Windows CE has the potential clout to generate the kinds of numbers in sales to cause the changes we users want and speak about to become reality (improved features, etc.). I for one am enjoying the ride.
I have owned and used the HP95LX, HP100LX, OB300, Newton 120, Sharp Zaurus, Casio A-11, and now an HP 320LX Palmtop PC. None of the machines prior to the WindowsCE devices allowed me to leave my laptop home on trips. None of them. This feature, along with the ability to connect to all my information on my Win95 machines, makes the HP 320LX the most fully used of all I've tried.
This is probably because my usage requirements fit EXACTLY what Windows CE is intended to address: the Windows95 or NT user that needs compatibility and connectivity with his/her information on the desktop. And this it does better than anything else I've tried.
I can take an extended business trip and leave my laptop at the office. Completely. I wouldn't trade that for anything else.
Everybody has different needs, and a lot of HP 200LX users need a complete, stand-alone device that's very mobile. It does this very well indeed. Those users should keep using their 200LXs, and I understand HP will continue to sell them for this segment of the market.
There is no perfect device that fits everybody. "One size fits all" does not apply to the computer handheld market.
I have had a keen interest in the handheld market for a long time. My first "handheld"? An Apple IIc with a $1,000 black and white LCD screen that allowed the IIc to be "portable." (As long as you had a 1,000-foot extension cord for the power.)
James Kendrick
70312.3513@compuserve.com