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View Full Version : Can you use a pocket pc to read and post here?



Keith Ratliff
04-21-2005, 9:34 PM
I am going to try and start using wireless internet with my HP4705 pocket PC and I would like to know if you can use them to view read and post at this site? I know this is a off question but I would like to here from Pocket PC users. What works? Anything I should buy extra or need?
Thanks
Keith

Jim Becker
04-21-2005, 9:58 PM
General web browsing is difficult with small-screen devices like PDAs and today's wireless phones. Most companies that want to offer that internally (for those devices as well as IP phones) use a special gateway system that translates the required web pages into a format best for the target device or devices. An example of that gateway is a product from Net-6, now owned by Citrix. (My company OEM's the device for distribution to our customers for this purpose as do virtually all our competitors) The "web browsing" you can do from your wireless phone is processed similarly...it's not usually direct access to the Internet like you have with your "regular" PC.

Pocket PC, since it's based on Windows, conceivably could browse the site, but it will be darn hard to read!

Jeremy Bracey
04-21-2005, 11:40 PM
I disagree a little here. Thier are many ways to view something from a handheld device. Some work, some dont. I have several handheld wireless devices. All of mine are GSM/GPRS cell phone/PDA devices. The Audiovox 4100 is a windows mobile (formally windows CE) device. It can browse ok. Explorer for windows mobile has gotten much better. Everything has a tendancy to be stretched (usually vertically) but it is ok. You do need to scroll a lot. This is the case with most all windows mobile based devices.

I prefer (for my situation) the Symbian OS based Sony Ericsson P910. It has a built in browser but I choose to use the aftermarket OPERA browser instead. This piece of software does a great job reformatting HTML sites for the small screen.

To make a short answer long, yes you can BROWSE the creek easily on a PDA. It is a little difficult to do a lot of data entry. I wouldnt want to type this long winded response with one. I have browsed this site on both of the devices I mentioned above. Often when sitting in an airport I use them to browse and read postings instead of dragging out my laptop. I dont think I have ever used it to post here. Not that you coudlnt, its just a bit of a pain.

Keith Ratliff
04-22-2005, 1:38 AM
I was just needing to know that I could since I am sending my laptop with my wife on a trip and will be limited to a handheld with 56k modem card and wireless gsm card. I will be posting alittle here and there but not as much as I do now.....

Dan Mages
04-22-2005, 7:19 AM
Why yes you can! I have access to all sorts of coool wireless toys. One of them is the Motorola MPx cellphone, sometimes called the MPx300. This nifty GSM phone has a full QUERTY keyboard, Windows Mobile a dual flip for phone or laptop style use, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and yes... it has WiFi. I sat in Miami's airport for a short while and surfed the web at broadband speeds while I was waiting for my flight. No problems at all with screen resolution on most sites.

3 bits, adjusted for inflation.

Dan

Jim Becker
04-22-2005, 8:40 AM
I just want to clarify my comments in case they were misunderstood...I was not saying, "no you can't", just that it might be challenging. As an aside, I personally hate scrolling on my normal computers and couldn't imagine my "enjoyment" with it on a really small screen!

Ken Fitzgerald
04-22-2005, 8:44 AM
In my daily work I use a cellphone/PDA combination to access certain company websites. While it does it somewhat okay....as Jim and others stated it's a pain with such a small screen and scrolling that small screen causes me to miss a lot of information. It works but........

Dennis Peacock
04-22-2005, 8:56 AM
It will work.....but to me......? It's like scrolling around a football field!!!! :eek: :D So I don't.!!! :rolleyes: :D Some folks like it. just not me. ;)

Mike Ramsey
04-25-2005, 4:55 PM
I agree with Dennis, my HP iPaq works fine with great resolution and it's wireless but after
about 5 minutes of the scrolling every which way to see everything i quit!!!