HP's iPAQ line remains an elegant and reliable choice for corporate users. Among the most powerful alternatives to Palm OS PDAs, HP's range of Windows Mobile 2003 handheld devices combine an impressive range of practical features and compact designs, albeit with high asking prices. The iPAQ h4150 is a more cost-conscious offering, and while not as inexpensive as Dell's Axim X3 (£149), is a great choice if you want a Wi-Fi-enabled PDA on a budget. The Axim X3 lacks the iPAQ h4150's Bluetooth radio and Wi-Fi (Axim X3i has both but costs £279), and is a bit larger and heavier, but costs around £100 less. If you want a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi PDA based on Windows Mobile 2003 operating system, the iPAQ h4150 is a solid choice. If not, you may want to consider Dell's value proposition. Also, existing iPAQ users may be interested to know that the iPAQ h4150 does not use the same connection interface as earlier high-end iPAQs, so it's not compatible with the wide range of iPAQ expansion sleeves available.

Pros: Built-in Bluetooth and 802.11b; small and light; good value
Cons: No keyboard or screen cover; low-resolution screen; SD only


HP's latest Pocket PC is slim, sleek, small and relatively affordable - as long as you need both integrated Bluetooth and 802.11b. The Windows Mobile 2003-based PDA is targeted at business users and sports a corporate, yet minimalist, design. There's no drop-down keypad or built-in keyboard, as featured with top-end Palm models, but the relatively inexpensive iPAQ h4150 still manages to deliver all the features a regular business user should require.

The rounded iPAQ h4150 is relatively small (70.6x13.5x113mm) and light (132g), thanks mainly to its plain design and run-of-the-mill features. Also, there's no screen protector - unlike most new Palm OS devices - so you'll have to further add bulk with the supplied soft protective case. Although the protective case does its job, it's disappointing HP hasn't followed Palm and Sony's excellent flip-cover designs. Buttons on the silver device are as expected, comprising a power button, three programmable application buttons (Calendar, Contacts and E-mail), iTask button (lets you quickly access the most frequently used utilities), 5-way navigation button and a voice-recorder button on the left side of the PDA.

Technical specifications include a 400MHz Intel XScale processor, 64MB of RAM (55MB available to user), 32MB of flash ROM, 3.5in. transflective TFT display (320x240 pixels), mono microphone, mono speaker, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack and infrared port. Unfortunately, the iPAQ h4150 has only a single SDIO slot, unlike HP's iPAQ h2210 that has both CF and SD slots. However, since the most common uses for CF slots have been for memory cards and network cards (or add-on cameras and GPS radios), the integration of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi into the iPAQ h4150 is a form of consolation. Plus, HP has recently announced a 1.3-Megapixel SD camera and GPS unit, so you should be able to get away with not needing a CF slot - unless, that is, you have lots of legacy peripherals.

Software supplied with the iPAQ h4150 comprises Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 operating system and ActiveSync 3.7 for synchronising the PDA with your computer, as well as a range of useful HP utilities. In particular, iPAQ backup lets you backup your data to an external SD card, iPAQ Image Zone lets you display individual images and run slide shows, while iTask lets you quickly access the most frequently used features.

Self-Test allows you to run a basic diagnostic test to make sure all features are working and there's two utilities that let you turn Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b) modes on or off. Of course, with Windows Mobile 2003 you can also access the Internet via Pocket Internet Explorer and receive e-mail (both require remote connection), make Notes and playback digital audio files using Windows Media Player 9 Series. You can also view and create Excel and Word files, but there's no option to create PowerPoint files out-of-the-box, so you'll have to source a third-party application if you need this functionality. F-Secure FileCrypto is data encryption software and Colligo Personal Edition is a tool for sharing files using 802.11b, a faster option than using the built-in infrared port. HP also provides its own utility for printing wirelessly too, although you need to have a Bluetooth or infrared-enabled printer to take advantage of this feature.

We encountered no problems establishing an ActiveSync, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection. We also managed to use dial-up networking (DUN), join a personal area network (PAN) and establish a connection with a mobile phone effortlessly. Similar to other Pocket PC devices, when attempting to connect to a wireless network you can choose whether to connect only to preferred networks or to have the iPAQ h4150 search for and connect to any available network (preferred or not), which should please IT administrators. As expected, you can also view the signal strength between the PDA and access points.

The iPAQ h4150's standard 1,000-mAh Lithium-ion battery is rated for 3-4 hours of use with the Bluetooth radio off and with the display backlight and Wi-Fi set to default power levels, although we managed to use the device for around 5 hours with intermittent connections to an 802.11b network. An optional (around £50) 1,800mAh battery may be a required accessory for heavy users, and those looking for an e-mail and messaging solution may want to opt for the snap-on micro keyboard.

Links:
iPAQ h4150 Web site

BIOS, Apr 12, 04 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In PDA