Palm versus Pocket PC: Which is better?

Connect to the PC and sync flawlessly

Winner: Palm OS With snappy syncing, Palm retakes the lead.

For a handheld, the interaction between its core applications and the PC is vital. After all, much of a handheld's power lies in synchronisation, which keeps data current on both your PDA and your PC.

As you might expect, Windows Mobile synchronises exclusively with Microsoft Outlook. Indeed, its core apps were designed as mobile extensions of Outlook's calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes modules. As a result, more of Outlook's data fields are copied during synchronisation than with the Palm OS. Pocket PCs absorb both home and work addresses, for instance, while Palm OS devices limit you to just one address per contact. At least, that was the case before Palm OS 5.2.1, which arrived shortly before press time in models such as the Tungsten E and T3. The Palm Contacts app (formerly Address Book) now supports three separate addresses instead of just one. But Windows Mobile still supports more Outlook fields, such as Assistant, Birthday, and Spouse.

Palm OS PDAs offer two desktop-synchronisation options. Thanks to a third-party utility bundled with most models, you can synchronise with Outlook. If you don't use Outlook, you can opt for Palm Desktop, a robust information manager that's far more novice-friendly. The latest version includes a photo module for easily copying digital pictures to your PDA.

Windows Mobile may have an edge when it comes to Windows PCs, but Microsoft offers zero support for Macintosh systems. All PalmOne models--even the AU$199 Zire 21--ship with a Mac version of Palm Desktop, so they're ready to roll, right out of the box. To synchronise a Pocket PC with a Mac, you need additional software.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Palm   --         Windows Mobile 2003   --

Back to intro

Round 1: Ease of use Round 2: Entering data Round 3: Core applications Round 4: Desktop compatibility

Round 5: Email Round 6: Office compatibility Round 7: Multimedia Round 8: Available software And the winner is...

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Try managing many files in a P ...Anonymous -- 27/02/04

Try managing many files in a Palm - the concept of directory structure or file management doesn't even exist on Palms (it may on the latest OS, but by then I'd moved to Windows)
How about having your review cover eBooks and readers - almost a raison d'etre for a PDA?
Put 800 eBooks into a SD memory unit, and see whether Palm or PocketPC copes best. It isn't even a contest.
That's 2 areas Pocket PC wins in - still sure Palms are better?

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I've been with Palm for the la ...Anonymous -- 02/04/04

I've been with Palm for the last 5 years and have loved it. However, it was unstable, a bit kludgy when trying to integrate to my PC and a friend introduced me to the Pocket PC. Well, I've just bought an iPAQ 5550 and can't believe I ever loved Palm. PPC is awesome, stable, better synchronisation with outlook and the desktop (no need for middle ware). I can't understand why you rated Palm better. Get with the times guys. PPC is the future and Palm should be worried.

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obviously the two respondents ...Anonymous -- 03/04/04

obviously the two respondents before me have not used the new palms with OS5+.

i used to own a handspring, then a toshiba e310, now i own the hp2210 and palm tungsten t2. palms by far are better. this review is accurate. actually i even disagree with the email part, palm should have won that too rather than draw.

another main palm advantage: battery life!
Palm last 3x longger than PPCs and thats with heavy use of bluetooth (i use it for sms and hotsync). PPCs cant last the day with me but Palms make it to 3 days without a recharge. That is KEY to owning a PDA why by a PDA if it is not truly portable?!?! i have to lug around a power supply everywhere i take my 2210.

My only gripes about Palms: Multimedia and GPRS websurfing. MP3 playback volume is way too low for palm and Kinoma is difficult to handle for video playback.

as with GPRS, Palm has to have the settings for your mobile operator. if they dont list your mobile operator it cant be used. PPC has customizable settings for IR/bluetooth GPRS connection through a cellphone.

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The report does not mention th ...Anonymous -- 13/04/04

The report does not mention the availability of Decuma, Calligrapher and other third party hand writing applications which can make both PDA's far more usable. Further there are add-ons (freeware)that do allow the use of the whole screen for text entry on Palm PDAs.

No mention is made that Palm only supports one application at a time (unlike Pocket PC which is multi-threaded) but Palm is much faster in loading apps, and unlike Pocket PC does not have the problem of the memory getting flooded.

Also not much comments are given about the fact that though Pocket PC offers a large screen estate, its mainly 240x320 as opposed to most palm based PDA's which are 320x320 and are much more crisp and clear when it comes to text.

But on the whole as mentioned Pocket PC is more suitable for multimedia oriented activities while Palm is more a business organizer (with multimedia in the newer models). Though one wonders if so much multimedia is needed when the main idea of a PDA is for "personal productivity" but that i guess is a "religious" argument.

I am sure if Microsoft can review their approach on Windows Pocket PC edition and change it from a scaled down Windows UI to something more useable (like Palm has or better!) it would make it a bigger hit as it seems the Pocket PC PDA's offer more features and software straight out of the box compared with Palm based PDA's.

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With a file manager system lik ...Anonymous -- 26/05/04

With a file manager system like "super utility" from Handmark for your Palm, you can create directories ets & have everything organised easily - just like windows!

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What a corrupt account of whic ...Anonymous -- 17/10/04

What a corrupt account of which is better, I can't believe the bias you can print and get away with it. I wonder how much ZDNet was paid for this shambles of a comparison. For a start you forgot to mention any of the Exchange Server 2003 features of Windows Mobile, while your account for better Office support relies on a 3rd party program, while you pan WM for not supporting Mac except via a 3rd party program. Hmmm, sounds a bit inconsistent. I personally would put Office documents ahead of Mac synchronization anyway. Then again if you have Exchange Server (which a lot of people do have) then you can sync over the air, very nice, I use it everyday. Yet you say that PC syncing is better on the Palm, even though WM comes bundled with Outlook, or did you forget that. When I have used a Palm with Outlook it came up with a very annoying security message every time, correct me if I'm wrong on that, but I would say that is not flawless.

As for the user interface in my "informal survey" I found all my respondents liked Windows Mobile much better. As for the PIM software you call it a draw then go onto mention that all WM devices support voice notes, and these sync with Outlook for later replay or you can email them.

As for saying Palm software is better than Windows mobile is one of the biggest mistakes you could have done. As a software engineer I can say that its definitely about quality not quantity. The tools provided to people such as myself are many times better on the windows front, Mobile or not. Perhaps the biggest thing you didn't mention was the .Net Compact Framework, which enables developers to produce high quality applications very quickly. Palm does not have the Compact Framework, and if your comeback includes the words Java then you are missing the point. My primary language used to be Java but it really doesn't stack up these days against the .Net Framework, not from a language POV but from the support given to developers.

It is a shame that so many people will read this article and go and purchase a Palm when they are inferior in so many ways. Shame on you ZDNet, I used to think you were for the most part impartial; this is a complete sham of a report.

I am not a MS supporter, I have no financial ties with any MS product, I just think they have a much better product in my many years experience. Perhaps you should have included a segment on cost, Palm knows they are not as good and charge less (or MS thinks they are better), however I didn't see that mentioned anywhere.

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i dont know pocket pc and pda ...Anonymous -- 20/10/04

i dont know pocket pc and pda hv difference

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Palm tx Anonymous -- 24/11/08

All i have to say is that the palm tx far surpasses any pocket pc

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