----- Original Message -----
From: "Bradly J. Barton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Palm Developer Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 5:25 PM
Subject: Re: iPaq
> > > * 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.
Did you try free Microsoft Transcriber ??? It recognizes something even
human do not recognize. :)
>
> 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.
Wow, I had P166 machine for development 4 years ago :)
I hope you are not serously consider development environment with online
help system that takes
500MB space hog nowdays :)
>
> 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.
Universal (CPU independent) CEF format for executables is planned to be
released in SP1 as far as I know.
>
> 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.
I do not see how it is different from the palm. You have to press
application launcher button
and it CLOSES your application (Annoying thing some times since most apps
loose temporary data).
Microsoft just SWITCHES focus from your application. It took me 5 minutes
to figure out how to switch and how to really close application. Compaq
gives nice utility for IPaq to manage applications any way.
My thought that there is going to be tons of application switchers/closers
soon.
>
> 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.
I do agree that $500+ is a little to much.
PS.
I forgot to mention really nice and lightweight Database engine.
I mean engine that actually operates with fields and records instead of
memory blocks.
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