Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Foo - when I click on that link I get an error meesage - "page cannot be found!" Am I at fault or is your link at fault????

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

Ken,
I had to remove the page for legal purposes. Technically the graphics are still there. They are named 1.jpg,2.jpg,3.jpg,and 4.jpg

If you type that at the end of the URL instead of ipaq.htm, you see each pic. For now! Look fast because I am deleting them as well.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 295

Very cool pics Foo. Unfortunately, it looks like the iPaq Pocket PC is going to be pretty expensive. I would like to stay in the Visor price range.

<><

[This message has been edited by LanMan (edited 04-14-2000).]

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

If Lanbdafox is right (General Visor � Visor vs. PocketPC) and the Standard PocketPC is only about $200, I�m going to have a hard time deciding between that one, which does NOT have Word & Excel, and the $500 Professional, which does have Word & Excel.

I�m wondering if you�d be able to download Word & Excel onto the Standard PocketPC � for a price, of course??? If anyone finds the answer to this, please post it here.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 2

I just picked up 2 Visor Deluxe.

Even though the Pocket PC looks cool. I bought 2 Visors for the same price of one Pocket PC, and I will springboard these puppys soon... Oh Yeah!

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Better You Then Me..
Laughing Out Load Productions

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: "Children are a gift from God, they are a reward"
Posts: 1049

Hey Foo,
I think I belong in the same camp as you. As a strong propnent of a free market economy I believe that competition is good. Microsoft has done some amazing things for the entire computer industry by 'dominating' the home PC market. By making the PC accessible to Joe Lunchbox, the have also added more possible revenue to other makers futures.(Without years of seeing the growth of Microsoft, does anyone really think average people would actually buy Linux software, or invest in Linux related stocks?) The product (Windowsxwhatever) is not perfect, but it doesn't have to be - it's ubiqutious(sic). The PocketPc format will hopefully fire up Palm OS developers to match the features found in PocketPC. Bad for lazy developers, good for energetic ones. Bad for consumers who would rather die than switch (what they're currently using), good for consumers who want some of those features, but want to stick with Palm OS. I would rather have more choice than less. What seems to be missing from the rants of those who feel threatened by PocketPC is how it would adversely affect them. Palm OS will not disappear- how could it? It's not like the Atari 520ST (yes I was one of the first thousand who bought one). It has a long history of use and people will be using them for decades. People still use x86 computers and Apple IIs!
I'm looking forward to see what comes out in the future. Until then, I will happily use my Visor which fits my needs right now and helps me be more efficient with some of my tasks.
(semi-related aside- I sold that Atari 520ST to a guy two years ago who uses it, and another for his only computers still!)

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

Just thought you would all like to know, I re-posted my web page containing the Compaq iPaq pics
www.aurorawebstudio.com/ipaq.htm

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 6

OK foo, Ken I was actually considering getting a WinCE device because of all of the things they can do vs. a PalmOS compatible device. I would like to wait for the PocketPC revolution but my bosses are pressing me to decide on WinCE or PalmOS for our staff. I have two questions: a) If I invest in WinCE 2.0 will there be an upgrade path to WinCE 3.0 with all the PocketPC features? b) The information that we enter into the PDA's must be very secure, what provisions/products are available for WinCE 3.0 & PocketPC and it's ilk to make and keep our info secure. The second question is critical for us and can make or break our decision on which product if any we will decide on.

"Remember what the doorman said 'Feed your head'"

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

How secure is "very secure"? None of these devices can really be characterized as secure by traditional IT/IS standards.

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

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

Simon,
It depends on several issues. What will these devices be used for? If your looking for nothing more than a basic inexpensive personal organizer for your staff, then the Palm might be the way to go. If, however, you want a more functional (and I do mean more functional!) handheld, then by all means go with a Pocket PC. Keep in mind that Pocket PCs may be a better investment because of their Compact Flash memory slots. This means you never have to worry about running out of system memory as you do with a Palm (I've gone through three Palms now). The Visor solves this problem via Springboard, but that is a proprietary solution. And your boss may not like the idea of all these costly Springboard modules floating around the office that can only be used with a Visor.

As for security, there are a number of data security apps for the Pocket PC. I'll post some of these apps here when I get some time to look.

Should you buy a WinCE device(s) now or wait for the Pocket PC?. Unless your in a really big hurry, I'd wait. The current generation of Palm-Sized PC (WinCE) are awful! They're slow, buggy, and ungainly. And it's not clear if or when an upgrade will be available for the current generation of units, note I said "if". Plus the new models will be noticeably thinner and lighter. Everyone in your staff can appreciate that! There will be a lot of your staff members sending you fruitcake at the next company Christmas party for forcing them to carry 16 ounce "bricks" around for a year. And I think when the new units roll out on April 19 you'll find yourself saying "Damn it...I should have waited!"

Hope this helps your decision. If you have more questions, just ask

Foo

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: chicago,illinois,usa
Posts: 9

i've spent too much $$ registering shareware and downloadable-books to switch!

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1683

Foo pointed out:

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The Visor deluxe costs $250...but the Innogear MiniJam player will set you back around $169(I think that's the price), now add the price of apps. QuickSheet (equivalent to Pocket Excel) costs about $40...ouch!, SmartDoc (equivalent to Pocket Word)is about $20, Ultrasoft Money (equivalent to Pocket Money) is about $30. That alone goes beyond the price of a Pocket PC

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I'd question microsoft's ability to bundle the above software with the Pocket PC...with the upcoming trial verdict and all.

While it would be cool to have that software built in, I really am against Microsoft doing it...there would be no reason for anyone to write a better spreadsheet, word processor, MP3 players, money management app, etc...if microsoft gives it away for free.

That said, it is an impressive unit. I have no reason to believe that they wouldn't offer Mac connectivity (they'd be stupid not to). As for the Mac/Palm rumor...that's all it is, so we can't really sit around waiting for Apple to come out with theirs. The latest rumor is that Apple is actually porting Mac OSX to a handheld device.

I think the best thing about the new CE devices is the higher resolution screen. If they allow for virtual desktops...that'd be great!

Now, my question...

How does one enter text into a CE device. Is it graffiti-like?

The one thing I am REALLY waiting for is for someone to come out with the equivalent of Apple's Newton handwriting recognition.

Just some off-topic comments...

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

Homer,

Current models of WinCE devices use CIC Jot for handwriting recognition. However, the new Pocket PC units will come with a new character recognition engine that is said to be even better! It also has an onscreen keyboard as well.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Well, I�ve been away for a while � sobbing over the recent drop(s) in the Nasdaq. If this keeps up, I may not be able to purchase the new Pocket PC!

I�ve heard that the new WinCE OS may eventually end up in our phones, our car stereos, our microwave ovens, our refrigerators, etc. That�s why MS is throwing so much weight behind it. I think this OS goes way beyond your typical PDA!

Anymore good links you can point us to, Foo?

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

Yeah .. microsoft wants their CE and NT operating systems in anything and everything. Guess it would be interesting to have my fridge controlled by CE and hooked up to my computer -- then I could technically adjust the internal temperature through a web interface halfway across the world. Boy I always wanted to do that.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft decide to chuck CE and have a PDA based on their NT kernal. They are already planning NT for their X-Box gaming system and lower end computers biz computers have W2K preinstalled. Run the same base operating system from your smallest computer (or appliance) to your corporate enterprise level server clusters. Fascinating.

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

Wiredguy.com has added 10 new screenshots of the new OS. It's not much, but it's something new to look at.
http://www.wiredguy.com/reviews/sr/pocketapps/index.htm

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

Another interesting item is the report that Casio E-100 series units are selling out of stock. Every online merchant has them out of stock, and you can no longer purchase any from Casio.com, they are apparently making room for "new inventory", probably the E-115. Also there are rumors that the Pocket PC's are already in distribution warehouses awaiting the April 19 deadline. I have a friend who works at Staples, and he say's the Casio and Compaq units are listed in their warehouse inventory.

So everyone, make sure you wash your hands very well, and mark April 19 down on your Visors (ironic isn't it?) as D-Day!

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: McLean, VA USA
Posts: 216

Homer,

I don't think that the recent/upcoming rulings against MS have anything to do with whether or not they will bundle Pocket apps with the PocketPCs. First, Word and Excel were never at issue in the DOJ antitrust proceedings, just the OS and Explorer. Secondly, they are not "integrated" into the OS as Explorer is and third, they are already being bundled with desktop/laptop PCs. The price of the bundle supposedly covers the OEM price of the OS and the apps.

As to NT running on refrigerators, toasters, etc., I just saw an article somewhere (can't remember where) that MS is about ready to release the "Embedded NT" product. Of course that means that it will be available to developers. Consumers won't see it for probably a couple of years.

But here's a thought regarding PDAs, embedded NT and such. How about a PDA that runs embedded/Pocket NT (whatever it evolves into) with an expansion slot like the Springboard and modules for that slot that contain processors that are also running embedded/Pocket NT? Now you're talking about PDAs that still fit in the palm of your hand, yet have the computing power of a moderate desktop. Maybe a modem module that uses it's local processor (the processors in the modules would be slaved to the processor in the PDA) to control the modem itself. That would free up the PDA processor to handle the applications using the modem. Or a MP3 module where the module processor handles the play/record/ff/rew/etc functions while the PDA processor runs the controlling app. A cell phone module that uses the module processor to download email, while I'm playing ZAP!2000 on the PDA. That would be too cool!!

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Have Visor Will Travel!

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

I am surprised that there isn't more of that coprocessing technique in use. The biggest area to have seemed to use a co-processor is with 3D graphics cards. However, it seems like everything else just wants to piggyback off the main processor.

Granted, I think this would be better suited on a desktop computer because with a PDA you are still hindered by the battery life. If you get too many processors doing too many jobs, you will end up with battery life in minutes, not hours or days. Though I suppose you could always plug in the unit and carry around an AC adapter where ever you go

Joe

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Hey Foo - I've got another quick question for you regarding web pages. I'm going to buy Dreamweaver 3.0 soon, but I was wondering about Fireworks. Is it worth the extra $$$?

(Sorry - this is kind of off the topic of PocketPC, but hey, this is the Off-Topic forum, right?)