The furious pace of Pocket PC development can leave you in a quandary: After one to two years, your Windows Powered handheld is no longer the state-of-the-art gizmo it once was. You start lusting after the capabilities of newer models and eventually you decide to upgrade. But that leaves you with two challenges: find a good price on a more up-to-date model and see if you can get some cash back for your old device. Let's take a look at some Web sites that can assist you.
Buying and selling used devices on UsedHandhelds.com
Check out UsedHandhelds.com (www.usedhandhelds.com), where you can get good deals on used Pocket and Handheld PCs or sell your old device. Let's say you have an Casio EM500, powered by an older MIPS processor and running the now-ancient Pocket PC 2000 software. Thaddeus Computing will buy it or take it in trade on a newer device with a more current processor and later version of the Pocket PC software. Buying a used handheld here is like buying a slightly used car—you avoid the premium price of a new model.
Go to Used Handhelds.com to buy and sell used Pocket PCs and Handheld PCs.
UsedHandhelds.com is a division of Thaddeus Computing, the same company that publishes Pocket PC magazine. Thaddeus has been in the business of writing about as well as buying and selling mobile computers for 18 years.
There's always a risk buying a used device, especially from a service such as eBay. You may get stuck with something you're not satisfied with, or have to fight to get your money back. UsedHandhelds.com eliminates this concern by offering a no-questions-asked, 30-day, money-back guarantee.
Usedhandhelds.com offers a number of advantages for people wanting to get rid of their old Pocket PCs, Handheld PCs, or HP Palmtop PCs. First, dealing with an established and reputable company reduces the risk. Second, the process of selling your device is very straightforward: You call or e-mail them with info about your device, they reply with the price they'll pay, and you send in your device; once they receive it, they cut your check the following Wednesday. The third and most important advantage is convenience. You may be able to buy a used handheld for less or sell one for more on eBay or an online bulletin board. But many users don't like the hassle of selling via auction or classifieds. They just want to get rid of their old device quickly and move on.
Getting more for your handheld
UsedHandhelds.com is useful even if you're not a buyer or seller: It offers an at-a-glance listing of the specifications for Handheld and Pocket PCs, as well as links to Pocket PC
magazine reviews of them. [Note that UsedHandhelds.com is interested in purchasing certain units in quantity, particularly the HP Jornada 720 and 728 Handheld PCs.]
If you're willing to spend more time and effort, you'll probably get more for your used Handheld or Pocket PC on eBay than you can elsewhere, including UsedHandhelds.com. Other good online venues for buying and selling used devices include
Half.com and
Amazon.com. One nice feature of Half.com is its ability to determine the current average selling price is for any item you list.
Finding good deals on brand new Pocket PCs—price-comparison sites
If it's a brand new device you want, the Internet can be a great place to find hot deals. You can check the price-comparison search engines to scope out the price, look for coupons and rebates, and visit sites that try to find combinations of deals. It just takes minutes to check out these options that can save you money.
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