Replacement for iPAQ 3765, Perhaps a 110 or 210?

[hintzy64]

I've had an old (Compaq, not HP!) iPAQ 3765 for a long time, which was unfortunately stolen from my house a few weeks ago, along with its cradle and PCMCIA/battery expansion sleeve (but not the case, any of the PCMCIA cards, or folding keyboard). I'm trying to figure out what to replace it with and wanted to see what you guys think. My main goal, at the moment, is to be able to do some e-mail, web browsing, IMing, scheduling, and other PIM tasks when I'm traveling or don't feel like firing up my desktop at home. Other tasks, like GPS maybe, might be added depending on what I get, but are not a requirement. Here's a few ideas I've had:

Option 1: My dad has an identical 3765 that he doesn't use, which I can have for free. Pros: It's free and I already have some accessories for it. Cons: It's PPC2002, and mine had some problems with a lot of websites because of newer html/xml/etc formatting that PIE doesn't understand. Due to this, on a good number of links it tries to download as a file instead of opening the page, and some other sites don't display properly. OperaMini isn't an option, because it isn't available for PPC2002. Pocket Outlook can't handle SSL, so Gmail is off-limits. (Using Familiar Linux fixes the SSL problem for e-mail, but loses SSL support for web browsing. Also, Familiar seems to be dead/dying, and syncing never worked.) I can't sync the calendar directly with google calendar, also because of SSL. And SynCE has dropped support for legacy WinCE devices in favor of WM, so I can't sync it to my linux desktop. It can't do WPA encryption, and sometimes struggles with WEP. In a nutshell, it's obsolete and is slowly losing capability as technology moves on without it. Unless you guys know some tricks to breathe new life into it...

Option 2: Netbook, such as the Eee PC or Dell Mini. Pros: Would have a bit more capability than a PDA for (possibly) a similar price, and is way smaller and faster than my super-craptastic work laptop. Built-in full keyboard. Cons: Cannot fit in my pocket. Would take longer to power on/power off if all I need is something quick like a glance at the calendar. May be overkill for what I am looking to do. My insurance company would likely not see this as a "replacement" for the iPAQ and therefore might not chip in extra money towards it. (There's a certain amount I get no matter what, but I can get more to help with replacement costs after submitting the receipt.)

Option 3: A newer PDA. This is where I could really use input from you guys. I've been looking at the iPAQ 110 and 210. Both have built-in wifi and SDHC card slots, so no expansion pack is needed, which already makes the unit much smaller and lighter. Bluetooth and SDIO (while I currently have no devices for either of these) make things like GPS and external keyboards possible. The processor would be faster (not like I frequently felt the 3765 was sluggish), and I'm sure WM6 fixes any of the web/SSL/encryption/syncing problems I have with PPC2002 and more software will be available for it. There are probably many other improvements/benefits I haven't even thought of yet. I bet it can even sync with the exchange server at work. However, I'm not sure how to choose between these two. The 110 is actually smaller than my old 3765 (which was itself mind-bogglingly smaller than my really old Newton MessagePad!), while the 210 seems to be about the same physical and screen size, so the 210 might "feel right" in my hand. (I'm assuming screen size is measured on the diagonal.) I saw in another thread here that the display is sharper on the 210 vs the 110, but wouldn't either of them be better than the 3765 (320x240 resolution)? On the other hand, I saw that the screen sensitivity on the 210 is a bit weird. Also, it's possible the insurance money will completely cover a 110, while the 210 costs about $150 more. I'm wondering if the 210 is worth the extra money, or if both are so superior to the 3765 that I would be happy with the 110. Or maybe there's a different PDA entirely that I should consider?

Option 4: I could use a new cell phone too, so I could combine the two and just go for a smart phone. But then there's the added monthly cost of a data plan, which I currently don't have. And the insurance company probably wouldn't view this as a replacement. And for some reason I kind of like my phone being its own thing. So this probably isn't for me.

Sorry for the very long-winded post, but I wanted to give you a good feel for what I'm looking for to help narrow down what fits my needs. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have!

Cheers,
-John

[hintzy64]

Sorry, I should have taken a peek at the general posting tips first!

Here's a more concise version of my extremely long first post:

• What operating system do you have on your computer? Windows XP, Mandriva Linux
• What are you looking to use the PDA for? E-mail, web browsing, PIM suite to sync with desktop and/or google calendar, IM (AIM/Yahoo/Google Chat). Possible additional uses: GPS, video
• Do you want a SmartPhone? No
• Your price range? ~$250, could maybe go a little higher
• Do you currently have a PDA? If so, what operating system? Do you want to stay with this operating system? iPAQ 3765 with PocketPC 2002. PPC2002 seems to have reached a number of limitations due to its age, so I'm looking at WM 6 Classic now, but I am open to other suggestions (including methods to improve functionality of PPC2002).
• Are there any specific programs that you need to be able to run? None that I know of.

Again, my apologies for the length of my first post. Not the best way to introduce yourself to a new forum, eh?

Thanks again,
-John

[zacksba]

from my experience, I have an ipaq 210 which is great. The vga screen is much better than than the ipaq 110 but its a bigger device. You also have a built in CF slot as well. I just moved to an ipod touch which does the majority of the ipaq 210. I moved to that because I was getting tired of using the stylus and the fact hat HP never followed through with their 3 year life cycle with updates etc. Their are some quirky bugs to it that people have posted in that forum that you will or have seen, but all in all its a great device.

The only thing I cannot do at the momentw ith my ipod touch (not jailbroken) that I could do with my 210 is using GPS or the external keyboard. I had a keyboard for the ipaq 210 but never really used it. I also have a dedicated gps also so not a big deal for me either. I like the email and web surfing better on the ipod touch, screen is not bad, and size is decent. Plus, you can find accessories for it anywhere, and its easy (I have been using windows mobile since 2001 and just got tired of it).

I will say that the ipaq 210 and 110 will have support for office docs built in. The ipod touch requires 3rd party apps so I bought docs to go for $5.00, cheap and works geat for me. So far I have seen three apple OS updates since I bought it in August. The last OS update on windows mobile I saw was when my dell axim got the wm2003 OS update.

Just giving you the apple Ipod Touch as another possibility.

[hintzy64]

Originally Posted by zacksba

Just giving you the apple Ipod Touch as another possibility.

And a very intriguing possibility at that. I hadn't initially thought of the iPod Touch because, in my mind, it's an mp3 player, and I already have one of those. I guess it's really more of a PDA than an mp3 player, and it happens to also play music. And I do always drool over iPhones whenever I see one. That would be pretty slick, and the price isn't too far off from the current iPAQs, depending on how much space you get.

But on further thought, a few things come up. Is there any way to input text into the iPod other than the on-screen keyboard? I'm not sure how I would like that, being accustomed to using a stylus w/ handwriting recognition or an external keyboard. I've used the on-screen keyboard on an iPhone a little bit though, so I know it is pretty easy to work with. Also, the iPod doesn't have a card slot, bluetooth (I don't have any bluetooth devices curently, but having it adds potential capabilities), or removable battery. Just little things that might matter later...

Still definitely worth considering though, so thanks for your input.

Just in case, are you looking for someone to take that 210 off your hands?

[zacksba]

after using the ipod now, I prefer to use the onscreen keyboard and finger, as opposed to the stylus. I do not do any extended data input on the ipaq.

It does have BT, but it only supports some BT headsets now. I would imagine that at some point in the future, you would see some 3rd party accesories for that, but that is only a guess on my part.

The battery is not removeable. They do replace them from apple for $79.00 and there are other companies that also do it cheaper from what I read. I think though if it was removeable, the device would need to be thicker. This thinness is one of the things that I really like. I have always wanted a device with a removeable battery but the other positive features of this device outweighed it so I said the heck with it.

I am currently selling my ipaq 210 as a bundle, but I am firm on the price of $300.00 plus actual shipping. This is what I am selling.
ipaq 210 wth box and everything that came with the box and unit from HP
-Palm Bluetooth wireless keyboard (box, cd's etc). I found the actual driver from the keyboard Mfr website for this to work with the ipaq 210 for the data input
-1 Unopened new javoedge screen protector (there is also one on the device as well)
-Black silicone case
-leather EB flip case
-Boxwave black aluminum case
-one extra stylus
(there may be a couple extra charger accessories or general small items but I am not sure. I would include them if I found them)
-a bluetooth GPS receiver that I bought from someone online. I only used it once.

[hintzy64]

Ooh, that sounds interesting. How is the condition of everything? Do you have any pictures? (Incidentally, I came across your posting on Mobility Site while doing a google search for the various accessories.)

[zacksba]

everything is in excellent condition. The current javoedge screenprotector has been on it since July 08 and I used a different brand prior to that. NO dead pixels and there should not be any scratches on the screen. no cracks in the casing. I have the new like packaging for that, the palm keyboard and the ebcase. I have never had to send this back to HP, but like the other 210's it has its quickr,s such as low volume on the external speaker. I am sure you have looked at the forums and already know what you are getting into if you end up going with a 210. If it was smaller, I would have kept it. One of the real jewles though is the great VGA screen.

I got a gtreat deal on the palm keyboard, as I took a chance buying it not knowing 100% sure if it would work. The palm cd's that had the windows mobile drivers diud not work which I expected, but like I said I had tracked down the drivers and got it to work for the data input. I did not use it alot nor did I check and see if any other shortcut functions on the keyboard worked (it's bluetooth).

I have not used the PDA on a daily basis since August but I keep it charged regularly and still have some programs on there. I downloaded Windows marketplace on there the other day. Obviously I cannot guarantee the battery, but its removeable and replacable.

If you are seriously interested, PM me your email and I will take some photo's and send them to you.

[hintzy64]

Ironically, the size of the 210 is one of the things that appeals to me. It's physical dimensions are almost the same as my old 3765 (WITHOUT the expansion pack of course, with the expansion pack that thing was a brick), and the screen is a little larger. So while the smaller size of the 110 appeals to many people, the thought of having something like my 3765 (which was a comfortable size for me) with twice the resolution and way more capability in just about every aspect sounds really great.

I have been looking around in the forums to see what kind of quirks there are, because every device has them. There's lots of good info on here. The weak speaker volume and touch screen sensitivity are the ones that sound the most potentially annoying. (But maybe they've been fixed?) Other things like the CF card battery drain or wireless control panel and button assignments (both fixable) are almost negligible. I haven't really seen anything else that seems like a show-stopper. That said, what are your thoughts on the speaker and touch screen? Have you had problems using the stylus? Is the speaker really *that* quiet?

One random question did pop into my head today though. If the 24-pin cable is used for syncing and faster charging, what is the usb cable used for? Can you also sync this way? It sounds like charging via usb is too slow to be useful. (but reports also varied on that)

[zacksba]

The speaker was definitely lower than my axim. I could listen to music while I was working in a quite room (I work from home so its always quiet). Not loud enough for using GPS directions in car in my opinion though, but listening to music was not the reason I bought it.

I never had problems with the screen. took a little to get used to when it was new.

You can sync via the mini usb also. It is slower to charge but is an additional option. when I travel, I only used the usb mini because it was less stuff to bring. I charged it in a hotel at night.