I have a Palm Tungsten E handheld and I am looking to upgrade it to a Palm Tungsten TX, or one of the following HP iPAQs: HP rx1950; or HP hx2410 64MB; or HP hx2410 128MBa Pocket PC. Having only used the Palm OS, I was wondering which is best Palm or Pocket PC? My Tungsten E has battery issues now, will lose power causing me to have do a soft reset or or hard reset, and then trying to reload everything. I have had to do this at least 3 times within the last 3 months. At this time I have lost the keyboard function and this thing is driving me crazy. I know that the HPs I have listed have removable batteries and this may be the selling point fo me. Please give me your thoughts on Palm or Pocket PC. Thanks.
More info on upgrading to TX
- Thread starter La Papisa
- Start date
It is not a big deal to replace the battery in the TE. They can be found for under $30, even as low as $7 plus $10 shipping on ebay. Just remove the 4 screws (screwdriver is included with some batteries) snap the back cover off and replace the battery. Two little wires need to be soldered instead of a plug connector. This is a good thing, not a bad thing. Any time connections are soldered, they are more secure and less likely to have a 'hickup'.
Pumpkin_Cat
New member
G'day Migoblu!
I have been using PDAs for ages and being a student, I've used them from everything from games and multimedia to assignment work and task management. My first PDA was the Palm IIIx, but after a few years of Palm remaining stagnant whilst Windows CE powered ahead with advancements such as colour screens, MP3 playback, vibrating alarms etc. I decided to defect to the Windows Mobile Camp, and bought a HP Ipaq 1930 (I now have a Palm T|X). Nice looking little machine, and did tasks quite well (and it also had the removable battery option you were talking about), but when it came a year or so of solid use, I noticed a number of things:
(1) Palm is soooo much easier to use. I think Microsoft's logic behind Windows Mobile was to make it as powerful as a desktop. Whereas Palm's is to compliment PCs, allowing users to carry out work and task management on the go, and not to try and replace Laptops/Desktops.
As a result of these different ideologies, the two operating systems differ greatly in terms of usability. Palm OS is clean, simply and does what you want it to do. Windows Mobile is powerful, but given that it is running on a small screen, it can become quite cluttered and hard to use at times. Remember, Palm was designed ground up specifically for PDAs, whilst Windows in just a mobile/scaled down version of the desktop OS. BUT, some people do actually find Windows Mobile more to their liking, so the best thing to do is try it!
(2) Pocket PCs don't handle editing/viewing of Office Documents very well. Kind of ironic isn't it?? But it is so true. When you transfer documents onto the PDA, it takes almost forever, as the Microsoft Sync software attempts to convert all Office Documents into the "Pocket Format", which incidentally results in the loss of most of the formatting - a horror when dealing with Lecture Notes or assignments!
With Palm's bundled software (DocumentsToGo) you are able to view the native Office Document files on the PDA, with minimal loss of formatting. Better yet, transfer of documents to the PDA is fast and requires no conversion - so you could just grab an SD Card that you use on your computer, whack it into the PDA and away you go! Whilst no conversion is required by the Sync software, it is important to note that the DocumentsToGo software technically DOES convert it into a Pocket Format when you load a document. But being it does not save it as a pocket format, so when you make changes, it makes the changes to the original file. The only time you should be concerned about the on-the-fly conversion is when you have a massive word document!
Ok, back to your question (sorry about the diversion - I tend to babble on a bit). Yeah I have read in places about problems with the Tungsten E ... most common ones are battery and screen. Removable batteries are definitely a great selling point, and it's a wonder why Palm hasn't offered this option, but you can easily get past this by either replacing the battery using a third party supplier (http://www.pdainternalbattery.com/) or by purchasing additional warranty when you initially purchase the PDA. Typically, PDA batteries will last a couple years anyway, so by extending your warranty to 3 years in total, should cover any faulty batteries, and allow you to have them replaced by the retailer. The other bonus of this is that if your PDA is a lemon (which more and more of the newer generation Palms seem to be
), you can have it replaced! But, the good thing about the new Palm T|X is that you won't have the same problems that you are currently experiencing when your battery dies. As you are probably aware, the Palm T|X and most newer palms have NVFS memory (Non-volatile), meaning if the battery dies completely, you won't lose your info! The only downside to this, is not all apps work properly with this new type of memory, but the majority of developers have addressed this minor glitch.
However, you mentioned something about a keyboard, and because you didn't say anything else about it, I am going to assume you have a wireless keyboard? Well, the only thing to watch there, is that drivers may not be readily available for the Palm T|X ... of course, in due time, these will become available.
Well, in terms of recommending a PDA, I can't really do that. It is a matter of preference. Having used both types of PDAs though (Windows and Palm), I can honestly say that I am by far, more comfortable with using a Palm (for reasons mentioned earlier). What you should really look at, is what you will be using the PDA for (multimedia or PIM/documents editing) - if it's multimedia, then Windows Mobile have a slight edge over Palms, but this gap is closing. PIM/Documents editing, Palm is by far, superior in this department. You should also bear in mind that Palm programs and the OS itself are less power/memory hungry than Windows Mobile, so you can't compare the two different types of PDAs on pure specs. If anything, the Palm will come out on top in this department ... obviously requiring less processing power and memory allows you to perform tasks more efficiently, store more and prolongs battery life.
If you're looking at getting the Ipaw rx1950, you should be really concerned about the slow processor it has (300 Mhz) - for Windows Mobile that can mean a painful experience. From memory, my Ipaq has a similar processor, and I experienced so many delays it's not funny. The best thing that you could do is go to your local electronics retailer (if you're in Oz ... Harvey Norman, Officeworks, JB HiFi, DSE) and test a bunch of PDAs. Take an SD Card with you, and store it with things that you think you'll do on the PDA. Test the performance during these tasks, and also test the usability. As you have only used Palm, you'd be glad to know that Windows Mobile does actually emulate Graffiti1 (it's called Block Recognizer). In the end, I reckon you'll still want to stick with a Palm, in which case, I'd recommend a Palm T|X (I love mine!) - although Graffiti2 is a pain, there are hacks available. If you are unsure which Palm best suits you, go to: http://www.palm.com/au/products/compare/selector/ Nevertheless, the T|X is a bargain, because it has both WiFi AND Bluetooth and has a huge screen! Don't get the T5 or E2, I've read about so many issues with these two models. If you do end up getting a Palm, do get the extended warranty option, because there have been so many postings over the net about problems with the newer generation Palms. Bring back the reliability and stability of the Palm IIIx and V I say!!!
Hope this helps!
Andrew
I have been using PDAs for ages and being a student, I've used them from everything from games and multimedia to assignment work and task management. My first PDA was the Palm IIIx, but after a few years of Palm remaining stagnant whilst Windows CE powered ahead with advancements such as colour screens, MP3 playback, vibrating alarms etc. I decided to defect to the Windows Mobile Camp, and bought a HP Ipaq 1930 (I now have a Palm T|X). Nice looking little machine, and did tasks quite well (and it also had the removable battery option you were talking about), but when it came a year or so of solid use, I noticed a number of things:
(1) Palm is soooo much easier to use. I think Microsoft's logic behind Windows Mobile was to make it as powerful as a desktop. Whereas Palm's is to compliment PCs, allowing users to carry out work and task management on the go, and not to try and replace Laptops/Desktops.
As a result of these different ideologies, the two operating systems differ greatly in terms of usability. Palm OS is clean, simply and does what you want it to do. Windows Mobile is powerful, but given that it is running on a small screen, it can become quite cluttered and hard to use at times. Remember, Palm was designed ground up specifically for PDAs, whilst Windows in just a mobile/scaled down version of the desktop OS. BUT, some people do actually find Windows Mobile more to their liking, so the best thing to do is try it!
(2) Pocket PCs don't handle editing/viewing of Office Documents very well. Kind of ironic isn't it?? But it is so true. When you transfer documents onto the PDA, it takes almost forever, as the Microsoft Sync software attempts to convert all Office Documents into the "Pocket Format", which incidentally results in the loss of most of the formatting - a horror when dealing with Lecture Notes or assignments!
With Palm's bundled software (DocumentsToGo) you are able to view the native Office Document files on the PDA, with minimal loss of formatting. Better yet, transfer of documents to the PDA is fast and requires no conversion - so you could just grab an SD Card that you use on your computer, whack it into the PDA and away you go! Whilst no conversion is required by the Sync software, it is important to note that the DocumentsToGo software technically DOES convert it into a Pocket Format when you load a document. But being it does not save it as a pocket format, so when you make changes, it makes the changes to the original file. The only time you should be concerned about the on-the-fly conversion is when you have a massive word document!
Ok, back to your question (sorry about the diversion - I tend to babble on a bit). Yeah I have read in places about problems with the Tungsten E ... most common ones are battery and screen. Removable batteries are definitely a great selling point, and it's a wonder why Palm hasn't offered this option, but you can easily get past this by either replacing the battery using a third party supplier (http://www.pdainternalbattery.com/) or by purchasing additional warranty when you initially purchase the PDA. Typically, PDA batteries will last a couple years anyway, so by extending your warranty to 3 years in total, should cover any faulty batteries, and allow you to have them replaced by the retailer. The other bonus of this is that if your PDA is a lemon (which more and more of the newer generation Palms seem to be
), you can have it replaced! But, the good thing about the new Palm T|X is that you won't have the same problems that you are currently experiencing when your battery dies. As you are probably aware, the Palm T|X and most newer palms have NVFS memory (Non-volatile), meaning if the battery dies completely, you won't lose your info! The only downside to this, is not all apps work properly with this new type of memory, but the majority of developers have addressed this minor glitch.However, you mentioned something about a keyboard, and because you didn't say anything else about it, I am going to assume you have a wireless keyboard? Well, the only thing to watch there, is that drivers may not be readily available for the Palm T|X ... of course, in due time, these will become available.
Well, in terms of recommending a PDA, I can't really do that. It is a matter of preference. Having used both types of PDAs though (Windows and Palm), I can honestly say that I am by far, more comfortable with using a Palm (for reasons mentioned earlier). What you should really look at, is what you will be using the PDA for (multimedia or PIM/documents editing) - if it's multimedia, then Windows Mobile have a slight edge over Palms, but this gap is closing. PIM/Documents editing, Palm is by far, superior in this department. You should also bear in mind that Palm programs and the OS itself are less power/memory hungry than Windows Mobile, so you can't compare the two different types of PDAs on pure specs. If anything, the Palm will come out on top in this department ... obviously requiring less processing power and memory allows you to perform tasks more efficiently, store more and prolongs battery life.
If you're looking at getting the Ipaw rx1950, you should be really concerned about the slow processor it has (300 Mhz) - for Windows Mobile that can mean a painful experience. From memory, my Ipaq has a similar processor, and I experienced so many delays it's not funny. The best thing that you could do is go to your local electronics retailer (if you're in Oz ... Harvey Norman, Officeworks, JB HiFi, DSE) and test a bunch of PDAs. Take an SD Card with you, and store it with things that you think you'll do on the PDA. Test the performance during these tasks, and also test the usability. As you have only used Palm, you'd be glad to know that Windows Mobile does actually emulate Graffiti1 (it's called Block Recognizer). In the end, I reckon you'll still want to stick with a Palm, in which case, I'd recommend a Palm T|X (I love mine!) - although Graffiti2 is a pain, there are hacks available. If you are unsure which Palm best suits you, go to: http://www.palm.com/au/products/compare/selector/ Nevertheless, the T|X is a bargain, because it has both WiFi AND Bluetooth and has a huge screen! Don't get the T5 or E2, I've read about so many issues with these two models. If you do end up getting a Palm, do get the extended warranty option, because there have been so many postings over the net about problems with the newer generation Palms. Bring back the reliability and stability of the Palm IIIx and V I say!!!
Hope this helps!
Andrew
The info you gave is very helpful. I use my Tungsten E is to read PDF files using the Repligo 2.0 program to convert the PDF files on a desktop computer to the Tungsten E. The Repligo viewer which is installed on the Tungsten E displays the PDF file in the exact format as Adobe Reader display it. The Repligo was the best program I tried from the Palm software web site to do PDF conversion. Now, the keyboard problem I mentioned is the keyboard that is on the Tungsten E at the bottom of the screen (abc). When I tap it instead of the keyboard coming up on the screen, the Graffiti2 symbol instruction page comes up. I did download a 3rd party keyboard program and now have the use of a keyboard. The problem I am having with the Tungsten E now is that scrolling over the photos in PDF files causes a little hang up. It sounds like the Palm TX may be the best deal. The prices of the iPAQ are about $100 more than the TX. When I first got my Tungsten E, it would not charge, so I sent it in the be repaired along with the charger. I got the TE back in about 3 weeks without a charger. When I called they said I was not supposed to send the charger in and there was nothing they could do. After 2 weeks of constant emails and phones calls and the never of them to email me a customer service survey, I burned them a new you know what, I called the Corporate Headquarters and found a complaint number. After talking to them I got a new charger in about 2 weeks. So, you see even though I do love my Palm when it performs, I am a little nervous about buying another one. But, I guess since I know the Palm better, and I did see one on display at Staples, which was powered up and looked great and operated pretty smooth. I think I'll take your advice. Thanks again and have a great new year.
Iamfootball
New member
No worries Migoblu, I'm just glad that I could help! I'm sorry that you had so much misfortune with your Tungsten E. It's such a pity, because it looks like such a well designed PDA ... But after all that I've read over the past couple months about Palm, it looks like it well and truely has gone downhill! Support, product design and all. What happened to the reliabilty and stability of the Palm IIIx and V? Is this a tradeoff that exists when you add more functionality to an Operating System?? I'm not a programmer, so I have no idea!!
Anyways, back to the topic ... It sounds like you got a lemon Tungsten E to begin with, which is really unfortunate. If you do choose to get another Palm, make sure you buy it from a store with a generous return/exchange policy, and make sure to buy the extended warranty ... as you will have noticed, whilst the newer Palms are great value, they have their share of problems, and it seems it's becoming more widespread
Does your Tungsten E charge after you got it back from Palm? With the keyboard problem, it's probably either a problem with the unit itself, or a third party app conflicting with the OS somehow. Have you tried a hard reset and see what happens???
With the Palm T|X, you shouldn't experience that hang (when viewing large PDFs) as much as you did with the Tungsten E. After a bit of research, I found out the Tungsten E has a processor that runs at 126MHz, whereas the T|X runs at 312MHz and has 96MB more RAM ... theoretically speaking, it should be able to handle large PDF files better, but of course it depends on what other programs you run in the background, and how much free memory you have on the device AND whether you're loading the PDF from the SD slot. I could try it out on my T|X if you want??
Whatever you do choose, make sure you get to try both Pocket PC devices and Palm OS devices ... just so you can compare the differences between the two, weigh up their benefits and shortcomings, and therefore select the best one for you! After all, you are spending your hard earned $200+! Oh, and seeing that you live in USA, I think Palm US is offering some trade in offer on old Palms?? If only Australia were as generous as the US!!!
Have a great new year migoblu and everyone else who is reading this thread!!
Link to Palm trade-in info:
http://oas.imageg.net/O/a/s/store.p...n-Prgm-O.gif/61633135303531343433623561386530
Anyways, back to the topic ... It sounds like you got a lemon Tungsten E to begin with, which is really unfortunate. If you do choose to get another Palm, make sure you buy it from a store with a generous return/exchange policy, and make sure to buy the extended warranty ... as you will have noticed, whilst the newer Palms are great value, they have their share of problems, and it seems it's becoming more widespread
Does your Tungsten E charge after you got it back from Palm? With the keyboard problem, it's probably either a problem with the unit itself, or a third party app conflicting with the OS somehow. Have you tried a hard reset and see what happens???
With the Palm T|X, you shouldn't experience that hang (when viewing large PDFs) as much as you did with the Tungsten E. After a bit of research, I found out the Tungsten E has a processor that runs at 126MHz, whereas the T|X runs at 312MHz and has 96MB more RAM ... theoretically speaking, it should be able to handle large PDF files better, but of course it depends on what other programs you run in the background, and how much free memory you have on the device AND whether you're loading the PDF from the SD slot. I could try it out on my T|X if you want??
Whatever you do choose, make sure you get to try both Pocket PC devices and Palm OS devices ... just so you can compare the differences between the two, weigh up their benefits and shortcomings, and therefore select the best one for you! After all, you are spending your hard earned $200+! Oh, and seeing that you live in USA, I think Palm US is offering some trade in offer on old Palms?? If only Australia were as generous as the US!!!
Have a great new year migoblu and everyone else who is reading this thread!!
Link to Palm trade-in info:
http://oas.imageg.net/O/a/s/store.p...n-Prgm-O.gif/61633135303531343433623561386530
ohsorocknroll
New member
Thanks, again. I think I will be getting the TX. I tried one at Best Buy and it seems to run real smooth as compared to my Tungsten E.