Over the years I have been using Pocket PC's starting form my first iPaq rz1710 (rz1710 Review), it was a very nice little device, great for me to start with.
Then came the Harrier (for those in the USA - PPC-6600) came along with Telecom, which I bought I liked this phone / PPC because of the portrait slide out keyboard which was great for texting, it ran WM 2003.
After WM5 was released I was interested in the Apache (PPC-6700), I had seen on the website that the Apache had 64MB RAM and 128MB flash ROM, to my surprise it had less memory (RAM) than my Harrier, I went to my local Telecom store to enquire about the device, I asked them why it had less memory, their reply was less than inspiring... They knew NOTHING.
In the ending I had to go onto the Sprint website to find out that WM5 had a NEW memory management system that it used ROM rather than RAM to store programmes and that it used RAM to run the apps... You would think that a Telco would have staff trained and know what they are selling.
In the end I did buy it, I loved the compact size compared to the Harrier, the areal was a pain but got over that in a hurry, the slide out keyboard was so much better than the Harrier's and I just loved. Now here is the reason I sold it and said I would NEVER EVER would go back to a PPC / Phone device...
The ringing time! My wife would ring me and she would have 6 rings to my 1 ring, I did a registry hack and got it down to 4 rings to 1 ring, I just kept on missing calls and my wife couldn't get a hold of me, so went back to a standard mobile phone.
I didn't give up on PPC totally, I then bought my Dell Axim X51v (Axim X51v Review) which I loved, it was powerful and robust for what I need it for, Dairy, eBooks, Word Docs, Surfing the net on our Wi-Fi network at home.
Since the release of the iPhone (1st Gen) and then the iPod Touch, being a techno Geek I had to have an iPod Touch as I saw this as more than an iPod it was a Music Player, Contacts, Calendar, Wi-Fi, Internet and now much more with the release of the App Store, love this iPod and would recommend it over the Classic or the Nano also prices are coming down.
I have just bought a Smartphone a Motorola Q9h, now don't go and say but you stated you would NEVER EVER go back to a PPC / Phone, but the Q9h is a Smartphone, for those that have been mislead by Microsoft who coined every WM device with a phone a "Smartphone", they are not there are PPC Phones (Harrier, Apache) which have a "Touch Screen" and a Smartphone (Moto Q9h, Dash) which have a NON-Touch Screen and use the directional D-Pad to move through the screen.
Now the Moto Q9h (Vodafone - Yes I have moved) is very fast on picking up the call with in 1 to 1 1/2 rings, I found that the Qwerty Keyboard is a dream, even better than the Apache's which I thought was the best out at that stage. Even though there is a smaller amount of Apps for Smartphone’s compared to Pocket PC devices it is getting better as more and more companies are porting their main stay apps across to the Smartphone platform.
Well that is my intro to my PPC / Smartphone devices...
Hear from me soon
Jace
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