Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

"Palm is simply too conservative for it's own good."

Boy, you said it Foo. To quote Neil Young, "Keep on rockin' in the free world."

Hey MikeD, you like to fish?

It's late. I'm tired.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Tonka Bay, MN USA
Posts: 36

Discussing PocketPC vs. Visor is but a transient period in my opinion. There is a bigger revolution brewing in this announcement and one that took place two weeks ago--the concept is "eRead." The ability to conveniently read data, e-mail, web pages, books, magazines, reports, memos, letters, and everything in your file cabinet and base computer on a palm/pocket convenient device.

First, Stephen King with RIDING THE BULLET only in electronic read form woke up the masses (and the publishers).

Secondly, Microsoft is bringing Cleartype in color to make it nearly as easy as to read as the printed matter. When I was reading RIDING THE BULLET in my office on the Visor on my lunch hour people were rediculing the eyestrain torture. No more.

Thirdly, Microsoft will show that the electronic reading form factor belongs on the Palm/Pocket size. There is no need to emulate books. The reason the paperback book is the size it is is because of the binding limitations and how many pages you can stack. Thus, the idea of the book emulators such as the RocketBook is dead. Palm/Pocket reading emulates the fastest paper reading of all--the newspaper column.

Believe me, this is on going to be the killer app concept. I relish the day I can carry my office and library with me. The rest of the electronic conveniences of multi-media images and sound will piggyback on the ability to carry readable material and supplement the eRead.

Palm and Handspring better ramp up with a better readable screen fast or this alone will leave them in the dust.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 148

Like fishing! I love fishing, fish, anything associated with water.. be it the phytoplankton even! I'm part time marine biologist. (So where's my water testing probe springboard?)

Mike

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Davydd � it will be interesting to see what happens with this whole e-book phenomenon. I read in Time magazine that Stephen King�s short story was downloaded by more than 500,000 readers. That�s pretty amazing.

MikeD � you�ve come to the right place, my friend. Fish, fish, fish. That�s all we talk about here.

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

Here's a bunch of screenshots of WinCE 3.0 from WiredGuy.com:
http://www.wiredguy.com/reviews/sr/pocketapps/index.htm

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 148

By the way, where cn I still get a free copy of the ebook? Riding the bullet I think it's called.

Mike

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Foo - thanks for the screenshots. I'm goin nuts over Pocket Word and Pocket Excel. Very cool. Please continue to keep us all informed down here ... especially if you hear of a release date earlier than April 19th.

MikeD - Davydd will have to answer that question for you.

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

Brighthand has pics of the new Compaq Pocket PC...the iPaq? It's pretty cool!!! According to the article it's the same size as a Palm III!
www.brighthand.com

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Nice. Very nice. Interesting design. Do you think that's an aluminum case on the iPaq?

BTW � what�s going to be the price range on these things? They�re coming out with monochrome, too, right?

Foo - you work with web design, correct? Do you by chance use Dreamweaver? Either way, would you recommend it?

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

Ken,
I don't know the exact price of this unit, but I expect it to sell in the sub-$500 category.

Yes there will be monochrome devices. Pocket PC comes in two flavors; Pocket PC Standard and Pocket PC Pro. The Pro units have color and the fancy features. The Standard models are monochrome.

Yes, I use Dreamweaver as my primary web authoring package. If your a power user, this is quite frankly the best web design tool around. If your looking for something simple try FrontPage 2000. But I highly recommend Dreamweaver. It's all I use!\

Foo

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Thanks Foo - I've been toying around with the idea of getting into web page design. I'm a die hard Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop fan. Mostly it's just a hobby, though. I just haven't pursued the Internet all that much. But from what I've read, Dreamweaver is the top dog out there.

Regarding WinCE, do you know if the Pocket PC Standard will have Word and Excel? Better yet, is there a site that lists which apps go with Standard and which go with Pro???

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

Who needs Springboard modules!...Look at this!!!
http://www.aurorawebstudio.com/4.jpg



[This message has been edited by foo fighter (edited 03-29-2000).]

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Boy Foo, when I quoted Neil Young earlier I should have written, "Keep on rockin' THE BOAT in the free world."

You're a braver man than me ... posting all those visuals of the new WinCE in the "General Visor" forum. Are you still receiving hate mail?

Did you notice my last post ... the one in which I asked about Word and Excel being included in the Standard PocketPC??? No hurry. Just curious.

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

Here is another pic on the Compaq iPaq 3600 series:
http://www.aurorawebstudio.com/1.jpg


I think only the Pocket PC Pro will have Pocket Word and Excel. Although I'm will not know for sure until the big event.



[This message has been edited by foo fighter (edited 03-29-2000).]

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

Foofighter, instead of posting large pictures could you please post the link instead? Thanks

------------------
James Hromadka
VisorCentral.com
Personal Website: http://www.Hromadka.com

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 148

Okay, these darn things! Well, the compaq thing is called the iPaq... But i highly doubt it will b compatible with my iMac!! And the i is ever so large in their picture too! It overshadows the paq part! now, do you think the "i" in iPaq is just a marketing thing??? Because surely, it has no real meaning for compaq....

Just wondering,
Mike

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

MikeD � I was wondering that myself. Sounds like their riding on Apple�s coattails!

Their web site seem to indicate that the iPaq is a new line of computers � and I guess PDA�s - specifically designed for user friendly *internet* access. Hence the �i�. Here�s a blurb from their web site �

�The Compaq iPAQ signals a major point of departure from the traditional PC for Compaq and the industry. It is at the forefront of the post-PC era - the type of simple product companies require for an Internet-based computing model.�


Yep � sounds like they�ve taken a few cues from Apple.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 119

Can someone post a web site so I can see the Compaq ipac 3600 and check it out? I tried Compaq's web site, but couldn't find out anything about this little guy!

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

I have posted a web page containing all available pics of the Compaq Pocket PC
http://www.aurorawebstudio.com/ipaq.htm

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

Oops! looks like the heat is on from Microsoft's legal dept. They are advising all sites to remove the offending graphics. Sorry!