View Full Version : iPod, Pocket PC, or Palm?
Thinking of getting a new gadget in a couple months.
Been bouncing the pros and cons of each around and thought I would pick some brains (what little there are around here anyway) about what would work best.
The iPod is a proven gadget and the ones with video look interesting.
Pocket PC can do what the iPod can and more. Just not sure how often I would use it other than for audio/video stuff.
Palm Pilots are very similar to the pocket PC. Just a different OS and such.
Anyone out there have some input? What do you use and why?
K6BBC
08-05-2006, 12:31 AM
Blackberry.
bbc
Quote[/b] (k6bbc @ Aug. 04 2006,17:31)]Blackberry.
bbc
Last thing I want is a cell phone attached to my music and video device.
kf6rdn
08-05-2006, 01:00 AM
What do YOU want to do with the device? Play music? Play videos?
I have both, but my pda is a cell phone. I have the 30G ipod as well. That's nice to be able to load all my music on. The PPC (Windows mobile OS) plays Mp3 and windows video, Mpeg 1/2. The apple has to be converted to an Mpeg4 variant format that is a little bit strict in it's parameters. (It won't do quicktime). You can do the conversion in itunes, but it takes forever. There's freebie 3rd party programs that work better/faster.
The ipod will be smaller then a PDA, so if you are say at the gym, or hiking or somesuch. The PDA can be used for other things - calender, wordpad etc. Dell's Axim series is nice.
At the gym I use my phone pda with bluetooth stereo headset, so I dont have to carry it, just have it nearby. I can even answer calls with it. Not all of them do that though. (Stereo bluethooth - A2DP)
N4AUD
08-05-2006, 01:05 AM
I've owned IPods and Palm devices and loved them. Don't know exactly what you want to do, but there are lots of progams out there for Palms, some free. If it's just music and video, IPods are great. Haven't owned Pocket PC's or Blackberry.
I use my handheld mostly to keep my schedule, contacts, notes, calculator, e-books and some other stuff. I rarely listen to music on portable devices, so I went with a PDA instead of an iPod. I chose Palm because it does not run Microsoft software.
kd5rpo
08-05-2006, 01:58 AM
The most fun gadget I have been using is a small digital camera. I have been playing with a Sony DSC-s600 lately and it functions as a pretty good home video camera with sound if you have a 512 M or 1 gig chip inserted. I am trying a friend's. Mine is a 2 year old Fuji which also does video but without sound.
Of course these also make nice still pictures, but sensitivity and resolution on the $190 Sony is amazing. I feel like my 2 year old camera is old school now.
Music and video mainly.
Been looking at some e-books, they look interesting, but not sure how much I would use them.
The appeal of the pocket pc or palm are the other things one can do with them, but I am not sure just how often I would use the features.
They all cost about the same. Looks like about 300-350 for any of them, give or take.
I had a PSP, but it was just a bit too big to fit in the pocket at work. Kept wanting to fall out or was getting hit. The movie watching was pretty nice, but the disc's were spendy. For the cost of one UMD movie, I can buy an entire season of a TV show on iTunes. Tried converting them to play on the PSP, but the audio was messed up no matter what software I tried.
So many choices.....
KC9ECI
08-05-2006, 03:03 AM
I have a Palm Pilot, and I almost never use it anymore. #Ipod seems a bit too proprietary for my taste. #I do have an RCA Lyra, and I like it. #If you have plenty of time to listen, it is a good thing. #NPR has some good podcasts, and I like the one that the BBC does. #The Straight Key Century Club now has a podcast...in Morse Code, to help people who are trying to learn code, or would like to work on copy speed. #Current podcasts are daily, and run at 7 WPM, but I think I will do some faster podcasts on the weekends. #It's a work in progress. #Check it out at http://code.podshow.com/ or subscribe to the show feed at http://www.podshow.com/feeds/code.xml
AE6IP
08-05-2006, 06:03 AM
It's not worth the hassle for the PIM aps if you mainly want a media player. Go with the iPod if you want maximum reliability at maximum cost. Get an iRiver player if you want good reliability at a reasonable cost.
w5mlr
08-05-2006, 10:18 AM
I use a Palm Treo 650 and am quite happy with it. It does it all. It's a cell phone, Palm PDA, and digital camera all rolled into one. It can play .mp3 but I have not tried that yet. I plan to get a seperate .mp3 player soon and might go with the Creative Zen. The ipod is too proprietary for my tastes.
KF0RT
08-05-2006, 12:09 PM
I've got a 40 Gig Creative Labs "Zen" player. Works well, but it's not as small or as well built as an iPod and I only get it out for camping trips.
Seems like anywhere I spend any time, there's a computer and I can just plug in some headphones and use Winamp to listen to MP3's. I quit wearing a watch years ago for the same reason -- clocks are everywhere.
73, Rob
KI4PEQ
08-07-2006, 01:47 AM
Go iPod. Pocket PC and Palm sound too much like self-gratification. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
K0RGR
08-07-2006, 03:20 AM
I have the cheapo entry-level iPod and it does everything I desire, except it doesn't have the capacity for recording a lot of podcasts.
Both my kids have the 30 GB iPods. Or I should say "had". The Jr. op had his first iPod fail after 30 days and he took it back for a replacement under the store warranty (Best Buy). Then, an idiot friend of his borrowed it, and managed to break the earphone plug off in it! Neither Best Buy nor Apple would fix it, even though it was under both warranties. The kid forked over another $300 for a new one! After about 2 weeks, he lost the new one! My daughter loves hers.
I'd stick with the cheapo or the next higher model.
I've never found a great use for the pocket PC I bought a few years ago, and I have trouble giving away Palm organizers. I believe there's an APRS program for Pocket PC, and there is an older one kicking aroung for Palm. Both rely on having a radio with a built-in TNC or a separate TNC.
If you want a portable media player, get one. Don't get a PDA.
I have owned three PDAs. The first was a Compaq iPaq H3635. It was nice but a bit big. Screen wasn't very nice (side lit) but it was color. Pocket PC OS was nice though. In its last useful days I used it as a NES emulator.
Next I got a PalmOne Treo 650. Data plan kinda expensive. Nice to be able to browse the web from your palm and have a full keyboard. However, it was only CDMA 1x, not EVDO so it was a bit slow. Blazer probably exacerbates the problem. First adjustment I had to come to terms with in PalmOS was NO MULTITASKING. God, I hate that. But I got used to it. I installed TCPMP and with a 1gig SD card I can even watch movies on it too.
Next I upgraded and got the Treo 700p. Not a huge upgrade phone wise, bu I wanted EVDO. The difference is night and day, btw. XYL also has a treo 700p and she loves it.
KD8COO
08-07-2006, 01:58 PM
I've owned all of those at various times. Realized that I had spent a lot of money for things I never use. Sold them http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Palm is good as a basic organizer.
Pocket PC works well as a link to an Exchange server (assuming you have some form of wireless connection, otherwise it's just an expensive Palm really).
iPod is the way to go if you want portable music and/or video.
Well after considering what I would use such a device for and reading many a review I have settled on this MP3 player:
On sale at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ETVKHE/ref=s9_asin_title_1/104-0286289-4296779?n=172282)
Less than the price of a 2 gig iPod Nano, bigger screen, memory card slot, can store photos and video clips, and best of all....
I can get music where ever I want to. #With an iPod you are pretty much married to iTunes for music downloads. This unit allows me to buy tunes from pretty much anywhere.
I got lots of music in WMA format from free download offers and such, and this thing will put them to good use.
Thanks for the tips and advice. Will report back on how well this unit functions once I have used it for a couple weeks.
W0LPQ
08-10-2006, 02:20 PM
Don't have any of them ...no need, no desire. Rob, one of our local TV outlets had an article on those gizmo's and your choice was the preferred one to have. Better memory, easier to use and the iPod was dead last. Expensive and not user friendly.
Bill, W0LPQ
I mostly play games, music and watch videos -- but then I fly every week. If you get a Palm TX and a 1 GB card and I will help you get going. It is more technical to do it right with the little Palm, but it is better and cheaper than the other solutions if you don't mind being a little geeky.
I have a lot of cool content to share.
BTW, I also surf the web and post to QRZ.com wirelessly from the airport using my little Palm TX.
N7VQM
08-10-2006, 06:49 PM
I have both a PDA and an iPod. I use my music player mostly to block out destractions from elsewhere in the office. I use my PDA, which is also my cell phone, as a reminder device and quick note-taking appliance.
My training as a musician makes me too critical of sound quality to use my PDA as a music player. My iPod doesn't have features I want in a PDA.
n6hcm
08-11-2006, 08:17 AM
Quote[/b] (W0LPQ @ Aug. 10 2006,07:20)]Don't have any of them ...no need, no desire. #Rob, one of our local TV outlets had an article on those gizmo's and your choice was the preferred one to have. #Better memory, easier to use and the iPod was dead last. #Expensive and not user friendly.
Bill, W0LPQ
iPod ... not user-friendly? don't believe everything you see on tv.