Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2002/07/29/ipaq_revolt_gathers_pace/

iPAQ revolt gathers pace

But let's not forget the PDA supporters

By Drew Cullen

Posted in Personal Tech, 29th July 2002 13:03 GMT

More than a 1,000 people, many representing small and medium businesses have signed the iPAQ Petition, a grass-roots campaign to shame HP into repairing or refunding defective models.

Not bad for a week's work.

But let's not forget the iPAQ's legion of supporters. This letter spells it out in no uncertain terms

Tell these people to get a life. I have had three Ipaq's and they all have run without a problem. We also have 250 in my organization - no problems.

Tom Piorkowski

OK, Tom. So that means that the problems reported by others are entirely illusory?



And ere's a letter from jaap.hogenberg, who says we are

missing the point completely !

I own a 3700 after having owned a 3600 before. The only hardware flaw I ever noticed was the dust problem on the 3600. That has been fixed properly in the 3700.

I notice a long list of hardware related problems on the petition site , of which I can only say, most of them are software problems. I can honestly only see 2 problems that are actually hardware related.

I use Linux on my iPAQ and although it is not perfect , I do believe that the hardware is actually a great piece of kit.

It seems to me that PPC 2000 / PPC 2002 is horribly unstable and even broken in some regards but it is quite unfair to blaim the hardware for all of those flaws.

I would much prefer to see you bashing Compaq/HP AND Microsoft for failing to deliver a device with an OS that works well with it.

Also I cannot believe "the lack of support" extends to the hardware at all. In my experience , people who have had hardware problems with their iPAQ, have been helped by HP/Compaq in a correct and timely manner.

I would also like to bring to your attention that Compaq founded and financed the excellent site handhelds.org, dedicated to the development of Open Source operating systems for StrongArm embedded systems. And which, IMHO, provides a good alternative to the M$ crap the device is shipped with.

Regards,

Jaap Hogenberg

PS. I am not affiliated with HP or Compaq in any way , I'm just happily hacking away with Linux on my iPAQ. This hardware is not so bad!



So it's all Microsoft's fault then? Another Linux on iPAQ fan points the finger at Newswireless.net, Guy Kewney's estimable site.


We don't buy this argument: the responsibility to customers for iPAQ issues, hardware or software-related lie with HP/Compaq, not with its suppliers. ®

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