Writing On Your Palm

Quest For A Color PDA

Copyright © 2003 Curt Robbins. All Rights Reserved.

My quest for a color PDA began Christmas morning when I tore the shiny wrapping paper from a present from my wife, revealing a new Palm m130. Being the picky gift recipient that I am, I immediately began investigating whether the m130 had a color screen that would really make me happy. I haven't been very focused on the PDA market for the past couple of years (instead investing most of my spare time in my preschool daughters), so I was able to approach my research with relative objectivity and even a sense of excitement.

I have owned three Palm OS-based PDAs, all Palm brand. I remember coming this close to purchasing a Palm IIIc when it was introduced. As much as I loved it, the color just wasn't good enough. Then the Handspring Prism improved on the model, but I again declined the opportunity. I knew the display still wasn't compelling enough to spend money and abandon my trusty grayscale Palm.

Thus, my patient quest for a capable color PDA actually began many years ago. I knew that PDAs would follow the same path as laptops, migrating from grayscale to basic color to crisp photo-realistic displays. As with most technologies, it was only a matter of time.

My first PDA was the original PalmPilot that started it all, purchased back in 1996. My current Palm is the IIIx. Although I am upgrading primarily for color, it isn't as if greater speed, additional memory, a smaller form factor, and other features are unwelcome. But color is the only characteristic truly motivating me to lay down a few hundred bucks on a new PDA. A new PDA that will, admittedly, duplicate many of the functions of my existing Palm IIIx.

I knew the decision to stay with the Palm OS or jump ship to a Microsoft Windows-based Pocket PC (PPC) would be difficult. My plan was to determine, for my particular criteria, the best Palm-based model and the best PPC model and then compare the two head-to-head.

Selection Criteria

"Best," in the context of a PDA, is highly subjective. My three criteria are: 1) screen size and quality, 2) overall unit size and weight (I don't want a brick in my pocket), and 3) memory expansion capacity.

Part 1: Exploring Palm OS Models

Because I have owned three Palm models and all of my mobile data currently resides in Palm software, I initially favored Palm-based models, with the loose goal of sticking with the Palm platform. Why learn a new platform and migrate my data if I don't need to?

Palm Loses for Poor Displays

I soon learned that the Palm m130 my wife gave me produced mediocre screen quality with bleached out colors, poor resolution, and weak brightness. I was also frustrated by the fact that Palm didn't document the exact number of colors produced by the m130's screen. (While nearly all color PDAs list 65,000 colors, the m130 literature states simply "thousands of colors." Would that be four thousand colors or sixtyfour thousand colors, Palm?). Thanks, guys (these are technical specs, after all).

I sheepishly asked my wife for the receipt and returned the m130.

My next consideration was the Palm m515. I had read reports of the display superiority of Pocket PC models, but maybe the m515 was good enough for my needs. I certainly loved the classic Palm V form factor. Staying with the Palm platform also meant no learning curve or re-keying of data, two very nice points.

It just so happened that my brother-in-law - whom I visited over the holidays - recently received an m515 from his employer. Because it was not his choice, he was objective when discussing it. The kicker was that he had already loaded it up with several photos of his kids that I had taken with my digital camera on a previous visit and sent to him via e-mail.

This was the perfect test! My own digital pictures displayed on the m515. I was excited. Unfortunately, the pics were too pixilated for my tastes and contrast and brightness left something to be desired (although it was better than the m130). My heart sank. The m515 was not to be my next PDA.

I already knew from my research that the Sony Clie T665 and SJ30 both feature screens that look much better than other Palm PDAs. I took a look both models at my local Best Buy and was very impressed. Thus, if I wanted to stick with the Palm platform, I'd have to go Sony. (Handspring, a leading Palm OS-based device vendor, has re-focused on the emerging phone-based handheld market, meaning their current non-phone PDAs are an endangered species. Also, their popular Treo 90 PDA features an integrated keyboard, which I don't want. These factors dissuaded me from including Handspring as a consideration.)

The display superiority of the Sony Clie models is simple math: they feature 320 x 320 pixel resolution, while the m130 and m515 are only 160 x 160. But forget the figures; let your own eyes do the evaluation. Palm has really fallen behind its competition regarding screen quality. Why go color if it is relatively poor? (Incidentally, my brother-in-law noted that, if spending his own money, he would get a Clie T665).

Sony Clie Wins for Palm OS

It didn't take me long to determine that, if I was going to stay with the Palm platform, I was going to get the Clie SJ30 or T665, both of which feature exceptional display resolution and nice brightness. The only significant difference between the two models is that the SJ30 is about $90 less expensive and considerably shorter, but also thicker and runs at only 33 MHz (the T665 runs at 66 MHz). Both are exceptional Palm PDAs.

Memory Stick Blues

But there's a problem with the Clie devices: Memory Stick memory expansion. No, I'm not inherently against the Memory Stick format. Any expanded memory I purchase for my PDA will be dedicated to the unit. Thus, I don't really care about the specific format or the fact that it isn't compatible with my other portable devices. But I do obviously care about its capacity. The fact that Memory Sticks go to only 128 MB is a BIG problem for me. I want to haul around as many photos, PDF files, and Word files as possible. Regardless of your favorite expansion media format, capacity is king, and 128 MB is simply not enough (it's hard to believe I'm saying this). I had already determined that 256 MB was a minimum for memory expansion.

Thus, while the Clie models were the finalists for the Palm platform, I was now motivated to find a Pocket PC model that was superior. I knew many PPC PDAs offered features such as larger screens and industry-standard CompactFlash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) memory expansion (in current capacities of up to 512 MB). Despite my lack of PPC research, it was beginning to appear as if the PPC platform would win by default. The head-to-head comparison, it seemed, would occur between two PPC models, not between a Palm and a PPC.

(In fairness to the Clie and Memory Stick fans, Sony does have a roadmap that charts availability of 2 GB Memory Sticks sometime in 2004 and 4 GB models in 2005. 256 MB, 512 MB, and 1 GB versions will supposedly be released sometime in '03. However, c|net has reported that the forthcoming >128 MB Memory Sticks will run at a different speed and may not work in existing devices. While it is clear that Sony intends to significantly increase Memory Stick capacity, it seems like a poor choice if you currently or in the forseeable future might want more than 128 MB of expanded memory; you could be trapped with only 128 MB if the new cards are not compatible.)

Part 2: Exploring Pocket PC Models

On the Pocket PC platform, I considered Dell, HP, and Toshiba. I've included no information regarding Toshiba here simply because I wasn't keen on the form factor of their models and have always been very attracted to the iPAQ models from HP/Compaq.

For about a day, I was convinced I would purchase the new Dell Axim. I liked the dual expansion slots, great screen (although slightly smaller than the 3900 series iPAQs), 400 MHz processor, and very competitive price. It isn't the sexiest PPC PDA in my opinion, but at $150 less than the comparably-equipped IPAQ 3955 - which does not include a CF slot - the new Dell's value is hard to resist.

But I now think the Axim is too large. No, it's not a five-pound brick. The Web reviews noting its cumbersome size are somewhat exaggerated, in my opinion. But, relative to other PDAs, it is hefty. While I strongly recommend that you seriously consider the Axim if you are shopping for a Pocket PC, I personally had some serious reservations regarding its size.

Enter the HP h1910

I then discovered the new iPAQ h1910 from Hewlett-Packard. With a form factor rivaling the stalwart Palm V, this sucker is small. It seems smaller than the Palm V because it's bottom corners are significantly rounded off, making it easier to grasp. To truly appreciate it, you have to hold it in your hand. Even side-by-side comparison photos on the Web don't do it justice.

The h1910 wins in all of my personal categories. It is small (very small for a PPC device), has an excellent screen (nicer than the Clie T665 with nearly twice the real estate and even marginally nicer than the Axim), and can be expanded via SD memory (currently to 512 MB, with 256 MB cards costing only about $140).

Dell Axim vs. HP 1910

Both the Dell Axim and the HP H1910 feature relatively low prices for PPC PDAs. The Axim's strength is its expandability, while its weakness is its bulk. The 1910 is the opposite, with its most dominant feature being its diminutive size and its shortcoming limited expandability (no CF slot). Both offer leading-edge transflective display technology which saves battery life and looks better, in my opinion. But you can't network the 1910 because the SD memory slot doesn't feature SDIO (SD input/output), necessary to support anything other than raw memory storage. Who wants to be forced to remove the expanded memory to gain access to a network? (You may want to upload files from your memory card or use it as storage for files you download.)

Both the Axim and the 1910 feature removable batteries. While this might sound trivial, it has been the Achilles heel of the entire iPAQ series since the beginning. If you own an iPAQ 3800 or 3900 series model and the battery dies, you must send the entire unit to HP for service. If the battery on an Axim or 1910 dies, you simply order a new battery and replace the dead one; you still have the use of your PDA when the battery is being serviced. This also allows road warriors to carry spare batteries so they never run out of juice, even when away from a charger for prolonged periods. Also, the charging/sync cradles for both units provide an additional charging slot for a spare battery. HP will, however, hit you up $50 for the cradle.

In the Axim vs. 1910 debate, the perfect solution for one user is a poor fit for another. Despite the similarities of these two models, size and networking issues actually make them very different in day-to-day use. Your particular needs may determine the Dell to be the perfect color PDA. For me, however, the h1910 was the winner.

Disadvantages of the h1910

I don't want to make the 1910 seem like all peaches and cream. There are some problems with the "half-PAQ." Many are shortcomings that should have been avoided, even at this relatively low price point for a Pocket PC.

• The 2.5 mm headphone jack is just plain silly (standard headphone jacks are 3.5 mm). It requires you to use an adapter, although HP does bundle a cheap pair of 2.5 mm earbud headphones. Personally, I don't care. I have a dedicated MP3 player and will probably never use the 1910 for music.
• While HP's official documentation notes the size of the screen as 3.8" diagonally, it is actually 3.5". If you want 3.8", you must get a "full-fledged" iPAQ model, such as the recently discontinued 3835 or the 3955/3975.
• Unlike the Clie, there is no protective covering or case.
• Unlike most Palm and PPC devices, there is no bundled sync/recharge cradle (a $50 accessory). Synchronizing with your PC and battery charging is accomplished via a bundled USB cable. If you want a cradle, the 1910 is effectively a $350 purchase.
• Unlike most other PPC models, you don't get a full 64 MB of memory. Instead, you get about 46 MB. For a more detailed description, see Jeff Kirvin's 1910 review.
• A single expansion slot. The Dell Axim offers dual slots (CF and SD). This allows you to expand memory using the SD slot, reserving the CF slot for a peripheral device, such as a Wi-Fi (802.11b) or Bluetooth wireless network card or other accessory - critical for many enterprise users and anyone who wants to access a network. This was not perceived as a problem because network access is not a priority for me. It is of note that leading-edge PPC devices are emerging - such as the iPAQ 5450 - that feature built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless capabilities, thus requiring no separate expansion card for network access.

To document my research, I created a simple table in Microsoft Word.

Conclusions

On the Palm platform, the Clie wins in nearly all respects. The T665 is twice as fast as the m515 (66 MHz vs. 33 MHz, a difference you can actually see) with a considerably superior display. Text on the Clie is as sharp and smooth as that of a leading edge desktop PC with a good monitor. Text and icons displayed on the Palm m515 are blocky and crude in comparison. Soon only children's toys will incorporate such low-resolution displays. If you want color and prefer to stick with the Palm platform, look no further than the Sony Clie.

On the Pocket PC platform, the decision is more difficult. HP, Dell, and Toshiba all offer models with high-quality displays and a variety of features, form factors, and prices (ranging from $200 to $800). The h1910 won my affection primarily because of its small form factor (it is the smallest PPC PDA on the market), exceptional display quality, and low price. But other PPC devices also have excellent screens. The Dell Axim is only $50 more than the 1910; equal in price if you consider the 1910's lack of a cradle. So it really boils down to a single characteristic that won the iPAQ my business: its small size.

Worthy Compromise

Despite the fact that I must now learn the Pocket PC OS and re-key quite a bit of data, I think it's a worthy compromise. I had a sneaking suspicion that I'd be migrating to the Pocket PC platform sooner or later, mostly because of the greater power and seamless connection to my MS Windows-based desktops and laptop (I just didn't think it would happen this quickly).

The lack of high-resolution displays in devices from Palm, Inc. and the current 128 MB limitation of Memory Stick forced me to leave the Palm camp. The m515 was even the favored incumbent, but lost the votes necessary to keep it in (my) office.