Handheld computers (PDAs) - Palm or Pocket PC

[smkranz]

Am on my 5th Palm device, currently a Tungsten T5 (prev. IIIxe, M130, M515, and Tungsten T). I noticed today on the Palm site that they have now taken the T5 off as a current device...too bad, I think it is *the* perfect all-around combo of size, speed, capacity. One day I'll try the Wi-Fi card.

Never had a Windows Mobile/Pocket PC device. I suppose it's a matter of preference and familiarity. I started with a Palm device and never looked back, their connectivity with PC and virtually any type of desktop document is astounding (I am, after all, easily amused).

I use the T5 every day at work (calendar, contacts, checking personal email via bluetooth & cell phone connection, and of course, playing games).

Other apps which receive frequent use are:

- Documents To Go - excel and Word documents synch seamlessly between PC and handheld;

- SmartList To Go - database app which I use for many purposes including a password and account info database, brewing beer, our vehicle maintenance records, shopping lists, and of course, tracking my Hi-MD music collection on multiple discs.

- Mapopolis TripCard - awesome mapping & driving direction info for the entire U.S. on one SD card.

- Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide

- Oxford Dictionary

- Media player for watching flicks, clips and TV shows I've recorded on desktop and put onto a SD card

- games - current faves are Four by 4 (a Connect Four clone, really really addictive, well done and free); Billiards; Three Peaks, and Yahdice (a free and well done Yahtzee clone). Bejeweled 2 and Monopoly are up there, too.

I used to mess around with putting music files onto a SD card for listening at work. It works fairly well, but I just don't any more...people here then would *know* by the headphones that I'm just screwing off, as opposed to just thinking so without proof .

[MZ-NH1]

I would LOVE to get a PDA!! :'( but unfortunately they are a little too expensive for me at the moment. The 02's I recon look the best!

My dad has had 3 PDA's, and they are mad, especially when you have a wireless network, and your PDA has wireless, you can just walk round the whole house on the network and the net! Not fair!

[ozpeter]

Palm Tungsten E here, with a 512mb card in it. Currently loaded with all my contacts, 10 years of diaries, sundry docs including backup of all my software serial nos, several ebook novels, and the Brandenburg Concertos to which I'm listening right now. Great thing is that if you find yourself suddenly delayed in a supermarket queue or the doctor's waiting room, you can work, read, listen, whatever, all from a tiny package. And the easy backup to PC means that you don't have to worry too much about physical or data loss. I sync it to my wife's PC as well as mine so our diaries are co-ordinated. Perhaps the most useful gadget of the lot.

[bobt]

I've got an M-515 that I've had for a couple of years, great unit, use it for work (I'm a machanoc and have an adapter that I can read car diagnostics on it), as well as pleasure, contacts etc, would not hesutate to recommend it.

Also have a Casio Cassiopeia, piece of ka ka compared to the Palm unitm twice the thickness, 1/2 to 1/3 the battery life, can't use it in sunlight, stupid windoze o/s, cannot see what people like about them.

Go Palm.

Bob

[KrazyIvan]

I use a Sony Clie SJ30. 16 megs of memory with a 64 meg memory stick. Works great for what I need it to do. Mainly I use the PIM functions the most with an occasional game thrown in for good measure.

[Ishiyoshi]

I use a Sony Clie UX50 with a 1GB MS stick. Just like Ivan, I employ the UX50 mostly for its PIM features, the occasional PDF reading and games. I used to watch MP4 videos with the UX50 but now that task (AVC videos) has been taken over by my PSP.

[Damage]

My old skool Clie NR-70 now works primarily as a remote control. Considering that I've seen remotes cost more than what I paid for the NR-70 ($300), not bad. It also works as a pinch as a Gameboy, multi-bible, and a MP3 player. So can't complain.

[smkranz]

Do you use that Novii Remote software for that? How's it work? I tried it out on the Palm Tungsten T but it was pretty quirky, and that particular device had a very limited range. The idea seemed more of a novelty that something really useful, so I haven't tried it since.

[brian10161]

im using an HP iPaq RX3115, its a great all around pocket pc, windows mobile 2003, wifi, bluetooth, infrared to be used as a remote and an mp3 player. i got a 512mb sd card for it, so i can get a lot of music onto it. i use to use a palm IIIc for a long time. then the battery started dieing so i planning on getting a new handheld anyway, my dad got me the iPaq. this things great, i can be on the net, on msn yahoo and aim as well, mind you, its not great for text input because of the lack of a keyboard right now but it does have the graffiti from the palm os which i love. but for just every day internet browsing, its great. and since the screen is a bright 16 bit color display, pictures look great. its only 240 X 320, so internet browsing can sometimes not be so great. but it works either way. i like both, palm os and pocket pc platforms. they work great, and they both have their advantages. the thing with pocket pc though, is its desktop software isnt so great, palm desktop is way better. just because of the fact that it does a full backup of the handheld. activesync is alright and everything, and you can doa full backup of the handheld, but meh. you gotta tell it to do one, it doesnt just do it. anyway, thats my 2 cents.

-brian