Im getting closer and closer to getting myself a pda.. (probably either a xda exec or a xda mini) and wonder what people rekon the "essential" software installs are and any decent resources to get pocket pc software.

I have the benefit of the XDA EXEC, XDA IIs and MDA Compact.

Out of the three, the MDA Compact is the fastest - altough not the actual fastest CPU Speed.

Programs - the XDA EXEC is a mare being WM5 - there aren't a lot of programs compatible. If they do run, remember they will not look right, since the screen is 4 times as big.

However, it's a SUPERB bit of kit and i can't live without it. I'm holding out for new releases compatible with WM5.

This is a good site :

http://www.wm5fixsite.com/

Anyhoo - i'd recommend the EXEC anyday

If you need any info feel free to pm me.

I have an Axim X3 and TBH I only use it for Tom Tom and making sure I actually go to my appointments using the calender. I have a DVD full of software I got from Ebay and haven't even looked at it yet.

Seen as though I have just got my docking station working with my home PC I might have a nose through the disk to see if there is anything useful on it!

I have the benefit of the XDA EXEC' date=' XDA IIs and MDA Compact.

Out of the three, the MDA Compact is the fastest - altough not the actual fastest CPU Speed.

Programs - the XDA EXEC is a mare being WM5 - there aren't a lot of programs compatible. If they do run, remember they will not look right, since the screen is 4 times as big.

However, it's a SUPERB bit of kit and i can't live without it. I'm holding out for new releases compatible with WM5.

This is a good site :

http://www.wm5fixsite.com/

Anyhoo - i'd recommend the EXEC anyday

If you need any info feel free to pm me.

Well from my point of view.. (my bro has a exec and has just bought a mini too - both are mobile 5)

i like the mini, because of its size.. the reason i havent got one earlier is because i dont want to look like a tit with a hooj phone in a pub.

i love the idea of having the vga screen, because in the longterm, it may be used for remotely supporting my work.. makes terminal services soo much better!

im gonna borrow the mini next week and see how i get on with it. will it run tomtom?

what else do you use your exec for?

It doesn't run TT3.

The latest version of TT5 DOES run (apparantly) but it's a mare to get a dodgy copy working. Legit all the way

I use mine for contacts, Wifi access to net, day to day stuff - i'm a Project Engineer so it helps a bit here. Games of course

The VGA screen is ace though...

I can't stand the Exec - i sent mine back to O2 and the Pro back to T-Mobile Horrible fragile, slow. I do really love the concept but it's executed really badly and is as big as a 1980's mobile! I hope the next version is better and I really really hope that HTC actually put GPS in to this years devices

Don't buy a mini or a 2s just yet as the Xda2s is about to be replaced by the mini-S which is basically the same as the mini, but with a horizontally sliding keyboard, it runs WM5 and in consumer mode is as slow as the Exec but just feels better executed... I've had one on test for a couple of weeks and it's not bad at all...

You can enter a corporate pin on most of these devices btw when hard booting and it installs a clean version without all the "Active" stuff but i cant remember what it is - do a search on xda-developers and i'm sure it will be listed

When installing enter 0506

And then soft reset before it starts loading - jobs a good un

Hi,

I have the following on my MDA Compact

Tom Tom 5

Memory Map (OS MAP GPS)

PocketBreeze - Calendar program

ContactsBreeze

iLauncher

PocketWeather

MortPlayer - MP3

Monopoly

Texas Hold-em

MS VoiceCommand

OnSpeed - Speeds up internet

All work well on the Compact.

Looking at an imate Jamin as my next phone.

Regards

http://forum.xda-developers.com/

good source of info... ive had the 2s... found it really useful but would have ditched the sludy kb and got a IIi if bought again. faster cpu.

you can put wm5 on a IIs/IIi but as others have said WM5 appears to be a bag of spanners..

DaveU... it is the Mini.S with the keyboard... its a pain to type numbers in... took me 15 mins to enter my wifi wep code

I was looking at one of the small iMate phones on T-Mobile (Web and Walk 40mb and 400mins xnet).

It had a slide out keyboard that made the screen turn from portrait to landscape when you slid it out.

I am still quite interested in this phone as it's not too big and runs WM5, however the screen isn't very big and I want something that will replace my Palm Tungsten T3 AND my Phone.

The Exec just looked too bulky to use as your main phone all the time.

I've got until May (iirc) to decide, as that's when my Voda contract ends.

With regards to tarriffs too, I use 400mins xnet, 50 texts and usually about 5meg of gprs... Any suggestions on which network to go on next (or is that T-Mobile deal as good as I'm going to get?).

For what its worth I have an Ipaq 6340 which is both PDA and phone. Great combination if you need both because you can also use it for the software that I find essential - Tom Tom 5 with camera alerts always on.

So you get phone PDA sat nav and camera alerts all in one unit. Hook it up to a BT car kit and holder/mount for power (I have Parrot 3300 combined BT car kit and sat nav receiver and a Brodit mount) and hard wire it into power and audio and you end up with a neat all purpose kit that does everything I want.

I wanted a sat nav solution I could swap from car to car and hence something with a decent screen size. I also needed to replace a failing Palm m500 PDA with something new.

I went for the Mitac Mio A201 WM5 based PDA with Co-Pilot 6 Sat Nav software. £380 all in (inc £140 for Sat Nav software) which is a lot of money as far as i'm concerned but it got me a windows based PDA and the very latest satnav software with better coverage here than Tom Tom. When you look at it like that it's a bargain.

The Mio has a built-in GPS receiver so i can use it in the car, on my bike or walking. there's bluetooth built-in but no wifi facility but i'm unlikely to need it and if I do i'm sure i'll be able to get a wifi SD card for it at some stage. It also has a user replaceable battery.

I loved the idea of my phone being built into the PDA but in the end I decided that a standalone phone with a 1/2 built-in decent camera was the way to go.

I haven't got around to the essential software yet as everything i need is built-in eg pocket word, excel, media player and activesync. Only installed Copilot so far but i've got a DVD full of software to install and screw it up with.

I just got the xda exec today for £99 Well chuffed with it, but thats cos I only played with it for 3 hours

It certainly won't replace my phone, but as a PDA it will do. What's this "corporate mode" you refer to, Dave?

As Manguish said above, do a hard reset and when it asks if its personal or corporate, enter corporate, then enter 0506 as the pin and it boots with a 'clean' rom without all the o2 active which slows it down. I didn't try this with the exec before i send it back so i dont know if it works

£99 is a bargain in anyones books Q how did you manage that? Im sure there are plenty of people who are interested - they still go for £600 on Expansys!

As Manguish said above, do a hard reset and when it asks if its personal or corporate, enter corporate, then enter 0506 as the pin and it boots with a 'clean' rom without all the o2 active which slows it down. I didn't try this with the exec before i send it back so i dont know if it works

Will give this a go then next time I'm doing a hard reset (done about 4 already).

Will give this a go then next time I'm doing a hard reset (done about 4 already).

In the January salesbrochure their was a misprint on page 33. It stated that it was