We seem to have a lot of discussion concerning displays connected to PICs...not to mention usable methods of manually inputting information. The thought of using one of the new palmtop computers has been rattling around my head every time a posting relating these issues is sent to us via the PICLIST.
The WIN-CE specifications are on the MicroSoft site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/products/prodref/120_ov.htm
where they describe the minimum hardware requirements for these hand held computers. Compaq describes their hand held at http://www.compaq.com/products/handhelds/hhnview.html
The basic one sells for $229 at the Compaq Works factory outlet and an identical Casio goes for $199 at Office Depot store here in Houston. That's a little pricey but not too bad.
There's no parallel port, an RS-232 serial port, an IRDA serial port, a QWERTY keyboard, a small VGA (touch) display and some other nice stuff. Programming a BS1 is out (no LPT) but programming a BS2 will work. The IRDA could allow wireless data exchange for either.
There's a PCMCIA-2 slot. Does anyone make a cheap parallel PCMCIA card?
Does anybody have any opinions they'd like to post on this?
-Hank
P.S. If an old DOS MathCad would work on one, it would be a heck of a graphing calculator!