Editorial: The sad truth about Handheld and Pocket PC's

Cmonex wrote...


My statement really was a little broad, wasn't it? Let me rephrase that... many PDA and HPC users are serious about how they use them! At least, I tend to be (yeah, right... I'm floating in a veritable sea of computer equipment here, plus nearby is a worn copy of Maurice Sendak's "Where The Wild Things Are". Yeah, I'm as serious as a whoopee cushion...).

Thanks for reviving the thread, astro_rob.

Personally, I don't think that our beloved H/PC's will every *really* die. Sure, they will probably eventually stop physically working, but there is always emulation and such. Look at the newton people! They are making full emulation, and still using those things. (I was almost one of them )

Essentially, these things only really die when people completely forget about them. And, until all the forum members die many, many years from now (we all know that C:Amie will live forever ), then maybe our H/PC's will die.

H/PC users never die - they just need a hard reset.

If the hard reset won't work, they get buried with their hpcs.

Lol...

I think there are a few main reason why PocketPCs haven't "caught on", at least going from my experience.

I'm a professional- which means I use several specialized applications at work. Namely, Bryce 6, Harmony Assistant and Visual C++. I travel quite a bit, which means lugging a laptop tends to get very hard on the shoulders. Simple needs- a 3D editing program, PIM functions and a MIDI sequencer- all functions that I easily could work with on my old PC at home.

Yet.. there's NO software that does that! And only one measly MIDI program, and that works like garbage.

Someone earlier stated that "nobody" needs a 600+ Mhz PocketPC. Well, guess what? I do.

I guess I'll just have to keep on waiting for the Flipstart...

wow talk about reviving an old thread

Edited by mscdex 2006-07-17 3:00 AM

*me ignores the revival...*
Daniel, rendering 3D images and animations is way too much for a PDA to handle. But there is some CAD software for PPCs, but I would be surprised if any of them can do any sort of rendering.

If you must use a small PC, there is the OQO, or the slightly larger UMPCs. Don't wait for the Flipstart - it's hard to say when and if it will come. But like I said many times before, many thought the OQO was vapourware when its release was delayed many times, but here it is. Again I'm not sure if these can do what you need either.

*me tries to be responsible again*
Anyway I think your case really doesn't apply to the HPC and PPC situation. These devices are not designed or intended as replacement for all PC functions, no matter who you are. The technical term we use is "stand alone"; these are still companion devices, or even peripherals, not stand alone machines.

It's true that some of the PPC "experts" or "enthusiasts" do use PPCs as stand alone machines, and some of us here use HPCs without a PC. But these are not normal uses, and would require continual learning to maintain.

Like I said in my original reply, the PDA is still a long way from replacing the PC.