Newbie question

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

My Laptop is on it's last legs and I am thinking about replacing it with a
PPC with a home WiFi.
My main uses are:
E-mail
Newsgroups
Microsoft Money
Using the Web for research

My questions is: is this practical and can it be done with a dial up
service?
TIA
Chuck

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

> >-----Original Message-----
> >My Laptop is on it's last legs and I am thinking about
> replacing it with a
> >PPC with a home WiFi.
> >My main uses are:
> >E-mail
> >Newsgroups
> >Microsoft Money
> >Using the Web for research
> >
> >My questions is: is this practical and can it be done
> with a dial up
> >service?
> >TIA
> >Chuck

xifler wrote:
> Chuck - PPC's are designed to be a companion to a Laptop,
> or Desktop computer - not a replacement. You would not
> be able to do very much without a stand alone computer to
> go with your PPC.
>
> Hope this helps - let us know.
>
> xfiler.

I agree - you won't be able to install any software onto a handheld
without a computer of some sort; you'll find MS Money to be a lot
easier to use on a large screen, too. The handheld version won't be as
good at those big graphs, reports, and so forth that actually make a
program like Money worthwhile. Also, a big minus for your research -
you won't be able to print results unless you've got a network printer
on a print server or attached to a computer. Most consumer inkjets and
many low-end laser printers don't have the capacity to be connected to
a stand-alone print server; they depend on the computer they're
attached to to process the text/image/whatever.

Consider finding the local used computer shop, get a no-OS PIII 700 or
something with a 10GB drive and a NIC, and use your laptop Windows
licence once it gives up - the license doesn't die with the laptop,
after all. With a decent 17" CRT it'll cost you $200 max. You'll be
able to use it as a printer server and even a firewall if you want, and
it'll give you a base for all your other stuff, somewhere to install
stuff to and back up your PPC. And, IMHO, you'll find it's a lot easier
to do research on the internet with the larger screen.

Anyways, that's what I'd do.....YMMV. Good Luck!
ECM

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

"Chuck Gregg" <cwejg2475@copper.net> wrote in message
news:425a63cb_5@newsfeed.slurp.net...
> My Laptop is on it's last legs and I am thinking about replacing it with a
> PPC with a home WiFi.
> My main uses are:
> E-mail
> Newsgroups
> Microsoft Money
> Using the Web for research
>
> My questions is: is this practical and can it be done with a dial up
> service?
> TIA
> Chuck
>


With the right software you will find yourself using a PPC more and a laptop
less, true enough. The biggest issue is screen real estate, but some
programs (Planmaker, for example) are designed to maximize the use of the
screen. The right programs will go a long way to unshackling you from a
standard PC, and using the laptop only for the occasional program
installation. Even backups can be done to a card and/or wirelessly to
somewhere on the netowrk(in case you lose the device!). For the functions
you list, I would really suggest looking at these programs (but opinions
will vary greatly):

Money - Cash Organizer. Good price, graphs, projects and more on the PPC,
optional money sync module. I do not suggest Microsoft's pocket money, it
is only a data entry mechanism. I find myself doing the work on the PPC
and backing up the file to the home network while Money on the laptop sits
idle. Also of note is Mastersoft money, but I found the other more suited
to my needs.

Newsgroups - several good, solid choices here. I use Qusnetsoft, works
well, well supported, a bit slow in syncing but maintains itself quite well.
There are other choices, but for most users it will do all they need on
newsgroups.

Web Research - First be warned that some websites that are heavy intop Java
or plugins will not fare so well on most PPCs. With that stated, I think
you will find it fairly smooth going, and quite readable with the single
column option in the IE wm2003 version. However, if you do things like me I
would definitely suggest getting a multiple window IE extender, something
like MultiIE (my pref), PIE Plus or SPB plus. The abililty to link off to
different windows while keeping the source window open should greatly
facilitate a research operation.

Email - opinions vary greatly, but bang for the buck if you are a standard
pop user then the Microsoft mail client actually works quite well. It
supports multiple accounts, attachments and more. There are plenty of
options, but unless you have a specific need to change I would suggest
trying the included program. That is, as long as you have a 2002 or later
OS on the device.

And for most honorable mention, look at these programs that give any desktop
software a run for their money in features and capabilities:

My Sport Training - If you are into sports.fitness at all check this one
out. Charts galore, multi sport support, optional Polar IR downloads and
food monitoring.
Planmaker - replacement for the anemic, wimpy Pocket Excel
Textmaker - Only if you want a serious word processor on the PPC. This
works fine, but really warrants a IR or BT keyboard to take advantage of its
capabilites. I've used word processors on full sized machines with much
less power.
SprintDB - If you have a need of custom databases/data collection, this
rocks. Also HanDBase, but not as convenient or fast.

To summarize, the functions you do on the laptop can be done quite well on
the PPC, with the right software (as the laptops themselves require software
to work well). Just remember that some programs, due to short sighted
developers IMHO, still require a host pc to be installed.

Good Luck!

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Reply is below -


>-----Original Message-----
>ecm wrote:
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> My Laptop is on it's last legs and I am thinking
about
>>> replacing it with a
>>>> PPC with a home WiFi.
>>>> My main uses are:
>>>> E-mail
>>>> Newsgroups
>>>> Microsoft Money
>>>> Using the Web for research
>>>>
>>>> My questions is: is this practical and can it be done
>>> with a dial up
>>>> service?
>>>> TIA
>>>> Chuck
>>
>> xifler wrote:
>>> Chuck - PPC's are designed to be a companion to a
Laptop,
>>> or Desktop computer - not a replacement. You would
not
>>> be able to do very much without a stand alone
computer to
>>> go with your PPC.
>>>
>>> Hope this helps - let us know.
>>>
>>> xfiler.
>>
>> I agree - you won't be able to install any software
onto a handheld
>> without a computer of some sort; you'll find MS Money
to be a lot
>> easier to use on a large screen, too. The handheld
version won't be as
>> good at those big graphs, reports, and so forth that
actually make a
>> program like Money worthwhile. Also, a big minus for
your research -
>> you won't be able to print results unless you've got a
network printer
>> on a print server or attached to a computer. Most
consumer inkjets and
>> many low-end laser printers don't have the capacity to
be connected to
>> a stand-alone print server; they depend on the
computer they're
>> attached to to process the text/image/whatever.
>>
>> Consider finding the local used computer shop, get a
no-OS PIII 700 or
>> something with a 10GB drive and a NIC, and use your
laptop Windows
>> licence once it gives up - the license doesn't die
with the laptop,
>> after all. With a decent 17" CRT it'll cost you $200
max. You'll be
>> able to use it as a printer server and even a firewall
if you want,
>> and it'll give you a base for all your other stuff,
somewhere to
>> install stuff to and back up your PPC. And, IMHO,
you'll find it's a
>> lot easier to do research on the internet with the
larger screen.
>>
>> Anyways, that's what I'd do.....YMMV. Good Luck!
>> ECM
>
>You have a point, but he does have a smaller PC he is
using now. If you
>keep that just for the things you need it for, you
should get away with
>using the PPC for almost everything you need it for.
Just keep the PC up
>for installing programs and printing.
>
>Ryan
>
>
True Ryan, but the OP did state he wanted to "replace"
his laptop with a PPC.