My Conversion
By Anna Marie Garcia , Copyright 2003
Revised 3/29/2003

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After about two years of every Pocket PC owner I know haranguing me about how much better the Pocket PC was than Palm, I finally decided to take the plunge, and bought a Pocket PC (HP iPAQ 1910). I�d been a heavy Palm (Palm M505) user for about 5 years, so I figured I might go through some serious withdrawal and might even have to enroll myself in a 12-step program. But I�m happy to say, I made the switch and it wasn�t nearly as painful as I thought it would be.

I was looking for free software that would somehow sync up the two systems, and finally was referred to http://www.stratabase.com/resync/downloads.php by Chris De Herrera. It was a beta version (which I found out means it is kind of experimental and might have a few quirks), but I went ahead and tried it.

I�m not exactly a computer guru, so I just downloaded and kept blindly clicking on �OK� or �Next� until I finally got it downloaded onto my computer. I followed the onscreen instructions and synced my Palm with Outlook, then synced Outlook to my Pocket PC.

For some odd reason a number of the addresses came up twice in my Pocket PC, so I had to go through and delete duplicates (there was probably a better way of doing that, but as I said before, I ain�t exactly on a rocket scientist level in this area). Anyway, I got all my information transferred, and I�m up and running on my Pocket PC.

I still have a few minor frustrations working with my Pocket PC, but I think it�s mainly because I am still so ingrained in the Palm way of life, and I expect my Pocket PC to work exactly like my Palm did. I still think the Palm calendar is a bit easier to use, but to make a true comparison, I think I�d have to use my Pocket PC for about another 5 years to be on a level playing field.

The graphics on my Pocket PC blows the Palm right out of the water. There is NO competition. And I�m absolutely in love with being able to listen to MP3�s and audio books. And although I�m not into games, I have to admit, the games on the Pocket PC are much more colorful and seem to be �cooler� then the games on the Palm. The whole syncing process with my Pocket PC is better than Palm too. I like the fact that once I link up my Pocket PC with my home PC, the Pocket PC works just like another hard drive, so I can look around and move things on my Pocket PC from my home PC. The whole system seems to �flow� better.

Also, 5 years ago, there was a ton of software for Palms, and not too much for Pocket PC�s. It seems now that Pocket PC�s are the forerunner and offer more software than Palm. I like reading books on my PDA, and I can find a LOT more books for a Pocket PC than for my Palm.

I hope this helps anyone trying to make the switch themselves (at least without doling out money for an expensive syncing program).

Also, I�m not trying to badmouth Palm, I think overall it�s a simpler system for someone that only uses the absolute basics (calendar, addresses, etc.), but if you want audio features and more expandability, then I think the Pocket PC is the way to go.

Good Luck!

Anna Marie Garcia
Texas

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