Filed under: Internet, Windows Mobile, Productivity, Mobile Minute
3 Mobile Web Apps that keep old Pocket PCs relevant
My iPaq might be two and a half years old, but it's got a thumboard and WiFi. While that might not count for much, it's enough to let me rock on with three mobile web apps that have allowed me to stick with Old Faithful instead of springing for a new device.What are they? Gmail, Google Reader, and Ping.Fm Mobile.
The three things I really want to be able to do with my handheld are check and send email, read my RSS feeds, and update my status on sites like Twitter, Plurk, etc. I am, however, terrible at remembering to keep my iPaq docked and charged, and I'm not good at saving my favorite mobile app installers when I reformat my base PC.
All of which means that I need three simple apps that will run well on a freshly booted, totally naked Pocket PC 2003 install with clunky old Pocket Internet Explorer.
These three have never let me down. They're all formatted nicely for my vertical QVGA screen and stripped of any annoying elements that mess with rendering. What's more, I can follow Brad's advice and have all three open in tabs at the same time.
Gmail is great with a thumboard, and way better than texting from my cell. Reader does an excellent job of reformatting all my feeds so that they're easily readable. Using Ping.Fm means I don't have to worry about whether or not sites like Plurk, Rejaw, or Pownce will function on the iPaq. One simple form updates them all for me. Rad.
These three must haves - along with the basic PIM and media functions that Pocket PC 2003 came with - are enough to keep me productive, even with a handheld that's woefully out of date by today's standards.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Todd said 6:03PM on 8-29-2008
Never understood why some people continue to use obsolete old technology, even though updating would save them money. Most are smart, so much so their hourly labor rates are in the hundreds of dollars, but they waste all kinds of time making a note or sending a text message on their ancient phone with it's slow processor...
...then again, I don't understand why a technology blog ( *cough* Download Squad *cough* ) would devote an entire day encouraging people to NOT update their tech.
If you are using a phone that is more than three years old, ask your self how many hours a month do you waste over-compensating for it based on your hourly rate of pay? $50? $200? What's that add up to a year? A couple grand? iPhone and Sony's Xperia are cheap by comparison.
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Tron said 6:04PM on 8-29-2008
Totally agree. C'mon Download squad... Don't turn into Engadget.
Lee Mathews said 6:37PM on 8-29-2008
Obsolete? I can't understand why someone would be so elitist to call a Pocket PC 2003 device "obsolete." Abandoning technology as soon as it's fashionable leads to how much garbage in our landfills every year?
The point of this was to show that three effective web apps (DownloadSquad material) can keep even old hardware productive. See also: Linux.
burnblue said 10:14PM on 8-29-2008
If you already own a certain device, I believe that this type of article is good for letting you know that you don't have o run out and throw money on something new when you already have the features.
I only recently lost a Siemens SX-66, an old phone, but I haven't seen another phone with a nicer form factor come out yet. I could upgrade the WM OS on it, and install any of the plethora of free apps that let me do things the iPhone cannot.
The point of these posts is there is no ("overcompensation") cost for continuing to rock with your old WM phone.
DiRT said 9:19AM on 8-30-2008
WTF? There's no logic in your comment. How are you wasting time typing a note on an "obsolete" phone. It's not like typing on the iPhone is easy - in fact, it sucks! With no real buttons to feel, I hate the interface. I have to check and double check that I actually did hit the button.
Grow up, Todd. Nice at&t logo avatar and iPhone shill, BTW.
Rawker said 10:13PM on 8-29-2008
funny, my obsolete vx6600, or my old 6700's both have 90% of the functionality of a iphone, full web with skyfire/opera, can play nearly any media file, and it has copy paste, just no multi touch or tilt sensors....
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Unknown said 5:03PM on 8-30-2008
and an apple logo
PG said 9:01PM on 8-30-2008
My ol' HTC Wizard with a full keyboard and WiFi does most of what the iPhone does today. So what's the big deal with the iPhone other than hoopla?
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RB-338 said 6:06PM on 8-31-2008
I am still getting lots out of my iPaq hx4700 running Windows Mobile 2003SE. Used it back home this weekend, used it on vacation all summer.
Opera Pocket v8.65 and MSN (using the phone as 3G modem over Bluetooth if there is no WiFi available), SPB for quick and easy weather updates and SCUMMVM for some of the best gaming there is to be had.
It is all good and I expect it keep up for another five years!
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superrrguy said 4:22PM on 9-01-2008
I have a Toshiba e805.
I love that it's vga and has a 4 inch screen but it's pretty damn useless.
None of the new software out there works and most mobile website won't open.
Besides that it does come in handy when my Tilt battery is charging.
I have a keyboard and monitor that I can attach to the e805 but it's not really that useful.
I wish MS wouldn't abandon slightly older devices.
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Jesse said 8:05PM on 9-01-2008
Not to mention that "new" technology is always user friendly. My GF and I are both reasonably techie but after 4 months of fighting with her Palm Centro we replaced it with a Nokia 9300 because we were tired of needing a college course in how to use the d*** thing.
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