|
H/PC Newbie Posts: | 7 |
Location: | BC, Canada | Status: | |
| I want to purchase a handheld PC with a decent keyboard.
My husband and I are writers and would like to have a portable computer for writing, first and foremost but one that is compatible with our desktop for file transfer using MS Word, use of email and internet for editor contact and research.
We want something more portable and less pricey than a laptop.
My Dad has an HP Jornada 680e that we liked.
Also read a review by a writer who recommended the NEC MobilePro 750C
I am really new to the game so would ask for anyone's opinion/advice on what would be our best options.
Thanks.
|
|
| |
|
H/PC Oracle Posts: | 16,175 |
Location: | Budapest, Hungary | Status: | |
| you chose right... NEC MobilePro's (700 and above ) have good keyboards.
but i think the 750C is quite hard to find nowadays. 
go for a 770 or above, they can still bought on ebay. and very cheap. great keyboard... etc... even better is a 780 or 790, but if you want to use it only for writing even the 750C will do. well i see you want to use internet too... it is MP 790 then (maybe 780? ...i don't recommend it for web browsing ).
another disadvantage of the 750C is that it is so old that probably the battery is already dead. 780 still has a good chance to arrive with a good one. one of my friends just got a 780 from ebay for 80$ and the battery still is simply excellent! it lasts for 8 hours.
hmmm or maybe the 700... that's not even colour so can run on AA's afaik  but then you can forget about browsing...
you can consider the MobilePro 800/880 too, if in need of a larger screen. or similar HPC Pro subnotebook sized HPC's. but web browsing is not so good on HPC Pro...
all in all i think the NEC 790 is the best, if i have enough information about your needs. Edited by cmonex 2005-10-24 8:19 PM
|
|
| |
|
H/PC Vanguard Posts: | 2,579 |
Location: | The Lone Star State | Status: | |
| I agree, go for the 780 or 790. 790 is great! |
|
| |
|
| Tigerdirect.com has 780's for $129 again. They are refurbished units. I bought one from them a few weeks ago. I was happy with what I got. |
|
| |
|
Subscribers H/PC Guru Posts: | 5,779 |
Location: | United States | Status: | |
| or the IBM Workpad z50, hard to find, but they work good for typing and run on AA batteries...
Here is link to review:
http://www.hpcfactor.com/reviews/hardware/ibm/workpad-z50/
Joseph
P.S. Welcome to HPC:Factor... Edited by tenjeangosi 2005-10-24 10:23 PM
|
|
| |
|
H/PC Newbie Posts: | 7 |
Location: | BC, Canada | Status: | |
| Thank you everyone for your feedback!!
I am definitely leaning more towards the NEC Mobilepro 790.
I think the keyboard size is the most important factor here as my husband will be doing more writing on it and I will be doing my internet/email stuff.
Again, thank you, thank you, you are all awesome!!
 |
|
| |
|
H/PC Newbie Posts: | 7 |
Location: | BC, Canada | Status: | |
| I have been researching the NEC Mobilepros a bit.
Do you know if the 790 will synch with a desktop running windows XP?
Thanks.
|
|
| |
|
H/PC Vanguard Posts: | 2,579 |
Location: | The Lone Star State | Status: | |
| Yes, Yes it does. I have XP and a 790. |
|
| |
|
H/PC Newbie Posts: | 7 |
Location: | BC, Canada | Status: | |
| Awesome. And what are the differences between 780 and 790, just the OS and maybe the modem?
|
|
| |
|
H/PC Oracle Posts: | 16,175 |
Location: | Budapest, Hungary | Status: | |
| izzyflip - 2005-10-25 11:24 PM
Awesome. And what are the differences between 780 and 790, just the OS and maybe the modem?
just the OS. hpc2000 is much more capable in some respects |
|
| |
|
Global Moderator H/PC Guru Posts: | 7,188 |
Location: | USA | Status: | |
| Modems are the same...the only differences are the operating system and the 14 mb of non-volitile flash ram. You can save files there and even with a hard reset, they will be intact for you later...you never lose a thing like you do with the 780 and earlier models.
Rich |
|
| |
|
H/PC Vanguard Posts: | 2,579 |
Location: | The Lone Star State | Status: | |
| http://www.usedhandhelds.com/usedhh_reviews_n790.asp
Quote The MobilePro 780 and 790 look identical physically and use the same 168 MHz 64-bit MIPS microprocessor. The main differences between the machines are the updated operating system and 16 additional megabytes of non-volatile Flash storage. The 780 and 790 both have 32 Mb of RAM.
The 780 used Window CE 2.1 and Handheld PC Pro applications. The 790 moves to Windows CE 3.0 and Handheld PC 2000 applications. The newer software provides better Web compatibility, easier access to server-based applications (see the Terminal Server Client article on page xx), and adds the Windows Media Player to the suite of built-in applications. (See "The New Handheld PC 2000" www.pocketpcmag.com/Jan01/HPC2000.stm for more details on the Handheld PC 2000 software upgrade.)
New to the MobilePro 790 is 16 Mb of non-volatile Flash ROM. 14 Mb can be used for backup, additional storage, or software applications. 2 Mb is reserved for Windows CE application and operating system patches. Thanks to this permanent storage feature, I didn't have to worry about my battery running out of juice during my airport delays—I kept saving this review into the predefined folder named "Internal Flash ROM." As with other Handheld and Pocket PCs, an additional 32 Mb of RAM is used both for storage and for system memory. That means that, in most cases, at least 16 Mb of internal RAM is available for storage.
Interestingly, NEC decided to use the Flash ROM folder in addition to the CD ROM to include several ready-to-install pieces of software. These include Primer, a PDF viewer; bSquare backup software; and HPC NetProfile for LAN or WAN access from more than one location.
Finally, NEC reserved 2 Mb of the Flash ROM for operating system patches. This means that users should be able to download and install fixes to the operating system without using any of the internal RAM memory. Unfortunately, there is no 780 to 790 upgrade path, and the MobilePro 790 itself is not ROM-upgradeable except for bug fixes.
|
|
| |
|
H/PC Newbie Posts: | 7 |
Location: | BC, Canada | Status: | |
| Thank you.
Thank you.
|
|
| |
|
Administrator H/PC Oracle Posts: | 18,038 |
Location: | United Kingdom | Status: | |
| Significant application support, performance and stability enhancements. Also the HPC2000 offering of the 790 offers broader application potential through PPC app use.
Generally speaking, if you can afford it, aim for HPC2000. |
|
| |
|
H/PC Newbie Posts: | 7 |
Location: | BC, Canada | Status: | |
| Well with all your excellent help, I chose the NEC Mobilepro 790 and we love it!!!
Great advice everyone!!
Two more questions: is the sync cable something generic that I could find in any computer or electronics store or is it more model specific?
If not, any suggestions on where to get one online? I am in Canada and it would be easier to buy in Canada. I did see some on ebay but they come from US sources. I did buy my MP790 on ebay from a US source but it took a while to get here as it has to go through customs and I had to of course pay duty on it.
Thanks.
|
|
| |
