ActiveSync USB Glitches with Windows Mobile 5.0

If you have a handheld device running Windows Mobile 5.0, and you are using Microsoft ActiveSync 4.0 while syncing with a USB connection, you may want to read this article at The Register, about problems people are having, and what Microsoft is doing to fix it. There is also a listing of devices affected (at least European devices).

Handheld Computers: A Genealogist’s View – Part 3

Dick Eastman (Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter) concludes his series, Handheld Computers: A Genealogist’s View, with part 3.

Part 3 covers genealogy programs available for Pocket PC/Windows Mobile handhelds.

Palm: Palm TX

Palm has also introduced a new Palm OS handheld, the Palm TX, which looks to be a good fit for many genealogists that prefer using Palm OS. PalmInfoCenter.com also has a review of it. It retails for $299, and it uses the same screen as the LifeDrive.

Updated: PC Magazine has also written a review of the TX.

Unlike the Z22, the TX has several features beneficial to genealogists: 1)320×480 resolution. Much nicer/easier to read genealogy data. Many programs support it, why not use it. 2)128MB built-in memory, with around 100MB available to the user. 3)Secure Digital or SD storage – basically it’s a flash memory card that you can use in addition to your normal on-board memory. PalmInfoCenter reports that you can retreive and save information on this card. You can also store photos on, as well as using it as temporary storage for moving files between computers, or having as a backup. The price of SD cards has come down dramatically over the past year, and you should be able to pick up a 256MB or 512MB card for a very reasonable price. 4)Wi-Fi – now that more and more libraries and research centers are supporting free, wireless internet access, this would be a good thing to have in those emergencies where you need to look something up on the internet. You can also use it to check your email. 5)Bluetooth – PalmInfoCenter didn’t confirm it, but you should be able to use a Bluetooth keyboard with this – great for quick data entry, and there are several quality Bluetooth keyboards for PDAs that fold up to a convenient size.

Palm: Z22 Organizer

Palm debuted the Z22 Organizer today. The Z22 has a color screen and retails for $99. Yes, $99. PalmInfoCenter.com has a review of the Z22.

Before you start getting the credit card out, consider my advice: This would not make a good handheld device for a genealogist.

Why? It has 32MB of memory, and it’s actually more like 20MB of memory. That’s not enough memory to store the applications and data you need as a genealogist these days. It doesn’t have any kind of flash memory card expansion. Its screen is also 160×160 – that was great a few years ago, but with some Palm genealogy applications supporting a higher-resolution, you might as well try to get a Palm that takes advantage of it.

Apple: New iPod (Video Capable)

As I mentioned on MacGenealogy.org, Apple has introduced a new iPod, capable of streaming video through a TV, or even watching on the iPod.

If you are thinking about showing a lot of video and photos at a family reunion, this should be a consideration, since you could have all of your video and photos on the iPod, and all you would need would be a TV. No messing with slides, projectors, VCRs, laptops, etc.

The 30GB version costs $299, and the 60GB version costs $399.

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