New Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Hi,
I have a 17" iMac G5 2.0Ghz, which I love. I could, however, do with a portable device that I can use for typing up lecture notes at university. I would have an iBook, but the weight/mugger-attractant things are issues. So, I'm looking for some sort of small, PocketPC type thing, which will take a fold-out keyboard, which can run Word (or similar) and will connect via BT to the iMac so I can transfer texty files between the two. I'm not bothered about syncing with iCal or Address Book as I never use them. I don't need a phone built-in, or anything like that, nor do I want to spend a lot of money. Would an HP ipaq be a big faff with an iMac? Are they compatible for sharing Word files? Are there any advantages in having a Palm rather than something running Windows mobile PC? Cheers. |
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Member
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I don't know about pocket pc. but Palm works pretty well, it comes with something called documents to go, which allows you to open, edit, and create microsoft word, powerpoint, and excel files. I think they have this for pocket pc as well.
Oh, btw, pocket pc isn't officially supported for mac by the manufacturers. To sync you'll have to buy this little diddy called The Missing Sync. Which can be seen in the link below http://www.markspace.com/products.html As with advantages, I believe pocket pc is better at multi-tasking that palm os is, palm is a one-application-open-at-a-time sort of OS; I find it very very stable because of this but some just can't live with that sort of usage. My family has always been a palm family ever since my dad tried using Windows CE 3.1, could never get the thing to sync with our computer. It's still collecting dust in a shelf behind me (8 years old now). I use a Tungsten E2 and find it suits me well, a charge lasts me 4 weeks if I use it only for scheduling. I use it as an MP3 player sometimes when I don't feel like lugging an ipod in my already full pockets and play some videos I compressed for it when I'm bored (though the psp does the job better because of it's bigger screen). I got my Palm Tungsten E2 for 150 dollars. For some reason my Office Max had them for $199 (usually 250) and also had a $50 dollar rebate on it. I think that was a good price Hotsync for palm also works with isync if you enable it, allowing you to use iCal/address book instead of palm desktop. Which is a nice little feature. But the missing sync would allow you to do so as well for pocket pc. Hope that helped a bit. Good Luck! Last edited by Ichiban_jay : 2005-11-20 at 01:52. |
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The Hoarding Packrat
Join Date: Oct 2005
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I'd say Palm would be better with a Mac. BT sync is pretty nice; though takes forever with my LifeDrive. If you want a handheld with a keyboard, look at a SONY Clié. They are older, and cheaper. You will need Missing Sync for a though. Really the Cliés are the only non-cell Palms with a keyboard and Bluetooth. IMO, why would one with a Mac get a PPC?
Timm |
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New Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Thanks for the responses. I'll probably end up getting a Palm of some sort, especially since there's a nifty wireless folding keyboard available. I was in fact looking at the Tungsten E2. It's very reasonable, especially in comparison with ipaqs.
I had a look at the Sony Clie, only to discover it's no longer sold in Australia and some of them seem to have a Blackberry-ish keyboard which is fine for texting, but hopeless for actual 65+wpm typing. They looked quite nice, though - for a Sony. Would I need the Missing Sync even if all I want is to transfer Word files? As I said, Address book and iCal are pretty much dead features given how I use my Mac. |
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Less than Stellar Member
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Pocket PCs sync BETTER than Palms when using the missing sync. Of course, since you just want to transfer files, it may be a moot point. But there are some definite advantages to the PPC, despite the fact that all you want is to move files (and you wouldn't even need to install ANY software on either the Mac or PPC). You can mount the Mac on the PPC wirelessly and transfer stuff manually. It's a piece of cake if you want to go that route.
If it's not red and showing substantial musculature, you're wearing it wrong. |
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The Hoarding Packrat
Join Date: Oct 2005
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If you get a current Palm, you wont need Missing Sync - docs or not -, as there is a Docs to Go conduit with Hotsync Manager.
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New Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
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I have had better luck using PocketPC for Mac instead of the missing sync.
I would still much rather have an Apple PDA! |
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London, UK
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Also check out www.pocketmac.com for PocketPC adaptability.
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Less than Stellar Member
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Not a tame lion...
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Narnia
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I'm partial to Sharp's Zaurus myself...
this is the SL-C3100 I personally have an SL-6000... It came with a Hancom Office Suite which allows me to edit Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files |
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London, UK
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Less than Stellar Member
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Also, it can't handle exceptions to repeating appointments. And the way it doesn't handle them is inconsistent. So you can't reliably tell how something will sync. Furthermore, since TMS has been upgraded to version 2, it's the ONLY syncing solution (iSync and Palm included) that sync the categories you've chosen on your handheld for your appointments (if you're using iCal and addressbook). In short, it's a shoddy program that "works" but TMS is a much better program. If it's not red and showing substantial musculature, you're wearing it wrong. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
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New Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Koodari, 2kg is noticeable in a backpack if you're also carrying 3kg law textbooks and have back problems already! I had a laptop - admittedly a POS HP - and it almost never went outdoors, and not just because it was rubbish. It's also an issue for an impecunious student to spend $1000 more on something I only really need for one more year. Hence, the compromise.
Hmm, the Sharp looks neat, although availability in Australia looks dodgy. Does it have the option of a bigger keyboard? The keyboard issue is important, as I can't type fast on something Blackberry sized. I'm not looking for a PDA per se (I use my head for that), but a small, cheap alternative to a laptop. I may well end up with a Palm E2 and a keyboard. The Palms are more reasonable than PPC, and I don't expect to need it for aeons. I'm still mildly confused - is the Missing Sync needed for mere transfers of M$ Office docs on a PPC? Surely the answer is no. Thanks very much for all the responses. Ha, it would be so much easier if Apple decided to do a PDA again. *sigh* |
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Not a tame lion...
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Narnia
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The keyboard is a little small as it's intended for Japanese users. Personally, I don't have any problems with it, even though I'm a fairly large guy. More recent models of Zaurus (including the two posted pics of) have USB host functionality which allows you to use USB keyboards.
However, this is currently unsupported by Sharp and not everything works without a hitch. A zaurus requires a great deal of tinkering to get it how you want it. After that, it's totally the best PDA you can buy You are correct that it would be tricky to get ahold of one in Australia. Perhaps there is an Australian company that imports them from Japan and localizes them, similar to Dynamism If you just need it for taking notes, many people find the TRS-80 Model 100 quite handy. |
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New Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
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RE: TRS-80, Yes....very convenient. It's certainly got all the computational power I could ever want. Puts my iMac to shame. Not to mention the portability!
Or, I could just continue using ye olde trusty quill and parchment. I've seen the odd Zaurus on ebay, but they've either been more expensive than I'm prepared to cough up for a toy, or user-unfriendly for my purposes. |
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Not a tame lion...
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Narnia
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New Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
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I have one from back in the early 90s. They were colour with touch sensitive screens even back then.... I was just blown away when I saw them and had to have one... I would guess that the one I had then would still be usable compared to a lot of modern PDAs. It's stashed somewhere at my Mum's house now... Probably in the same box as my Newton and my really old Apple Laptops.. 'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take' Extreme Sports Cafe | ESC's blog | scratt's blog | @thescratt |
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9" monochrome
Join Date: May 2004
Location: 🇦🇺
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The good lady inherited a hand-me-down of a Toshiba e570 and only yesterday bought her first ever computer ... 12"PB I stumbled across PocketMac, but your comments have steered me away from it. One question though ... will the Missing Sync for Pocket PC be able to sync iTunes songs for her ... or is it a matter of ripping everything in mp3 format and manually dragging them across to the Pocket PC - presuming this can be done in the first place? |
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Less than Stellar Member
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If it's not red and showing substantial musculature, you're wearing it wrong. |
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