The title may sound clickbaity. Not really. Here are my quick answers:
True instant on: The CE programs are so small that they are all running in ramdisk
(the small RAM
). No hibernation or PC style suspend is necessary. UMPCs and Netbooks can't compete with that.
Elegant form factor: I am so obsessed with the handheld body. The stylish look of the Jornada is so unassuming, inspiring and motivating. On the other hand, netbookish designs are too commonplace and too large and to fit in one hand. Most UMPCs look too complicated to my taste. I don't really fancy playing with swivel/flipping displays.
Super long battery life: After replacing the old dead cells with new ones with much higher capacity
(mAh
), the revived battery packs can keep my HPCs running for more than 10 hours.
Minimalistic feel: As just mentioned, the CE programs are so compact yet effecient. Just a tiny fraction of memory size, resource
(both hardware and software
) requirements, power consumption, startup speed
(Pocket Word pops up in the blink of an eye, vs. Office 365
).
Offline-ness: This is so retro and so anti-tech. The truth is my personal data is safest if it's not online. You can even think of the HPCs as a palm-sized memory storage device with a very touch-typing friendly keyboard and a screen.
Enduring legacy: Those HPCs still surviving the talks to this date have stood the test of time. These are the legendary warriors in the great hall of fame.
Low cost: For one GPD Pocket 2 I would be able to acquire 8 or even 10 of these good old HPCs on the used market today. How cool is that?
... How about
nostalgia? In my case, I am new to HPCs, so I consider myself immune to this affliction.
(Also posted in
https://solochampion.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-handheld-pcs.html )
What do you think? Which do you agree or disagree with? Any more thoughts to add?
Edited by hpcboy 2020-10-08 1:53 AM