A closer look
at each PDA
The latest in the world of personal digital assistants.
Compaq Aero 1530
Casio Cassiopeia E-100
HP Jornada 430se
Handspring Visor Deluxe
Palm IIIxe
Palm VII
This was the first PDA that arrived, so it benefited from a majority of my time before the other ones showed up. The selling point for the Aero is its ultrathin design - it was smaller and lighter than all the other models.
Design:
The Aero 1530 is very professional looking, with a sleek silver frame and easy-to-push black buttons. The black docking station is sleek and stylish as well. The buttons all fit in the right place, it was easy to find the power button and the icons for the calendar, contacts and to-do list all made sense and were easy to find. One small complaint - because of the thin design the buttons on the side - the "action" button and the "record" button for voice recording - were smaller than we'd like.
Features:
The Aero comes with Windows CE installed and includes the QLaunch program (lets you adjust volume, check power, go to the file explorer or adjust the backlight - but most importantly, lets you close out the active task). Other programs include the AudiblePlayer (which plays MP3 and other music files from audible.com), and the PictureViewer, which lets you view photos. Viewing the two provided pictures in grayscale didn't do too much for me, but I'm sure there's some applications or people who want to put photos into their PDAs.
A feature I liked about the Compaq Aero was the ability to switch the backlight settings right from the taskbar, something I couldn't readily do with the other PDAs. For the other ones, adjusting the backlight function involves holding the power button down for a few seconds. While you can also do that with the Aero, I liked the "light bulb" icon on the taskbar that lets you do it quicker. However, I couldn't easily find the way to adjust the contrast settings on the screen.
An added bonus was the addition of a car adapter that lets you power up while you're driving - supposedly if you were stuck in traffic you could use this to keep the Aero running and do some dictation as well. Finally, the metal stylus has a great feel to it, much better than the hard plastic styluses that the other PDAs provided.
Pros:
The lightweight feel and sleek design definitely are pluses. I could pop this PDA in a shirt pocket and not feel weighted down. Also, the stylus was the best of all of the devices I tested.
Cons:
Lacks a lot of the "bells and whistles" that a color screen provides. Also, I found it difficult to hook up the docking station to my desktop PC's serial port. I had to unscrew and rescrew the port connector several times before the PC recognized the connection. This was the only PDA I had the synchronization problem with.
Bottom line:
This was fun to play with at first, but once the other PDAs arrived with their color screens and their fancy software the Aero ended up on the shelf. It's a good, functional PDA that has a good price, but after that it doesn't get much "cool points." I liked the lightweight style, but the other PDAs weren't that much heavier to carry around.
To be fair:
Compaq makes an Aero that does have a color screen (the 2100 model), so checking out that PDA may be an option for you as well.
The final Windows CE device we tested was the "coolest" of the three Windows CE PDAs. This one also has a color screen and is in the pricier range, between $450 and $500.
Design:
Space age silver frame and bright silver buttons make this PDA cool to look at. The speaker holes at the bottom of the device make the device look like an old-fashioned transistor radio or one of those early Sony Walkmans. The buttons on the side are in similar locations as the other Windows CE devices. Finally, the color screen on the Cassiopeia seems much brighter and more vibrant than the color on the Jornada.
The E-100 also comes with a docking station that had a feature I liked that the other devices didn't - it locked the PDA into place, with a button that you would push to unlock it when you were done synchronizing or recharging. Features: In addition to the standard Windows CE functions, the E-100 comes with a menu system that uses boxy icons, which makes it kind of look like the Palm OS. It also let you add more programs to the menu. It also includes a "cursor pad," a thumb-pad that lets you move around the screen if you don't like the stylus, and has good brightness and contrast control (via software, not a hardware feature).
Optional software on the installation CD includes:
- CSI Image Viewer, to view digital photos.
- Mobile Video Player and Video Converter, which lets you view minimovies and convert other video formats (AVI, MPEG and QuickTime) into the Casio format. The two sample videos showed a speedboat chase and an underwater scene with tropical fish. While the videos selected showed the quality of the device, after you watch it once you have no need to look at it again. And the time it takes to download other movies into the machine just isn't worth it.
- PalmGolf is a somewhat fun game (just turn down the sound when you play it).
The colors on the screen are much brighter than the Jornada's, the sound quality is good and I like the menu/icon system that's included. Also, writing on the screen is much more fluid and easier than the other two CE devices. The additional video player is a nice touch and I liked being able to lock the device in the cradle when synchronizing.
Cons:
The added multimedia features chew up a lot of memory, it seemed to slow down the machine when they were installed; also, Windows CE seemed to "hang up" more on this device, forcing me to hit the reset button several more times than with the other devices. Price range may be too expensive for just business purposes.
Bottom line:
The best color PDA we've seen, but color costs money; if you want the additional bells and whistles (like the video player) it's a good choice.
To be fair:
Other reviewers have used the review units we receive, wear and tear may have caused some of the "hang ups" we experienced with the E-100.
The next to arrive was HP's Jornada 430se, and the first thing I noticed, obviously, was the color screen. How nice it was to see all the Windows CE applications in color, it certainly made it easier to work with some of the programs. From the box cover and some of its features, the Jornada is being marketed as a PDA for "work and for play," which would explain all of the multimedia features such as the MP3 player and the image viewer.
Design:
The Jornada looks like a portable tape recorder: it's darker (charcoal gray), boxier and heavier than the Aero 1530. I particularly liked the flip-up antiglare cover/screen that ingeniously flips behind the unit when you want to begin working with it. With the other units that had covers, I needed to snap them off in order to begin work.
Also, the Jornada has a red "record" button that distinguishes itself from the other buttons on the side. A visual reminder of which button is the record one is a small enhancement that adds to the product. Features: In addition to all of the standard Windows CE programs, the Jornada includes:
- OmniSolve, a neat program that calculates percent changes, interest, amortization, cash flows and the number of days between two dates, just to name a few. It also handles conversions, such as pounds to ounces, Fahrenheit to Celsius, gallons to quarts and U.S. dollars to Yen, again, to name just a few.
- Utopiasoft Hum, an MP3 music player. It comes with two song samples - music from "Chang and Eng - the Musical" (The installation CD called it "Asia's hottest new musical that has played to packed houses and critical acclaim in Singapore and China") and the "Echoboys." (A boy band that was voted one of the top 10 local acts in Singapore) Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear the song samples because I accidentally deleted them from the system. I did download an MP3 file from the Internet and loaded it into the music player. About 36 minutes later, I was able to hear the song when the serial connection from the Jornada to the desktop PC transferred data at about 100K bit/sec. Considering that the average MP3 file is between 2M bytes and 4M bytes, it will take a long time to load songs. So don't delete Chang and Eng. As for the music file I did download, the sound quality was excellent. If you're willing to wait for the files to download, the program works well. In addition, the Jornada comes with a cover that has a belt clip and headphones, so you can ditch the portable CD player if you're jogging, for example.
- Sierra Imaging Expert CE, a digital photo viewer and organizer. This lets you view JPG and BMP images taken with a digital camera or from other photo sources. Again, not much of a business usage, but it is useful if you want to store digital files, etc. Remember, though, that the larger files tend to take longer to download into the PDA.
- A collection of HP-provided tools that enhance the contacts, notes and voice recorder functions from Windows CE.
- Audible Player, which lets you listen to audio files from audible.com.
- AvantGo, which lets you synchronize updated news information from Avantgo.com.
I liked the fliptop screen and the addition of the headphones was a nice touch. The sound quality was good, and I liked the additional software that helped enhance the contacts, voice recorder and notes functions of Windows CE. I also liked the inclusion of the OmniSolve business calculator.
Cons:
This is a pricey PDA, about the same price as a Palm VII. Also, this didn't come with a docking station/cradle to synchronize with the desktop PC. Instead, you have to snap on a port to the bottom of the PDA which then hooks up to the serial port.
Bottom line:
Expensive price to pay for a lot of features that don't really matter until after you go home (MP3, digital photos).
To be fair:
HP is marketing this product as a consumer/business type device, so in that respect that's what they've done. As a business-only PDA, it's too expensive.
The first of the Palm OS units we received was the Handspring Visor. Created by the same team of designers who made the original Palm Pilot (before they sold the company to 3Com), the Handspring Visor is being marketed as a lower-priced PDA that runs the Palm OS. In addition, the Visor's expansion slot allows third-party developers to create products such as modem attachments, digital cameras and temperature sensors, just to name a few. Also, the Visor Deluxe comes in five color frames that may remind you of the iMac (orange, green, blue, graphite (gray) and "ice").
Design:
The Visor is lightweight - comparable to the Aero 1530 - and fits nicely in the palm of your hand. The frame is made of hard plastic, and the back is translucent to let you see the insides of the machine. The Visor runs on two AAA batteries and the back of the machine is where the Springboard expansion slot is located. Just snap off the cover and you can add things like more memory, a digital camera or other "modules." This slot makes the Visor appealing - it evolves as developers think up more applications for the device. The modules snap in similarly to how you would pop in a game cartridge on the Nintendo Game Boy. In fact, the color frame and general size of the device gives the impression that it is a Game Boy.
The front of the device holds the grayscale screen and the four "one-button" access buttons are labeled for the calendar, contacts, to-do list and Notepad. Two other buttons let you "scroll" through items, much like a Palm device. In fact, the buttons are located in the same location as the Palm units.
Features:
The Visor comes with standard Palm OS applications, including a contacts list, calculator, city time, calendar, expense report maker, memo pad and to-do list. Synchronization is done through a clear plastic cradle, and the HotSync feature known to Palm users applies here. In fact, the cradle lets you connect via a USB port and Handspring claims that the HotSync runs much faster than the Palm. I didn't notice a discernable difference, but it didn't matter - Handspring makes synchronizing with the desktop much faster and easier than the Windows CE devices do. The same goes for installing software. A double-click from the desktop gets the program ready, and it installs to the PDA the next time you perform a HotSync operation.
Pros:
Tons of software is available for the Palm OS, and since it's compatible you can add your favorite Palm programs to the Visor. The same goes for infrared "beaming" of information from your Palm unit into the Visor. Handspring's Web site, www.handspring.com, offers a ton of software that you can add to your Visor, including freeware, shareware and purchased software. The expansion slot holds a lot of promise as developers come up with modules. Several of these modules can be found at the Handspring Web site. Another nice feature is the inclusion of an icon that lets you adjust the contrast. The other Palm units let you adjust contrast with a slider on the side of the unit.
Finally, the price can't be beat - you can get the deluxe model for $250, a lot less expensive than some of the other PDAs out there.
Cons:
The "fruity" color frame may turn off some users; again, your boss may think you spent his money on a Game Boy. One small problem I had was that the stylus got jammed into its slot and we haven't been able to get it out. We were also a little wary of having to run the device on AAA batteries, but that's what you get with all of the Palm units.
Bottom line:
A great little unit that does everything the Palm can do and at a lower price. The expansion slot holds great promise for the Visor to "evolve" and the color frame gives it some style.
To be fair:
It could be a fluke that the stylus got jammed.
The Palm IIIxe is an upgraded version of the Palm IIIx and was just released. We got a brand-spanking new version delivered to us, so new that we had to peel the plastic sheet off of the screen before we began. The Palm IIIxe is being marketed to business users who don't need the wireless access features of the Palm VII (more on that in the next device) or the executive features of the Palm V. It sells for around $250, the same price range as the Aero 1530 and the Handspring Visor.
Design:
It looks like every other Palm unit, not much has changed although the color is a bit more black than gray. It comes with a flip-up cover that can snap off if you don't like it. When you pop it up it's like flipping up the tricorder in the old Star Trek series. Too bad you can't ask Scotty to beam you up.
Anyway, the buttons are all in the same place as other Palms, it's a nice comfortable feel if you're used to a Palm.
Features:
Everything you get in a Palm is in the IIIxe. Furthermore, there are 8M bytes of RAM, which is more memory than the Palm V. This allows you to add more programs, addresses, etc. into the unit without needing additional memory.
Pros:
All the benefits of the Palm OS at a much lower price; executive look and feel if you don't like the "colors" of the Visor.
Cons:
Not as "cool" as the Palm VII; handwriting seemed more forced than the other units.
Bottom line:
If your staff is scrambling for you to buy them a Palm device, get them this one - it's less expensive than a Palm V or Palm VII and will still let them have the "Palm" brand name.
To be fair:
Since we got a new unit we might have to break in the handwriting feel of the unit.
We almost didn't think we were going to get one of these in time for our deadline. Apparently everyone in the trade press wants one of these. Once it arrived, we could see why. The Palm VII is marketed as the Palm with Internet access - with its flip-up antenna it connects via wireless transmission to let you download e-mail, check financial quotes, check the weather or use MapQuest to find out where you are.
Design:
A slightly larger version of the Palm, it comes in the same shape and gray color as previous versions. It has the neat flip-up antenna that connects you instantly to "Palm.net" when you raise it.
Features:
The best feature of the Palm VII is its Internet access. After subscribing to Palm.net (more on that later), you can access things such as sports scores and stock quotes, check your e-mail, check news from the Wall Street Journal and do a yellow page search. Furthermore, if you head to the www.palm.net Web site, you can download "Web clipping" applications that let you do other things, such as shop at Amazon.com, read USA Today , look for movie times from Moviefone, or check your point of presence mailbox e-mail.
Pros:
Obviously, the wireless Internet access adds a whole new raft of features to the Palm VII. The sheer number of applications available for the Palm OS, added to the number of Web applications now available, make the Palm VII very versatile for the mobile warrior on the staff. While you can access e-mail with other devices, either through the synchronization process or with add-on modems, this is the easiest way to get to the Internet without snapping things into the device.
Cons:
Of course, all those benefits come with a cost. The unit itself costs between $450 and $500, and then you have to subscribe to the Internet access. 3Com just announced a new pricing plan for the Internet access, with packages ranging from $9.99 per month for 50K bytes of data (roughly 80 transactions per month), up to $44.99 per month for unlimited access. While it's nice to have the latest weather data at your fingertips, does your staff really need to have instant access to e-mail all the time?
Bottom line:
The Palm VII is fun to use, the Internet access enhances an already great PDA. If you can afford the wireless charges and the unit price itself, it qualifies as the coolest PDA out there.
To be fair:
The Palm VII comes with a high cost, but it's on par with those other CE devices with the color screens, but no built-in Internet access.
Links:
Other stuff
Software for Windows CE devices
Add-on software for the Palm OS
RELATED LINKS
PDA research page
Primers, articles and newsletters about mobile devices.
