Jornada 820/HPC Pro site/forum?

Does anyone know where I can find an Internet site or forum dedicated SPECIFICALLY to the Hewlett Packard Jornada 820 Handheld PC or Windows CE 2.11 ("Handheld PC Pro"?

Now I just feel deflated

Oh man
That is just wrong!
Sorry C:amie, I still think you are the best.

Thanks Yoldering.
Not long before you hit the big 500!

It's nothing against your site, I just think that if I can find a large number of Jornada 820 or Windows CE 2.11 ("Handheld PC Pro" users, then I'm likely to have more luck finding software, with hints & tips, etc.

Your site's still one of the best (especially in the support and content areas); the forum's a little quiet, but this is hardly your fault...

But don't worry, I'm spreading the word (well as best I can- H/PC users are rare now)!

If we are not addressing users needs, then we like to know about it.

The software aspect is an issue we are always reviewing; cost vs community benefit vs our venefit.

As to the board being a little quite. This is by far the busiet exclusive H/PC forum on-line today.
May be you need to post more

Bring all the j820 owners here and have a party

I've got a load of Windows CE and Windows Mobile devices, but none of them have a built-in modem, so all of my Internet access is done through my cell phone (as my signature indicates), which REALLY sucks; if all goes to plan, I should have a Jornada 820 and a Jornada 680 in about a month, both of which have modems... THEN I'll be able to post a lot more messages, as well as better use the resources of the Internet to their full potentional!

I do have A tip however- how about a database of Windows CE software that is still available, or suspected to still be available?

You don't have to actually host the files themselves (although it would be nice), just provide links to the developer's/distributor's Web sites...

This is something that I have been searching for for some time now; it wouldn't be hard, all it would take is the suggestions from users & developers/distributors...

That was going to happen, a SCL or Software Compatibility List. To show all the Pocket PC software which would work, and I think a list of HPC software that was still available, but I'm not really sure about that. The idea disappeared because of legal reasons.

Nick

Huh? It was? So nogo for a list of ppc stuff that can be modded? (Let's stop using "hacked'. Modded is much nicer IMO.)

If I ever get hosting (needs to be free..broke guy here) I'll host it all w/o any fear through a buddies shell company. Let the legal giants go after an empty office or better yet a PO box.

But until that happens our hpc world needs a central repository of software somewhere. cripes, don't tell me there's fear in simply hosting modding instructions?

For software listing, there's always good old Handheld Attitude. And HPCNEC is looking bigger every day (ok every week or so).

However, both are maintained by an HPC user with one main machine in mind, so the listing are mostly limited to compatible software to a specific model.

I don't think a PPC app mod listing is illegal in anyway, as long as no modded software is distributed. The action of modding the software is in violation of the agreement. However simply documenting the procedure does not prove you have done it, so you're fine there unless there's other ways to prove it. And as far as I can tell, this type of agreement is civil (unlike copyright), so don't worry about being busted by cops either

Having said all that though, it is indeed crawling thru holes in the rules, so don't expect a site like this one to do something like that. To be honest I think those Adobe Reader packages (not mods, just repackaging with other files), are already more than I would expect this site to do.

And a final note. If I was a PPC app distributer, I would welcome such mod instructions anyway. It is a way to sell the app to another market, without paying for development and support (which is why they aren't ported in the first place). I think wally here already helped sell a couple copies of MS Streets 2005, eh.

The idea of just maintaining a software listing without downloads is a valid one, but with so many defunt developers, it would really cripple the usefulness.

You have to understand where we come from in resisting.

HPC:Factor is self hosted on a T-line, this for the bandwisdth we need actually works out considerably cheaper for us.
The site server load it large - it's not microsoft.com, but it's certainly one of the largest in the dedicated Windows CE world. Our server resources are overburdoned - hence things being so slow. We don't have the finances to improve that.

Any large scale move towards public download and distribution would exponentially increase the load and the bandwidth allocation. If HPC:Factor exceeds a dedicated T1 line's bandwidth capabilities, the site is done for.
We're not near that yet, but ignoring the server load capabilities for a minute brings me to the next, and main point.

I and the other admins do not have the time, or indeed the will power to run, update and maintain it against everything else that needs to be done to keep the site even up & on-line from day to day.
This isn't a gripe, we enjoy it - or we wouldn't do it. Speaking from a personal perspective though, I am not willing to take on any more responsibility, single handedly or otherwise.
Making it a dogfood free-for-all is out of the question, as is constructing such a fete by hand - it's dynamic or nothing.

I could appoint a moderation team, and that would need to have at least one person from each H/PC generation 1 through 5, so as to prevent it from simply becoming HPC2000 heavy - lets be honest here, set something like that up and it becomes a Jornada 720 fest and all other devices get ignored; it's historic (and why I started ce320 in the first place I might add!!).
Moderation placements aren't just dished out though, I, and the other owners have to know you well enough to bestow that trust, and that in itself takes time. Having already been suffering user problems for some time, there is no way on earth that I'm risking this site because someone has a personal agenda. It means too much to me.

So. That is where I am on this matter, caught between a rock and a hard place.

Of course I welcome discussion, you thoughts and ideas.

But understand the alternative way out is to dress the site in Pocket PC advertising and attract the client base who will click through -or- to charge you for being here.
When I started writing websites in 1996, I vowed never to do either, and I'm not about to start.

I wasn't talking about MODDING software, I meant a software database for ALL Handheld PCs along the lines of the Hardware Compatibility List; just links to where the software can be downloaded, maybe a short description and pricing info, and special instructions for downloading (eg. if the file is archived on the developer's Web site)...

There's no legal issues with doing this.

Oh, and I wasn't talking about POCKET PC software either, I was talking about Handheld PC software that is still available.

Plenty of companies still have Handheld PC software still available, you just have to ask...

Ilium Software for example, still sell eWallet and ListPro for Windows CE 1.0; they have it archived and don't actively promote it, but it IS still available if you ask for it (I have the E-Mail in my inbox to prove it)!