"Technology Investor", October 2000:
This magazine just arrived in the mail today. The publication shows pictures, and lists the pertinent data on each unit. There are 4 category winners:
1) Editors Choice -- Best Features PDA: Compaq iPaq H3600 (206 mhz, 55% faster than its nearest competitor; 4096 color screen).
2) Editors Choice -- Best Value PDA: Handspring Visor
3) Editors Choice -- Best Wireless PDA: RIMM Blackberry 957
4) Editors Choice -- Best Concept PDA: Ericsson Communicator
The magazine has a 9 page discussion/analysis/comparison of PDA's and has a PDA portfolio.
Exerpt from Magazine:
____________________________________________________________
"...Technology Investor Magazine's editors like Pocket PC. The interface is instantly familiar, like only Windows can be. It runs familiar Microsoft apps: Outlook, Internet Explorer, Word and Excel, Media Player, Money, Windows Explorer, plus Microsoft Reader, its new e-book software. Its email system lets you open Word and Excel attachments. Palm can't do that.
The Notepad is also better. You can input text via a tappable keyboard and handwriting recognition software (like Palm), or you can draw notes or record voice notes (unlike Palm).
Pocket PC can run multiple applications simultaneously (multithreading). You can listen to an MP3 while writing an email or editing a spreadsheet. Palm doesn't have multithreading or sound.
"It's more than a personl organizer," says Thompson. People who want an organizer should get a Visor or a Palm. We target the business professional who wants music, email attachments, e-books and full Internet browing, not Web clippings."
Naturally, Palm is not impressed. "It makes a crummy PC and a poor PDA", says Michael Mace, Palm's chief competitive officer. "The whole usage paradigm is different for a PDA than a PC. With PCs, more is better. For PDAs, it's pricing and simplicity."
Handspring has definately forced Palm to innovate.
____________________________________________________________
"The Operating System War: Palm vs. Pocket PC"
Palm was tied for last in Processor speed (16 MHz). The Compaq iPaq was best with a 206 MHz.
Palm was tied for last (with Symbol, and Handspring), with 2 of its models, in RAM - they had 2 MB. Palm does have models with 8 MB. 3 competitors have 32 RM.
Palm was tied for last for display resolution (160 x 160). The best was 320 x 240 by Casio & Compaq & Symbol.
Palm's models were all monochrome, except for the Palm IIIC which had 256 colors. The best is the Cassiopeia E-115, which has 65,536 colors.
____________________________________________________________
My opinion: if anyone has never seen the competitor's models, or read an overview of the industry -- this is a great read. In summary, Palm's products are currently dominating the industry. The competitor's products have more features, more colors, more memory, and a faster processor. Take a look at the different PDA's. Great pictures to get an idea of what the competition looks like! This is my opinion too -- after using a Handspring, a Palm, and a HWP 545. |
