Palm OS v Pocket PC 2002
Published: 13 Jun 2002
With all the flash of Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 operating system, one might easily assume that it's the far superior handheld OS. But we wanted to really compare the features of Pocket PC 2002 and Palm OS 4.0 to see exactly what you get with each.
The contest isn't quite as one-sided as you might suspect. Pocket PC has the clear lead in multimedia, but Palm's OS works with more operating systems and PIMs (personal information managers), and has a vast library of third-party software to supplement many of its shortcomings. As with many things, your particular priorities will ultimately determine which OS is a better match for you.
As you read through the chart below, keep in mind that we are comparing the operating systems -- not specific handheld devices. So although the Palm OS supports a screen resolution of only 160 by 160 pixels, Sony offers devices with 320 by 320- and 320 by 480-pixel displays, and HandEra sells a 320 by 240 model.
| Palm OS versus Pocket PC 2002 | ||
| Feature |
Palm OS 4.0 |
Pocket PC 2002 |
| THE BASICS | ||
| Address book | yes | yes |
| Calendar | yes | yes |
| Note pad | yes | yes |
| yes | yes | |
| Task list | yes | yes |
| Calculator | yes | yes |
| Handwriting recognition | Graffiti, on-screen keyboard | Character Recognizer, Transcriber, on-screen keyboard |
| PC CONNECTIVITY | ||
| Works with PCs | yes | yes |
| Works with Macs | yes | no |
| Desktop PIM included | Palm Desktop | Outlook 2002 |
| Synchronisation software | HotSync Manager 4.0 | ActiveSync 3.5 |
| Syncs with Outlook | requires additional software (usually provided with handheld) | yes |
| Syncs with Lotus Notes | requires additional software (not usually provided with handheld) | requires additional software (not usually provided with handheld) |
| MOBILE OFFICE | ||
| MS Word document support | third-party software available | Pocket Word |
| MS Excel document support | third-party software available | Pocket Excel |
| MS PowerPoint document support | third-party software available | third-party software available |
| Adobe Acrobat document support | third-party software available | third-party software available |
| Voice recorder | no | yes |
| MOBILE INTERNET | ||
| HTML browser | third-party software available | Pocket Internet Explorer |
| WAP browser | third-party software available | Pocket Internet Explorer |
| Offline browsing browser | third-party software available (AvantGo) | Pocket Internet Explorer |
| Instant messaging client | third-party software available | MSN Messenger |
| VPN client | third-party software available | yes |
| Terminal client | third-party software available | yes |
| Macromedia Flash support | no | third-party software available |
| ENTERTAINMENT | ||
| MP3 playback support | no | Windows Media Player |
| Video playback | third-party software available | Windows Media Player |
| HARDWARE SUPPORT | ||
| 16-bit colour support | yes | yes |
| Screen resolution | 160 x 160 pixels | 320 x 240 pixels |
| Processor | 33MHz Motorola Dragonball VZ | 206MHz Intel StrongARM SA-1110 |
| SOFTWARE SUPPORT | ||
| Number of third-party applications on Download.com | 1,840 | 386 |
| SECURITY | ||
| Password protection | yes | yes (2 levels) |