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HP iPAQ rx1955 Pocket PCProduct Description 
Includes: lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, USB synch cable, slip case, Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC Premium Edition, Mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & Internet Explorer, Outlook 2002 for Pocket PC & more. HP iPAQ rx1955 Pocket PC - To call it an "organizer" would be an insult. The rx1955 is a bona fide handheld computer that can keep your life on track, as well as keep you entertained and informed. Some of its features include built-in 802.11b Wi-Fi support. At various Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide, you can wirelessly access the Internet and e-mail with ease. Load up and enjoy music and video files with the SD/MMC media slot. A 3.5" TFT Display gives you stunning color reproduction, which is great for both your basic applications, as well as picture and video files.
HP's first Windows Mobile 5.0 introductory level Pocket PC is a winner. It's got good looks, an impossibly thin design, an excellent display and WiFi wireless networking. Gone is last year's harshly angular HP design for consumer-oriented PDAs: with the rx1950 they've returned to the more attractive days of old, with a design that harks back to the ever-popular iPAQ 1940. HP learned their lesson with last year's poorly received introductory level rz1715 which was lacking both in looks and features for the price. The rx1950 delivers style and bang for the buck. At $299, currently the lowest price you'll find for any Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC (Dell's base model is priced the same), the rx1950 makes a good value proposition. Though if HP could hit the $249 mark, the device would appeal to even more buyers who might otherwise opt for one of the capable but less expensive Palm models such as the Tungsten E2. Features at a Glance The iPAQ rx1950 targets non-power users who need decent performance but are interested in using their devices at WiFi hotspots at home, work or the local Starbucks. The device runs on a 300 MHz Samsung processor, has 32 megs of RAM, 64 megs of flash ROM about half of which is available to store programs and data, an SD slot, a surprisingly good 3.5" transflective color display and a user-replaceable rechargeable battery. Like all Pocket PCs, it can play MP3s, videos, record voice notes and has handwriting recognition. In the box you'll find the iPAQ, battery, world charger, USB sync
cable, ballistic nylon slip case, printed guide and a software
CD which includes a detailed PDF manual, ActiveSync 4.0 and Outlook
2002 for Windows PCs. Design and Ergonomics At only 0.5 inches thin and 4.41 ounces light, this
iPAQ will fit almost anywhere. It's a very good looking unit, with a
bright silver finish accenting sexy and ergonomic curves. The back of
the unit is black plastic and the unit's fit and finish are good overall,
though the battery door's plastic is a bit thin. Control location is standard on this model, with four
application buttons surrounding a squarish five way directional pad.
These buttons launch Calendar, Contacts, Email and the WiFi control application,
though you can re-assign them to any program (and some commonly used
functions) if you wish. The voice recorder button is located on the left
side, the IR window (standard, not consumer IR) is on the bottom left
where the unit curves and the SD slot is on the top edge. The power button
is top dead center, flanked by two LEDs that indicate charging status,
alarms and WiFi status. Windows Mobile 5.0 Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows Mobile 5.0, offers many improvements; the most important being persistent memory. All data and applications are stored in flash memory which will survive a complete battery rundown. No need to leave it on the charger when you go away for a 2 week vacation. Just charge it up upon return and your data will still be there! WM 5 devices still have RAM, which is volatile and faster than flash ROM. But RAM is now used in the same way your PC uses it: running programs are loaded into RAM and operating system files are cached there to improve response times. You can no longer install programs or files into RAM, only flash ROM. Since the device need not power RAM at all times, battery life is improved by approximately 10%. Windows Mobile 5's improved user interface makes some tasks a bit quicker and more intuitive and Internet Explorer, Word Mobile and Excel Mobile are more capable. In addition, you get a Mobile version of PowerPoint which can open and run but not create or edit PowerPoint presentations. To learn about Windows Mobile 5's new features in detail, read our article here. Horsepower and Performance The iPAQ runs on a 300 MHz Samsung SC32442 processor that's fully ARM and XScale compatible. Though 300 MHz won't send power hungry users to their local retailers' shelves, the Samsung performs surprisingly well for its clock speed and the unit is responsive for business and Internet tasks. It's adequate for gaming but not a shining star for video playback at high bitrates. Memory is adequate and no more. Flash ROM for storing programs and data comes in at a healthy 35 megs out of 64 total, but RAM (used in the same way RAM is used by your PC) is a tad low at 32 megs. The operating system and related apps use approximately half of that, so you're left with only 13 megs to run programs. That's enough for the included applications such as Mobile Word, Excel and Internet Explorer, but video playback applications and resource intensive games may suffer. Use the Memory Settings applet to kill programs you no longer need to keep RAM available for those apps you do need. Like all Pocket PCs, the iPAQ rx1950 has an IR port which is handy for IR keyboards but likely won't be useful as an AV remote since it's standard rather than consumer grade IR and the port is located in an unideal location (bottom curvy area). In addition, you can use SD memory cards and SDIO cards (such as SD networking cards) with the iPAQ. |
