How to use Compaq Aero's Vibrating alarm?

Wow, looks like Compaq had quite a few problems with these (I did have Compaq desktops long ago and they had lots of problems too).

So they put a motor/vibrating alarm in it with no way to ever use it?

I believe it works with Calendar event alarms.

Compaq did do better with Windows CE devices (including the iPAQ Pocket PC) than with desktop/notebook computers. Most of their CE devices were quirky, but the computers were just plain crap according to everyone I've heard from who had one.

Well, I had read in the Aero 2130 manual that unselecting the 'Sound' box in the alarm setting area enables the vibration.. Basically:

Sound checkbox selected=audio alarm

Deselected = vibration..

That makes, sense, why didn't I think of that? I'll know if it works in 30 seconds... it does! Thanks!

My Compaq desktops did crash several times per day, if not per hour, but I had always assumed that was Windows 98, I would never be sure since when I went away from Compaq I not only built my own but switched to Windows 2000 which is pretty much uncrashable and haven't had a computer crash or freeze in over a decade.

There's an Aero 1500 (grayscale) on eBay I didn't think I'd be interested in but I'm sort of tempted, maybe if I can get it for a total under $15. Other than 16 shades of gray and 16 MB RAM which is impressive for a grayscale, does this model have anything special? Does it have the vibrating alarm? Is it thinner than the Aero 2100? I really like the look & style of the Compaq Aero's.

On the other hand I already have at least 2 "unused" palm size PCs, this would make 3 unused ones, but then again it seems every few months I come up with a use for another, my latest new use being using my grayscale Nino as a digital recipe book, and since the Nino is so popular if I spill water on it while making a recipe I can get another for $1-5 anyday, though I'm still careful, perhaps I should put it in a ziplock. Plus the fact it uses AA (vs. AAA) batteries means it goes for weeks or months without needing a charge so I can put it away in the kitchen cupboard where my pile of recipes used to be.

About the only one's I wouldn't have would be the HP Jornadas, but they seemed to have issues, but I'm sure I'll end up getting one for under $10 bucks some day, at these prices I just can't help myself, and they are still so useful.

BTW having all these PSPCs confirms one thing: I did in fact have the best of the best with my E-100 back in '99 (ok, technically the E-105 is the best, but other than 16 MB extra it's the same).


Edited by aab 2011-11-25 5:25 AM

Total agreement on the E-105.

The Aero 1500 series is much thinner than the 2100 series - the thinnest Palm-size/Pocket PC there was (though the Mplus Tech ZeSS Plus [MIPS CE 2.11] and Intermec 70 [ARM Pocket PC 2000/2002], which used the same outer cover shell as one another, were very close).

I might just get it then, too bad it doesn't use AAAs, but maybe that's how they made it so thin.

No problem, glad it got you going! :) It seems pretty odd UI choice though, why not have a box to select sound or vibration.. Not a check sound or not check sound? So confusingably crazy.. :S

It's probably because Windows CE doesn't/didn't have support for vibrating alarms so Compaq had to improvise with the settings Windows has.

Did they manage to modify the Windows dialogs to add Vibrate in later ROMs?

The Pocket PC 2000 ROM for the 2180 does include the additional separate setting for 'Vibrate' in the Daily Alarm.