Is HPC: Factor a dead site?

... It seems to me that HPC Factor is getting old or just dying. The last review was written on October 8... and the forums are slowing down.

I just keep visitting to find out that nothing changes

Really sad

Or maybe it's just me

It's always slow over the holidays Pokey...and busier during the summer I think.

But as far as forums for hpcs are concerned...other than the PPCMag one...this is the only game in town...and still by far the best.

But I wonder sometimes about the future myself. I mean what is the last truly HPC specific software application written...not any new ones for quite a while really.

Rich

All my efforts have been placed into writing or rewriting bits of the site, I have not written any content because of that. There are supposed to be two other owners and a writing/mod team on the site too, but I'll be damned if I can find any of them.

I have been asking people for months to get involved in writing things for the site, and promises drip in and nothing maerialises. When it comes down to it, there is only a certain amount that I am prepared to do on top of trying to keep it running against the odds, writing it and of course paying for it (in various ways).

It is your site, your community. It'll only die if the people in it let it go.

If you want an honest answer; the bandwidth use is growing disproportionately and exponentially compared to the traffic - in other words it is costing a damn site more for less new people. The traffic levels are growing, be it far slower in Q3/4 than previously. Unless something happens in regards to content generation, news posting and user interaction with the systems on the site, what will inexorably happen is that all of the bandwidth consuming downloads will be removed (well, all downloads really), processor intensive site modules may be scaled back and it will be moved off of the OC connection that it is currently on in Florida and moved into my server farm.

Without drawing a picture; this would not be a good thing for the worlds largest Windows CE web site.

I'll say it again: I plan to work on one or more reviews for this site; however, I have to first decide which devices and/or programs I want to write about. Writing a good review/tutorial can be a very time-consuming process. Right now I am working on a tutorial about getting Pocket PC programs working on H/PCs, but this will be posted on another site as it is not appropriate for the CESDs. I've been working on that one tutorial for most of December. At the same time, I'm spending a lot of my time on work and other causes. I want to be more involved with this site, not less - but what I do I should make sure I'm doing right. (C:Amie knows this - I'm saying it to the community.)

Let me flog that dead horse one last time ----It would have helped if people on this forum had spent a lot less time trying to get PPC software running on thier HPCs and more time convincing and conversing with the remaining HPC software developers out there, and letting them know that there was still a market for HPC products!! Seriously - If you were a software developer would you bother supporting the apathetic users in the HPC platform??

Alas - we can put a fork in it now!! It's done!


As for adding software or hardware reviews to this website....I feel sorry for Chris, lord knows he has tried to motivate people to contribute, but it has pretty much fallin on deaf ears. Then again it's hard to motivate forum members when the Software/Hardware Review Editor treats this website as a low priority.

What happened to the passion? Maybe the only thing that gets people excited on these forums is a good ripping argument..........consider it started!

Here's to a Happy New Year - to one and all

I don't think this forum is at all dead.

It has helped many people through and, if I may speak for myself, if it weren´t for the help I got in this forum I would have long ago got rid of my first H/PC (instead of going on buying more and more ).

I also think that what is happening right now is a transition: the H/PC is coming back and so will new enthusiasts.

Don't give up! We all know it must be sometimes extenuating to run a site like this one, but we do us all great good.

Don't loose hope if we keep asking you the same questions about the same drivers all the time: I guess it is the initiation rite for all newcomers...

This site is fantastic and you should be proud of it.

Once again Happy New Year!

The only way we can convince H/PC software developers that there is still a market for them is by buying the software. (As they say, money talks - BS walks.) We've been doing that - but there aren't enough of us out there for them to care, apparently. Besides, if Pocket PC programs work fine with just a DLL or two added, why are we even complaining? They're Pocket PC applications in name only - in reality they're Windows CE 3.0/4.2 applications.

Meanwhile, we're seeing somewhat of a resurgence of Windows CE tablets using CE 5.0, and I hear plenty of people both in and out of the H/PC community getting tired of tiny thumbboards and on-screen SIPs. Also, we're seeing new UMPCs that use flash data storage instead of hard drives. All these things point to renewed interest in the H/PC form factor.



See my previous post. I already have a couple of H/PCs in mind to write reviews about.

Err, Hurricane John's comments aside (which I also agree with), this is one user that would like to see a tutorial on getting Pocket PC programs running. Right now, I'm still pretty clueless (see my posting rating) and am still in the "feed me anything and everything" stage wrt to HPC's.

I'd like to see more developers jump (back) into the game, but I suppose the issue is money/profit. I'd hate to be in the programming business (and highly respect those that are). It just seems like the world is full of moving trains and it's anybody's guess which ones will be still running (and in which direction) in the future.

Anyway, if there's a need for a scientifically-proficient and/or education-application minded reviewer, I'll be happy to help. I just don't think this crew needs me at my level for this problem.

HPC Factor is NOT a dead site... They've just solved so many of our current problems with our (admittedly aging) handheld PCs that we don't have to go back whining for new solutions to new problems...

Yet.

Just wait, though, for the next embedded winbox...

Happy New Year everybody!!!

As the wife of one of the other 'owners' of the site- I have to apologise for the lack of time that he has to dedicate to the site. We just moved, he just went back to school & just took a new position with his daytime paying job. Sad to say that the next couple of years while he is in school may not allow much extra time (just as C:amie is in the the same position). I hope it is not a dead forum even though I am not currently a user. I am seeing new devices entering the market now that I think will renew the excitment for this format. Although the $1900 pricetags are simply staggering!

As a physician, for the last 15 years I have worked with several friends on trying to develop a "virtual office". 15 years ago this HPC technology did not exist. The touch screen technology was Brand new And cost was prohibitive. Since that time Medicine has undergone a political push to computerize. Only about 20% of physicians use computerized records.
I have for the last 15 years been buying and selling devices with this in mind. I keep comming back to the jornada as the device that best meets the criteria for a physcian data entry device. There is clearly a need, I just dont think that the device manufactuers get it, well except fujitsu.
This sie has been so encredibly valuable to me! This summer I let my 728 battery die, yes without backing up. It forced me to go through the process of restoring and reconfiguring. It made realize the incredible potential of these devices. If it ere not for this site I would not have been able to accomplish this, nor would have again become enthusiastic about these devices. A simple example is the pocket streets hack for 2005. With this I have my jornadas enabled to to use a CF gps unit to identify patient homes while macking house calls. Because of the sites out there like this one and yetanother I know that there is a company that makes EKG,0ximetry and vital sign software and CF card equipment for the jornada. A whole office in one machine!!!!!!!
We as acommunity need to push companies for patches and ways to get the software available to work on these machines.
If we can get ppc software to work, Why cant we get other software with patches to work, or get the software companies to provide a patch for a fee. The biggest osbticles for me right now are the lack of a descent web browser and trying to enter some secure sites at the hospitals were I work.
Sorry about rambling , but I do not know any of you personally, but I feel as though I do know you. This site has helped me tremendously, and any time I have posted questions or needed help you have been there!
I do believe that these devices will make a comeback, they were like the Newton to far ahead of their time.

Well put...


A question for you, though. Which company is developing this monitoring SaO2 and EKG software?

how many HPC software writers are out there now? or at least on HPC: Factor?

On Henri's web site, under the section accessories there is a medical section. In this section a company listed as QRS diagnostics offers those products. I have spoken with a sales rep about a year ago.

Found it!

http://www.qrsdiagnostic.com

Quite impressive, the Biolog not so much, but these...





Simply amazing...