Undisputed PDA Heavyweight Champ!
Written: Nov 07 '00 (Updated Nov 07 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Jawdropping power and aesthetics. Connecting to the internet and outlook for email is truly a gem. The display is phenomenal.
Cons: Overpriced. The industry itself. For the general user, the price does not justify what it can do when compared to other such units on the market.
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| badhmash's Full Review: Compaq iPAQ H3650 Pocket PC |
I am a gadget freak! I will buy a gadget even if I don't need it. It just has to be enviable, and perform some wildly interesting task. Last week, it was the IOMEGA Hipzip which caught my eye. This week, it is the Compaq Ipaq 3650 handheld computer.
This unit is probably one of the most amazing toys I have come across in years. I know that most people who have purchased this PDA have commented on the looks, which I must say are impressive. But for me, I am astonished at the difference in computing power between this and the Palm Vx.
I realize that the Palm has a stranglehold on the handheld market in terms of their software support, but don't make the same mistake I did and underestimate the power of Windows Pocket PC. The reason I am using the Palm Vx as a reference is becauase the prices are somewhat the same (give or take about 100 dollars depending on where you shop. Circuit city has the Ipaq for $499 and Palm Vx for $390). I have been using the Palm V for many months now and frankly have wondered what the hype is all about.
Although the Ipaq is generally the same thing, it is what the PDA should have been in the first place. I purchased it because I was looking at it on display and was absolutely astonished at the crisp color display, power of the processor, and amount of memory. I could actually download entire medical journals to this thing and read them away from my desktop computer for a change!!
Lets take a look at what the Ipaq actually offers:
Specs
206 MHz Intel StrongARM SA-1110 32Bit RISC Processor
32MB SDRAM, + 16MB Flash ROM
5 buttons with a D-pad (with 2-5 customizable application buttons)
Infrared Port at 115Kbps
Ambient Light Sensor
Microphone
USB connection port (can also have serial)- on cradle itself.
4096 12-Bit TFT LCD Color display
Li Polymer batter with AC Adapter
6oz with battery
Software
Windows Pocket PC
Activesync 3.1
Calendar, Contacts, Excel/Word
Tasklist, Voice recorder, Notes, IE
Calculator, Inbox, File explorer.
On top of that you can, of course, download a good deal of software from the internet for this unit. The unit also comes with a holster (like that of a cell phone) that allows you to put this thing on your belt!! You don't have to carry your PDA in your pocket anymore.
I think that this item would most surely benefit a busy executive or business person. If you are on the go and you need to enter information quickly, I have found that I can speak the information into the voice recorder, and transfer it into outlook or word as the case may be, at a later date. I also found that the internet accessibility was just out of this world. I have never used it on another PDA so I guess that it just amazed me even more to see it on this unit. You can even send files back and forth to your own FTP server too!! WOW! I cannot explain to you how useful this is to me when I am at school in one city, one week, and at home in another city, a week later.
Purchasing the Ipaq over the competition is obvious. You can look at it and think to yourself, "wow, it's beautiful" and base your purchase on that. Or you can actually try it and see that it is just as beautiful inside as it is out.
Many people have a real need for a PDA. Personally, I do not. I have a data/fax/calendar/memo/voice recorder/contact list all in my current PCS mobile phone. I just wanted to purchase this to actually see if it was a marked improvement in the PDA world. Although I am thoroughly impressed with the unit, I must say that I will return it based on the fact that it is just a glorified Palm. This unit is truly for the people who have everything and just want bragging rights.
The important thing here is, that the problem is NOT with the unit itself, but with the industry. For me, the industry is at a point where the PDA really offers no advantage over a good mobile phone. The only REAL advantage to units like these are that you can view webpages, edit documents and download compact versions of desktop applications onto the unit. But think about it. How often are you REALLY away from your computer at work or at home? Because that is the ONLY time I can fathom that you would need a unit of this nature.
In other words, how often will you need to edit that word document and then have it uploaded before you can reach your work or home computer? If you are an individual who is prepared, you will not have to worry about last minute rushes to complete assignments and projects. As a result, you would be able to wait until you reached a desktop.
The reason I am critical of handhelds in general is that if you really needed portable power to write or edit documents, or if your projects were that mission critical that you needed to keep in touch when away from the office, you would probably want a laptop computer. I cannot begin to understand why someone would actually WANT to type edit or type documents on an Ipaq or other handheld unit without the aid of an external keyboard. But in that case, why not just purchase a Palmtop PC instead of a handheld PC.
Basically what I am getting at is, the IPAQ is the Heavyweight champion of the PDA market. There is no doubt in my mind that it is currently the best available unit you can buy. But the underlying point is, do you really need a PDA that can do all of these things for such an expensive price tag, when you can buy a Palmtop PC or even a cheap laptop for much less?
This is why I believe that the industry needs to move into a new direction. For me at least, there is no real NEED for a handheld unit of the Ipaq 3650's power. If you look at the other reviews in this section, I am sure that you will also see that other people say the same thing. It is a great toy, but after the novelty wears off, does it really justify the price tag? Will you really get $500-$600 dollars of productivity out of it? Will it really be worth more to you than a similar, cheaper PDA? These are the types of questions you should ask before you pour out the money for this item.
All things considered, I will still endorse and recommend this item to those people that find handheld units indispensable. This unit is truly a jawdropper in terms of its looks and its power. But if you want my personal opinion (gee isn't that what this is??) this unit is no significant advancement over any other PDA on the market. You are paying for aesthetics and extra processing power.
I will personally wait until the industry develops a PDA or handheld that can seriously compete with a laptop system or even eliminate the need for desktop PCs altogether. I realize this may be far off in the distant future but I truly feel that there is no real need for a PDA of this nature just yet for me.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 499
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Epinions.com ID:
badhmash
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Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 12 members
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