Palm OS vs WinCE OS vs PocketPC OS
Jun 16 '00
Currently there are 3, soon to be 4 PDA OSs. Theres the Palm OS, the Win CE OS, the PocketPC OS, and soon there will be PDAs running on Linux. You can't really say which one is better than the others. Each OS is made for different kinds of people. Its like comparing MACs with PCs. I have probably tested almost every PDA ever made so far. In general the Palm OSs are faster but don't have as many functions as the other windows based OSs(Win CE & PocketPC OS).
The Palm OS:
Generally the Palms have a lot less hardware than the WinCE and PocketPc based PDAs. Thats because they don't need as much. If you compare a Palm with 16mhz processor to a Compaq Aero with a 75mhz processor it seems like the Compaq would burn the Palm. However it is just the opposite Palms are generally faster. Memory is the same. Palms generally come with 2, 4, or 8 mgs of ram while PDA's running Pocketpc and Wince have at least 16mg. The reason behind this is that palms don't do as much. Palms are really made for writing down a few notes, listing contacts and appointments, and getting some pre-downloaded news. Palms are basically electronic replacements for your personal organizer or schedule books. PDAs running WinCE and PocketPc OS do a lot more therefore they need more memory and processor power.....
The WinCE OS:
The WinCe OS is Microsoft version of the Palm essentially. They basically started out with the Palm OS and tried to put in lots of extra features in order to make people get WinCe powered PDAs instead of Palm Os powered ones. These features include graphics viewing, internet, color displays, Mp3s player, video player, "real" games, outlook, Word, Excel, and the whole shabang. They essentially tried to put windows into these little PDAs. However since Hardware wise the technology could not support all the features that Microsoft wanted, most early WinCE PDAs are very slow and hard to use. Since than Microsoft has released new versions of WinCe and the new WinCe powered PDAs are better but still sluggish. This brings us to Microsofts new OS for PDAs.....
The PocketPC OS:
The PocketPC OS is basically WinCe with still more added features, without most of the bugs. These are actually running in PDAs with the Hardware to support all these features. Although generally still slower than the Palms these pack in 10x as much features. They can be equipped with cameras and other "goodies." Its basically your laptop shrunk in to the size of a palm. If you are thinking of getting a WinCe powered PDA think again and get one of these. I think these will soon replace WinCe. They are pretty fast, easy to use and has lots and lots of features. The only draw back is that they go for around $500-$600.
The Linux OS PDA is still in development, but i will have it posted here as soon as it comes out.
Conculsion:
Basically it all comes down to what you want do. IF you just need an electronic schedule books and personal organizer get the Palm. However if you have the money and need a full range of features so you can write papers, create spread sheets, and listen to MP3s than go with the Pocket PCs. I personally like PocketPCs better since you can do alot more. If you are interested in a PocketPc here are a few I recommend.
Recommendations:
The top Pocket PCs right now are the Compaq Ipaq, Casio Cassiopeia, and the HP Jornada 545.
I have personally reviewed 2 of the 3 and my friend has reviewed the other. The reviews are as follows:
Compaq Ipaq:
http://jhcashman.epinions.com/./cmd-review-6835-A5C6E6C-39456751-prod2
Casio Cassiopeia:
http://jhcashman.epinions.com/./cmd-review-23B9-DEB152F-3936D4B2-prod1
HP Jornada 545:
http://jhcashman.epinions.com/./cmd-review-6AB4-73CE8B3-393D7863-prod5
personally i think the Casio Cassiopeia has the most features.
However I think the IPaq is the best since it is the better bang for the buck. If you have an unlimited budget than go with the Cassiopeia otherwise get the Ipaq. I have tested the Hp and i don't really find it nearly as good as the other two so i don't recommend it.
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