.KEYWORD compare
.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT COMPARISON
.TITLE A tale of three palmtops
.FEATURE
.SPOTLIGHT FIGALT compare-cover.gif
.AUTHOR Mark Asadoorian
.SUMMARY Mark Asadoorian, an incorrigible collector of portable electronics, compares the features of the top three Windows CE-based palmtops. If you’re trying to decide which of these units to buy, this fun article is a must-read for you.
If you don’t already own a PDA (personal digital assistant), chances are good you will wrestle with the two biggest problems faced by potential buyers. The first dilemma is usually the choice of an operating system, namely Palm OS or Windows CE. There is actually another player in this game, EPOC, that holds its own with the best of them, but that’s a discussion for another article. The Internet is strewn with message boards devoted to this debate. Of course, each OS has its adherents, and arguments tend to include a lot of pointless blather condemning one or the other. Both operating systems have their strong points and weak points.
I am writing this article based on the assumption that you have made your decision in favor of Windows CE. You are now facing the next hurdle, and that is which machine to purchase. Personally, I enjoy this phase of the buying decision. Since I am an incorrigible collector of portable electronics, I’ve learned a very important lesson. All of these units are very well made, include lots of extras that increase their value, are well supported, and will do the job required of them. The differences lie in their physical look and feel, and how certain features are implemented.
.H1 The heavyweights
There are three heavyweights in the Windows CE palmtop division. The first is the Compaq Aero 2150, shown in Figure A.
.FIG A Here’s what the Compaq Aero 2150 looks like.
The second is the Casio Cassiopeia E-100, shown in Figure B.
.FIGPAIR B Here’s the Casio Cassiopeia E-100.
The third heavyweight is the Hewlett Packard Jornada 430, shown in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C Here’s Hewlett Packard’s Jornada 430.
Each of these machines offer 16MB of RAM. The Jornada offers a 133 Mhz Processor. The Cassiopeia offers a 131 Mhz processor, and the Aero offers a 70 Mhz processor optimized for Windows CE. The slight difference in processor speeds doesn’t seem to make a difference because the apparent speed of all three units is about the same. One thing I did notice is that each unit displayed occasional slowdowns and glitches that seem to be typical of Windows CE, sometimes necessitating a soft reset. I find these glitches fairly aggravating, but most users have accepted this as normal behavior and seem to take it in stride. Each unit features a compact flash slot for additional storage. The Cassiopeia and Jornada screens are capable of displaying 65,536 colors, the Aero displays 256 (the Aero 2180 has the 65,536 color screen). Each of the units has a microphone for voice recording, an infrared port, a stereo headphone jack, and a speaker. Basically, each unit has all the bells and whistles necessary to make it a good value. They each come with bonus software included on a separate CD. Each manufacturer offers different extras including some form of multimedia software. HP seems to have bundled the most extras, including a voice recognition contact manager that allows you to bark a name at your palmtop and have it speak the response to you. Pretty nifty.
.H1 Look and feel
The Cassiopeia and the Aero are a bit more elegant-looking with their metallic, aluminized cases. The Jornada, a bit more industrial looking, is made of heavy plastic, and it feels plenty rugged. The Jornada also sports a see-through plastic cover that is hinged at the top and flips up and around when you need to write on the screen. I would hesitate to toss the Cassiopeia or Aero unprotected into a handbag or carrying case, but not the Jornada. They are all hefty-sized units and feel very solid in hand. I doubt these could be comfortably carried in a shirt pocket.
.H1 The screens
The Jornada and Cassiopeia screens are dazzling indoors, but are nearly unusable in direct sunlight. They both offer adjustments for the display, but even at the brightest setting, I found myself constantly turning the unit and my head to get a better viewing angle when outside. The Aero screen does things a bit differently and needs some explaining. By using a TFT, or reflective thin film transistor screen, Compaq claims their screen is perfectly viewable in any light. Outdoors in direct sunlight, I found the Aero to be just that, perfectly viewable. Indoors, without the backlight on, the Aero screen was distressingly dark unless I had a light shining directly on it. Then, it was ultra sharp and crisp. With the backlight on the lower of two settings, (and no other light sources shining directly on the screen), I thought the display was still too dark and found myself searching for a lamp. With the higher of the two backlight settings, I was able to see the screen better without a supplemental light, but kept wishing it could be somewhat brighter. I think Compaq has the best approach to the indoor/outdoor screen problem, but failed to implement their backlight properly.
.H1 Battery use
Also, it should be noted that these color screens tend to destroy batteries. I was able to get no more than three or four hours of heavy, consistent use from these units before the low battery warning popped up. I didn’t push them much further than that warning to see how long they would go, though the manufacturers claim at least double what I was getting. Be forewarned when traveling.
.H1 Other issues
In real world use, each machine will do exactly what you need it to. I made use of the voice recording capabilities quite often for making notes to myself while driving. I did not utilize the stereo headphone capabilities at all, though I gave a quick listen and was impressed with the sound. I also don’t play many games, but with their color displays, large storage capacities and stereo headphones, game players will have a ball. Casio makes a big deal over the ability to watch movies on their unit, though I didn’t try it. For me, these units are business tools, and to that end they all perform very well.
The palm version of Windows CE does require you to perform many screen taps to get anywhere. Because of that, the manufacturers have included an action wheel and action buttons on these units. These devices allow you to scroll, select, and escape through various menu functions using only one hand. There are also third-party menu applications available that attempt to make switching applications easier as well. The Casio Cassiopeia includes a menu program right out of the box.
Also, in an attempt to shield the end-user from the operating system, Microsoft felt it best to let the OS handle application shutdown. Basically, this means that when you switch from one application to another, the old one is still running in the background. When the OS determines it to be necessary, it will begin shutting down older applications as necessary. I completely disagree with this method. I prefer to multitask only two or three applications at most. However, shutting down an application requires several screen taps to get to the buried task manager. Thankfully there are some third party applications (included in the bonus software) that allow the user to decide when to shut an application down.
.H1 Conclusion
In summary, we have three beautifully-made machines with gorgeous displays, each capable of becoming a valued addition to your business and personal life. If you spend a lot of time working outdoors, the Aero may well be your best choice. There are minor hang-ups with the OS, but, hey, I guess we have to expect the occasional glitch in any operating system. The good certainly far outweighs the bad. Is there a best choice here? I doubt it. It’s probably going to come down to loyalty to a manufacturer because of good past experiences, the indoor/outdoor screen question, or just falling in love with the look and feel of a particular unit. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them. Fortunately, almost all vendors have a generous return or exchange policy so it’s really not difficult to try them until you find one you like.
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.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information about the Hewlett Packard Jornada 430, visit http://www.hp.com/jornada/.
For more information about the Casio Cassiopeia E-100, visit http://www.casio.com/mobileinformation/.
For more information about the Compaq Aero 2150, visit http://www.compaq.com/products/handhelds/.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
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