new owner of used 3630, seeks advice

[chart]

i realize this is broad, but i've had good experiences with newsgroups and discussion groups.

i'm the new owner of a used iPaq 3630. that is, my boss, an avid mac fan, just dumped it in my lap, complete with a 192 MB CF card.

it appears that the battery is dead, since it works with AC, and after charging for 4 hours, it cuts off immediately without AC. a light flashes yellow when it's plugged in.

i'd like for someone magnanimous to explain to me how to go about upgrading the machine to current standards and new battery, with approximate costs.

i assume i'm running WinCE (?) and not PPC2000 or 2002, although i don't know how to determine that. i also have no idea what my ROM is, or how to determine it. i did successfully install activesync 3.5 on my desktop, and can access the iPaq without problem.

if it matters, i'm running XP on all my other computers.

this seems like a nice $300 device that I'm willing to invest in, if it is worth it.

thanks,
chart

[AnswerDude]

http://www.ipaqupgrade.com/

[chart]

great help on the accessories, AD.

ok, so my ROM is 1.28, and my OS is 3.0 (WinCE 3.0?).

is the logical step to buy the PPC 2002 upgrade for $29, and then update the ROM from online? the ROM update claims to only work on PPC2000, which i assume means that or higher. is there PPC 2000 floating around online?

thanks again,
chart

[christak]

Personally, I'd replace the battery (~$65 if you do it yourself or about that same price at the site posted above) and forget the PPC2k2 upgrade -- I'd update the ROM to PPC2000 version 1.87. Most of the PPC2k2 update is fluff -- you don't really need it in most cases... BTW, I have a 3630, 3635(wife's), and a 3950 with all the bells and whistles (accessories)...

[chart]

christak, thanks for your answer.

can you (or anyone else) be more specific about how i can upgrade the os to 2000? everywhere i look are 2002 upgrades (for $30). is the 2000 upgrade freeware yet? is there a link where i can find it no matter the price? i can't even find it.

also, and i apologize for being obtuse here (i've had a pocket pc for 12 hours now), the ROM version is completely separate from the OS version, no? i upgraded to 1.77 (which was supposed to be only for 2000). i found a link for 1.87, but i don't want to update that until I have the OS settled. my OS still says 3.0.

Or does the ROM contain the OS? I've read one site that implies winCE3.0 and PPC2000 are the same, and another site that says they are not.

chart

[christak]

The 1.87 update is "just like" the 1.77 one. It's free. Also, I think that you are confused regarding the 2000 os. 1.28, 1.69, 1.77, and 1.87 ROMs are all "2000". That's all you need...

[chart]

ah, thanks.

that was the info i needed (see my edited post above).

i'll proceed with 1.87.

thanks for all your help!

chart