As far as pocket PCs go, Palm OS or Pocket Windoze?

[BiikeMike]

I am a long time Palm user, and used to their OS. I'm not a huge fan of Pocket Windows, but i'm looking into a smartphone, and it looks like the new Palm Treo 700w is the place things are going (For Verizon anyway)

Does anyone here use a PocketPC with windows? Does it sync to the mac well? What programs can you sync the contacts with and the such. Thanks

 

[nichos]

Pocket PC is windows I think you meant "PDA"

Since this is a rumor site, I thought I'd mention this. I'm also a verizon customer and would love to see a new palm phone come out. The 700w has started some rumors that there will be a 700p - the p representing that it runs palm os. I'll have to wait for my "new every two" to come up.

 

[generik]

I do feel that PalmOS is really on its final stretch.. that platform has been stagnant for quite a while.

Anyway does PPC (PocketPC) work on Macs?

 

[zflauaus]

I do feel that PalmOS is really on its final stretch.. that platform has been stagnant for quite a while.

Anyway does PPC (PocketPC) work on Macs?

I also feel Palm is on it's way out with the Windows Mobile 5-based Treo. Windows Mobile, any version, does not work on Macs w/o help from the Missing Sync found http://www.markspace.com/products.htmlhere.

 

[BiikeMike]

Pocket PC is windows I think you meant "PDA"

Since this is a rumor site, I thought I'd mention this. I'm also a verizon customer and would love to see a new palm phone come out. The 700w has started some rumors that there will be a 700p - the p representing that it runs palm os. I'll have to wait for my "new every two" to come up.

Yeah, I realized that after I posted, but oh well


And the 700p is supposedly only going to be for Sprint

 

[mkrishnan]

Anyway does PPC (PocketPC) work on Macs?

MarkSpace and PocketMac both sell software that allows iSync or Entourage, etc, and other apps to talk to a PocketPC. Be forewarned that WM5 has been out for a few months now, and as of yet, neither has either a working version of a product that talks to WM5 devices nor a promise date.... But that should come eventually. It seems that WM5 caught a lot of people off guard in terms of changes from WM2003SE (which I have personally never used). WM5 itself is nice. It has some cool features. But even a lot of PocketPC software developers are having trouble making their software fully compliant. And so a lot of third party software doesn't quite work correctly at the moment.

 

[BiikeMike]

so for 100% compatability, PalmOS it is?

 

[mkrishnan]

so for 100% compatability, PalmOS it is?

Unless you want a PPC device that still uses WM2003, then at the moment, yes. The WM5 issue will be resolved, but there's no telling at this point how soon. And neither of the companies who make this software seem to have sufficiently sophisticated development processes to have a specific implementation plan that gives you an idea of when there will be light at the end of the tunnel....

 

[amin]

I use a Windows device because I need some medical software that doesn't come in a Palm OS version. Were it not for this, I would have gone for a Palm. In my experience, Palm OS is still the more stable, trouble-free experience. I will be sad to see the Palm OS fold.

 

[BiikeMike]

So I guess PalmOS vs. Pocket PC is kind of like Mac vs. Windows.

Palm and Mac are more intuitive, more powerful, and just overall better, where PPC and Windoze are not as good, but more widely spread and more supported by 3rd parties.


Oh well, looks like I'll probably go with a Treo 650, because I really don't like PocketPC, I HATE Outlook, I like synching with my Pbook through Bluetooth, and I already have all my stuff in the Palm Desktop

Those seem like good enough reasons, right?

 

[shdwsclan]

They can all be called pocket PCs.
You basically have 3 choices.
Microsoft Windows Mobile
(Apple) Palm
(LinuxHybrid) Symbian OS

MS WMobile is C based
Palm is C based
Symbian is Java based

MS has "aquired" palm recently so expect big changes........like a treo with windows mobile which will be released Q1 2006.


Personally, I would pick a unit with windows mobile 5.0 because I do use WinXP mostly.....from time to time I boot into MaxOSX.4 for some specific tasks. I'm not sure if there is a MAC sync utility for it though. Also, windows has the best boot security. If you set a system password then if someone steals that phone and tries to operate it....the realize they have a paperweight. Unlike palm, the system will not allow input or synchronization without a code so the thieves cant reload the OS to clear the phone. If you want a smartPhone/PDAphone then you should know the following.
The best UNITs are sold in asia and europe, dont buy crappy outdated PDAphones from US vendors.
GSM(tri/quad band) is usually the way to go because you can choose your service provider by a Sim chip. Asian PDA phones may have CDMA which usually means no sim card and assigned/programmed provider. There are a few PDA phones that are CDMA+GSM which is very versatile and nice because they can be programmed with a provider, or used with a sim card.

 

[ll350]

if you do buy a palm...

Just make sure it isn't a sony clie. They aren't being sold in the US anymore, maybe not even produced at all, but there are plenty of used ones floating around. The problem is that they aren't supported on Mac unless you buy theMissingSync, even though they run Palm OS.

 

[shdwsclan]

I used to have an NZ-90. It was an awesome device but it did have poor support. Currently, I have an Imate PDA2K on t-mobile. I bought the unit on ebay and it was unlocked. It has both wifi and gsm standard. Im not sure who the parent company is that produces the phone because there are phone floating around that are exactly the same but have different branding.
Also, nokia hasa wierd idea. Most nokia phones in the US run symbian. I think it was the N90 or N80. Well, anyway, it was some nokia model that ran symbian in the US models and Windows Mobile in the asian models. Also, lenovo(IBM) has a very nice line of PDA phones, but they are CDMA. A lot of phones aren't available in the US because of the FCC. The FCC is a corrupt organization that needs to be "lobbied" to do anything in a timely fashion and thats what most cellular divisions of companies state.

 

[evildead]

PocketPC

I got an HP PocketPC as a gift several years ago. I would normaly get a palm but.. it was a gift from a girlfriend so I kept it. it works great with my Windows machine and I use it all the time. As for syincing with my mac... it doesnt. I went out and bought some 3rd party software so i could sync it and it worked a few times, but that was it. When it did work, it didnt sync all data from Enturage as it said it would. Missing emails, addresses, etc. And the worst part is... it wasnt always the same record that was missing! Couldnt trust it dont use it any more. Gave it another try after a major update, but... failed to see device.

 

[BiikeMike]

Its looking more and more like I'm getting a Treo........ I might go get it this week

 

[jaseone]

MS has "aquired" palm recently so expect big changes........

Err where did you hear that? PlamSource was bought by Access Inc., who make the NetFront browser for cell phones, which is used on a lot of phones, PalmOne I believe renamed themselves back to Palm and I recently read something to the effect that there will still be new PalmOS based devices for some time yet.

I used to have an iPAQ and MisingSync, it worked well enough but I hated that damn thing and never used it as it just seemed clunky to use and felt more like a miniature computer than a PDA, which is the main reason I wanted it.

Recently I bought an unlocked GSM Treo 650 and for once I have a phone AND PDA that I am happy with, it simply is a great little device especially with ChatterEmail that enables it to do Push Email (like a CrackBerry). Plus things like Audible (allows you to download your audibooks over the air), TCPMP (allows you to watch DIVX and other movies without having to transcode them as it will scale down to the Treo's screen) and QuickNews (Over the air RSS reader)

I could go on and on but you get the picture.

 

[mkrishnan]

So I guess PalmOS vs. Pocket PC is kind of like Mac vs. Windows.

Actually, hardware-wise, PPC is mostly ahead of Palm. Like for instance VGA screens are not available on Palms. That was my big purchase detractor. Palm had a nice, elegant, simple solution, but then they failed to continue to refine it. They spent years where they were peddling the same thing, while Microsoft learned how to compete. And then they never really responded. The LifeDrive is a neat idea, for instance, but it should've launched with a VGA screen, as opposed to not having one even now.

WM's thing has always been that it was overblown, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. But it's made a lot of progress. And since, in comparison, PalmOS hasn't really gone anywhere, MS is slowly coming out ahead.

 

[brogers]

I got a Blackberry from work. It is Nextel based phone and is quite great. I get e-mail (not server sync mail, but real e-mail anywhere), calendar, contacts...etc. It syncs with iCal and AddressBook via Pocket Mac (or Entourage) and works flawlessly between by iMac at home and my Dell at work. I had Palm and it was getting so dated and worthless. We needed a true mobile solution and the Blackberry was it. Can't live without it now.

 

[nichos]

I just found out that palm plans to roll out 3 new Treos if you can wait. I started a thread here: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=1993701

 

[shdwsclan]

Introduction
The Microsoft Treo

With Microsoft, it always starts with a partnership................

 

[BiikeMike]

I just found out that palm plans to roll out 3 new Treos if you can wait. I started a thread here: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=1993701

Right, but i'm on Verizon, and have no plans on switching. The 700p will probably not come to Verizon for quite some time. And I DON'T want to run a Palm PC

Thanks for the info though!

 

[blackpeter]

Palm who?
Pocket what??

BlackBerry 8700 (http://www.blackberry.com/products/new_handhelds/index.shtml)

 

[shdwsclan]

The microsoft palm is expected to be released Q1 2006 from what I heard...... As for the blackberry...it is a poor example of a mobile computer. No wifi, poor bluetooth, no camera, no expansion memory slot among the most basic of necesaries. Also, windows mobile has DX acceleration so you can play that doom port on the train, not to mention being able run any chat app. I suggest that you look at the IMATE line and really reasses what a PDA was(blackberry) and what is PDA is(Palm) and what a pda should be(windows mobile).

I myself own an Imate PDA2K and I think it runs circles around the blackberry....