out of pc worlds top 10 handhelds, my buddy at i-site and i began researching pdas for our respective companies, him a couple weeks (and larger budjet) before me. he has i believe the hp ipaq pocket pc h4150 and the dell model PPC (i'm looking at the latest pc world chart and the dell unit is gone.. intersting) and palm tungsten e which of course is palm os
my reasearch, in this stage, is based upon the HP ipaq.. its the first unit we received in the office for testing, and it was chosen because it was smaller, lighter, had the largest screen, had more internal memory, and had more features per buck then the others on pcworld's top ten chart. since using it, my buddy conluded ipaq had the best wireless range and screen clarity and brightness over all the other handhelds. since i have been using it, and basing the PPC capabilities against my previous PDA's abilities (a Clie running palm os 4) i've found a few major advantages the PPC has over Palm os:
1. the similarity/compatability with windows: you have the start up menu, you have explorer as a brwoser, you have a familier control panel and overall windows style functionality
2. input. the palm os has a tap and type keyboard and 'graffiti' style input. PPC's have a tap and type keyboard, a graffiti similar system, HANDWRITING RECOGNITION, and one other method of writing which at the moment escapes me.. all include an easier to write in interface (directly on the screen)
3. integration with ms office: the ability to write a word compatable document is standard on an ipaq - though i havn't found any office-for-pocket pc software, you are suposively able to walk your office documents between the two platforms flawlessly
4. internet/media capabilities: windows media player, 'nuff said.. FLASH works on a pocket pc and so far i have not found it to work on a palm os. my buddy at i-site was broadcasting live streaming video from is workstation to his ipaq while running around the block, using flash communications server
5. the wireless range: on an ipaq is the longest of any of the other palm os devices. my buddy said when he turned it on in his office, he picked up 5 wireless networks while is powerbook only picked up 2. wireless security, WEP mode compatible. wireless g.
The drawbacks of a pocket pc:
1. on the ipaq, at least, would ONLY SYNC WITH MICROSOFT OUTLOOK and not with our own software, Groupwise. intellisync or other companies do not have software that goes between pocket pc's and novel - at least not at the time we were searching. keep in mind this should change soon, nobody can count novel out of anything for long.
2. so far we havn't gotten it to connect externally to our VPN, but then again my father didn't even know how to turn on teh wireless ON (which takes 2 clicks), and he's the one playing with the unit right now.
the pro's of palm os:
1. connectivity to microsoft, novel, palm desktop, and others
2. cheaper
the cons of palm os:
1. i'm not being very thrilled with the stability of the palm os..
2. limited internet capability
3. does not work with flash
4. additional software needed to connect to microsoft office programs, such as Documents to Go
both pdas handle graphics well, though you can't beat the screen on the ipaq.. (pdf's look woooonderful). i enjoy the ease of media player on the ipaq and amount of punch the little unit has. the address and calander system is similar to the palms, so i felt right at home with it.. i use outlook at home so i don't mind the ipaq's limitation there, but at the office so far it's a major drawback.
for more info, go to www.pcworld.com and choose the link for PDA's.. also visit microsoft.com and look at its mobile technology (pocket pc OS).
