The Mobile Genealogist

File this under “Would be a cool feature to have on my Windows Mobile Device”.  No devices yet have the “Pico Projector”, but imagine the ability to project device information onto any surface…

Mobility Site has the details HERE.

Finding non-phone based devices is getting harder and harder.    Dell had a popular and moderately priced series of devices with the Axim line, both VGA and non-VGA.   Unfortunately, Dell left the Windows Mobile business in 2007 although recent rumors indicate they may be working on a WM Smartphone device.

We’ve posted recent articles regarding the VGA HP iPAQ 210, but there is also a more moderatly priced QVGA iPAQ that is also worth your consideration.

Mobility Site has more information about the iPAQ 110 series which can be found HERE.

Have you been looking at devices lately with references to “GPS” or “aGPS”?   Unclear as to what is the difference?

WMExperts has a quick tutorial that should answer your questions HERE.

Do you have used printer ink cartridges, unused PDA’s, MP3 Players,  or other small electronics laying about?   Don’t know how to safely dispose of them?

Engadget has an article about the United States Postal Service and a FREE solution for your problem… click HERE for more information.   (Or HERE for the USPS press release)

Most PocketPC’s come with a QVGA screen.  QVGA stands for “Quarter VGA” and has a screen resolution of 240 x 320.   However, some devices have a VGA screen which has a resolution of 480 x 640.  Does this mean you can display 4 times the amount of information on the screen?    Generally the answer is no although it depends on the application.  

Note: Pocket Genealogist does support VGA devices and the main “view” screen can have up to 4 times the amount of information although most screens display the same amount of information as QVGA.   However, you can change the font size of lists and other items so that more data is displayed, albeit smaller.   (In a nutshell that’s the benefit of VGA… higher resolution so that smaller fonts are still crisp and clear)

PocketNow has a video with a comparison HERE.

And Pocket PC Thoughts has more information HERE regarding this topic.

Dell stopped selling the popular Axim line of VGA and non-VGA devices last year, but rumors lately indicate that Dell may be getting back into the Windows Mobile business.  (Although this time with a Smartphone based device)

You can read about it HERE from Engadget.

OK, not yet, maybe never.  The Boy Genius Report has information on a hand cranked Personal Media Player (think iPod or Zune).   It’s certainly not as power intensive as a PDA, but the idea of having a PDA that doesn’t use batteries is intriging.

Excuse me Miss, Would you Mind Cranking my PMP? can be found HERE.

Update: Brighthand now has a very comprehensive iPAQ 210 Review which can be found HERE.
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Hewlett Packard (HP) announces the iPaq 200 Series Handheld

Overview 

Over the last couple of years, all the new and exciting devices seemed to be phone based handhelds.  The “traditional” non-phone PDA seemed to be going the way of the dinosaur.   Even more scarce were devices with a “VGA” screen.  Two of the more popular and readily available VGA PocketPC’s were the HP hx4700 and Dell x51v.   Sadly, both devices were discontinued in 2007 leaving it nearly impossible to find a high-res VGA handheld.  Recently I’ve had a number of queries from individuals looking for a VGA handheld and until now I’ve not been able to give them a good answer.

What is VGA?

Most PocketPC’s have a 240 x 320 screen (Quarter VGA or QVGA).  VGA PocketPC’s have a 480 x 640 screen.  One might reasonably assume that 4 times the amount of information could be displayed on a VGA screen versus a QVGA screen.  However, that is not how VGA devices have been implemented in Windows Mobile.    There are a number of advantages though:

1. Screen size - Most VGA devices have much larger screens than a typical PocketPC.   Like the older discontinued VGA PocketPC’s, the new iPaq 200 has a 4″ screen.
2. Resolution - Out of the box, what you see displayed is not much different than a typical QVGA PocketPC.  However, since there is 4 times the number of pixels, the resolution makes the text and images MUCH chrisper.
3. Information display - If the application supports changing the sizes of displayable fonts, which Pocket Genealogist does, then you CAN get more information on the screen.   (and the sharper resolution means smaller text is much more readable than on a QVGA display)  Click HERE and HERE to see screen images of Pocket Genealogist on a VGA screen.

More Information

According to the HP website, the iPaq 200 Series is not yet available.   When available, the MSRP will be 449.99 USD and along with VGA also includes:

• Fast 624Mhz Processor
• Wi-Fi (b/g)
• Bluetooth
• 128MB of RAM
• 256MB of Flash ROM
• Windows Mobile 6 “Classic”
• Micro SD and Compact Flash expansion Slot
• User changeable 2200 mAh battery

(see the HP website for a specific 200 series model to verify specifications, some discrepancies appear between the various sources of information)

For additional information and commentary about all 5 new HP devices, see Brighthand, Pocket PC Thoughts, and PocketNow.

Kevin Phillips

Sony Ericsson, one of the largest providers of advanced cellular phones in the World, sold 103 MILLION cell phones in 2007 and is the best-selling phone brand in the Nordic countries.  (Running on the Symbian operating system)   However, SE has announced that in the 2nd half of 2008, they will introduce a Windows Mobile device.    With this introduction, Microsoft will have Windows Mobile licensing deals with 4 of the 5 top phone manufacturers in the World!

The new device will be called the XPERIA X1 and will have a slide out QWERTY keyboard, a 480×800 screen, up to 400MB of memory, a 3.2 megapixel camera, “aGPS” support and other advanced features.   The Sony Ericsson press release for the XPERIA X1 can be found HERE.

This information has received a lot of attention with the various online news sources, links follow:

The Boy Genius Report - Sony Ericsson goes big with the XPERIA X1 and XPERIA White Paper Issued to Developers; New Details.

Brighthand - Sony Ericsson Unveils Its First Windows Mobile Smartphone and Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 First Thoughts Preview

Engadget - Sony Ericsson ties up with Microsoft for Windows Mobile devices and No wonder Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 is so good: HTC makes it and Hands-on with Sony Ericsson’s world beating XPERIA X1

Mobility Site - Sony Ericsson Unveils the XPERIA X1

Pocket PC Thoughts - It’s Official: Sony Ericsson and Windows Mobile Come Together and Three Reasons Why the Xperia Matters

WMExperts - Sony Ericsson Joins the Windows Mobile Camp! and Sony XPERIA X1 Runs WM 6.1

Here are a few articles that bring hope to better “battery” life on handhelds:

Digital Home Thoughts and the battery that charges in 5 minutes can be found HERE.

Smartphone Thoughts and the battery that lasts 10 X longer can be found HERE.

Mobility Site and Fuel Cell Phones can be found HERE.