Pocket PC vs PALM

[dr.d]

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For the wards, do the Pocket PCs (iPAQ or Dell axim) or the Palm's do a better job, or are they equal?

Is it worth the extra money to spend on one with all the bell's and whistles?

Are there more programs for the palm or the pocket PCs?

 

[Medic_9]

I can't speak from a MD perspective. But when I was comparing I found that there was more programs for the palm. (Also found there was more freeware for the Palm). This was also 4-5 years ago, so things might have changed.

Epocrates back then was only free for the palm. I just looked and it is for Pocket PC as well.

Good luck in your choice. BTW. If you are going to do alot of typing on it I recommend the thumbpad as you can get frustrated pretty quick with using the stylis (sp?)

 

[Mike MacKinnon]

hey 🙂

I have a palm. I can say that currently there are alot of apps that are awesome. Also alot of freeware. Unforunately, i think the days of Palm are numbered. Either they arent popular anymore or the market of windows ce machines is flooding them out. It seems every new cell phone and nifty handheld is comming with Windows CE on it as opposed to palm (which has fewer new models comming out every year).

So currently, Palm is better. However, if i were buying one for the first time, i might consider windows CE for longevity.

Something to think about anyway

 

[Shah_Patel_PT]

For the wards, do the Pocket PCs (iPAQ or Dell axim) or the Palm's do a better job, or are they equal?

Is it worth the extra money to spend on one with all the bell's and whistles?

Are there more programs for the palm or the pocket PCs?

I highly recommend Pcket pc that has Windows Mobile software. It is much more compatible to windows PCs.

Although Palm have been more popular before ..slowly the trend is moving towards Pocket PC.

I just got the HP 4700/4705 IPAQ

 

[automaton]

they both suck. pocket books are where it's at. the electronic versions take too long, are annoying to use, and have to be recharged too often.

good fund of knowledge trumps all.

 

[omarsaleh66]

i recommend the treo 650. It's got internet (slow but still pretty good), great text messaging, i got 1 gig card on it. it's a really good phone and i got all the medical programs on it. I got stuck in line for gas (hurricane katrina) the other day for like 2 hours, i busted out the treo , looked up sports, checked my email, downloaded some porn, and knocked out the cardiology section of USMLE Secrets for Step 2.

Plus u get mad respect w the treo. I was walking the other day, and people just move out of my way when i walked by. One person even opened the door for me. I had just a regular palm but it sucked carrying a phone and palm, man do urself a favor and get this phone right now.

later
Omar

 

[Adcadet]

Yes, it would seem PocketPC's are advancing quicker than Palm. But I still think Palms are much better at basic PDA functions. I have both, and maybe it's just because I started in the Palm world, but I really think the PalmOS is much better for a mobile device. Yeah, PocketPC's OS is more powerful, but I think trying to run a very Windows-esq program on a tiny device is just painful. And then there's software - much more for Palm, especially free stuff.

Bells and whistes are nice, yes. I have a Tungsten C with thumboard and Wifi. Love checking my email on it. But as long as you have a memory slot and are willing to spend a bit of money ($20-60) for a memory card, you should be able to hold tons of stuff and get great functionality.

 

[Adcadet]

I'd be hesitant getting a phone/PDA combo. Not sure the attendings will all appreciate the fact that you can turn the phone off while using the PDA. And it seems like carrying a cell phone on rounds is just asking for trouble. Yeah, sucks to let appearances get in the way. But that's also why I don't wear my PJ's on rounds.

Oh, and if people move out of your way while using a PDA or cell phone, it's probably just to avoid catching whatever makes you crazy enough to believe that your mobile device makes you all powerful 😉

 

[luckystar]

I also have both and love the Palm. It's so much simpler for me to use. Whenever I want to get anything done on the Pocket PC, I feel like I have to go through a few more steps, while on the Palm, getting the same thing done takes much less effort. I've also had less problems with HotSync than Microsoft's ActiveSync. Software for Pocket PCs are catching up to the Palm's, so that shouldn't be a problem any more. Try to play with each system to see if you can distinguish any personal preference. They have quite a few major differences, and you really need to see them for yourself. The new LifeDrive by Palm is a beast, with a 4GB microdrive and WiFi/Bt, plus a great screen. Check it out! 🙂

 

[wook]

I also have both and love the Palm. It's so much simpler for me to use. Whenever I want to get anything done on the Pocket PC, I feel like I have to go through a few more steps, while on the Palm, getting the same thing done takes much less effort. I've also had less problems with HotSync than Microsoft's ActiveSync. Software for Pocket PCs are catching up to the Palm's, so that shouldn't be a problem any more. Try to play with each system to see if you can distinguish any personal preference. They have quite a few major differences, and you really need to see them for yourself. The new LifeDrive by Palm is a beast, with a 4GB microdrive and WiFi/Bt, plus a great screen. Check it out! 🙂

If you got for the pocket PC make sure to update your OS drivers with some frequency. My last update got rid of some problems I had been having.

Wook

 

[BACMEDIC]

One thing to consider is the battery. You cannot change the battery on many of the new Palms when they die, while the pocket PC you can. Stats show that the new lithium batteries will last about 2 years before they need to be replaced. Some may last much longer, but the point is, what do you do with the Palm once the battery dies? If you're into buying the latest and greatest products when they become available, then it makes no difference, as you throw the thing away and buy a new one.

 

[lattimer13]

any good free programs for pocketPC that anyone recommends? medical or non-medical.