Is HPC: Factor a dead site?

Hi - I agree it is important for users of Handhled PC's to buy software, to encourage companies to carry on developing software. But we are in the lucky position that there is a huge quantity of software already out there that will run on our machines.

I do however feel that in the ideal world we should look forward to manufacturers developing new Handheld PC's and would hope that this site can move onto supporting such new machines. We need to make the manufacturers aware that we will buy new keyboarded machines with landscape screens and tell them what we want.

On the plus side it is encouraging that there does seem to be a trend now towards new devices that are not so far removed from ours, such as the larger machines recently anounced by Asus and HTC, to the smaller machines HTC and Toshiba have recently released.

I was in middle of a Sig3 review when someone else did one.

Also doing a dissasembly guide for Sig3 but waiting on permission to use some photos as mine were not very good.

Would like to do some other reviews when I am able to get hold of the device and I will try and do a few software reviews to add to the site.

I have also had loads of help on here. An invaluable site.

John

Edited by mr-mac 2008-01-08 5:36 PM

This is what I would look like if that happened to me:



And then:



hahaha

Edited by Z.D.E.T. 2008-01-08 5:42 PM

I think part of this is already happening. In the last 6 months we've seen a number of prototypes with similar landscape screens and keyboards in the pocketable form-factor of the H/PCs of yore. I'm thinking of the Nokia internet tablets and the Intel mobile internet devices. The need for devices with instant on and long battery life has always been there, but instead of just document creation and editing, they now tout internet access, GPS, telephony and/or video.

The only trouble is that for the H/PC to gain traction again, there needs to be some coalescence around a common processor (perhaps the Intel A100/A110, which means no native ARM apps) and common operating system (Windows CE), if only to allow developers to work their magic. This might happen, but I haven't seen Microsoft doing much by way of encouraging CE to be used on these platforms. Linux currently has the advantage.

Edited by ZSX 2008-01-09 1:21 PM

Mr. Fitch hasn't approvaed either or any Sig III reviews yet, so it is still everything to play for

Well in which case I may as well finish it...

Seems a shame to do half the writing and do nothing with it.

I will try and finish it over the weekend.

John

Same here - but even more clueless (see MY rating )

I use this site *a lot* - it's not dead to me.

I think that the connectivity I can get with my Jornada is amazing (built in V90, analogue modem via GSM at 19200 baud on "COM1", 802.11b card...) - are there many other devices with such capability available now? It's a great machine. I would simply like to update Browser (staying with native OS) and email client - although I have just discovered nPOP which looks promising.

mr-mac

I think I am the one who did the Sig3 review that stopped your efforts. It has been submitted for some time now, so I suppose it is not "up to snuff". Please go ahead with your review. I won't be offended. (From reading your other finds and insights, you are probably more capable at writing anyway.)

Nah probablly not....

I am rubbish at spelling, rubbish at typing, rubbish at structuring sentences...

English was one of my least favourite subjects at school... It actually takes me ages to work through things like this. Typing it then reading and re-reading over and over making changes and corrections finally getting someone else to read it and do some more changes...

Also I sometimes think reviews often come best through fresher eyes when devices are new-ish to the owner as I am sure I have long forgotten any niggles and issues I may have had when I first got my Sig3. I will need to do a search and look out all my posts from when I just bought it

Nice of you to say for me to go ahead and finish it. Don't like stepping on toes too often

Thanks

John

With all due respect, you guys are reminding me of the classic story of the two Scots and the two herrings...

One Scott invites the his friend over for dinner. When the food arrives to the table, there are two herrings in the serving plate: one big, one small.

They both stare for some time at the fish, then the host turns to his guest and says: -"Go ahead, help yourself" - "No, come on, you first, after all, you're the host" - "No, no, by all means, you first"

After much ceremony the guest ends it up by taking the bigger herring.

The host looks and looks, and then decides to speak:"Why did you take the big fish?I mean, wouldn't it be polite, as you were the first to help himself, to have taken the smaller one?"

"Well" - said the guest - "you are my friend, aren't you?" -"Yes..." - "So, if you are my friend, you would have wanted the best for me, right? And in that case you would have taken the smaller one anyway"

I think their names were Gaston and Alphonse.

theoak, I wouldn't assume that your review is not "up to snuff" - Clint has a lot of things on his plate (including the dreaded Pocket PC) and it may take some time.

mr-mac, don't worry too much about your spelling and/or grammar being less than perfect - that's what review editors are for. (I hereby put Clint and C:Amie on notice that I can assist with that part of the editing process if needed.)