Near Perfection
Written: Aug 18 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Speed, RAM, included applications, handwriting recognition, appearance/case
Cons: price, 12-bit screen
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| Kroed's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Jornada 548 Pocket PC |
As a college student entering his Junior year, I've found I have a problem keeping my notes/homework organized, especially when I'm busy - which is when I need them most. My solution to this problem was the Jornada 548.
I'd like to note here that the Jornada 548 is the same as the Jornada 545, with an additional 16 megabytes of RAM. Thus, any comments I make aside from the RAM question are applicable towards the 545.
Without further ado, my specific review of the Jornada 545/548:
Processor:
The 133 mhz 32 bit Hitachi processor is on the par with other similar handhelds and more than adequate for most applications. However, with
extended multitasking (5+ programs) I've experienced considerable lag.
Memory:
I debated long and hard about whether the additional 16 meg of ram was worth the $100 it tacked onto the price of the Jornada 545. After considerable use, I have decided that is more than worth it. After loading several applications and many eBooks, I find that I still have plenty of additional memory left to be used as program memory. I do not
believe that this would have been the case with 16 meg less.
Case:
The metal case is one of the best features of the Jornada. With a built in (but removable) screen cover, and completely metal housing, there is a considerable amount of innate protection for the machine.
It is worth mentioning here that the Jornada is considerably thinner than it's closest competitor, the new Cassiopeia handheld. Also, in terms of aesthetic appeal, the sleek, neutral design makes it comfortable to use in any setting.
One of the most important features with any device is the comfort factor. That is to say, how comfortable are you using it? If you have the best device in the world, but are so worried about breaking it that you never bring it out of your home, it's useless. Besides feeling pleasantly cool to the touch, the case (with its cover) adds significantly to the comfort factor. I feel confident that I can slide my Jornada in my pocket and walk out to my car, without worrying about my keys scratching the screen or a slight bump cracking the case.
Touch Screen:
This is one of the main downsides to the Jornada. As advertised the unit should have a 16 bit, 32,000 color, display. However, due to a below par component, the screen only displays as 12 bit. Along with an annoying tendency to be unreadable in sunlight (or any exceptionally bright light) the screen on the Jornada is about the only part that falls below the Cassiopiea. I feel that HP should offer a rebate/price drop to make up for this fact.
In my experience, the difference has not been all that notable. I primarily use my machine for word processing (note taking in particular) and other work related functions. If you are looking into using a handheld to do a lot of high graphics functions, this might be a hangup for you.
In terms of sensitivity and reliability, the screen requires an infrequent realignment, but is otherwise great. I would, however, recommend purchasing screen protectors.
Buttons:
In general, the physical buttons are great. In particular, I find the jog dial to be particularly useful in perusing eBooks or applications. On the other hand, I don't think the default values for a majority of the buttons are all that useful. The Jornada allows for these buttons to be remapped, a convenient feature I take full advantage of. The most useful of such being to remap the record button (right next to the jog dial) to access the start menu, so that you can open an application sans stylus - useful for multitasking.
Battery:
I feel it necessary to make a special comment about this. In the Jornada 548, there is no way for the user to manually replace the battery. As the product has not been out for long enough to have any concrete data on the subject, I do not know whether this will become a problem in the future.
Software In ROM:
The Microsoft Office suite of PocketPC programs, along with a host of other useful things, come preloaded into ROM. I have found that these more than take care of any productivity/business application that is found for the device, primarily note taking for me.
Software Available for RAM:
At the time I bought my machine, a free expansion pack was being offered by Microsoft for the Jornada. This included many games and other applications (including lots of eBooks and Pocket Streets maps for most major cities) that kept me satisfied for quite a while. I have not found any great need for anything beyond what was included in ROM, except for fun. Also, Microsoft provides a software development pack for free, plus cost of shipping.
Annoyances:
Having to go back to the Home Menu/Today screen to close programs! Thankfully, HP included the task switcher, which allows for relatively easy closing/switching of programs. However, it is a departure from the normal, easily accessible, close/max/min buttons Windows users have become accustomed to. This, combined with the lack of a taskbar showing running programs, makes it quite easy to inadvertantly multitask and slow down the system.
Anyone not using a Windows operating system will probably experience problems with the unit. It just seems too tightly integrated with Microsoft to be easy to use on a Mac.
Handwriting Recognition:
Overall, the handwriting recognition is great. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I have awful handwriting and it has no trouble with me. One complaint, however, and an extremely irritating one: Microsoft puts out, free of charge, the Transcriber program. This program has sophisticated abilities to decide on a wide range of handwriting styles, and is far superior to the included HP software. However, HP uses the standard 3 cell input for character recognition (one for capitals, one for lower case, and one for numbers, entering one at a time). A system which eliminates the problem of people who (like me) write considerably larger letters than average, and not being able to fit words on the screen. It is fast, efficient, and requires minimal adjustment to current writing style (keep the pen in place, and write over the same spot, instead of moving it across). The Microsoft program, for how great it is, has the wonderful "feature" of allowing you to write anywhere on the screen. The drawback? Many! When writing in Word, if you write across the screen, you will inadvertently move the cursor to various places in text, extraordinarily annoying. Also, you have to write the words across the screen, which bothers me to no end. If only Transcriber could be configured to write in one letter cells over and over, as the standard HP program does. I couldn't get it to do this, and if anyone can prove me wrong, please email me and tell me so!
Music:
The Jornada's music support is great. However, if you plan on playing MP3's for extended periods of time, you'll need to buy a CompactFlash card. For the size of the tiny speaker, it plays sound adequately. By using the headphone jack, you can get high quality, sufficiently loud playback of your favorite songs.
Overall, it's great. It easily allows me to take notes whenever and wherever I want, and keep them well organized. However, the features mentioned in annoyances are just that on extended use, and the problems with the screen, combined with the price, prevent it from being perfect. Also, as a programmer, I would like some ability to compose short code segments on the fly - but that's probably asking too much.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Kroed
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Member: Keefe Roedersheimer
Location: South Bend, IN
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I am currently a first year PhD student in Computer Science at Notre Dame.
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