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i've got a nice handspring visor edge right now, and it serves me well. it is quite a bit speedier than my friend's palm. i forget which one he has. but anyway i'm looking around to getting a newer pda. and i'm liking the new color sony ones. are these good pdas? and what about pocket pcs. are they better than the palm platform?

I have a Compaq Ipaq 3835 Pocket PC. And it definately is way better than any Palm OS handheld. I can do alot more with my PPC than I could dream of with the Palm OS Handhelds. But....If you only need a PDA for address list and to take/make short notes then the PPC is not what you want.

Some good things about the PPC:
-Plethora of programs and utilities
-Expandable memory with SD and CF slots

PocketPCs are good at some things, and poor at others. Ditto for Palm-based PDAs like the Clies.

PocketPCs are more versatile when it comes to the kinds of applications you can run on them, they're also more capable gaming and multimedia platforms. However, PocketPCs are more expensive, bigger, heavier, and have much poorer battery life than the Clies.

If you're looking for a great personal information manager that you can take anywhere and not have to worry about batteries dying, go for a Clie. If you want something to play games on, listen to music, watch movies, and so on, go for a PocketPC, just be aware of the extra cost, size, weight, and so on.

If you're used to a Visor Edge, a PocketPC is probably going to feel really bulky. I'd hit a retail store to check out the various PDAs in person so you can get an idea of the relative sizes.

PocketPC based devices are not "definately... way better than any Palm OS handheld." Not even close.

It depends what you want. If you want a little PC in your pocket, PocketPC is probably for you.

Personally, I have computers all around me at work and at home, and I have a notebook. I don't need another "computer".

I want something to keep track of time, "stuff", etc. Palm does that, and extremely well. It has a HUGE software base. So what if it's not as graphical, big woop. It conveys the same information.

But here's the thing: I can go for a week without charging my Palm (and this is a color model). Try going more than a day on a PocketPC. My last one couldn't.

It's smaller, lighter, lasts longer on a charge, and does every organizational thing I could want, plus a lot of other stuff that's just gravy. Now why is a big, fat slug PocketPC that is practically chained to a charger "better"? I can't think of a reason.

It depends on what you need, and how you use it.

Definitely true. I've got a Palm Vx 8MB, and it's served me well for the past four years. The only downside I have right now is that I can't find any current chargers for it. All the stores in my area have discontinued supporting the V and Vx model accesories. Other than that, all I use my Palm for is quick notetaking, address book lookups, and international timekeeping. I have a database program on it that I use for work as well. It lasts about 3-4 weeks without charging, checking it about 2 minutes a day. It works for me, but it might not work for you. I would definitely check out stores and try them on for size before you buy.

I know I'm being nitpicky now, but definitely it's not definately.

As far as the power in the PPC I have no issues with my Ipaq 3835. the Li-O battery lasts for about four days. Although this weighs heavily on what programs I am using durning that time period. Mostly I use the address book, Word, Excel, Note Pad, appointments, and the Terminal Services Client. I also use it as a way to transer data between my home PC and my work Workstation.

The Li-On (Lithium Ion) battery has no "memory" so it works great even with a low battery. But I definiatly don't get 3 weeks of use off of one charge. I guess that can be a downside.

The new Ipaqs are comparable in size with the Palms. And the displays are even brighter.

If you think it's comparable in size to a Palm, I suggest you take it to a CompUSA or Best Buy and sit it down next to a Palm 505 or 515.

I won't even suggest getting it close to a Tungsten, because I don't want you to be too dissapointed. :-)