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[God's Hand]

· Microsoft® Windows MobileTM 2003 Second Edition operating system with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile
· Powered by the Intel® XScaleTM PXA270 Processor at 624MHz
· Brilliant 3.7" color TFT VGA display with 640x480 resolution
· Integrated Intel® 2700G multimedia accelerator with 16MB video memory
· Integrated 802.11b and BluetoothTM Wireless Technologies
· Packed with 64MB SDRAM and 128MB Intel StrataFlash® ROM
· Integrated CompactFlash Type II and Secure Digital / SDIO Now! / MMC card slots provide flexible expansion
· VGA-Out Support with optional VGA Presentation Bundle
· Removable Primary Battery with optional High Capacity Battery
· 3.5mm Headphone / Headset Jack for Headsets to support VoIP and voice recognition applications
· Built-in microphone and speaker for easy recording on the go
· USB Cradle including Battery Charging Slot
· Sleek, stylish design

So I'm selling my iPod 3G 20GB to help pay for this. It's a remarkable price at $449 US when you consider the features. I believe this is a better deal than an iPod (or PSP for that matter) simply because it does more for not much more. Storage is not a concern to me, since all I ever listen to on my iPod is Stern. But the ability to play videos (you can even switch to landscape mode for widescreen), show pictures, play games with Dreamcast+ quality all on a VGA (640x480) screen is too tempting to pass up... And it includes WMP10 Mobile, meaning I can finally scrap iTunes. Great expansion abilities, decent battery life, nice design... Can't wait to get it.

Anyone here have one? And who makes those micro-hard drives? I want to see how big I can go.

 

[bionic77]

· Microsoft® Windows MobileTM 2003 Second Edition operating system with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile
· Powered by the Intel® XScaleTM PXA270 Processor at 624MHz
· Brilliant 3.7" color TFT VGA display with 640x480 resolution
· Integrated Intel® 2700G multimedia accelerator with 16MB video memory
· Integrated 802.11b and BluetoothTM Wireless Technologies
· Packed with 64MB SDRAM and 128MB Intel StrataFlash® ROM
· Integrated CompactFlash Type II and Secure Digital / SDIO Now! / MMC card slots provide flexible expansion
· VGA-Out Support with optional VGA Presentation Bundle
· Removable Primary Battery with optional High Capacity Battery
· 3.5mm Headphone / Headset Jack for Headsets to support VoIP and voice recognition applications
· Built-in microphone and speaker for easy recording on the go
· USB Cradle including Battery Charging Slot
· Sleek, stylish design

So I'm selling my iPod 3G 20GB to help pay for this. It's a remarkable price at $449 US when you consider the features. I believe this is a better deal than an iPod (or PSP for that matter) simply because it does more for not much more. Storage is not a concern to me, since all I ever listen to on my iPod is Stern. But the ability to play videos (you can even switch to landscape mode for widescreen), show pictures, play games with Dreamcast+ quality all on a VGA (640x480) screen is too tempting to pass up... And it includes WMP10 Mobile, meaning I can finally scrap iTunes. Great expansion abilities, decent battery life, nice design... Can't wait to get it.

Anyone here have one? And who makes those micro-hard drives? I want to see how big I can go.

My cousin got one. It was really speedy at everything he put it through. I think he used a 1gig SD card. I think the PDA was actually faster and some things then his POS laptop,

The screen was really nice as well. He mainly uses it for watching tv shows while he takes the train into the city.

 

[God's Hand]

Cool, that's mainly what I want it for. Music, videos, anything multimedia. It sure looks a hell of a lot nicer than those crappy Creative and Argos portable media players.

 

[aaaaa0]

And who makes those micro-hard drives? I want to see how big I can go.

I know a bunch of people that have gotten the Dell X50v lately. It's a REALLY nice PDA, and a really good deal for the price. (Watch for $50 off coupons. Dell offers those once in a while so you can bring it down to $399 from $449, which is an unbelievably good price for a PDA that powerful.)

As for microdrives:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-147-002&depa=1

Hitachi Microdrive. 4 GB capacity, 3600 rpm, $196.

 

[Anduril]

Anybody have any ideas as to ordering this thing from States and getting it into Europe?

I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of buying a PDA for twice the price down here. Boooo for high Euro, yeeeey for low $.

 

[Ned Flanders]

I've got one. Had it a month. It's teh dopeness. I haven't used it for much beyond organizing, so I can't really give impressions on wireless etc. The graphics on the free game software they provided with it weren't exactly Dreamcast + quality..more like hi-res PSOne. They could likely do some stuff on par with the DS with some work, but regardless the setup isn't exactly ideal for gaming unless you're into onscreen buttons.

I don't yet have an SD card, but I too have my sites on a 1+ gigger for when I finally decide to start getting some music etc on it.

Anyway, I'd highly recommend it, as well as the Rhino-Skin slipcase for it. A word of warning though...if you get the extra-life battery for it, the extra bulk it adds to the back of the PDA means it will no longer fit the Rhino-Skin case, so its a bit of tradeoff.

 

[God's Hand]

I'm now reading that microdrives suck up a lot of juice. I'll just stick to SD cards.

 

[Winged Creature]

Im looking at this too. Im just curious if you can actually get full blown internet with it and someone told me it has MSN messenger. Is this true?

 

[Lord Error]

This things are damn good for emulation, watching videos, but are a bit sucky for music (generally, a poor sound quality compared to PSP - that goes to every PDA I've tried) and there's not many games made speciffically for them that are good.

If you want a multimedia device for fun, PSP is the it thing right now, but PDAs are pretty awesome due to their emulation capabilities.

 

[Pochacco]

Im looking at this too. Im just curious if you can actually get full blown internet with it and someone told me it has MSN messenger. Is this true?

Yup, it has both wifi and bluetooth.

One of my friends has one. Very sweet.
He got a 1 gig SD card with it (you can also use CF cards!!). Good enough to watch a movie or several episodes.
The bluetooth and wifi are also killer, especially if you have a bluetooth camera phone.

The thing is totally multipurpose.
On a ski trip, my friend didn't have a proper digicam. So he took pics with his bluetooth mobile and transferred them wirelessly to his PDA. Then he took my CF card from my camera, and swiped my pics. Then he took another friends' SD card and swiped her pics.
So cool.
You can also use it as a remote control, organizer, mp3 player, movie player, (crappy) web browser, etc.

 

[ced]

Ive got the model below this, the x50 520 mhz and have been very pleased with it. One thing youll want is the high capicity battery though, as wifi uses alot of juice.

Im looking at this too. Im just curious if you can actually get full blown internet with it and someone told me it has MSN messenger. Is this true?

Yes, the OS has Internet Exploiter and MSN. You can also find pocket versions of ICQ and AIM (get it from the UK site for free).

 

[God's Hand]

Sorry, I don't see how PSP edges this device out in terms of multimedia playback. This thing plays pretty much any video format out there, it includes WMP so it supports playlists, plays WMAs, MP3s and more, and the device supports more media formats that happen to be cheaper than MemorySticks. From the user reviews I've read, the audio quality is superb.

Yeah, and this PDA can be used as a remote with the right software. You can control your TV, DVD, anything else. I'm just blown away by what you can do with this at such a low cost.

 

[God's Hand]

btw, I've seen emulators for PocketPC, like one for SNES. How would that even work if you don't have enough buttons on the PDA?

 

[Lord Error]

Sorry, I don't see how PSP edges this device out in terms of multimedia playback. This thing plays pretty much any video format out there, it includes WMP so it supports playlists, plays WMAs, MP3s and more, and the device supports more media formats that happen to be cheaper than MemorySticks. From the user reviews I've read, the audio quality is superb.

PSP has better screen and better audio (PSP also supports playlists, and displays album, art btw) than any PDA. That much you can trust me on, as I have one, and I also have two different PDAs of my own, and had a chance to use at least ten more different models, Pocket PC, Palm OS, you name it. PDAs can play more formats, that's true, but you don't want to watch movies on a 4:3 screen once you've played them on widescreen, and PSP screen is just better, with better colors and more natural looking and brighter in general, regardless of aspect ratio factor. I'm assuming you have no interest in games, but PSP absolutely blows away anything else in 3D graphics quality right now. X50 doesn't even come close with games that are available for it, although it's chip on paper doesn't sound bad at all.

btw, I've seen emulators for PocketPC, like one for SNES. How would that even work if you don't have enough buttons on the PDA?

Well, it works, somehow. Many games don't require all the buttons. I've finished several SNES games with no bigger problems. I've also played many arcade games on MAME emulator for it (heck, at one point I even customized the code, and compiled my own MAME for one of the PDAs I own)

Oh, you can also play any Lucasarts adventures on the PDA, with the stylus! Very nice

The thing is, as far as games go, I'm burnt out on PDAs right now, as I've played with every emulator under the sun, and again finished all the adventure games I once played. You will probably find it a lot fresher experience than I can convey right now with my state of mind.

It comes down to that I own iPaq and, PSP and I wouldn't want to be without any of them. I love them both for different reasons.

 

[SKluck]

I want one so bad, but have absolutely 0 need for one. It's just a sweet toy. I think I'm going to wait for the PPCs that use directx mobile. If there are no delays they should be out by the end of 2005 or early 2006.

 

[Winged Creature]

Ive got the model below this, the x50 520 mhz and have been very pleased with it. One thing youll want is the high capicity battery though, as wifi uses alot of juice.



Yes, the OS has Internet Exploiter and MSN. You can also find pocket versions of ICQ and AIM (get it from the UK site for free).

Im sold!

 

[Lord Error]

I want one so bad, but have absolutely 0 need for one. It's just a sweet toy. I think I'm going to wait for the PPCs that use directx mobile. If there are no delays they should be out by the end of 2005 or early 2006.

The problem with these things is that despite what graphics are available to them, there just aren't enough good teams to make anywhere nearly enough good looking and good playing games. You can see it now with 2D, and it will be the same once good 3D becomes available on them.

 

[God's Hand]

PSP has better screen and better audio (PSP also supports playlists, and displays album, art btw) than any PDA. That much you can trust me on, as I have one, and I also have two different PDAs of my own, and had a chance to use at least ten more different models, Pocket PC, Palm OS, you name it. PDAs can play more formats, that's true, but you don't want to watch movies on a 4:3 screen once you've played them on widescreen, and PSP screen is just better, with better colors and more natural looking and brighter in general, regardless of aspect ratio factor. I'm assuming you have no interest in games, but PSP absolutely blows away anything else in 3D graphics quality right now. X50 doesn't even come close with games that are available for it, although it's chip on paper doesn't sound bad at all.


Well, it works, somehow. Many games don't require all the buttons. I've finished several SNES games with no bigger problems. I've also played many arcade games on MAME emulator for it (heck, at one point I even customized the code, and compiled my own MAME for one of the PDAs I own)

Oh, you can also play any Lucasarts adventures on the PDA, with the stylus! Very nice

The thing is, as far as games go, I'm burnt out on PDAs right now, as I've played with every emulator under the sun, and again finished all the adventure games I once played. You will probably find it a lot fresher experience than I can convey right now with my state of mind.

It comes down to that I own iPaq and, PSP and I wouldn't want to be without any of them. I love them both for different reasons.

Interesting. I was under the impression that PSP doesn't support playlists. I'm sure the screen difference won't be such a big deal to me. Most of my media is in DivX, XviD, and WMP, and I prefer using the lowercost secure digital cards. And I'm sure this thing has to have better audio quality than at least an iPod, which seems terrible to me. Plus I like that I'll be able to sync playlists in WMP.

I just want it for everything it does. Seems cool!

 

[God's Hand]

The problem with these things is that despite what graphics are available to them, there just aren't enough good teams to make anywhere nearly enough good looking and good playing games. You can see it now with 2D, and it will be the same once good 3D becomes available on them.

Yeah, that sucks. Although you'd think that with DirectX coming (first time I've heard of this), Microsoft would try to get the devices promoted as gaming machines as well. Plus if it's DX, porting games should be a bit easier.

 

[Deg]

Its well speced. Screen is excellent res too. For multimedia it should do anything you throw at it. You could view it sideways too.


If you want a phone with this stuff check out the Nokia 7710. It should be out by now in the UK. Long time to go for the US yet. Its positioned as a multimedia phone. Hence the widescreen to a digital tv viewing attachment features. You can be online anywhere too as its a phone. Doesnt hurt it does everything a pda does. Its got a good camera to boot(for a phone).

http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,65385,00.html

Couple of features:

Wide 640 x 320 screen with pen input

Handwriting recognition

HTML browser supports Flash 6

Connect to the Internet with EGPRS or HSCSD

Up to 90 MB internal memory, 128 MB MMC card

Megapixel camera (1152x864 pixels)

Bluetooth technology (including audio)

Music player with stereo audio

Audio and video playback and streaming

FM/Visual Radio

It does everything. And its pretty cheap with a contract

 

[Seth C]

Deg: Any idea when that might be out in the US? Looks like exactly what I'm looking for but I really need to upgrade my phone in the next few months.

 

[Deg]

Deg: Any idea when that might be out in the US? Looks like exactly what I'm looking for but I really need to upgrade my phone in the next few months.

Cant find anything. It came out last year in Asia. Out now in Europe/Africa. Q2 US?

You can buy the phone now in some places in the US but without contract i presume? I dont know how it is there with phones.