Tungsten C or Dell Axim X5: sell me on a platform
I'm the crazy guy who a few months ago thought that he might work on his PhD dissertation on a Pocket PC. Most of you tried to dissuade me from that option but I am finding more and more time when I could get work done on a handheld when I away from my TiBook. I still haven't bought anything but I seem to be fluctuating between a Dell Axim X5 basic and a Palm Tungsten C. Organization is not that important to me. What I want really is the ability to edit Word docs and have wireless internet access (yes, I know its slow).
Anyhow, I have a whole bunch of questions to try and help me decide between the two platforms, so any and all advice would be appreciated greatly.
1. Word processing 1: so am I correct in thinking that a Pocket PC, with TextMaker, can open a Word doc via e-mail or CF card without conversion? How close is the document you get this way to the original? Significantly better or worse than what you get with Documents to Go on a Palm? I've read that a new version of Docs to Go will be out this summer that will let you open Word files without conversion. Anyone have any detail about this and know if it will run on the Tungsten C?
2. Word processing 2: I need to preserve footnotes, tables, headers, footers, bullets and numbering as best I can, as well as add them as I edit on my handheld. TextMaker or Docs to Go?
3. Web browser: I see that the Tungsten's web browser doesn't support pop-up windows and links that open in another page. Does Pocket Internet Explorer? Does any other Palm browser? I know that to get onto my school's wireless network with a Mac it will always give you a pop-up window telling you you've logged in. Might this might give the Palm browser problems?
4. Battery: I like the fact that you can change the Dell battery yourself, but am I worrying about nothing? Is it in fact quite easy to send off your handheld to Palm to get them to put in a new battery (or can you do it yourself even)? How many years should a Palm battery last for, or average?
5. Stylus: this might seem like a strange one, but how comfortable is the Axim stylus; it has a strange shape in pictures. No question on the Tungsten one though; i've held it and been quite impressed.
6. Thumbpad: another odd query: do people find that using a thumbpad (like the one on the Tungsten) for a long period of time can start to hurt your hands?
7. PDFs: which platform displays them best? Can both open them from websites?
8. Voice recording: I know that the Tungsten needs to you to plug in a mic. I've read that it has a Nokia-style plug, so will the mic that came with my Nokia 3360 work alright?
9. Multitasking: Now I know the Palm can't do this, but can a Pocket PC? I'm thinking about MP3s, for example. Could I have MP3s playing at the same time as I'm editing a document? If it's even possible, would it be too much for the system to handle? If I can't listen to MP3s and work then the fact that the Tungsten only plays mono essentially becomes irrelevant; I'll have to bring my iPod with me no matter which platform I choose!
10. Price: I must say that I like the fact that Palm's Canadian prices match their US ones quite nicely (they also have a nice edu. discount!), but does anyone know hat the recent price drop on the Axim in the US will soon make it's way to Canada? To its credit, all of Dell's other products seem to match up quite well when it comes to US and Canadian prices, as far as I can tell with my random sampling.
Again, thank you all for your help!
Anyhow, I have a whole bunch of questions to try and help me decide between the two platforms, so any and all advice would be appreciated greatly.
1. Word processing 1: so am I correct in thinking that a Pocket PC, with TextMaker, can open a Word doc via e-mail or CF card without conversion? How close is the document you get this way to the original? Significantly better or worse than what you get with Documents to Go on a Palm? I've read that a new version of Docs to Go will be out this summer that will let you open Word files without conversion. Anyone have any detail about this and know if it will run on the Tungsten C?
2. Word processing 2: I need to preserve footnotes, tables, headers, footers, bullets and numbering as best I can, as well as add them as I edit on my handheld. TextMaker or Docs to Go?
3. Web browser: I see that the Tungsten's web browser doesn't support pop-up windows and links that open in another page. Does Pocket Internet Explorer? Does any other Palm browser? I know that to get onto my school's wireless network with a Mac it will always give you a pop-up window telling you you've logged in. Might this might give the Palm browser problems?
4. Battery: I like the fact that you can change the Dell battery yourself, but am I worrying about nothing? Is it in fact quite easy to send off your handheld to Palm to get them to put in a new battery (or can you do it yourself even)? How many years should a Palm battery last for, or average?
5. Stylus: this might seem like a strange one, but how comfortable is the Axim stylus; it has a strange shape in pictures. No question on the Tungsten one though; i've held it and been quite impressed.
6. Thumbpad: another odd query: do people find that using a thumbpad (like the one on the Tungsten) for a long period of time can start to hurt your hands?
7. PDFs: which platform displays them best? Can both open them from websites?
8. Voice recording: I know that the Tungsten needs to you to plug in a mic. I've read that it has a Nokia-style plug, so will the mic that came with my Nokia 3360 work alright?
9. Multitasking: Now I know the Palm can't do this, but can a Pocket PC? I'm thinking about MP3s, for example. Could I have MP3s playing at the same time as I'm editing a document? If it's even possible, would it be too much for the system to handle? If I can't listen to MP3s and work then the fact that the Tungsten only plays mono essentially becomes irrelevant; I'll have to bring my iPod with me no matter which platform I choose!
10. Price: I must say that I like the fact that Palm's Canadian prices match their US ones quite nicely (they also have a nice edu. discount!), but does anyone know hat the recent price drop on the Axim in the US will soon make it's way to Canada? To its credit, all of Dell's other products seem to match up quite well when it comes to US and Canadian prices, as far as I can tell with my random sampling.
Again, thank you all for your help!