Dave's iPAQ

I think you get an eye into the type of company when you look at how well they package their products. It sort of tells you a little about them and what they feel about their product. Both cases came in a box, in a box, in a box and then wrapped neatly in a protective covering. The DeLuxe Case was carefully wrapped in tissue paper, tapped and a leather seal attached to the paper. The Belt Clip Case was nicely wrapped in a cloth with the same leather seal. It was classy packaging that told me that I was dealing with a classy company…one that is proud of their product!

The quality of the leather on both cases is incredible. It is a luxurious European style of calf that has a subtle underlay. It has a great look and a really nice feel to it. The craftsmanship is remarkable and without question the best that I have had in any leather case. Precise fit, fine lines, quality leather…a perfect balance between visual art and functionality.

CasesOnLine …. a perfect choice for your iPAQ!

Pro’s

Quality Leather

Superb craftsmanship

Excellent Protection for your Device

Competitive Pricing

Professional

Con’s

None

Rating: 5 out of 5

You can visit CasesOnline here

The DeLuxe Case has three credit card slots, two elasticized SD cardholders, and a storage pocket for my cash as well as an attached flap that has an ID pocket with a small notepad on the reverse side. I particularly liked the ability to fasten the ID with a snap closure to protect against loss of my ID or cash. It is a neat design. Over all, the case is slightly oversized due to the added ID pocket and notepad but clearly smaller than me carrying my wallet and my iPAQ in a different case. All in One…I like that!

My iPAQ slid neatly into a molded leather encasement that had just the right “cut-outs” for the reset hole, external microphone jack, volume/record button and unrestricted access to the fingerprint reader and connector for charging. At the top, there is a cut away allowing access to the power on button and a clear view of the speaker and indicator lights. Between the outside flap and the molded holder there is an elasticized sleeve for an extra stylus or a thin pen…a nice idea!

The case fastens with a tab closure that not only works to keep the case closed but can be reversed to keep the flap underneath for one-handed use. The Deluxe Case and the Slim Case are exactly the same except for the ID/note pad flap. There is a difference in size because of the flap but not much (about 5/8 of an inch). Depending on your needs, either case is a great choice!

I have been putting this article off for many reasons which I would not like to disclose but just recently I thought it was of importance. On January 6th 2005 we posted screenshots of Microsoft’s soon to be announced new OS from the site Neowin.net. During this time our site got linked from the famous Slashdot.org website which created a tremendous amount of curiosity from readers who would like to see it. On January 7th I received an email from Microsoft’s Internet Antipiracy team requesting I pull the entire story. In the letter enclosed it did state if I did not pull the story there would be legal repercussions involved. Since I wasn’t sure if this was a legit document I requested from the attorney’s to call me directly. Within one hour I received a call from them telling me that it would be beneficial for me to pull it. After speaking with them I pulled the story from our site.

Over the next week, I had noticed other sites posting the images and story in which I reached out again to Microsoft asking if I could repost the story. It was re-iterated that I do not and that if I were to they would proceed with the next steps. One site that stood up to Microsoft was Engadget.com. Engadget is one of my favorite sites and was following the case through Engadget’s communication through his website. Since Engadget has some relationship’s within Microsoft he was able to contact Robert Scoble who works at Microsoft was introducing Engadget to the folks in the Mobile group so they could work out whatever their issue article that Engadget cut a deal with Microsoft to keep the story up.

On January 27th I requested to speak directly to Microsoft about my letter in which I was told by the attorney in England he would relay the message and have someone contact me. On January 28th I received a call from one of Microsoft’s Attorneys is Redmond, WA explaining to me why the story needed to be pulled. I told her I don’t think I have an issue on why the story needed to be pulled but more on how this issue has been handled. Some of my questions were

1) The letter I received was extremely harsh and threatening. It spoke about copyright infringements and distribution of copyrighted software.

Quote Her response was that the letter is a generic letter that probably should have been revised before it was sent out. I was told that they would work on revising this letter since she agreed it was too generic. 2) Why was it ok for Engadget to keep the image and story up? Quote Her response was that through his conversations with the Windows Mobile group they felt the image he had up was not too compelling and that he could keep it up. I told her that if that is the case then Microsoft is selectively discriminating my site since I do not have a relationship with Microsoft and that if you enforce it for one it has to be enforced for all! Also if it wasn’t too compelling why did they send him the letter originally? 3) Why is Microsoft posting PowerPoint presentations on their site with information that unveils Windows Mobile 2005 information. but then threatening my site for posting my story? Quote Her response was that she wasn’t aware of this but wasn’t shocked that it could have happened. She would forward this information to the Windows Mobile group for their feedback.

As hopefully all of you can understand I feel very strong about this issue. My site was targeted and threatened to be shutdown with legal repercussions by Microsoft. For the past 5 years this site has done nothing but promote Microsoft’s products at my own financial expense! I have spent many hours outside of my fulltime job evangelizing this platform for what? To be threatened and bullied? I don’t think so Microsoft! Maybe a good suggestion is to pick up the phone and talk to me first before you threaten my community!

In conclusion Microsoft I would appreciate it that someone pickup the phone a contact me directly to resolve this.

Quote The statements made in this article are my own statements not the statements or opinions of any of the Editors or Moderators of this community.

Email I received from Microsoft

VIA EMAIL: Demand for Immediate Take-Down: Notice of Infringing Activity URL: http://davesipaq.com/news/004364/windows_mobile_2005_revealed CASE #: 35967 06 January 2005

Dear Sir or Madam,

Microsoft has received information that the domain listed above, which appears to be on servers under your control, is offering unlicensed copies of, or is engaged in other unauthorized activities relating to copyrighted computer programs published by Microsoft.

1. Identification of copyrighted works: Windows Mobile 2005 Copyright owner: Microsoft Corporation 2. Copyright infringing material or activity found at the following location(s): http://davesipaq.com/news/004364/windows_mobile_2005_revealed

The above material is being made available at the above location without authorization of the copyright owner.

3. Statement of authority: I hereby certify under penalty of perjury that the information in this notice is accurate and that I am authorized to act on behalf of Microsoft, the owner of the copyright(s) in the work(s) identified above. I have a good faith belief that none of the materials or activities listed above have been authorized by Microsoft, its agents, or the law.

We hereby give notice of these activities to you and request that you take expeditious action to remove or disable access to the material described above, and thereby prevent the illegal reproduction and distribution of this software via your company’s network.

We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. Please advise us regarding what actions you take.

Yours sincerely, NAME REMOVED Internet Investigator on behalf of Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 United States of America

Microsoft-Watch carries the story

Don’t you just love a birthday party? Astraware does and as many of you know, they are celebrating their 5th Birthday with a terrific Treasure Hunt for you to participate in.

For a chance of winning one of these excellent prizes simply answer the questions HERE, fill in your details and click submit. The site logo next to each question will take you to the websites where you can find the answers.

There is still plenty of time but you don’t want to wait too long! Let us know how you make out … Good Luck!!

If you are interested I was on the Leo Leporte show on KFI Radio 640AM last week. You can get the audiostream now. Leo talked to me about the current issue I was having with Microsoft. If you have some time come listen..

If you aren’t familiar with Leo here is his bio.

Leo Laporte majored in Chinese history as an undergraduate at Yale University. Since then he has worked as an author, speaker, and broadcaster in New Haven, Monterey, San Jose, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, most recently focusing on technology coverage for radio and television.

Laporte has written software for CP/M, Macintosh, and PC compatible computers including the popular open source programs, QDial and MacArc for the Macintosh. From 1985 to 1988, he operated one of the first Macintosh-only computer bulletin board systems, MacQueue.

He was the co-author, with former ABC Technology Correspondent Gina Smith, of ” 101 Computer Answers You Need to Know,” a computer book for beginners published in 1995 by Ziff-Davis Press. He has written about computer hardware and software for Byte, MacUser, and InfoWorld magazines, and he has contributed chapters to “Dvorak’s Guide to PC Telecommunications” and “Dvorak’s Inside Track to the Mac,” both published by Osborne/McGraw Hill. He has written four bestselling “Technology Almanacs.” “Leo Laporte’s 2003 Technology Almanac” was Pearson Publishing’s Book of the Year.

In 2000-2001, Leo was a Contributing Editor at Access Magazine, a Sunday newspaper magazine supplement with an estimated readership of 13 million in 80 markets nationwide.

In January, 1991 he created and co-hosted Dvorak On Computers, the most listened to high tech talk radio show in the nation, syndicated on over 60 stations and around the world on the Armed Forces Radio Network. Laporte also hosted Laporte on Computers on KSFO and KGO Radio in San Francisco.

On television, Laporte was host of Internet! a weekly half-hour show airing on PBS in 215 cities nationwide. He reported on new media for Today’s First Edition, on PBS, and did daily product reviews and demos on New Media News, broadcast nationally on Jones Computer Network and ME/U, and regionally on San Francisco’s Bay TV.

He was a Managing Editor at Ziff-Davis Television, where he wrote and co-hosted “The Personal Computing Show,” a half-hour weekly television show for beginning computer users that aired on CNBC. He created and was a daily contributor to The Site, an hour-long technology newsmagazine that aired nightly on MSNBC, CNBC International, and NBC Superchannel in Europe and Asia. Laporte won an Emmy in 1997 for his work on The Site. He also hosted two shows on TechTV (formerly ZDTV), a 24-hour cable channel dedicated to computers and the Internet. Call for Help and The Screen Savers aired live every weekday from 1998 to 2004.

Download the interview Here

There are a myriad of cases available for a consumer to choose from to guard and protect their iPAQ. Some are plastic, some are metal and others are leather. Coupled with the quality of the product and price ranges from economical to ultra expensive, the choice is difficult to make; that is until you look at the superb line of cases created by CasesOnline.

I needed a new case for my 5555 and I wanted to have a better means of carrying my 1940…where did I go? CasesOnLine of course! Why? Actually, I made my choice for a variety of reasons. I found that the look of all their cases is simple and I like that. They have a look of elegance that is clearly understated. Nothing fancy, just a great looking case that draws attention without the appearance of being ostentatious. The design is classy; it has style and fashion.

With the variety of choices offered, the most discriminating shopper can pick a case that is understated and yet, very professional looking. With all that however, the real reason for getting a case is to have a place to store it and keep it protected from drops and other types of abuse. Each case that is offered has a design that will protect your unit from the unexpected. I was very impressed with the way that the leather enveloped my iPAQ so it was protected from any angle.

My 5555 is a constant companion and rarely is not with me. Its functionality is too useful not to have it with me especially with the increase of hotspots. Because I dislike carrying a wallet in my back pocket, having a case that I could keep my driver’s license, health, credit cards and some money in was a factor in the case I would choose. The choice was easy; the Deluxe Case fit the need!

While Michael is correct that a company’s first obligation is to its stockholders, he has missed a crucial point — if you piss off your customers, they’re likely to leave. As the HP Forum thread on this shows, many people will take exactly that approach — and they’ll stop buying other HP products, too. I recall reading that customers are about seven times as likely to tell others about bad experiences with a company than about good experiences, too. That won’t help HP’s stockholders, will it? As for the claim that all the features won’t fit, I don’t buy that. My iPAQ 5550 has a 17.4 MB iPAQ File Store, which is basically Flash ROM that hasn’t been used. Put the extra features there and reduce the size of my iPAQ File Store. Another alternative is to offer the Professional version as the upgrade, which leaves some of the programs normally in the ROM image out and supplies them as RAM-installable versions. That’s what Microsoft did with Pocket PC 2002 and, I think, Windows Mobile 2003.

As for HP’s claim that some applications won’t work in landscape in SE, so what? The user can switch back to portrait without a soft reset.

Even if the application crashes the iPAQ, so what? Not all Pocket PC 2000 applications worked in Pocket PC 2002, and Compaq made the upgrade available. Not all Pocket PC 2002 applications worked in Windows Mobile 2003, and HP made that upgrade available. In fact, WM 2003 was a much more “dangerous” upgrade, I thought, because it severely changed the operating system infrastructure (swithcing from Windows CE 3.0 to 4.2, for example). The claim that current programs exist for landscape mode is also full of holes.

First, many of Microsoft’s existing Windows Mobile 2003 applications won’t work well in landscape, requiring a switch back to portrait to function properly. They should work fine in the SE upgrade because they’ll be designed to work properly in both portrait and landscape mode.

Second, the existing landscape programs require a soft reset to switch modes, a significant penalty. I have dotPocket, but don’t use it for landscape mode precisely because I don’t want to soft rest while I’m in the middle of doing something.

To see examples of applications that don’t work well in landscape, see my dotPocket review.

The only feature of SE that may not provide a benefit to existing iPAQ users is the VGA support, but even that’s iffy. If the ability to scale fonts works in QVGA mode, even the VGA support will provide a benefit. Compaq and HP have shown in the past that they can offer challenging upgrades, and I’m sure HP could do it again. They just don’t want to.

Many people still won’t buy Toshiba Pocket PCs because Toshiba had a habit of abandoning users of recently purchased devices. They seem to have learned their lesson, and offered SE upgrades for the e400 and e800 series. (And the upgrades were free, too.) It’s too bad HP is going backwards, and will likely learn the same lesson the hard way.

Steve Silicon Valley Pocket PC

http://www.svpocketpc.com

I was lucky enough to be browsing our forums and noticed a username speckproducts. I sent this user an email since I went over to their site and was pleasantly suprised. Speck Products is announcing a new line of rubberized skin cases under their SkinTight brand for PDAs. The new SkinTight cases provide rubberized protection and a ‘skin tight’ fit without adding bulk.

Their unique Dynaflex material stretches over and hugs the PDA and provides a great grippy feel. The included screen cover easily flips out of the way and prevents damage to the delicate screen.

The SkinTight cases are available for the HP IPAQ 1900 series PDAs. They come in 3 colors which allow consumers to personalize their PDA with a splash of translucent color. They are available now at retailers and www.speckproducts.com and are sold individually for $24.95 and as a 3-Pack for $34.95. The SkinTight case for the Zire 71 will be available in late April.

“Speck Products has had tremendous success with our line of rubberized skins for the iPods.” said General Manager Tim Hickman. “iPod Consumers love the low-profile protection that doesn’t add bulk and they love the great non-slip grippy feel. PDA consumers will especially love our SkinTight PDA skins because they’re small, they protect the screen, and the PDA can be synced without taking it out of the case..”

I was lucky enough to get my case to review and I was pleasantly suprised. These cases are extremely form fitting and for my 1940 add the needed protection. I enjoyed these cases so much I sent my over to our assitant editor Jack Cook for his ideas. I can say I am extremely impressed with this case and especially the price factor. If you are looking for a skin case and can’t afford a Vaja case be sure to run over to Speck Products and order yours now..

Order from Speck Products!

I am catching up so if you already have this sorry. This SoftPaq contains the Nevo software update for English ROM Version 1.00.45 to fix the issue with reading the serial number on the iPAQ h5400 Series Pocket PC to allow downloading device codes and key functions. I personally am not a big Nevo user have always had issues with the range of the iPAQ’s IR port.

Many of you know from past reviews how I love a leather case over almost every other type of case. The look, the feel, the professional aspect of a leather case has always been part of my belief in how I should protect my investment. The problem however is when you encase your device in leather (or any other material), you lose the ability to SEE your device.

I suppose for a variety of situations that is OK but more often than not, I have found myself in a situation were the covering of the front has been a CLEAR obstacle in the ability to use my device. One example is using my GPS while driving. I found that I would remove my iPAQ from the case it was in just to be able to see the screen…so now where was my protection? CLEARLY, I had none and CLEAR is the operative word here because JAVOedge saw a similar problem.

They recognized that users want the ability to protect their devices and still want to be able to view their screens and continue to admire the inherent beauty of their device. And so they brought forward a unique means for you to have it all — CLEAR Protection for your device.

The JAVOClearCase, made from a polycarbonate plastic that is extremely durable, will protect your device from damage caused from minor drops, bumps, and scraping. This is the same material that is used on bulletproof plastic so you know that there is a high degree of protection. Designed to fit your iPAQ perfectly, it envelops your device allowing you to view and access your iPAQ without having to remove it from the case.