vB Easy Archive - Need feedback from those that have moved from a PocketPC to the P800...

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Need feedback from those that have moved from a PocketPC to the P800...
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Posted by: Rajesh Rao

Hi All,

I currently have a Toshiba e740 + SE T68i and am looking to move to the P800. I'd prefer having one device rather than the two that I carry around right now. I have a few questions though:

1) How much software is available for the P800? I know it probably can't compare to the ones available for the PPC, but is it even close? Is there any software available that will let me read & edit Word\Excel documents?

2) Is the 12MB internal memory enough for you? Compared to the Toshiba (which has 64 MB) it seems pretty small, but I know the PPC software is usually bloated.

3) Any problems with synchronizng your data with Outlook or Notes? I use Notes in the office and would use that to sync with?

4) Is the screen size\quality good enough to work with regularly?

5) Would any of you not recommend the switch OR recommend moving to the PPC Phones?

Any other feedback would be appreciated...

Thanks,
RajeshR

Posted by: pgood

I used a p800 for a couple of weeks but ultimately sent it back. Overall the phone was very nice, but from PDA standpoint it had one glaring weakness for me. The location field only synced 16 characters, if memory serves me correctly. This won't be an issue for a lot of people, but I usually have a few conference calls a day that have bridge lines in excess of that amount. Was the primary reason I sent the phone back. Just an fyi.

Posted by: Genghis Khent

Quote:

Originally posted by Rajesh Rao
Hi All,

I currently have a Toshiba e740 + SE T68i and am looking to move to the P800. I'd prefer having one device rather than the two that I carry around right now. I have a few questions though:

1) How much software is available for the P800? I know it probably can't compare to the ones available for the PPC, but is it even close? Is there any software available that will let me read & edit Word\Excel documents?

2) Is the 12MB internal memory enough for you? Compared to the Toshiba (which has 64 MB) it seems pretty small, but I know the PPC software is usually bloated.

3) Any problems with synchronizng your data with Outlook or Notes? I use Notes in the office and would use that to sync with?

4) Is the screen size\quality good enough to work with regularly?

5) Would any of you not recommend the switch OR recommend moving to the PPC Phones?

Any other feedback would be appreciated...

Thanks,
RajeshR

I have a P800 and an iPaq 38xx.

1. Check my-symbian.com

2. Seems enough

3. Don't know about Notes. Problem with Outlook you can't filter by categories when you synch.

4. Size is fine. Wish colors were 65K not 4K. I use the largest fonts, seems OK, and I am farsighted and still can read without my reading glasses.

5. Problem with Pocket PC Phone form factor is (I believe) you need an earpiece or a headset; I don't think you can talk into it like a phone (though I can be wrong). Also the size is even larger than a P800, significantly so.

The choice comes down to tradeoffs. I'm going with the P800 because I want 1 device, not 2, and I'd rather have more phone, less PDA (smartphone) than vice versa (Pocket PC Phone).

Good luck!

Posted by: tofucon

Although I have a p800, I still have kept my Compaq 3870. It certainly depends on your situation....I require my compaq for work as there are far more medical pocket pc programs than there are symbian.

P800 is a great phone/pda that i carry everywhere....keeps me organised outside of work.

Posted by: rickpaul

I stopped using my Toshiba E740 once I got the P800. The Toshiba was just too unreliable and much more buggy for my needs than the P800.

Posted by: AdmiralAK

I have a iPaq 3870 which I am currently selling. It has not seen ANY action since I got my p800.

The p800 will not have as much software as the PocketPC for one reason, It has not been out long enough! If sonyericsson continues with the UIQ path more softwares will be out for it

The p800 suits me well, and much better than the 3870 ever did since the damn pockerPC OS is buggy! It was a nice PDA, but annoyed the hell outta me

I prefer the p800.

In terms of syncing...I dont sync. I just drag my contact's vCard from my mac to my p8700 and its in my phone, plain and simple

Posted by: Drait

Quote:

Originally posted by Genghis Khent
5. Problem with Pocket PC Phone form factor is (I believe) you need an earpiece or a headset; I don't think you can talk into it like a phone (though I can be wrong). Also the size is even larger than a P800, significantly so.

I had an SX56 which I got rid of to get the P800. The form factor was huge (IMO), and even though you can hold it up to your head and use it like a phone it looks like you're talking into a brick (imagine holding an iPaq to the side of your head). Some people don't mind it [the size], but I found it somewhat annoying. With the OEM case on the PPCPE, my significant other said I looked like Maxwell Smart talking into his shoe phone :P

While I don't have the P800 yet (damnit AWS, hurry up!) I've come to enjoy Symbian OS vs. M$ PPC2k2, which crashed constantly (soft resetting at least 10 times a day). There isn't nearly as much software available for Symbian phones though.

Posted by: ducsurfer

i also still have a H3870 with the gsm/gprs jacket so i am actually much closer to the connectivity the P800 privides.....

over the P800 is good for the day to day use.... but ifyou want to do a touch more hardcore stuff the ppc is much better....

just a lot more powerful

i only use my p800 now due to size that mean all the things i was able to do with the ppc i just dont do anymore with the p800.

i had tons of chat programs on the ppc - avantgo i liked alot reading stuff on the train... now that is just not possible anymore really unless i go online... so i wish that avantgo will come out with the UIC that already have it for the series 60....

so it is just being cool with the P800 before it was nobody knew what the hell your doing and why your laughing all the time... that is when i was on chat...

it is time for me to sell the H3870 and the gsm/gprs jacket too much money to just have sitting around....

over all if i would have to do it again.... i would just simply wait at least till Q1 2004 tons of real cool and usable stuff should be out then....

Posted by: ducsurfer

wich brings up back to the same old questions of the ultimate smartphone i guess is the future not the pdas anymore....

i figured that the screen size of the P800 is 80% enough to have sometimes when in contacts or on the browser i wish it be bigger.....

biggest problem for me is processor speed and memory.... connectivity on the P800 is awesome.... nothing to say there...

the problem with memory is that sony of course had to come out with that silly duo stick i really hate it.... the memory stick solution from armstation is so much better and if you only could use the 1gb pro stick that is all somebody ever would need...... internal memory i think 128mb would be nice so i would not have to worry all the time of installing software....

so
faster processor
more onboard and expendable memory (H5550 just started that trend)
2mb camera (sony has it already the U20)
and here i ll touch the holy grail again a better os.... i still get a lot of crashed on my P800 (yello triangle) so i want PPC2003
make the phone a touch thinner get a great bengalboy pimpstick a good case like the IBK-20 with a metal beltclip so my phone does never fall of the belt again - still happened every now and then..... and get a rubber lens cover that attaches from the antenna out to the camera cover...

i ll start with bengalboy a new thread

P800 Limited Howardforums version

Posted by: Rajesh Rao

Thanks for all the feedback - I may get the P800 through Fido's Handset Upgrade program and try it out for a couple of weeks. If it meets my needs I'll keep it and sell my e740.

My main concerns are the ability to sync with Lotus Notes and the size of the screen.

Again, thanks for the feedback.

RajeshR

Posted by: Pinnacle

I've been using my P800 for about two months, now, and love it. I've been a longtime user of Pocket PC's and Palm units...most of which contained some sort of wireless connectivity over the past year or so. The P800 is the best device for email, messaging, and quick browsing...bar none.

There is just so much powerful software and features, though, with the Pocket PC. I just picked up a HP 2215 iPaq, and this thing is pretty sweet; it may switch me back over to PPC completely again. It's tiny, really, and has SD, CF, and Bluetooth built-in. I use Textmaker to create and edit Word files; I can edit and create Excel files with SpreadCE (or Pocket Excel); etc., etc., etc.

Look, I'm the last person to sit here and promote the Pocket PC, but it does allow me to do more with more horsepower and RAM. I can also stick my 512 MB SD card in it for huge expansion...I'm not limited to 128 MB DUO's.

Using the 2215 with my t68 makes me a 2-device user, once more (which I hate), but I can do more with this set up for my needs. If the majority of what you need when you're mobile is mail, messaging, and web...go with the P800...plus, you have the great camera. If you need more Office capabilities and a more take your desk with you scenerio, I'd go with the PPC (especially PPC3K in one of the new HP units)

By the way, you guys who say the PPC OS is buggy...or you had to reset at least 10 times/day...wow, what the heck were you doing? Yes, it took MS a long time to get it decent, but it surely isn't that bad, is it? To each their own, I guess...

Posted by: Drait

Quote:

Originally posted by Pinnacle
By the way, you guys who say the PPC OS is buggy...or you had to reset at least 10 times/day...wow, what the heck were you doing? Yes, it took MS a long time to get it decent, but it surely isn't that bad, is it? To each their own, I guess...

I was speaking specifically about the PocketPC Phone Edition that AWS released (Siemens SX56). Anyone who's used that PPCPE (or the TMo version or XDA) knows that there are significant problems with the OS/radio stack integration. 9 times out of 10, when dialing, you'll get dead air, and nothing else. And to fix it, you can either cycle the radio stack on/off, or just soft-reset.

You don't even want to know about the horrible RF reception...

Posted by: ducsurfer

these issues should be pretty much resolved with the new ppc2003 and 2003 phone edition that should be released soon - i heard 2003 phone edition was sent to OEMs.... so we should see it soon.

Posted by: AdmiralAK

The pocketPC was not initially built for mobile devices, that is why compaq made their own stuff for bluetooth with their 3870 model, now imagine a cell phone on top of that.

The symbian OS on the other hand was made with mobility in mind, so it is better than the pocketPC at the moment. Personally I like symbian better since it does what it is supposed to do primarily better, that is to be a cell-phone/communications device.

Posted by: ducsurfer

http://www.brighthand.com/article/N...oming_this_Year

Posted by: anthonymoody

Drait,

I'm afraid you're not being entirely fair with your description of the problems with the SX56 and TMo PPC Phones. Yes there were some problems, but mostly they are easily correctable. Like this site, the PPCPE has many forums with power users who can help you out with some of the quirky things. but the most important thing is this: those issues are completely fixable for most users - as evidenced by scanning the forums. I hardly *ever* soft reset my TMo...I'm talking *maybe* once every couple weeks.

And your comments about specific problems (getting dead air 9 out of 10 times) are just flat out NOT the norm, and you know this from your participation at pocketpcpassion forums. Yes, YOU may have experienced this, but the rest of us did not...

Also, as is clearly evident here, the P800 is not without quirks of its own (again, which can be fixed through the help of folks in places like this forum).

Finally, the poster who commented on size is flat out wrong. The PPCPE is about 1/2 the thickness of the P800. Yes, it is longer and wider, but it is much thinner. In some carrying situations this is highly preferable.

For the original poster, I went from a Treo 270 to a PPCPE and am very happy. I thought long and hard about switching (mostly because I like new toys) to a P800, but after playing with one for a few hours couldn't see any compelling reason to switch, especially given the cost. Reports on the new 2k3 PPCPE OS are quite stellar as well...I was going to flash one of the 2k3 OS going around right now, but I've decided to wait for TMo to release their own official upgrade, which is rumored to be coming at some point in the not too distant future.

TM