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Hands-On Review of PocketPC
GrouchoMarx writes: "I was lucky enough to be at Comdex in Chicago the day Microsoft released the new PocketPC, aka WinCE 3.0. I spent about an hour playing with the new HP Jornada and Casio Cassiopeia. It's an improvement, but not a Palm killer by any means .
" Good review if you're into small machines.
I got an email from Gmate saying the software development kit for the Yopy will be out on April 30th. In case you don't know, the Yopy is a Linux based PDA that will be marketed by Samsung. It runs on the 206mhz StrongARM and has a 4" TFT color screen, stereo audio, 32 meg ROM, 32 meg flash RAM (both upgradeable), compact flash slot, RS-232 and USB, 4-way game type buttons, a LiOh battery and runs Linux with W Windows. Gamate is developing lots of fun gadgets to plug into the CF slot (digital camera, PCS phone, Bluetooth and other wireless stuff). The Yopy itself is due out around the first of June. Cpt_Kirks
If you really want a Handspring Visor or Visor Deluxe, go to your local Best Buy, Staples, or CompUSA!! It's that easy! The prices are the same...and, if you're lucky, they will have the color you want. Last I checked, the local Best Buy didn't have Orange or Green Visor Deluxe's. Springboard modules are comming available very quickly and support is expanding! The Ideo EyeModule is now available! The EyeModule is a digital camera capable of storing up to 500 b/w photos, 125 160x160 pixel photos, or 25 COLOR photos!!! It retails for $149. Alot cheaper than your average digital camera! - KMS
Yeah, me too.
Several years later, I still haven't seen a handheld with the potential of the Newton.
I suppose Jobs had his reasons, and time and the stock market have validated his move, but I sure do wish they'd kept the Newton (or kept it spun off as Newton, Inc.)
Just image with Newton OS 3.0 running on a MessagePad 3200 might have been like. Then again, don't. It's too depressing.
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. -- Pablo Picasso
This is the inevitable car analogy, but I think that there's
a similarity to car buyers that needs to be said.
Given $40k to spend on a car there is one sort of person who
will buy the sports car with a huge engine and sunroof. The
Imprezza or an M2 attracts this sort of person like a fly to
honey. They want the horsepower, the bucket seats, the mags
and sports tyres, etc.
Then there's another sort of person who thinks the Imprezza
or M2 is impractical. You can't seat four people in comfort,
the bucket seats are small and restrictive, the big engine
is a waste of petrol for city driving, and the boot is just
too small. These people prefer a nice roomy sedan.
My opinion on this is that some people want a car they can
show off to their friends. They want to tell everyone how
big the engine is, how fast it goes, how much it cost. The
sedan owner just wants a car they can use every day, that
is practical and useful, and is good value for money.
My Palm Pilot 3 is practical and useful. I also think I'd
in all honesty prefer a sedan to a sports car.
You do have a good point - There have been a handful of programs where Microsoft has had a winner from the first rev (the first version of Excel - on the Mac originally - was pretty innovative, and Word PC was fairly solid from the start - in fact, on the Mac side at least the 3rd version of Word was a disaster) - but they typically require a few iterations to really tune the product. The Microsoft pattern seems to be something like this:
1: Pre-announce to try and freeze the market in place.
2: Release version 1. This product usually has major shortcomings, but is reasonably stable - just exasperating.
3: Incorporate loads of new features and call it version 2. 2.0 usually is pretty bloated from all the new features and buggy as can be. It pretty much serves to full the features checklist that the suits use to buy software.
4: Fix most of the bugs, streamline the program, and fix the funky stuff in the interface (well, most of it...). Begin dominating the world with it.
The one thing positive I'll say about their process is that they do listen better than many companies, and by version 3.0 they typically have what Joe User wants. There is at least some basis other than pure monopolistic spirit behind Microsoft's dominance in most areas - they may not be doing the Right Thing, but they give enough to most users that the market is willing to put up with them.
Remember, Microsoft would love it if they had all the computing world, but those of us here on
- -Josh Turiel
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
The newest generation of WinCE devices do succeed at one thing: Microsoft is no longer a handheld laughingstock. The devices are enough of a step beyond the earlier generation of CE to restore some credibility to Microsoft - I think that was their major objective. I've used CE somewhat (and I have a Jornada 540 on the way from HP as a premium from a promotion they had on their network switches) - and CE devices have some good points. From a software standpoint, there is some commonality between desktop Windows and CE, so that the developers have a head start. From a user perspective, the interfaces are just similar enough as to not be a major problem. However, here's the biggest differences:
Palm has smaller devices, much better battery life, a large and robust developer community, and far more applications. The prices are cheaper, and the Palm OS devices (Handspring and TRG included) are pretty flexible - Palm sticks to the basics and the licencees concentrate on cost and expandability. Palm OS systems also integrate much better with non-Windows operating systems.
WinCE has bigger screens in all versions, a variety of form factors, a shorter development learning curve for Windows programmers, arguably better networking capability and Internet functionality, and more developed basic applications - even if Pocket Word is the equivalent of WordPad, that's still far better than the built-in Memo app on Palm OS. And Palm has no (standard) ability to handle any kind of spreadsheet or presentations.
The name difference does mean something. The Palm is a true PDA that has relatively little built-in functionality but what it has, it's really good at. Palm also is extremely extensible. Microsoft has concentrated on putting as much functionality as possible into their platform, and they've succeeded - they even have managed to be compatible with all the memory leaks in desktop Windows! Microsoft is the master of cramming ten pounds of shite into a five-pound bag, and CE/PocketPC is a wonderful example of it.
The devices will sell a lot better than the older ones did, but the likeliest effect of PocketPC will be to grow the overall market rather than to erode Palm's market share. This could change, of course, depending on what Palm does next.
- -Josh Turiel
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
See? Microsoft discriminates against ugly people!
--Joe--
Program Intellivision!
is a billiards game.
Um, if you have to ask... um, well, nevermind....
I think to some degree comparing the Palm GUI to WinCE GUI is not entirely valid. Our company works with both, and each have missions in which they excel.
The Palm is a great example of how sometimes less is more: smaller, lighter, cheaper, simpler. We use it for bread-and-butter kinds of field data collection applications. It's an easy sell and it works great.
WinCE devices try to bring powerful computing capabilities down into a tiny form factor. Obviously, the success depends a great deal on the manufacturer's choice of hardware -- and the choice of application. As far as the GUI is concerned, you obviously can't shoehorn a full sized desktop GUI app into a palmtop. However to be fair that's not what WinCE does, so its a bit of a straw argument. There is an optimal size form factor for writing the Great American Novel; and viewing a spreadsheet on a palm sized screen negates the two dimensional advantages of the spreadsheet paradigm.
However, the fact that these don't work well have nothing to do with WinCE and everything to do with the nature of the tasks being performed. These applications simply do not scale to palmtop size very well. There are many sophisticated applications that fit very nicely onto a palm top. For example, we use WinCE for field surveying and mapping with GPS. The palm platform, even in its new color incarnation, has neither the computing power nor the display quality do handle these tasks very well.
The Palm devices, because they are more constrained, can be svelter and cheaper. These are real advantages in day to day use, but not a crushingly deciding factor in Palm's favor. The real factor in Palm's favor is not in the OS per se but in the integration with the desktop. It was as if in creating ActivSynch, Microsoft said, "let's take the HotSynch idea and make it better," which in Microsoft-ese means stuff it to the friggin' gills with gee-whiz features.
Any time you integrate two pieces of technology, there's no higher praise than to say it runs smoothly, and no greater criticism than to say it is unreliable. Unfortunately for WinCE, ActiveSynch is more elaborate and elaborate also means flakier. ActiveSynch is, in a nutshell, a pain in the ass. It creates compatability problems; when it doesn't work you have to fuss with it; it offers integration metaphors to the user that are clunky. If I'm a user managing data entry from thirty or more employees in the field (like some of our clients do), the last thing I need is to have five percent of them have oddball configuration nightmares in any given week.
The HotSynch technology from Palm is simpler, and simply works without any headaches or fussing at all. It puts integration complexity squarely where it belongs -- on the application developer.
So, all in all I'd rate WinCE as the best of the MS OS lineup. I have no problems at all with running applications that are suited to the form factor on WinCE. However, if I had to manage a bunch of these, or were not the type of person who has the willingness and time to balk with ambitious and flaky software, then I'd go with Palm, not because of the OS but because of the flakiness of integrating with the desktop.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
You know, when the reviewer prefaces almost every fact with "supposedly", it kind of damages the credibility of the review. The facts in this review are basically accurate, but the tone should be taken with a grain of salt.
And speaking of credibility... I've been posting like crazy in defense of WinCE lately. I'm not a shill for Microsoft, and I'm not even really much of a Microsoft booster. I do get a little annoyed at the severe hypocrisy among
MSK
Jornada. Is that some sort of an HP engineer's in-joke?
"Hey, what's that?"
"An HP Jornada"
"Jornada what?"
"Jornada very intelligent, are you?"
Or better yet:
"Hey, what should we call this thing"
"Let's call it 'Not a Palm.'"
"Hey, Prototype! Jornada Palm! You hear me?"
I don't need large brains to have a good time.
It's not Microsoft that Palm should see as their major competitor, it's Symbian's EPOC system. Symbian's on a bit of a 'slow burn', but don't lose sight of the fact that all the world's largest cellphone manufacturers are lined up to put EPOC on their next-gen phones and phone/PDA hybrids before the end of this year, or the middle of 2001. While it's obvious to most people that current attempts at integrating cellphones and PDAs haven't been entirely successful (the Nokia 9110i is probably the best, but not entirely satisfactory as either a phone or as a PDA), the advent of devices such as Bluetooth headsets should really change that situation. Imagine something with the form-factor of a Palm Vx, running Symbian's EPOC, talking via Bluetooth to a headset, and via GSM to the phone and data networks, and the possibilities should become apparent... there are a hell of a lot of cellphone users out there; whoever conquers that market is practically guaranteed dominance in the 'traditional' PDA market.
But Microsoft is doing what it has been doing all this time - putting Windows everywhere. From their point of view, of course, it's corporate strategy. But surprisingly, it is also something that serves current users of Windows of any flavor well (sort of. What they don't know won't hurt them is the line of thought here).
For me, one of Microsoft's single greatest feat was NOT making a superior OS, but make an OS that is backwards compatible and provides good continuous user experience. What I mean is that there's no "UI-shock" except when you went from DOS to windows. But those were gradual steps. Microsoft had to build their OSes so that it would support countless different combinations of hardware devices stuck together that we roughly called PCs. Throughout the lifetime of Windows, the users were able to expect certain things to work similarly to previous versions. That says a lot about keeping users in mind.
Sure, we can come up with really great and intuitive UI that blows Windows away, but what about the users? It will take time to re-educate them. One might argue that a great UI will require minimal re-education - but we are not quite there yet, are we? In the mean time, Microsoft is trying to break into the handheld market with Windows. Not a surprise. The execution is poor because they are trying to cram so much into the PocketPC. But that's what they are doing strategically to get market share. They are trying to bring Windows users who's never had a handheld before to start using PocketPC. That's a smart move any way you look at it. And they do it by giving the user the familiar Windows UI that they've been used to. In some ways, that's very applaudable. Look at the two giant companies today: AOL and Microsoft - they build their business by making things easier and more accessible, but not necessarily better than everyone else. And that's why they are the big corporations they are today. Most people out there are not looking for technologically superior products. They are looking for easy to use, accessible stuff that everyone else has.
I think there's a lot of lessons to be learned from Microsoft and AOL, big evil corporate empires they may be. Miguel from GNOME certainly did, when he just copied all those the features from MS Excel. Learn to extend and embrace.
I saw this posted to one of the Palm news sites.
http://www.mikew.org/html/PalmSimple.html
Although I despise the software running on the WinCE devices (or whatever they're being called this month), I think the hardware has some extremely cool aspects to it. For starters, there's the larger 16-bit color displays; yes, Palm now makes a color device, but it's 8-bit color and it's still the old 160x160 pixel screen. Second, I like the audio-in/audio-out capabilities of (some of) the CE devices. Being able to record audio notes, or to play MP3s would be something I would like to be able to do on my Palm. On the other hand, the CE devices require faster CPUs, resulting in dismal battery life. They require more memory, which jacks up the cost. And they're still clunky compared to the sleek slim design of the Palm V (I haven't played with the latest generation of the CE devices. though).
So I'd like to see Palm stuff a spiffy new display and some audio capabilities into their devices while still retaining the slim form factor and decent battery life, and of course keeping their software and UI relatively unchanged. Do that and they'd bury Microsoft. As it is, the fancier hardware on the CE toys is going to entice some people over to the Dark Side.
I know two engineers who once carried Palms but ditched them for the better hardware available on CE devices. However, after six months of carrying their CE devices, these guys both said they regretted the decision and like their old Palms better. But if Microsoft really fixes their software, then Palm could have a problem. Spiff up their hardware, though, and it becomes a non-issue.
--Jim
Having tried the Palm Vx, all I can say is that if you're looking for a complete replacement for that DayTimer book with direct access to contact manager programs, look no further. In fact, that's what most people use Palm devices for.
:-(
But try to do things like surfing the Internet and it gets a bit awkward. The Palm VII is an interesting idea but it forces you to read web pages in a form that is extremely reduced and a bit difficult to navigate.
My only big concern about the new PocketPC devices is that they are still somewhat expensive (about US$500). They should release a backlit monochrome LCD version for around $299--and that will become a viable competitor for Palm devices.
Actually, the Handspring Visor's expandability is great, but finding one is a bit difficult.
Raymond in Mountain View, CA
Palm Prez: Hey, Sales, how are we doing?
Palm Sales: Through the roof boss. Our sales outstrip all other PDA's put together.
Palm Prez: That's great news. Hey Marketing, how can we keep this trend going?
Palm Mark: I have a great idea! What we're doing now is working so well, it obviously needs to be changed! Let's do what our weakest competitor is doing and slow down our software while making the batteries wear out faster! It's working for Microsoft!
--
Linux MAPI Server!
http://www.openone.com/software/MailOne/
(Exchange Migration HOWTO coming soon)
A Palm is a small device which was designed to fit into your pocket and always be with you. It was designed so that you rarely have to worry about batteries or the OS crashing. OTOH, the WinCE devices were designed to play MP3's, MPEG's, and generally to be impress-the-chicks devices. They're bigger, they will not last for more than a day or two on the batteries, and (even CNet agrees) the OS will often crash.
(While there are reports of WinCE being stable, it seems to be the same as NT - depends on luck. At work, the NT box I use has a 5-week up time. At home, the NT box will always freeze after a week. (As you can see, I'm not a 100% *nix guy.)) The article linked in the Slashdot post will tell you the rest... :)
--
I own a Palm IIIx and I have a close friend of mine who owns a Casseopeia (which model I can't remember). I couldn't talk him into getting a Palm, he's into flash and "cool" factor.
:) I use the Palm for addresses and phone numbers, directions to places, and notes like the flight number & time of when my flight is. And games for when I'm stuck in traffic or sitting on a bus. My friend uses his Casseopeia for those same things plus showing people the multimedia so they can go OOOOHHHH. I don't think there's enough positives about the devices to merit junking the Palm IIIx just so I can show off something cool to people.
He likes it because he can watch the Star Wars trailer on it (even though 1. he's seen the trailer a billion times and 2. it is EXTREMELY slow to transfer from his computer and his Casseopeia). He loves the fact that he can listen to mp3s on it, and he doesn't mind sticking it on the charger every night.
So, of course I got to play around with it. I found the device really heavy to hold. He's got a little belt holder to stick it in. It's quite a bit thicker than my Palm IIIx, and probably twice as heavy. I just don't find it to be the kind of thing that's easy to carry around. I keep my Palm in my purse and replace the batteries every couple months. I also have a REALLY hard time keeping my cell phone charged, I know that if I had a Casseopeia or even a Palm V, It'd be constantly running out of battery power.
I did find the interface on the Casseopeia to be clunky, and Jot wasn't terribly easy to use (about as easy as Graffiti was to learn... easy enough if you sit down and learn how, but just picking up the stylus with no training on Jot, there was really no way.) Of course his was running WinCE, and I don't think he's had it crash on him.
My one concern about the fact that the Win devices constantly sync with the computer is, what if I want to replace the info on the computer with the stuff from the device? With the Palm, you stick it in the cradle (without fear of anything happening cause you haven't pressed the button yet), and set how you want the sync to go, then press the button. I haven't tried syncing a Win device, but that's the impression that I got.
Good things about Casseopeia/WinCE:
1) Multimedia
2) NICE full color!!
3) more screen space
Bad things (IMHO) about Casseopeia/WinCE:
1) HEAVY
2) Clunky interface - slow to find things
3) Battery life
4) Multimedia has only cool factor, no real utility factor, not practical
5) Not very easy to tote around (thickness, large size)
I guess it depends on what's most important to you. Some people like flash and glitz even though there aren't too many practical uses for the flash and glitz (kind of like being the only person on the internet.
Oh yeah.... whatever happened to the whole "Windows Powered" idea?? Did they scrap it for Pocket PC or is the "Windows Powered" going to be something else?