Non-phone PDA advice

**pdcorlis** · 2nd March 09, 04:39 PM

I think it depends on how much you need to interact with the world of Windows... The iPod Touch is very cool but playing well with others is not its strong suit.

By the way - you can get VoIP software for it too...

**Livingston** · 2nd March 09, 05:49 PM

I had Palm' back when they first came out and have had 3 HP IPaqs. I currently have one that could be used as a phone, gps, receive email etc but I don't have the SIM card for it so just use the PDA functions. I can sync Outlook notes, calender, todo list, basically everything I need. I would recommend them for anyone with a PC.

**Improv1** · 3rd March 09, 12:03 AM

I have an iPAQ Travel Companion (Hewlett Packard handheld) which has Microsoft Mobile Office (IE, Outlook, Excel, Photos, Word, Powerpoint, Media Player) as well as a built in TomTom GPS. There are many other features for travelers as well (packing lists, conversion tools, world clocks, alarms etc..) It syncs with my PC, and has built in wireless capabilities. You can connect it via Bluetooth to your phone for service, or grab any WiFi hotspot. There is memory slot for an SD card, and it came with an AC power supply, as well as DC for your vehicle, and a holder for the windshield for the GPS. I use it quite a lot, and you can download other software for it. I too chose to get a unit with no built in phone (freedom to choose your phone provider!)
Best of luck!

**Mipi** · 3rd March 09, 12:19 AM

Wise decision to go for PDA w/o Phone. Sound on PDA/Phone capable devices is really bad. Just my 2 cents.

**Kilted Jeeper** · 3rd March 09, 06:17 AM

The main reason I am leaning towards the Ipod vs a Palm is the ability to automatically update via wifi. My IS dept here at work will not support any PDA type device except for a Blackberry so using the Palm to sync with Outlook may be even more difficult. With the ipod I can at least access work email via webmail. The Palm T/X is looking like a better option the more I research, but if I can't get it to work on my work computer then I'll likely go with the ipod. The Dell and other pocket PC's are awesome, but way more than I need.
I am touching base with a couple guys from my IT Dept today and I'll ask about the Palm and the HP.

**Livingston** · 3rd March 09, 07:37 AM

Pete, if this is for work then I would go with what your IT department says. I've been there before and when you sync something they don't support then you can run into all sorts of issues, even if it works correctly.

**CDNSushi** · 3rd March 09, 08:20 AM

Pete, my two bits: I absolutely would not go with an iPod Touch as a PDA. It's really meant to be an entertainment device first and foremost and other features come after that. The biggest problem that I can see is input. The purpose of having a PDA (in my opinion) is being able to input info. dates, meetings, appointments, other info quickly and easily. In order to do that, I would insist on a full QWERTY keyboard. A "soft" keyboard just doesn't cut it for me.

I wish I could be of more help, but I've never owned a PDA in my life because I've never seen the need for one. I've never encountered a situation where I couldn't just use a combination of my cellphone and a notepad and pencil... Then again, I just bought a brand new toy: a Nokia e63 smartphone. I know it's not what you're looking for though.

**Mr. bone** · 3rd March 09, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Tattoo Bradley

My recommendation for a non-phone PDA would be a Palm T|X.

Seconded here. use it for everything.

**Chrissss** · 4th March 09, 10:03 PM

I gave up on Palm many years ago when it became obvious they were never going to make an OS that could multi-task.

Windows Mobile was my choice and it works very well. Synchronization is excellent, it multi-tasks very well, and there is a huge 3rd party application support base which is extremely good. There are many, many great little inexpensive apps out there to extend and tweak things to make the device be just how you want it to be.

Check out this forum to learn just about everything there is to know about PDA's.

http://www.mobilitysite.com

**O'Callaghan** · 5th March 09, 12:37 AM

I used to have a Handheld PC (HPC) at work a long time ago. They are defunct, but ran WindowsCE, which was the forerunner of Windows Mobile. They had a keyboard and opened like a laptop, i.e. the so-called clamshell design. For reasons I don't understand they were pushed out of the market in favour of the PocketPC, where you have to plug in a separate keyboard if you can't do without one, and I really can't.

Anyway, years later I treated myself to an old HPC on eBay, but this one was colour, LOL! I got it set up just how I wanted it, and it took ages to get it working on WiFi, even on 802.11b (forget 'g', much less 'n', that's not possible with something so old).

Then I lost it.

I suspect it may be in the house somewhere, so it might turn up eventually, but it's been a while since I lost the bloody thing, so maybe not.

They have Pocket Outlook, and I think you should be able to sync that with Outlook or Outlook Express on a 'real' computer, although I never tried.

There are several different incompatible processors used in WinCE or WinMobile, none of which are compatible with Intel, e.g. SH3, SH4, MIPS (R3900 not R6000 that's used on full size computers) and ARM. I got an SH3 one because I still had some software for that platform, but MIPS is more common. Most of the newer PocketPCs (PPCs) seem to be ARM, but OTOH, ARM software for HPCs is as rare as rocking horse droppings. Finding software for the right version number of WinCE that's for the right CPU can be challenging, and with some models nearly impossible.

Anyway, you probably aren't crazy enough to dabble with 'antique' PDAs on eBay.

Some people even run Linux or NetBSD Unix on them. Again, they aren't Intel, so they won't run 'Linux' software that comes in a box. You'd have to have the source code and compile it on a PC for the right target CPU. Alright, I know that's lost some people.

If you ARE crazy enough to play with ancient PDAs, HP even made ones called 'Palmtops' that ran GEOS, which is a reverse engineered version of DOS 5.0, and had a real Intel 8086 inside, so they will actually run old DOS software, although the storage is too pitiful to fit WordPerfect 5.1 in it, for example, but it does have an embedded copy of Lotus 123 (for DOS!!). IBM went further and made one that ran Windows 3.1/Intel, but for some reason they sold it only in Japan. Actually, I know why, it's because the Japanese are gadget crazy and like everything to be small.

The new trend is for laptops that are about half the size and half the price of a regular one. Maybe things have (almost) come full circle. They won't fit in a pocket, but at least they are harder to lose!