Will a HPC work for me?

Not sure where to start, so I will try here. I have been searching the forums to see if a HPC would suite my needs. Starting with little or no knowledge I still have several questions. Moving from a full size Co. truck to a small car and the HPC is the correct size but will need to serve two proposes.

MP3 player (along with other popular music files).
1. Can I use it as a quality MP3 player?
2. Can I play directly form memory cards?
3. What is the largest memory card accepted?
4. Dose HPC have a speaker/head phone out jack?
5. I would like software with graphic equalizer and the ability to display MP3 ID tag info would be nice.
GPS with real time navigation.
1. Need point A to B driving directions.
2. Ability to import Latitude Longitude locations from Excel.
3. If so what kind of GPS mouse/antenna would I need? ( I have one but it has a UPS plug).

I know this may be asking a lot but maybe someone has been through this before. How about the Jornada 720 or even the 728? What software version? Any other suggestions?

Mike

All you ask is probably doable, but it's also probably not worth the effort. You'd have more success and spend less time configuring/fixing/finding/hacking with a PPC.Not the least because there is plenty of software available that does what you want for PPCs.
I cannot, by any stretch of my imagination, say it's perfect for the job considering what's also available.

1.: some of the hpcs are quite good for that afaik
2.: yes
3.: 32 GB? or similar... or even more with a hdd (partitioned).
4.: most of the newer ones do
5.: possible though not sure about the ID tag, what is that?
6.: GPS: some of these req's should be possible...

j728 is cool..

edit: jpfx is right, if you dont need a big screen and keyboard then go for a ppc...

I'm surprised cmonex didn't mention this, but there is one issue with the J720 of which you should be aware. Even with minimal use of the PC Card socket, the J720 can develop a dry joint--or bad solder connection--with the headphone jack, preventing it from functioning. If you're brave enough, you can fix this (search the forums) or send it to the folks at usedhandheld.com for a fix. Either way, it could be a hassle if your machine develops this. I thought you might want to know this before you acquire one.

This issue is documented in the forums, but I'm not aware if it plagues the J728 as well. It sounds like you may be using the PC Card slot extensively for peripherals, so this issue could possibly develop on a machine you use.

I hope this helps you make your decision. Cmonex and other experts, please correct me or provide additional information where appropriate.

Thanks,

i have to admit i didnt know about this, but i never use the headphone jack so have no idea if my jornadas are intact or not... i use the pc card slot alot. i'll test this (whether it still works or not), you got me curious..

Oh, sorry to call you out. I figured you would be aware of this. Sorry, but I was lazy and didn't find the source before posting. However, now that I've searched, I still can't find where I read that. The PC Card eject button is in close proximity to the headphone jack. IIRC, extended use of the button (or perhaps the motion of the cards sliding in the socket) leads to a fracture in the weak solder joint connecting the jack to the board. This fracture (aka "dry joint") results in a loss of sound. In my J720, putting an inordinate amount of force on the male jack (for you fellow engineers, it's technically a "moment)" provides sound by creating a temporary connection at the joint. However, I'm afraid that prolonged use of this method will result in permanent damage to the headphones/external speakers, the J720 board or both.

Post the thread link if you find it. Unfortunately, I couldn't. :+(

Thanks,

I've read about the headphone jack issue and don't know if my 720s suffer from it. Silly me because I started collecting them to play music among other things.

Many people have had good luck using Pocket Streets 2005 but it doesn't give verbal directions.

If you need a keyboard I can't see bothering with a ppc, no matter how many bells and whistles it has.

I don't think a dstn screen will serve as well as a TFT for peering at directions while driving.

That part I agree with. But which ppcs have really good daylight readable screens? Any of the low or mid range models?

I never had a problem with any of J720s jack and that was about 8 of them including the (3) I currently have now. My oldest is 5 yrs old now. Thanks for letting us know.

S/F,
CEYA!

If it's only a cold solder joint it should be easy to fix if one is handy with a soldering iron? I can't imagine it being a tiny solder joint like something surface mounted.

It really sounds like the Intermec 6651 would best suit your needs, Mike. But they are still a bit pricey - you're probably looking at about $300 unless you're willing to wait for a better deal (which rarely comes along).

Kenny

I thought the problem was with the Jornada 720 speaker and not the headphone jack? I've always had a problem with the speaker working intermittantly, but the headphone jack still works fine. As a matter of fact my speaker no longer works at all, but I can still listen to mp3 file using headphones.

BTW - the speaker on the 720 is awful.....you definitely want to use headphones when listening to music!

no problem.. btw i do recall some similar thread now but the one i saw was about the infrared stopping working. all i can say is IR still works fine on my jornadas even though i do use the eject button a lot.. will try to find some headset at home today and try it...




that is usually a software thing with the speaker. (have never experienced it though)




most of them don't have that. but for example the mpx200 (smartphone) is quite good i heard so at least.




nah, wasnt yours 150$? did it arrive yet?

I though the speaker was great. Its the 680 speakers that are evil.