New Handheld PC owner has a few questions (MP780)

Hi everyone,

I'll let this go first, yes, I am new on the forums, no I am not new to the internet, no I am not new to Windows CE, but I am new to my MobilePro (refurbished) unit that I recently acquired!

Firstly, its a NEC MobilePro 780, full working condition and came from "Unity Electrics" based in the USA (top marks for them for sending it within a day, even though it was a forigen transaction for them, I am from the UK). So far, it took me a week to get it shipped over to the UK, because it went to a companies office in New York, then had to go to London, then had to go to my West Sussex house. Enough of that!

I recently got one, because I am an iPAQ 3870 owner and the constant tapping on the on-screen keyboard (and screensize) got to me in the end, despite being 2 years newer than the MP, bluetooth abilites and the USB sync cradle. However, I have a few questions to ask:

A) Looking at the MP790 and 780, the specs seem to be simliar, the problem is though is that I am using Windows CE 3.01 (as it reports, I believe this is 2.12), I am very interested in sticking handheld PC2000, so I can use Activesync4 when it comes out. Also, I would like to use the MP3 features, as I am unable to find a copy of WMP (ugh!). I would ask where I can find ROM boards that are spare, because I don't really want to buy a 790, in fear that I will want to keep it and the price worries me.
I am also interested in a high capacity battery, is the 790 battery able to be used in a 780?

B) My unit obviously has a few scratch marks, bumps, etc on it (refurbished device - not due to me using it on the bus to college, or rushing for an 'Electrostar' train so I can catch my connecting bus service!), I find these an eyesore to cope with, if I wish to recolour it to be unique, what kind of paints do I use? Is it suggestible? And if I do, is anything going to cause the case or structure to crack up or become damaged?

C) I have used a Psion Gold Card Ethernet PC card in my iPAQ, it worked quite well, even managed to get to my desktop computer from another socket in the house, does this card work with WinCE 2.11? I had problems, but we think the cards dongle is bust!

D) There is a connector on the underside, I cannot work out, what is it used for?

I suspect it is for a docking station that never existed?

E) I am also interested in any USB if they exist, I'd rather use a USB hub than a Serial port as my Palm device causes a lot of problems. I also have all 3 devices fighting over my laptops serial port. Often with the qoute of "SSSSSYYYYNNNCCCC MEEEEEEEEE!!!!", unfortautely, I have to pick and mix. Having the iPAQ hooked up to the USB port is a pain anyway, because the USB port is used by my flash disk sometimes, because there is only one on my laptop, but I could solve that! I also wish to avoid a serial to USB cable alltogether as well, as I feel it would be difficault to carry it around.

F) I am interested in listening to music on the move, I noticed the jack to my 3.5mm headphones simply don't fit. I currently use an ex mobile phone headset, but it is mono, what headphones (that don't come with microphones!) are recommended to be use?

Finally, G) I have a Nokia 3650 mobile phone (maybe not for long!) and I have tried to pick my emails up while waiting for a train, unfortuately, neither the PDA or the mobile are particulary interested. The same thing when using activesync on my laptop. I know the IR port works, because file transfer from my PDA to my PDA worked well, so does the laptop syncing with the iPAQ, the mobile might be questionable. I am also using a generic IrDA driver, as found on this site, does that cause any problems? I have also tried to slow down the IR port speed, but little success. It seems like the MP will be a loney device!

Other than that, sorry for waffling, but I am interested in your responses to my questions. I think you all probably find this a waste of time, if so, I think I deserve this:

Edited by Wessex_nut 2005-05-27 7:42 PM

Welcome, Take a look at the search function. Hope it helps.
http://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/search/query.asp?action=search&searchforumid=all&keywords=MP780&author=&days=

Congrats on your new device.
As I recently upgraded from an Ipaq 2210 to a NEC MP900, I'm just happy with the upgrade.

for some of your questions.

A. I dont know, search on this forum I guess.
B. Instead of painting, get a cool case for it with velcro to stick on the device. Stickers might also be an option. Paint tends to be less durable in my opinion.

C. There is a Hardware Compatibility List on this same site, have a look there, or have a look on the Psion website to see if they offer drivers. Cardbus cards dont work, but for other cards it might be possible. if it gets autodetected in windows(XP/2k most likely do with your card) you could find out the generic driver, and see if there are cards that use the same generic driver.

D. Looks like a docking station/charger dock connector to me.
E. Dont know, but syncing over wifi works great.
F. It's probably a 2.5" connector instead of a 3.5 connector. there are adapters for that.
G. Dont know. Last IR connection with a cellphone to the internet I did was with a PalmPilot5000 with a nokia 8210 phone using ICQ.

and here is your

Hi,

My suggestion for not using the serial port to sync would be to get a USB to IRdA dongle. Cost about $25 US and works like a champ. I practically have to connect the thing to my MobilePro 780 (it has to be about 1/2" away from the IR port on the back to work), but 4 megabit FIR is way better than serial speeds.

A) It's CE 2.11 H/PC 3.01, media player download is uh.. in the downloads section. & what Yoldering said.

B) Sounds like a bad idea - will probably look worse afterwards.

C) Depends on drivers, I don't believe it's in the HCL but have a look anyway.

D) Docking Station / Port replicator

E) You cannot add USB cards to them. One forum users is investigating something for StrongARM, but I don't recall anything for MIPS.

F) Anything you'll just need a 1.5mill converter for it

G) I think that the MobilePro needs to use the COM6 IrDA driver, install the Uni version of the GenIrDA driver and try the other port listings. Not all phones are compatible.

Thank you all for your comments and support You all have made great first impressions of yourselves.

Btrimmer suggested using an IR Port for the MP and the computer, I have had problmes doing that, heres a pic of the IrDA port on my mega old IPC TopNote H laptop (typical college students laptop?), when I hook it up to my laptop, it seems to be very reluctant to accept that it is there!



(could this be down to the IrDA driver?)

Also of interest, I have to say, when I used this device, I noiced a big difference between my iPAQ screen and my MP screen, is was more like my laptop. I never liked my iPAQ screen, as the darker pixels tend to shaded out! I also would like to use the AA battery adapter at one point, so I become less reliant on the Lithium battery pack, I would plan to use 4xAA batteries, rated at (1.2v Ni-MH) 2000mAh( a pop!) batteries, currently used in my camera. The thing is that the battery pack runs at 7.2v at 1.5Ah, would the extra 6.5A's cause problems to the circuit? I.e. melting of the circuit tracks due to exccessive resistance? I should imagine that if I put these batteries in, I wouldn't need to charge the device for about a year!

Your comments are welcome

iirc, you can't use a 790 battery in your 780. (just read it somewhere a few days ago)

about your ni-mh batteries: they will be worth only 2000 mAh, not 8000! they don't add up, instead the voltage will have to add up. oh what's more i think 4 ni-mh batteries won't be enough for your MP, you'll need 6, as their nominal voltage is only 1.2 V each, so 6 x 1,2 = 7,2 V.
i think it's better to use the li-ion battery and if you don't have a chance to charge it, you can rely on the ni-mh's then.

Whoops!! My bad!! Only adds in in parallel, not in series!! (Wessex, how did you design your trains in the first place? ).
Sorry, I thought both doubles, somehow, I forgot about my electrics and power. My father should of pointed that out!
Even at 4.8v, will the unit start? Or do I HAVE to be careful that I am not running a PC card, compact flash card, stereo headset and all the other useless gadgets that suck up too much power? Even in emergency situations, I still rather use rechargable batteries, rather than disposible anyway!

no problem about overlooking that little detail
no, i don't think it'd be able to start at 4.8 V. too much of a difference.
oh and they're definitely not useless gadgets, CF & pcmcia cards

Wessex_nut, your slam door is causing me flashbacks and terror sweats

Just to cover the obvious base here.... you do have ActiveSync installed right?

http://www.hpcfactor.com/support/cesd/h/0024.asp

Ahh yes!!! One of my favorite types of trains, any slam door southern Electric Multiple Units, the ones that outlasted BR, you know what? South East Trains still have several in their fleet (try London Victoria in the rush-hour, they are like flies!) and Southern have a few, although I haven't seen any lately. SWT got rid of theirs only 2 days ago! All except 1498 and 1499, which are for Lymington use!

The pic is of 2 Class 423 '4-VEPS' on a empty coaching stock working to Fratton I believe, using the middle road at Havant during 2004! one is 3476 I think and the other is defiently 3811! We could of done with some yesterday, because it was a scortcher in the south!

Anyway, I digress, it probably answers the nick (I didn't even want to mention it for personal reasons, to why my display name and the avatar seem not quite right, but theres your answer! TBH, it now worries me mentioning "trains" and "enthusiast" )


Had it for absoute ages, I think I am using 3.7/3.8 on the laptop, but still it doesn't detect the Handheld, I suspect the IR port is mounted in the incorrect place on the laptop anyway, because, directly below it is a CPU fan that blasts hot air out and "causes sun-burns*"! When I used 3.5, which came with the iPAQ, I used to have dreadful problems syncing with hubs anyway, which is why I upgraded to 3.8.


according to one trainz member who I have met and showed off some of my work on my laptop!

First step is to ensure that ActiveSync is setup to use IR from the communication settings, second is to be positive that the IR port is installed correctly.

Please go through the troubleshooting guide and ensure that you have dropped the port speed if it's a FIR port.

Edited by bruisedquasar 2005-05-31 12:53 PM

Edited by bruisedquasar 2005-05-31 12:54 PM

The size is not the problem. The MobilePro socket is odd. It appears to have a piece of flat copper installed inside to make the socket off-round. So far, I have only been able to find rip-off sellers who want to exploit the frustrated efforts of 780/790/880 owners' attempts to get a stereo headset that fits the socket.

I wonder, though, what would happen if we took a 2.5 plug & put some copper foil around it so it would touch the connectors in the socket. I have gotten around a lot of attempts to remove items from adaptation by resorting to aluminum or copper foil. Instead of laying out big bucks for a fancy Short Wave radio antenna, for example,I found 40 feet of speaker wire arranged in a rectangle does as well. And I have made copper wire-aluminum foil attennas for TVs that beat any expensive amplified TV bug ear set I have ever seen, even the RCA Commander. In the case of a proprietary Handheld audio socket, it may we wiser to consider installing a standard socket.

There is a third party ear plug, sold on eBay, that supposedly fits. They are sold for many times what a goofy earplug costs and a ridiculous S/H charge is tacked on to increase profit and decease seller's eBay costs. It is remarkable how many buyers ignore the shipping terms of eBay auctions! I am not interested in listening to inferior MP3 format music through a mono ear plug. I always discover in the end when I come up against these propreitary connectors that the connector is actually generic. It is just not generic to average Joe consumer whose most sophisticated gizmo parts supplier is Radio Shack.

I hope someone knows where we can get a plug that we can wire to a headset ourselves. If NEC planned on making millions of the MobilePros, then I would accept the idea that they had a socket and plug specially designed and made for them. It costs millions to set up production for a single tiny product. For all we know, the only reason NEC put out several versions of the basic MobilePro is to get back the initial huge investment that they laid out for the production of the 700 cases, keyboards & motherboards.

...or so it seems to me..

--Bruised