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Rumors of the Upcoming iPaq
Simon writes "Check out these new
iPaqs" Apparently some information leaked about the next generation: 64 megs of memory on board, expansion slots (and word of a wireless card too). I'm still hearing good word about Compaq continuing the fine Linux work they've been doing on these devices,
(stretching back to the now-legendary Itsy, first mentioned on Slashdot way back in May of 98.) Having now used one for a few
weeks I have to say its a solid little handheld (I don't like the WinCE GUI as much as the PalmOS GUI, but I like the apps better).
It is damn near impossible to get the 3650 currently. I've had mine on backorder for a month. Now vendors are hiking up the original price because of the demand...I saw them going for upward of $900 on streetprices.com.
-- Who is the bigger fool? The fool or the fool who follows him? --
Directly comparing memory and storage available between CE and PALM OS based devices is very misleading. CE has a larger memory footprint and the files created in the Pocket Office applications consume a relatively large amount of storage.
Also, I find the vertical CE interface to be very difficult to get accustomed to. The only hands-down benefit of CE is that you do not need to learn Graffiti!
Lenny
ByteMyCode.com: A Web 2.0 code sharing community.
As a researcher working closely with the Compaq people I know there is even more to come. We are working on stuff that will be superior to the longrun technology of TransMeta and the SpeedStep technology of Intel. download research paper.
The iPAQ people are very Linux friendly, check out the website backed by several Compaq people. With a wireless link on the iPAQ such as GPRS (European GSM packet solution) it is possible to browse the Internet with your favorite browser.
With XScribble you can use it just like your PalmPilot. To only difference is the increased weight, better display and powerfull processor.
Johan (j@mp3.nl)
--Cycon
Your Brain + EEG + LEGO Robots = Brainstorms
As much as I don't like about MS, I've been quite happy with WinCE. If all you want is a planner/organizer a palm will do the job, but if you want multimedia capability the CE devices blow the Palms away hands down. Just to scratch the surface, CE/Pocket PC devices can play MP3 files, video, wav, doom, record audio, emulate a gameboy, etc. If you don't want those features, don't use 'em, but they're available. If you want to do any of those things with a Palm device, you're gonna have to shell out extra cash for an add on module, or you might just be completely out of luck. The Compaq devices all store the OS in Flash-ROM, so you can upgrade/change OS/whatev. I'm sure that you could even run the PalmOS on it if you wanted (I know for a fact that there are emulators for the PalmOS that run within CE but haven't heard about anyone re-flashing an I-paq with the PalmOS)... My only real complaint about CE is that it slows/locks at random times... I'm using an older version (2.11 on an HP Jornada 430se), and from what I've heard 3.0 is quite a bit better. Regardless, it doesn't matter much, as what you're really paying for is the hardware. Now, I'm not really a fan of Compaq for PCs, but their pocket-pc devices are by far the best out there. The vast majority of the complaints I've heard about 'em is that the paint rubs off (which is a valid complaint, but rather petty in the scheme of things). If you absolutley loathe MS, just re-flash the ROM with Pocket Linux...
You know what I would LOVE to see incorporated in every PDA? An automatic phone dialer. I assume that it would be simple to put into a PDA, and would take up very little space.
I (and most people, obviously), don't want my PDA to be a cell phone--it's wayyy too large for that. I would love, however, to click on a phone number, and then have the PDA dial it for me.
Concentrate on simple functionality first!
"Chill, Orrin!"---Trent Lott
My company, Century Software, (shameless self plug), has been working for many months to bring Linux and the graphics engine Microwindows to the Ipaq platform (www.microwindows.org). Amid the kernel tweeking (thanks to the fine folks at www.handhelds.org, and basic graphics apps (load monitor, clock, keyboard, scribble, etc...), we have also tried to create some PIM apps (e-mail, etc...), and I have developed a few observations.
1) - Kernel work is sexy, designing PIM suites is not. A majority of the members of the open source community are willing to do kernel and driver work on their spare time, but precious few are willing to make a datebook without compensation.
2) - Thus, it falls more to companies that are able to pay engineers to work on PIM applications. However, these days engineers are expensive, and the companies are unwilling to pay an engineer 40 bucks an hour, and then turn around and give the suites away. Thats has nothing to do with open source or code sharing, thats just business.
3) - Because of this, the only other solution would be for the companies to try to sell the PIM suites (either on a royalty basis to corporations, or directly to the consumer). And then they come right up against Palm, Microsoft, and the other big giants that have more organized marketing networks and market share.
The solution? You got me! Many kudos and $$ to the company that figures it out first. Until then, at least I can still play Doom on my Ipaq!!!
Do you have Linux and a DotPal? Click here now!
I guess that would give us something like Windows CEMENT - Hard as a rock, dumb as a brick.
Ok, a 12 or 16 bit color screen, 64MB of ram, a 206mhz CPU - all extremely low power. Throw in the dual PCMCIA expansion and you can hook this thing up wirelessly to the net. I know you kids use gigahertz PCs nowadays, but the 206mhz StrongArm is no pushover, as far as CPUs go. It sips power while cranking through computations (the ARM architecture is highly praised for its elegant design).
Anyway, my point is that this thing is a low end desktop computer, expect that it is also extremely portable and power efficient. Saying that it is just a mobile phone and an address book implies that you have a lack of imagination. You are spoiled by power hungry, heavy polluting desktop PCs, and you have forgotten how to see the possibilities of anything with a sub-gigahertz CPU.
Computing and geeks is about seeing the possibilities of a piece of machinery.
People are already hacking the existing iPaq by adding another DRAM and flash chip, effectively doubling their RAM and flash storage. They had all 64MB RAM working fine under Linux, but WinCE would not recognize anything past 32MB. Check it out http://www.handhelds.org/z/wiki/UpgradingDRAM
My iPaq has better sound quality than my portable CD player, and it's LOUD. With a 2GB microdrive I can store my entire mp3 collection. Batttery life is no worse than my CD player, and it recharges rapidly.
Portable gaming machine? Okay, another neat app. So I'm going to play quake and doom on this little tiny screen? And that will be fun how???? Sure that's cool, but it's a gimick. What else...tetris??? come on...
Graphics quality is actually very good, even with the little screen. Doom is perfectly playable. There is one problem with it not being able to recognize multiple keypresses, but that may be fixed via a ROM update. What's really fun is using a stowaway keyboard. Doom works great with that. I play tetris all the time on mine as well.
ebook reader? Okay, another neat use. I'm going to read a book on that little tiny screen? No. I don't even read books on my PC with my nice big screen and my cushy chair. It's a strain on my eyes and not nearly as enjoyable as a dead tree.
The eBook reader is probably one of the best things about the iPaq. I have now switched almost entirely to reading books using it. I've read about five books so far on it, and I have about six more stored on the thing that I'm currently reading. The clear type technology makes the print quality VERY good. It's easy on the eyes, and more convenient than a paper book. I would say that in terms of time spent using the thing, the majority has been for reading books. Baen offers a subscription-based sci-fi book club that has tons of titles.
As for demand, Compaq can't keep them on the shelves. The iPaq is currently the most popular PDA in terms of sales growth out there. They've been going on eBay for as much as $1500. Everyone who has seen mine immediately wants to buy one. It's a desktop machine the size of a Palm III.
-Vercingetorix
-Vercingetorix
"Necessitas non habet legem." -St. Augustine
Seriously, I'm looking forward to having Emacs on my palmtop device.
(Now how did I have to scribble that control-shift-5* combination again?)
(* German keyboard: Search & replace in Emacs)
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