Options for VGA/WiFi/Bluetooth Pocket PC?

[18000rpm]

Just sold my X5 Advanced. Looking for a replacement now.

Besides the X50, what are my options for a Pocket PC (with latest OS of course) with VGA screen, WiFi and Bluetooth?

Thanks...

[gadgetnerd]

HP hx470x
Asus MyPal A730
Pocket Loox

Then if you have considerably more money and are willing to wait and get slightly more bulk but a heck of a lot more functionality check out these two (read my comparison in some thread or other in this forum):

OQO: www.oqo.com
FlipStart: www.flipstart.com

There is a third, the Sony U70 and U50, but I looked at them, and like most Sony things they cost tons for not much other than a pretty face.

There is a third, the Sony U70 and U50, but I looked at them, and like most Sony things they cost tons for not much other than a pretty face.

Alright,

The prices of the U50/U70 in Japan are around $1700-2000. I honestly don't know why the prices are so much higher here as the only difference is the OS, which is the english WinXP other than the japanese one. As for the specs, they speak for themselves as easily being the best. Hell, the U70 has been said to play COD at a smooth rate. Let's see the OQO or Flipstart do THAT with only 8MB of VRAM. Oh, by the way, the Sony's have 64MB of shared-VRAM.

[18000rpm]

The Asus MyPal A730 looks really sweet and seems to have everything. Are there any negatives, other than the price?

Yes:
-520Mhz proc. (best is 624Mhz)
-BT v1.1 (instead of v1.2)
-No 3D accelerator (expect low graphics performance)

[tsaimelv]

Another disadvantage of the 730... Fewer accessories such as cases and cables, e.g. my favorite PDA<->phone cable from http://www.gomadic.com/

Another disadvantage of the 730... Fewer accessories such as cases and cables, e.g. my favorite PDA<->phone cable from http://www.gomadic.com/

Normally I'd laugh at this; this is what Bluetooth's for ;) But with BT v1.1 this cable would have actually been useful.

[18000rpm]

Yes:
-520Mhz proc. (best is 624Mhz)
-BT v1.1 (instead of v1.2)
-No 3D accelerator (expect low graphics performance)

Excellent info, thanks.

What's bad about BT 1.1? I've never even known the BT versions on my BT devices.

So the Dell X50 will have BT 1.2 and 3D acceleration?

There's really only two major problems:

-BT v1.1 doesn't cooperate well with WiFi, which is why the A730W will probably just have to option to have one or the other enabled: not both at once.

-BT v1.1 is not compatible with most BT devices made this year and last year that use BT v1.2 and there are no plans on continuing making BT v1.1 compatible BT devices.

[gadgetnerd]

OK. About the Sony, I think you misunderstand it.

Things it doesn't have that at least one of the others does.

-dedicated GPU
-thumb keyboard
-touchpad
-30GB hard drive
-wide aspect display

Things it does have that the others don't:
-More RAM on the highest-end model
-ridiculously priced accesories
-a ridiculous price tag

[tsaimelv]

Normally I'd laugh at this; this is what Bluetooth's for ;) But with BT v1.1 this cable would have actually been useful.

Well, it's also useful because cellular providers such as Verizon and Sprint do not offer bluetooth-enabled phones, so I'm stuck with PDA<->phone cables. With verizon and sprint you can get free 14.4 kbps (it's actually more like 9600 bps) with any plan, and it works with most phones. I would switch to bluetooth and AT&T, cingular, or T-mobile if they had better networks and cheaper all-you-can-eat data plans.

OK. About the Sony, I think you misunderstand it.

Things it doesn't have that at least one of the others does.

-dedicated GPU
-thumb keyboard
-touchpad
-30GB hard drive
-wide aspect display

Personally, I'd rather have 64MB of shared VRAM than 8MB of dedicated VRAM. More compatibility this way. And I wouldn't underestimate the Intel 855 chipset for gaming. Like I said, a smooth COD speaks for itself.

You have a 5" touch-screen, why on earth would you want a touchpad. Don't let HP get into your head!

800*600 is 4/3, not widescreen.

Things it does have that the others don't:
-More RAM on the highest-end model
-ridiculously priced accesories
-a ridiculous price tag

Thought I explained about the rediculous price; it's really sub $2000, which I believe is what these other uPCs are aiming for. You also forgot it's got a 1Ghz P-M, which has much better performance than any Transmeta proc.

[18000rpm]

There's really only two major problems:

-BT v1.1 doesn't cooperate well with WiFi, which is why the A730W will probably just have to option to have one or the other enabled: not both at once.

-BT v1.1 is not compatible with most BT devices made this year and last year that use BT v1.2 and there are no plans on continuing making BT v1.1 compatible BT devices.

I don't foresee a big problem for myself for #1, since I will be using BT mostly for hotsync or web access when WiFi is not available.

For #2, how serious is the problem? It seems like if it is as bad as you describe we would hear more about BT 1.1 vs 1.2. Will it not work with my next phone, probably a Sony K700i?

I don't foresee a big problem for myself for #1, since I will be using BT mostly for hotsync or web access when WiFi is not available.

Fair enough, but remember you wouldn't even really HAVE the option while with with others you would. ;)

For #2, how serious is the problem? It seems like if it is as bad as you describe we would hear more about BT 1.1 vs 1.2. Will it not work with my next phone, probably a Sony K700i?

It's pretty serious. I remember a number of people complaining about older (we aren't talking about much older, just about a year. But you have to realize v1.1 was even outdated back then!) BT Pocket PCs being incompatible with their year old phones and/or new wireless audio hardware (headsets/headphones).

I'm not exactly sure about the Sony K700i, but with a few glances around Google it seems to be compatible with Bluetooth v1.1. But basically, if you are a big Bluetooth user you'll want to put heavy consideration into if you'll be satisfied with just v1.1

Oh and also note that the Loox 720 is basically the same thing as the Asus A730W except with BT v1.2, and they are even around the same price so you might just want to consider getting one of those instead. The Loox was, afterall, what I was ready to get until I found out about the X50.

[18000rpm]

Okay the Loox looks sweet, although at around $700 it's a bit expensive. Any stores in the Bay Area that carry it?

(Edit) Hmmm looks like the Loox is only officially available in Europe. Rats.