PDA's

Woo Elephant Yeah · Post by **Woo Elephant Yeah** » March 6th, 2006, 9:18

I have absolutely no knowledge of PDA's whatsoever, however after trying to think of a Birthday Present for myself over the last 2 months, and coming up with nothing, I might get myself one.

The only thing it absolutely has to do is be Windows based, and have the ability to download some form of say TomTom software so that I can also use it as a sat-nav in the car.

I imagine a few of you will already have one, and wondered which ones are the most popular, and the benefits of say one make to another.

Thanks in advance.

Jinxx · Post by **Jinxx** » March 6th, 2006, 9:46

I've had few PDAs in the past: an iPAQ, several Psions, a Palm, a P900.
For general PDA stuff, nothing beat the Psion 5 - and IMO nothing touches it six years later.

Windows Mobile is a pain in the arse (and not even a good pain), it's just like the real version of Windows - obtrusive, inconsistant, and often unreliable. After a few months, you'll be doubting your trust in it - and for a device that's holding much of your professional and personal information, that just ain't good.

I have several friends (online and offline ones) that recently picked up Windows Mobile PDA units and just over half of them returned them because of the OS. Some of the others kept them, but are now fighting with ActiveSync/Outlook.

It's not just Windows Mobile that's the main problem, all the PDA platforms leave me rather cold (and have done since Psion left the market). Palm have been somewhat in the doldrums lately because they failed to use Palm OS 6 in anything and stayed with some weird hacked out version of OS 5. The Symbian platform (or what remains of Psion's EPOC platform) primarily exists in two flavours: Nokia Series 60 and UIQ. Both of these are for smartphones and although they can be used in a PDA way, that is a secondary to the phone element. Oh, and Series 60 is a fucking mess.

This is currently what I'm using as a PDA and nothing has served me better.

And as far as GPS capability is concerned, then maybe you should consider a dedicated GPS unit? That's more likely to be suited to the job, give you better battery life, be more reliable and doesn't require you to use that damnable ActiveSync.

Post by **Joose** » March 6th, 2006, 10:27

Hmm. Im using an iPAQ at the moment, a h3850. Tis a touch old, so doesnt have bluetooth or wifi, but the newer iPAQ's are very similar beast, just with wifi and bluetooth built in, more ram, faster processors etc. They work pretty much the same, just better.

Works on the windows for pocket pc thing, and ive not had any problems with it. Software is widely available (on the floor, too), its not had any technical problems so far (Ive only had it since christmas, but it is second hand), and i find it dead easy to use. Not had any problems with active-synch and outlook.

My mother, on the other hand, uses a Sony clie. Its a right dogs arse of a thing, if you ask me.

As for the GPS thing, it all depends. Getting a pda just for GPS does seem a little silly, but if you are getting a PDA anyway, getting a seperate GPS seems silly too. You can get in car ones cheap as chips that are compatable with software like tomtom, and if you are only really using it in the car, battery isnt a problem. GPS+PDA may need more battery than just GPS, but if its plugged into your car battery, whats the problem?

Jinxx · Post by **Jinxx** » March 6th, 2006, 10:35

Joose wrote:h3850

I had the 3870. ActiveSync made me want to stab my own eyes out.

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » March 6th, 2006, 10:56

Jinxx wrote:ActiveSync made me want to stab my own eyes out.

What is this activeSync thing? and why is it so horrible?

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » March 6th, 2006, 11:40

I have one of these and it's pretty good and relatively cheap, but my experience with PDAs in limited. I got it to help me get my life in some kind of order but soon got fed up with that idea.

I question why you must have a windows based PDA when other types will do the same; outlook sync, Tom Tom, etc.

Post by **Joose** » March 6th, 2006, 13:10

Hehulk wrote: What is this activeSync thing?

its the software for your computer that synchronises your windows based PDA with your computer. For instance, makes sure that the contacts in your outlook is the same as the contacts in your pda.

and why is it so horrible?

I have absolutely no idea. Ive not had any kind of issues with it at all. However, I am using outlook. If you use a non-ms email program, that might cause complications, I dunno.

spoodie wrote:I question why you must have a windows based PDA when other types will do the same; outlook sync, Tom Tom, etc.

Because other types dont always fo the same? For instance, my mothers clie synchs terribly with outlook. If one contact has more than one phone number, they were being entered twice, that kind of thing. Took much fettling to get working, by which time my dad had got fed up and bought a 3rd party bit of software for the pda to handle contacts. It still doesnt do as good a job as my iPAQ.

The only other thing that would make me veer towards a windows based PDA is familiarity. Windows on a PDA isnt exactly like windows on a PC, but its a damn sight closer than the other PDA OS's, which means theres less to learn. Personally, I was quite at ease with the thing right from the off.

Post by **deject** » March 6th, 2006, 16:29

Bah, PDAs can get to fuck. You're better off getting a small laptop.

PDAs were a bad fad that is thankfully fading away.

Jinxx · Post by **Jinxx** » March 6th, 2006, 17:24

deject wrote:Bah, PDAs can get to fuck. You're better off getting a small laptop.

Maybe that's why nothin's come close to my Psion 5 since? It pretty much was a small laptop.

Post by **deject** » March 6th, 2006, 17:50

Jinxx wrote:
deject wrote:Bah, PDAs can get to fuck. You're better off getting a small laptop.
Maybe that's why nothin's come close to my Psion 5 since? It pretty much was a small laptop.

probably. I had a somewhat broken Psion, and I loved the qwerty keyboard and such. The touchscreen was broken on it, so it wasn't too useful. I think I broke it the rest of the way though.

Post by **Joose** » March 6th, 2006, 20:00

deject wrote:Bah, PDAs can get to fuck. You're better off getting a small laptop.

show me a small laptop that can fit in my pocket and im sold on this idea.

PDAs were a bad fad that is thankfully fading away.

piffle. I would be utterly lost without my PDA, as I have a memory so poor it borders on the likes of the guy from Memento*. Having a PDA is, to me, like having a tiny electronic brain. In the two years I went without one I failed to remember anything I was supposed to be doing, from family members birthdays to paying my rent to taking DVD's back to the rental place.

Fancy stuff like GPS, games, and ebooks (surprisingly easy to read, I find) are just a bonus to actually being able to remember things.

*I had to ask what the film was called then, as I had forgotten. Oh, the irony.

Post by **ProfHawking** » March 6th, 2006, 20:05

Hmm PDAs eh.

I started off with a palm m100.
For organising things, it was great. Simple tho. it could do very little of anything other than notes, calender, clock etc. Programs were all boring as they were black and white, low rez etc. Battery life was incredible tho!

I upgraded to an HP jornada 525.
Windows pocket pc summin or other OS. Colour!! it was great. Did email, played mp3s and small videos. I bought a folding keyboard for it and took notes in lectures. Was pretty happy, but i needed more.

Breifly had a 530. Exactly the same as the 525 but a bit faster i think. I only got it caus the keyboard was compatable. Looking back i should have skipped this stage.

My dad bought an ipaq h5870 a while back. It was pants until he upgraded the OS to mobile2003. but then it was pretty good. Still, needed an expansion jacket to use wificard so that made it a bulky mofo.

I use an ipaq 2215 now.
good battery life, bluetooth, 400mhz and 64mb. 2gb CF, wifi SD, bluetooth folding keyboard.
Windows mobile 2003 - dispite what any of that ^^ lot say, if you want to do more than just outlooky things, this is the only os. I can play online radio, stream mp3 or movies from my server or watch them off the CF card, play quake, and all the rest, control & listen to my squeezebox (yes buy one of them as well).
It occasionally has little brainfarts, but nothing a stab in the back wont fix. Its never gone completely tits up and lost my data or anything. (also, it includes a very nice backup util anyway).

With the huge array of software and its incredible flexibility and multimedia ability i must reccomend windows os over any of the others.

My top reccomended pda at the moment: dell axim x5v
600+mhz cpu, built in wifi/bluetooth. 640x480 resolution and a CF slot for storage. I had a play with one a while back, and the bloke i nabbed it from was using GPS as well, with a bluetooth GPS reciver. Very nice little system. You can leave the gps thing in the car, and just take the pda with you.

You palm addicts are like the apple zelots - its only better caus you think it is.

Post by **Joose** » March 6th, 2006, 20:09

I concur with practically all of the above post.

apart, possibly, for the bit about apples. They are yummy.

Post by **deject** » March 6th, 2006, 20:10

Joose wrote:piffle. I would be utterly lost without my PDA, as I have a memory so poor it borders on the likes of the guy from Memento*. Having a PDA is, to me, like having a tiny electronic brain. In the two years I went without one I failed to remember anything I was supposed to be doing, from family members birthdays to paying my rent to taking DVD's back to the rental place.

for just remembering stuff, just writing on a piece of paper is much easier, cheaper, and faster than trying to use a PDA.

Post by **Dr. kitteny berk** » March 6th, 2006, 20:12

deject wrote:
Joose wrote:piffle. I would be utterly lost without my PDA, as I have a memory so poor it borders on the likes of the guy from Memento*. Having a PDA is, to me, like having a tiny electronic brain. In the two years I went without one I failed to remember anything I was supposed to be doing, from family members birthdays to paying my rent to taking DVD's back to the rental place.
for just remembering stuff, just writing on a piece of paper is much easier, cheaper, and faster than trying to use a PDA.

this. also, depending on PDA cheapness, no solid state storage is likely.

Jinxx · Post by **Jinxx** » March 6th, 2006, 20:13

Joose wrote:I concur with practically all of the above post.

apart, possibly, for the bit about apples. They are yummy.

I treat my powerbook very much like a (big) pda, especially with some hot bluetooth 3g action going on.

Post by **Joose** » March 6th, 2006, 20:16

deject wrote: for just remembering stuff, just writing on a piece of paper is much easier, cheaper, and faster than trying to use a PDA.

again, piffle. Pieces of paper may be cheaper, and possibly even easier, but faster? You never been stuck somewhere without a pen? or with a pen that decides at *that moment* to run out of ink? You then spend a fucking age running around trying to find a piece of paper only to discover, when you find it, that you have forgotten what it is you needed to write on it.

My PDA, on the other hand, spends the entire time in my pocket, apart from at night, when it is charging.

Besides, writing on paper requires remembering to *look* at the paper. Which I forget to do.

PDA's can make little beeping noises to remind you.

Score 2 for the PDA, 0 for the pieces of paper.

Post by **ProfHawking** » March 6th, 2006, 20:43

Dr. kitteny berk wrote:also, depending on PDA cheapness, no solid state storage is likely.

Not really, mine has non volitile flash memory area for docs etc. Im not quite sure how it works, as you can change the size of it!? anyway, in the event of total power fuckupage - anything in the "ipaq file store" is kept.
Also - it has two batteries. If the main one dies the backup will last a few days i think before it forgets anything anyway.

You know tho, on second thoughts if you arent desperate to get one now, i'd wait and see what this MS origami thing is. You never know, it may be a pda killer.

Post by **FatherJack** » March 6th, 2006, 22:12

I think Palm have started using Windows Mobile now, so you're pretty much stuck with it.

Some of the devices now being sold as SatNav are basically iPAQs or similar, but with the GPS unit, enough memory to load the maps (quite a lot) and all the software you need to use it to navigate (the maps are rather expensive when bought separately) as well as all the stuff to mount it on a dashboard all in the price.

Some also have TomTom and bluetooth, which update with traffic information if you have a suitable phone.

They seem to be much better value than the PDAs themselves, especially if you want GPS capability. My Dad got one for Christmas, and instantly ditched his iPAQ (which he took everywhere) as the GPS device far out-specced it.

For myself, I'm waiting for a future implementation of SatNav - where it holds data about how many cars are on which piece of road, ie: "There is a queue at the next junction off the A46, be sure to get in the fast lane.". That, or maybe a webcam display of key junctions on my route.

McBain · Post by **McBain** » March 7th, 2006, 11:34

ProfHawking wrote:Not really, mine has non volitile flash memory area for docs etc. Im not quite sure how it works, as you can change the size of it!? anyway, in the event of total power fuckupage - anything in the "ipaq file store" is kept

I have the Orange M5000 (aka XDA Exec) and the whole thing stays if I lose power. They finally made them like mobile phones

FatherJack wrote:I'm waiting for a future implementation of SatNav - where it holds data about how many cars are on which piece of road, ie: "There is a queue at the next junction off the A46, be sure to get in the fast lane.".

You pretty much have that now. I have TomTom5 with Traffic subscription (I think it costs around 40 euros a year) and it will divert me round any traffic problems (or tell me about them and leave the option to me).

Anyway, yes, the M5000... I love it! I couldn't be without a PDA for the same reason given earlier... I'm just so bad at remembering things. The M5000 is a bit slow, but them I understand ROM updates just came out to help with that.

In the past I've had iPaq's and loved them too, but I finally got fed up of carrying my phone and a PDA, so I got a I-mate PDA2k before upgrading to this M5000.

I've used PDA's for maybe 2 or 3 years now, with ActiveSync and never ever had a problem with it.

Aside everything else, they are invaluable on the tube ride into work, listending to Podcasts or watching movies, I just couldn't be without it now.