> > * It has good wiz-bang but what about end user utilization (does it end > up in a desk after week?)? > > It does everything my palm does. Handwriting recognition is really > amazing. Plam does not even come close. > Plus I rewrote my application to the CE within 4 days using very nice > convinient and free tool from Microsoft (VC++). > You can use C++ easly there and talk about speed/floating > point!!!/memory!!. Actually, I hope Palm does do a new "high end" machine soon to compete with the beauty of these machines. The displays and graphics are really, really good. I picked up an HP Journada Pocket PC the other day and if the iPaq looks even nicer, that is really amazing. (The iPaq doesn't have a CF slot, so that was a major downgrade IMHO.) As far as the rest of this, I have to disagree on a couple points: 1. Handwriting .. Now granted I've not used the Handwriting recognition much at all, but since the Pocket PC does not recognize graffiti, I have to learn how to write all over again. Why? Because frankly, my normal printing.. while it is very readable by a human being, my tendency to mix cases (smaller uppercase letters to make letters more clear) among other bad habits makes a computer have fits trying to figure out what I mean. 2. The "convinient and free tool from Microsoft" is a drive space and resource hog. It took me well over 500 meg of drive space for a "typical" install. It would not install at all on my Pentium 166, so I had to install it on my laptop. The emulator *only* runs on NT 4.0 SP4 or higher and I had to install it four times (finally editing the registry by hand to get rid of stuff left over by previous aborted installs) because the stupid thing kept running out of disk space while installing. (Most installs would actually check that sort of thing BEFORE installing.) I felt like sending a thank you note to Metrowerks for creating a convenient and simple tool when all was said and done. Sure, if you are familiar with MFC and C++ you can write for CE, but if you aren't, you will be behind an even bigger 8-ball than "newbies" to Palm. 3. They still haven't really solved the multiple processor problem. You have to create a different executable for each device to make it all work. This requires either an installation routine with a brain big enough to figure out what configuration the end user are running or an end user with a brain big enough... either way, it still is a potential support nightmare. Sure, you could use VB, but that would sacrifice all of the supposed gains of speed and memory access. 4. The OS is still a pain to work with. There is no easy way to close an application you have running (you have to open up a task switcher to close it). And if the application is running, you can't download a new version during development. Its difficult to find your way around the machine and sometimes even locate the application you are wanting to run. 5. Synchronization is difficult and its difficult to write a conduit that actually syncs the information. It appears (this is still fairly first glance) that the only thing Microsoft expects you to do is copy all your data one direction or the other. 6. Third party software is expensive. Forgetting free apps for a moment, just a quick browse around Handango will leave you with the impression that the average price is around $20 .. where Palm seems to be around $12. That's when you can find the application you want, compiled for the processor you have.. What did they get right? Several things... the compact flash slot on this unit is wonderful. I was able to drop the card from my digital camera in the slot and view the pictures directly using Pocket Explorer. The resolution and color depth are wonderful. The weight of this device is similar to the IIIc. The built in voice recorder is extremely useful for those of us who hate leaving ourselves voicemail on the road. Bottom line? They are getting closer, where Palm has made only minor advances lately. I love the idea of an entry level machine at around $150 (nevermind the form factor changes) that runs the same software as the top of the line models.. but I hope Palm is looking toward some of the features that CE did get right. I'm still a Palm loyalist, but I've started looking over the proverbial shoulder at that 20% market share and its potential to get larger. -- For information on using the Palm Developer Forums, or to unsubscribe, please see http://www.palmos.com/dev/tech/support/forums/
