I'm thinking of buying a handheld computer - PocketPC or whatever - so that I can look at my RHP moves on the train to work. I know I could use one of those magnetic boards but frankly it's too fiddly and anyway I like gadgets. It doesn't necessarily need to be able to access the internet while mobile (though that would be a plus) because I can check my games before I leave home. But what I do need is a program equivalent to the analysis board in RHP with which I can play through my games and test out positions. And really I'd like it to be able to access RHP at least when at home (connecting to my wireless home network) so that I don't have to download my game positions manually.
Can anybody advise on what I should buy, both hardward and software? I am in the UK if that makes any difference.
Originally posted by d36366No. 😵
I'm thinking of buying a handheld computer - PocketPC or whatever - so that I can look at my RHP moves on the train to work. I know I could use one of those magnetic boards but frankly it's too fiddly and anyway I like gadgets. It doesn't necessarily need to be able to access the internet while mobile (though that would be a plus) because I can check my games ...[text shortened]... what I should buy, both hardward and software? I am in the UK if that makes any difference.
Originally posted by d36366I have a Palm T/X (£170-200) with Palm Hiarcs (£20) and Openchess (Free). It can access RHP via wi-fi on www.mobile.redhotpawn.com
I'm thinking of buying a handheld computer - PocketPC or whatever - so that I can look at my RHP moves on the train to work. I know I could use one of those magnetic boards but frankly it's too fiddly and anyway I like gadgets. It doesn't necessarily need to be able to access the internet while mobile (though that would be a plus) because I can check my games ...[text shortened]... what I should buy, both hardward and software? I am in the UK if that makes any difference.
Both Hiarcs and Openchess can have their engines turned off to allow cheat free analysis on a diagram. You cannot easily build/save an analysis tree but you could save the "main line."
You can save individual games/positions but there are no database search features and you cannot have a large pgn database on an expansion card with the base programmes. I have read that someone has written something that would do this but the "too hard" light shone as far as I was concerned.
Palms can read ebooks and Adobe pdfs which you download onto your main machine then transfer across, and I have done this with some chesscafe articles. Palms can only do one thing at a time which can be limiting. I don't know if IPAQs or whatever can multi process.
What swung it for me was the screen size and wi-fi access without being a mobile phone, and the ability to act as a very good IM strength programme with quick response to play against - too strong for me I hasten to add! I wasn't bothered about database features. Who can play through a million games anyway?
Since then I have started to use the "pocket tunes" "photo album" and "spreadsheet" features. I have set one to calculate my ECF rating after each OTB game through the season. Another records my road running and calculates my weekly mileage, for example. I have found it easier to set these up on the computer then "hot sync" them through the USB cable to the Palm.