Durability. Ah, the D-word. The word reviewers never get to.
In 9 years, I've owned 6 Pocket PCs: one Compaq Aero 1550, one HP568,
three HP1945's, and a Dell X51. I use them a lot, for all sorts of
things, in a tougher-than-average environment. I suspect I'm the guy
they worry about when they choose the warranty length.
The 1945's durability sucked. The first one's screen broke, in normal
use that the similarly sized 1550 had no problem with over the preceding
years. Based on my experience & the volume of complaints I saw online, I
still figure HTC, HP, or a vendor managed to overstrain the panels
during manufacture or assembly. It was still under warranty, though I
had to browbeat HP customer service.
The replacement 1945 fricasseed itself one day. It was out of warranty
by then. The third one lasted longer, and still works, but the digitizer
is now too spiky for note taking. It would make a nice MP3 player, if I
needed one.
The 568 fried itself, too, just outside of warranty. HP tried to repair
it, but no dice. The repair lasted a month or so. Forget about repairing
PDA's unless you can do it yourself with duct tape.
The Aero 1550 was the jewel. It did its job perfectly, with no extra
features or bugs. If technology hadn't advanced so quickly, I'd still be
using it. It lasted me through 3 years of hard service. After I upgraded
to the 568, I gave the Aero to my nephew who fiddled with it for years
afterward.
My current X51 is going strong except for the ever-present HTC digitizer
spiking that slows note taking. When it wears out, I'd buy another, but
they don't make them anymore. Today, I'd have to pick between an Asus
A626 and an HP210. Or maybe get a Nokia 810 and give up on Pocket PC.
How bad can web-based functionality be?
I'm tempted to just buy the dumbest possible phone with an organizer on
it that can sync to a PC, an MP3 player, and a Sony Reader. I just have
to find a phone with an organizer, but no camera.
Lessons Learned About Durability
1) Screen protectors are good things. While a perfect individual can
keep a screen and stylus perfectly clean & never scratch a screen, I can't.
2) HTC digitizers suck after a while. They begin to spike. Lekrn to edit
carefully befere publishing.
3) Rhinoskin aluminum cases are good things, especially if you work in a
factory. Or if you drop things occasionally. Watch out for loose hinge
pins, though. Don't sit down with one in your pocket.
4) Cheesy plastic d-pads wear out. Not the contacts, the touch points.
The resulting notchy d-pads hurt your fingers.
5) Scroll-wheels wear out as well, although they're nice to have while
they last. In their case, it's the contacts, not the wheel.
6a) Did I mention HTC oigitizers suck? Well, OK.
6b) The HP1945's, even in a Rhinoskin case, were just a little too small
and fragile to be practical. That's why I have no interest in the HP110.
Clever little things, though.
7) If your PDA starts to feel hot, back it up immediately to a flash
card, and don't put it back in your pocket.
Regards,
Jack Tingle