Re: Dell X30 vs HP IPAQ 4150, which one is better?

hel_at_40th.com
Date: 09/04/04 

Date: Sat, 04 Sep 2004 12:30:55 -0700

S- [Sat, 4 Sep 2004 09:59:52 -0600]:
>The addition of two extra buttons and a jog dial is also

One extra button, and it's usually only used to power up
the radios (unfortunately, both come on). (Most PDAs have
five buttons.) The jog wheel exactly duplicates the
function of the joypad (up/down, in). The X30 has plenty
of room for that luxury.

The PXA255/400 in the 4155 is faster than the PXA270/312
that comes in the cheaper X30s (not that you'd notice; and
so-called WMMX software is rare and only suitable for video).
The 312 easily clocks to 416 [1], though, and they run about
the same. Most notable in the speed department is how much
faster the SD file read is: 3.0 MB/sec for the X30 versus
1.0 MB/sec for the 4150.

The 624 MHz is running 208 x 3.0 turbo (at 312 it's running
208 x 1.5 turbo). The more turbo boost the less real gain
per MHz, so 624 MHz in real-life won't be twice as fast as
312, not even close (except in an unrealistic BM). SDRAM
runs at 104 MHz.

The X30 is a lot bulkier than the 4150. You don't even
have to have both -- just believe it. The X30 also has
that "yellow tint", only you won't notice it unless you
use landscape, and then, like the 4100, only if you tilt
the screen to an angle you wouldn't normally use. The
4100 screen, in my view, is better -- call it sexier.

The main difference in the cheaper 312 from the 624 Dell
is that with the 624 you get a cradle (otherwise they
are identical). The 312 gets you a cable, with two power
attachments: one w/power+usb and the other with only power.
I'd expect the 312 to have better battery life, since it
runs the CPU at a fixed ~1.25V versus the 624 which runs
at ~1.55V.

[1] How to run the 312 @ 416? See here:

 http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?threadid=109430

The X50 series is worth the wait, if you're thinking
about getting something new. Hopefully HTC will make
these, too. It made the X30 (older versions were made
by Winstron), and most of the iPAQs.

Now if only whoever designs these things would realize
that nobody wants to see large, bright, flashing LEDs...

BTW, the 4150 is better. 

-- 
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