Talk:Handheld PC

JustHistoryLiam: A fake or mod?
Personally, I think it is fake, or a mod.... — Preceding unsigned comment added by JustHistoryLiam (talk • contribs) 16:29, 10 January 2024 (UTC)

Microsoft-only?
Are you sure Handheld PC is a Microsoft-only term? I'm fairly sure there have been Linux-based handheld PCs.--ArbiterOne 07:46, 17 May 2005 (UTC)


 * It is a generic term used that is picked up in different circles. You even find Palm OS users calling their devices Handheld PC's. In the scope of the article I wrote originally I am referring to the Microsoft Trademark device. The straight dictionary definition of a Handheld PC is of course a PC which fits in your Hand. You could call a Palm OS device a Pocket PC because it's a PC that fits into your Pocket if you wished, but I doubt that many would do this. .--C:Amie 14:36, 08 September 2005 (UTC)


 * See Template talk:Computer sizes User:ScotXW t@lk 17:07, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

Article's too Microsoft centric
The term handheld PC/palmtop goes way back to the 1980's long before MS had involvement in making a handheld PC. If i remember correctly, I believe the term palmtop was the more common term way back then with handheld PC being the more common term today. Since their have been various handheld PC and palmtop devices that used non-MS operating systems such as Linux and Palm OS, the article should be rewritten to first deal with the terms handheld PC and palmtop as their apply to palm-sized computing devices, including their history. Then we can address how MS uses the term and describe handheld PC's that follow Microsoft's specifications. Finely, we should explain how the term handheld PC and palmtop have been used to describe PDA's too, and what if any distinctions have been made between PDA's and heldheld PC's/palmtops. --Cab88 22:03, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

Reverted 86.139.21.31's changes
86.139.21.31 recently edited the article, and removed references to Handheld PC, and changed to palmtop, and changed Windows CE to XP, I reverted their changes... If anyone disagrees, feel free to reply here... --Illyria05-- 17:44, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

What are typical screen sizes of a handheld PC?
What are typical screen sizes of a handheld PC? My research pretty much divides mobile computers up into these categories: It seems like there is a lot of overlapping terminology out there. We have terms like Pocket PC, handheld PC, that seem to basically mean the same thing. StrengthOfNations (talk) 14:12, 18 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Cell phone – typically around 2.6" (e.g. Nokia N95)
 * iPhone – 3.5"
 * Handheld PC – ~2.8-3.8"; runs Windows CE, or Windows Mobile, etc.; for instance HP iPAQ
 * UMPC/MID – ~5-6" screen size, sometimes a bit bigger (e.g. Psion Series 7 was 7.7")
 * Subnotebooks – 10.4" or less, and runs full version of Windows
 * Laptops – 12-17"
 * Handheld PCs are clamshells with a keyboard, while Pocket PCs don't have folding keyboards. Anarchist42 (talk) 22:48, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

Electronic Transltor
Do you guys think Electronic Translator are HandHeld PC. I think most North Americans and Europe don't usually use these products. They are very popular in Asian countries (espcially in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan). They were first design to assist people who want to learn english, and because they are design for academic purposes, many useful applications gradually get integrated. Such of these applications incldue

Overview
 * Dictionary (Oxford)
 * Encyclopedia (Cambridge)
 * Scentific & Graphing Calculator
 * Metric Calculations convertor (weight, length, pressure, temperture...etc.)

Learning
 * video lectures
 * animation lectures
 * comic format (communication)
 * listening

Entertainment
 * listening to podcasts
 * Mindboggling games
 * Zodiac

Contacts
 * Notebook / Wordpad
 * Calendar

Otherbooks
 * eBook (PCMIA cards) --- kind of like plug-ins

e.g. CD-828 Pro

--Ramu50 (talk) 20:15, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

What's the difference from subnotebook?
What is the diff between Handheld PC and subnotebook? --KpoT (talk) 01:06, 12 September 2008 (UTC)

Merger proposal
This article should be merged with Personal digital assistant due to the developmental roots of the technology. Both articles relate to Palmtop computers. -- T HE F OUNDERS I NTENT  PRAISE GOOD WORKS 16:13, 1 September 2010 (UTC)
 * I oppose and suggest rewriting the article to cover only devices that are Handheld PC compliant and possibly also Windows CE editions designed to work on Handheld PCs. I've never heard the phrase "Handheld PC" as a generic term (handheld yes, but never "Handheld PC"). We also have Palm-size PC and Pocket PC and Handheld PC should remain the third. There should be a Definition section as in the Pocket PC article, that clearly states, that this is only about the MS Specification and possibly something like 'for generic handheld devices see the Personal digital assistant article. GL1zdA (talk) 14:57, 26 September 2010 (UTC)
 * I don't think evolutionary differences is justification for separate articles. But you are welcome to rewrite and give it a shot, I just don't think there's enough difference to warrant separate articles. -- T HE F OUNDERS I NTENT  PRAISE GOOD WORKS 11:41, 3 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I'll try to rewrite the article starting with things found in InfoWorld: http://www.google.com/search?hl=pl&tbs=bks%3A1%2Cbkms%3A1168684103302644050&q=%22handheld+pc%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai= - the number of Windows CE Handheld PCs articles is an order of magnitude larger than other handheld PCs, so I think it's justified. I'll expand the Windows CE handheld PCs to finally make it the main article.GL1zdA (talk) 13:42, 4 October 2010 (UTC)

Why does "palmtop computer" redirect here?
Why does "palmtop computer" (I think a largely out-of-use term for any handheld computer, today's smartphones would probably fit the classic definition) redirect here? And if this article is specific to WinCE devices, why doesn't it say so in the intro, instead of not switching to be solely about that until the main body of the article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.210.74.14 (talk) 19:05, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

There's a merger possible somewhere

 * Handheld PCs,
 * Palmtop PCs,
 * Palmtop computers,
 * Netbooks,
 * Subnotebooks,
 * Ultra-mobile PC

Palmtops and UMPC seem smaller than Handhelds, while handheld PC is an old term for what is essentially a netbook. All of these are Subnotebooks. Yet for some reason Palmtop computer redirects here while Palmtop PC is a separate article. It seems these are just marketing terms for devices of the same form factor. If that all it is, this should be made clear that this is marketing, and not technically a form factor, which is what this article says now. This article also states that they were discontinued in the early 2010s, which is when they were actually already marketed as Netbooks, so these aren't names for separate generations of the same device form-factor either. I think the best solution here is merge Palmtop and Handheld PC for the historical devices, also mention newer devices like netbooks and chromebooks. But also keep the Netbook article. --Entlantian (talk) 10:35, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

New home
Since "Handheld PC" is HatNoted for lacking (inline) sources, and as of this writing "Palmtop PC" (which has the same lack) isn't, Step 1 of having a single article on the HISTORY, yes HISTORY, of this/these device(s) can readily be at "Palmtop PC" (which is where "Palmtop" at present redirects. Pi314m (talk) 06:51, 18 January 2018 (UTC)

Merging Handheld PC's HatNoted content into non-HatNoted Palmtop PC
The initial move is to a section named: Handheld PC article. Pi314m (talk) 06:57, 18 January 2018 (UTC)

Wiki syntax texts

 * Below are the required texts :


 * 1) REDIRECT Palmtop PC

/* Merged content to Palmtop PC. See Talk:Handheld PC. */


 * Palmtop PCs and Heldheld PCs were two rather different classes of computers. It does not make any sense to merge them. The merge was undiscussed and there is no consensus for it, so I have restored the well chosen, long established and stable status before your edits. --Matthiaspaul (talk) 10:23, 21 January 2018 (UTC)


 * Pi314m, I have restored the previous contents again. Stop merging the two unrelated articles. Handheld PCs and Palmtop PCs were different types of machines. There is no consensus for a merge. --Matthiaspaul (talk) 22:16, 23 January 2018 (UTC)

Definition of "Handheld PC" is debatable/unclear (i.e. are smartphones and tablets handheld PC's?)
The article defines a "handheld PC" as a "computer built around a form factor which is smaller than any standard laptop computer". By that definition smartphones and tablet computer are handheld PC's. Since I believe smartphones and tablets are "Personal Computers" (PC's) even if they in most case don't run traditional desktop/laptop OS's and by out of the box use virtual keyboards and touchscreens as they standard/default input devices, then an argument that smartphones and tablet are handheld PC's can be made. Yes, I'm aware that the smartphone & tablets have been traditional thought of as separate from "handheld PC" category but I would question that with today's smartphones & tablets. If we are going to say that smartphones and tablets are not a subcategory of handheld PC, then we need to be define what a handheld PC is so the reader knows what it's a separate distinct category. If it's really just that people declared it so, without regard to any specific criteria that makes it so (i.e. it's just an artificial category/distinction), then we can say that if we support it with reliable sources. All the usual criteria for defining a personal computer would also apply to modern smartphones and tablets and so does the reverse. So what seems to has happened since over the last decade, they are no longer making handheld PC's (AKA Palmtop computers) that are designed to Windows/Linux/other desktop OS and instead focusing on smartphone (IOS & Android), tablet (IOS, Android), and PDA (iPod Touch) handheld PC's. Now in the past it seems that tech journalist, handheld PC manufacturers, and others have made a distinction between smartphones and tablets and Handheld PC's, though it's not clear what criteria was used justify this distinction, other then then maybe relying on what manufacturers referred to as a handheld computer. --Notcharliechaplin (talk) 20:31, 10 January 2019 (UTC)
 * One thing I just remembered is that there is at least one new handheld PC design being sold (though I don't know how many have been sold) called the GPD Pocket Handheld Computer, as of 2018, so the claim that all handheld PC's where discontinued as after 2010, is inaccurate, at least as to the form-factor, though former models/manufacturers have been discontinued/left the category assuming you consider tablets and smartphone distinct from hand PC's rather then a sub-category. --Notcharliechaplin (talk) 20:31, 10 January 2019 (UTC)

Handheld Gaming PCs
I suggest a new section on the rapidly emerging category of gaming handhelds based on traditional x86 architecture.

Here's an article that mentions several of the leading devices including a reference to the upcoming Valve Steam Deck which is expected to have a significant impact on the growth of the category:

https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-deck-alternatives-handheld-pc/

Some things that should probably be covered include the traditional x86 architecture, typical form factor differences such as integrated gaming controls and lack of a hardware keyboard as well as a lack of a discrete GPU (which has traditionally been a defining characteristic of gaming computers). They have been made possible with a growth in integrated GPU power combined with the suitability of low resolution screens appropriate for the form factor. There are many, many articles available to use as sources. Geeks On Hugs (talk) 22:08, 30 October 2021 (UTC)


 * Answered your call brother FSlolhehe (talk) 14:11, 14 December 2023 (UTC)