 playback, faster processor, wireless capable, and voice recognition. If they would do that, I would probably sell my PPC on ebay the next day. But until that day, I'm forced to play the hand I'm dealt.

As for making the Palm OS open-source....I'm sure it would be great for developers, but Palm would most certainly perish! They're going to have enough competition on their hands (no pun intended) with HandSpring and possibly Microsoft. Pocket PCs will gain some market share, but they'll always play second until prices start falling. It's hard for the average user to justify paying $600 for something that fits in the palm of your hand.

Regardless, this is going to be a great year for PDAs. It sounds like there will be a lot really cool choices for consumers.

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Foo

[This message has been edited by foo fighter (edited 04-25-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 289

Foofighter..

I am glad I am not the only one who thinks the interface/usability of Linux is awful. Granted, being able to emulate the Win95 interface is a pretty good idea (less end-user training involved for corporations that would like to implement Linux workstations), however, I believe that�s the biggest weakness with their open source model -- no true focus .. Everyone just does whatever they need the system to do without much thought as to what would benefit a broader market.

It seems like your really into promoting unreleased products.. Granted, the MacOS X system *looks* cool, but without it actually being released, its hard to tell how well it actually performs. Given the general decline in quality of the last few systems from Apple, I really hope they are funneling all of their resources into MacOS X. I personally think this is a bigger deal for them then Microsoft touting "We are betting the business on Windows2000�.. Apple REALLY needs a damn good OS to stay afloat -- pretty color boxes only work so long...

Regarding the prices of the Macintosh -- One BIG point your forgetting is backwards compatibility. With the new G4s (and B&W G3's) Apple killed SCSI/floppies/etc so you end up having to add a third party SCSI card, external floppy drives, etc. Not to mention the systems are VERY unstable compared to a W2K Dell computer system (not to mention if your computer hardware fails the difference in attitude with regards to support). In any case, as a user of all of the mentioned systems (Dell, Apple G4, Apple G3) I feel the PC is a MUCH better deal. Better hardware, better support, better operating system, etc. Granted, the G4 is suppose to be a GREAT processor, however, with the current OS, it hinders what *might* be a ton of potential for the hardware.

RE Yopi -- whats the saying? Copying is the sincerest form of flattery? heh..

RE Competition -- sounds like Palm and PocketPC will get into a feature war. Kind of reminds me of Netscape and Microsoft. Better for customers? I found the 4.0 versions of IE and Netscape it be TOO bloated with crap. With the C|Net article about Palm getting into this race with PocketPC, I wouldn't doubt we would see the same things. Lets just hope it drops the price to FREE like the browser wars and maybe when I open up a box of cereal a PDA will pop out (a la AOL CDs.. ) hhehehe...

Joe

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

quote:

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Originally posted by Cerulean:
Lets just hope it drops the price to FREE like the browser wars and maybe when I open up a box of cereal a PDA will pop out (a la AOL CDs.. ) hhehehe...

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Linux is a great server OS, much better than Win 2K IMO, but the current trend to advocate it as a mainstream desktop environment like Win 98 is naive and irresponsible. The learning curve is still to steep for the average Joe, and the GUIs are still works in progress. It's all about using the right tools for the right job.

While it's still a mistake, I think that Samsung went with Linux to save money. If they pay a small team of full-time developers to customize and maintain the OS, it's cheaper than licensing another company's intellectual property (WinCE). So even if they don't sell many units, they'll at least have higher profit margins than CE licensees.