First day with my Axim, initial thoughts

[Pharley]

I had two perfectly good Handsprings, one in color, but I decided to switch over to Pocket PC for more compatibility when working on projects for my job. Plus my Handspring's couldn't get on the internet and I didn't want to throw money at an old PDA when I could throw it at a new one...so I made the switch.

Got me an X5 400mhz, delivered yesterday. So here are my initial thoughts, and if anyone has solutions to any of my comments/problems I would sure love to hear em.

1) ActiveSync install didn't go well at all, but that's user error - I should have actually read the instructions before installing it. Once I got it all set up I was ready to go

2) I started downloading freeware, only to discover that there isn't nearly as much quality freeware for PPC as there is for Palm. Good utility or game freeware suggestions would be welcome (or a link if there's a list elsewhere in this forum). Got confused when downloading things - what type of file do I need for installs? CABs? ARM? MIPS? SH3? The only extension I recognize is CAB (and the EXEs when I get so lucky) sigh....Last thing I did last night was find my pocket pc game heaven - Astraware. Ok, I'm set for games...next up apps...if I can find any good ones...I know, I know, any really good software I'll need to buy.

3) Tried to install AvantGo. It's like banging my head against the desk. I already had it on my computer for Palm so that may have made things more difficult. Downloaded new version for PPC, installed, sync, configure, sync, error message, no icon, no articles but the files are there. Uninstall, rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat again. Discover I have three versions of AvantGo Connect on my PDA but I can't uninstall it. Welcome too my first Hard Reset I gave up. I guess I'll try again tonight.

4) Figured out where to put files that I want uploaded to the PDA finally...woohoo...That helped on getting the Embedded VB runtime on as well as notes. That is really sweet how easy it is to move files onto the PDA.

5) Syncing to Desktop makes me sad I use Outlook Express, not Outlook, so I can't sync my inbox/tasks/contacts. It wants me to upgrade to Outlook 2002. Well that would be all fine and dandy if I knew where my Office 2002 cds were but last time I remember seeing them they were scratched anyway and couldn't be used. I just lost some major functionality on that. There's got to be a way.

6) So if I can't sync right, I guess I hand type. But there's no grafitti and there's no desktop PIM besides Outlook. I cannot tell you how much this Palm user is missing Grafitti right now. My efficiency has slowed to a crawl.

7) Takes me 10 minutes to find the @ symbol ...feel free to laugh, I had a V-8 moment and a good chuckle at myself, you might as well join in. I am not used to any method other than actual typing or writing in grafitti so I was stumped. I couldn't remember Shift-2

8) Netgear MA701 wireless cf card installs really easy initially but I haven't a clue how to configure it for T-Mobile, which I already bought a plan for. Guess I'm doing research tonight.

All in all, my first night (and day) haven't gone so hot. Does it usually take a while for a committed Palm user to make the transition to Pocket PC? I know this thing has features that my Handsprings don't but I keep longing for the ease of Palm so far. It gets better right? Please someone tell me it does....

Wow! What a day you had. I hope things start going better for you. I am sure they will. Remember that it is all new to you. In response to #5, Outlook comes bundled with the axim software if you want it.

[Pez]

it will get easier. did they not include outlook 2k2? outlook 2k should work also... games.. pocketgamer.org

PIMs i dont use but agenda fusion and pocket informant is good i believe... btw download ARM versions

this post was posted on my pocket pc ipaq 2215 =]

[Jer]

Pharley,
I too, upgraded from Handspring Visor Pro to PPC. Love it and will never go back!!!

1. Download and install ActiveSync 3.7 not 3.5 that comes on the CD.

2. When downloading software choose the ARM version. freewareppc.com.

3. Avantgo is already installed. Start > settings > connections > Avantgo connect. Go into it and configure your username and password. Done.

4. A .cab file is the same thing as a .exe file on your desktop. Copy .cab file to PPC and click on it thru file explorer. Program will install and .cab file will disappear.

5. Sorry, I don't use Outlook.

6. Click on the keyboard icon and choose "Block Recognizer".

7.

8. I leave the SSID and WEP key blank, when accessing T-Mobile. I simply start surfing thru pIE and it sends me to the t-mobile login page.

Hang in there. It takes time to transition.

You forgot to mention- finding aximsite.com :D

Trust me this is the place to be to learn about Axim

Free apps

1. Freewareppc
2. Some free, some not
3. Scotts CE APPs
4. PPC 4 U

And here is a skins site- trust me you will need this too

Pocket Minds


Have fun-

5) Syncing to Desktop makes me sad I use Outlook Express, not Outlook, so I can't sync my inbox/tasks/contacts. It wants me to upgrade to Outlook 2002. Well that would be all fine and dandy if I knew where my Office 2002 cds were but last time I remember seeing them they were scratched anyway and couldn't be used. I just lost some major functionality on that. There's got to be a way.

---A full version of Outlook is on the CDs that came with your Axim. Just pop them in the CD drive, and that should take care of your Outlook issues. I personally hate OE, I've used many version of Outlook and can't live without it.

6) So if I can't sync right, I guess I hand type. But there's no grafitti and there's no desktop PIM besides Outlook. I cannot tell you how much this Palm user is missing Grafitti right now. My efficiency has slowed to a crawl.

---As for PIM, I recommend Pocket Informant. I tried the demo of Agenda Fusion, and I just didn't like it. The front display of tasks and things just irritated me....I find that PI is much cleaner and easier for me to use. But try both, and make up your own mind. And you can use the "Transcriber" feature when writing to recognize your handwriting and convert it to text, or get an external keyboard that will plug into your Ax, and run like that.

Welcome to the PPC world...I think you'll like it.

[Pharley]

I will definitely look at the CD and install Outlook if it's on there (sounds to me like it is). Personally I've always preferred OE because of the newsreader but looks like I upgrade tonight. Besides, I can always get another newsreader. I hadn't even looked through the CD.

Thanks for all the links, and yes finding aximsite.com was good but I found this place before I ordered the X5 so I don't count that in my "first day" :p

The AvantGo Connect definitely is not on the PDA in any form now. The hard reset cleared that sucker right outta there. I'll try again tonight.

I thank you all for your responses. I think the lack of sleep (only 2 hours - lost track of time playing last night) finally caught up to me....that and the lack of nicotine in my bloodstream...so I got all whiny. Is there an emoticon for a nicfit? :D

[Jer]

No Avantgo. Wow, I'm on my second hard reset and never install Avantgo, it's always there. You got me there. Sorry.

[clapaz]

i don't use avantgo and i've never installed it but i just checked my axim and it's there. again, not to say you're stupid or anything, it's just that it's hard to believe it's not there, go to start > settings > connections > avantgo connect. hope you find it.

[Double-Trinity]

Originally posted by Pharley
[B]I
2) I started downloading freeware, only to discover that there isn't nearly as much quality freeware for PPC as there is for Palm.

Go to the source: http://www.freewareppc.com

There is more than just that as well, scacttered around on japanese sites mostly, if there is anytihng specific you're looking for I can point you in the right direction, btu good freeware apps you can get your grubby paws on include:

1) uBook, versatile eBook reader that reads HTML/Text/and other open formats rather than the Pay-as-you-go Microsoft style.
2) Today screen plugins: BatMemTime is one, it is a battery meter plug in for the desktop/today screen. Another is tAgenda which organizes all your agenda into a neat table, the third I use is tdlaunch, a program where you can put launch icons there
3) There are lots of games, my favorite are free NES and SNES emulators, as with emulators you can store hundreds of games on a memory card, for free if they are old and no longer sold.
4) GSPlayer, this is a freeware music player program, whihc supporst skinning, I actually posted a skin of mine in the skins and themes section.
5) Total Commander is afree file explorer that is a lot more capable, I believe there is also a registry editor there as well.
6) If you want to do Bible reading, Olivetree has a free reader, Laridian has a fancier one, but isn't free.
7) http://icbar.ictinus.com -- This is a powerful taskbar utility, which replaces the underpower PocketPC taskbar with one with a lot more functionity, you may want to do a search of these forums for more info.

what type of file do I need for installs? CABs?

These are windows self-installers, you run htem from the Pocket PC's file explorer, or a free one like Total Comander, and it will isntall itself.

ARM? MIPS? SH3? The only extension I recognize is CAB (and the EXEs when I get so lucky) sigh....Last thing I did last night was find my pocket pc game heaven - Astraware.

ARM is the processor type you'll want, or X-Scale if they offer it. This is kind of like hte difference between PowerPC and x86 (pentium etc.), they are different processor architecutures. X-Scale is a type of ARM processor made by Intel.

next up apps...if I can find any good ones...I know, I know, any really good software I'll need to buy.

Handango.com is where most people buy apps, it depends on what you want to do. There is a simple scaled down word processor included called pocket word, but if you want more power for Word Processing Text Maker is the way to go, offering lossless native editing, just for one example, I'll really need to know WHAT You plan to do before really giving you that many pointers on software to buy.

6) So if I can't sync right, I guess I hand type. But there's no grafitti

Block Recognizer is similar to Grafitti, however, you'd probably be bette roff adjusting to Letter recognizer. Fitaly is a third party input method, this one has learning curve, but is by far the fastest and most full featured, since it is designed with PDAs in mind.

I cannot tell you how much this Palm user is missing Grafitti right now. My efficiency has slowed to a crawl.

What input method are you using?

In case you haven't found this out yet, Pocket PC input methods are plug-in based, there are 4 standard (Block, Letter, Transcriber, and Keyboard), however, there are many others that are 3rd party. Clicking the little arrow to the right of the input panel button shuold bring up a list of all the methods you have installed, cliking on the "option" button allows yuo to make customiztions, both to specific panels, and to things ilke word completion.

However, since you will have learning curve anyway, you might want to try out Fitaly, just a thought though. Another handwriting recognizer is Calligrapher (Transcriber is like "calligrapher lite"), those are both commercial.

All in all, my first night (and day) haven't gone so hot. Does it usually take a while for a committed Palm user to make the transition to Pocket PC? I know this thing has features that my Handsprings don't but I keep longing for the ease of Palm so far. It gets better right? Please someone tell me it does....

Hopefully it should, altohugh, I started out on Pocket PC... I would probably have the reverse problem switching to Palm, of trying to do some advanced geek-feature and then realizing it wasn't there!

[Benjamin_Bryant]

Just got my Axim today, and it is as tight as I thought. Got it charging right now while I am at work. Ordered on the 20th of June and it came with PPC2K3!! Yes!

Ben.

[Pharley]

Well I think I finally got AvantGo figured out after a bit of searching on this site. In Palm OS AvantGo was an icon that you click on, an actual program. All this time I was thinking I was unsuccessful in installing because the icon wasn't showing up. A search on this forum set me straight though - in PPC it's a graphic link in the browser. I never would have thought to look there.

Not only that, every time someone said "Click on the PIE" I wasn't thinking the browser (which I thought of as IE), I thought it was the little pie "busy" icon that shows up every time you open a program and while I didn't click (I'm not THAT stupid) I was wondering why everyone was saying to click on the wait/busy icon :D

I'm going to go try out all the links you guys have suggested. You're all tops in my book!

There is also a Palm emulator out there somewhere if you would like to use older palm apps on the Axim. I'll let you know when I find the site...

Ah-ha, talk about quick, I found it right away :) It's called PocketPalm. www.kodeness.com was the site but aparantely the project was stopped. I found a backdoor where you can still get an older beta version that can run any programs for palm 3 and under devices:
ftp://kodeness.com/pub/

[naz]

Pharley do you have mobile 2003 or PPC2002?? You say you have the Netgear MA701 that works but I haven't heard of it working on 2003 yet. Just wondering if it was cos I want to buy one soon.
Thanks
Narelle