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The Compaq iPaq and Casio EM500 are two very talked-about Pocket PCs because they're very radically different then all the other Pocket PC offerings out there right now. And now both of them are available in Malaysia. (Although the iPaq is available in a very limited quantity)
Power users will have no problem deciding which to get, but casual users might need more information before making their choices as both of these gadgets cost RM1500+, so here we'll go through a comparison of each machine and see which is right for you. This is NOT supposed to be a review, for those check out the splendid Brighthand
site for Pocket PCs. Here's the one for the iPaq, and for the EM500.
Oh, before I continue let me just say if it is imperative that you HAVE to get a
Pocket PC (PPC for short) that's very usable under direct sunlight you can stop reading right now and start calling all the local Compaq stores and see if any has one.
Here's a quick overview comparison of the PPCs if you're short of time.
Items marked in Yellow are items which doesn't give the device an advantage or disadvantage over the other, Red means that I feel that the item gives the device a disadvantage, and Green means that I feel it gives the device an advantage.
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Compaq iPAQ |
Casio EM500 |
 |
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| Price |
RM1999 |
RM1800 |
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Processor Speed
|
206MHz StrongARM |
150MHz MIPS |
| Display Color |
12 bit |
16 bit |
| Battery Life |
12 hours continuous use |
7 hours continuous use |
| Onboard RAM |
32MB |
16MB |
| Backup Battery |
none |
yes |
| Battery Replaceable |
no |
yes |
| Built-In Media Slots |
none, have to purchase sleeves |
MMC slot (Multimedia Card) |
| Outdoor Usability |
EXTREMELY GOOD |
Not very usable |
| Included Cradle |
Serial Cradle :( |
USB Cradle |
| Availability |
Rare, try Compaq shops |
Quite easy to find. |
Doesn't look too good at first glance for the EM500 but please continue on with the article.
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