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Jornada Killed, iPaq To Live On

MartinG writes "According to the news at handhelds.org "HP/Compaq merger completed. HP Jornada will be discontinued in favor of HP iPAQ. HP Labs will continue to support Linux on the iPAQ. In particular, we plan to complete the Linux port to the Jornada 56x." I couldn't see any further details, but interesting news nonetheless."

32 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Bummer by Matey-O · · Score: 2

    Both were technologically great devices, but the HP seemed better built (this coming from an Ipaq owner).

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    1. Re:Bummer by GreyPoopon · · Score: 2

      Agreed, but the iPaq seemed to be just about a half-step ahead of the Journada in terms of technology. First, it was the better screen, then it was the faster processor. Having said that, there were obviously quality problems (we purchased about 400 of the devices, so I've had experience here). Maybe now we'll see the quality of the iPaq improve.

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  2. Must be a quiet day at /. mansions by 00_NOP · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This would be interesting if it meant more commericial support for Linux on something other than ia32 machines - still something of a Cinderella - but it is difficult to draw that conclusion from this article alone.

    But that is right, isn't it?

    1. Re:Must be a quiet day at /. mansions by Cheeko · · Score: 3, Informative

      iPaq isn't an IA32 machine. Its based on the StrongARM chip.

  3. cool by Cyn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    it's nice to see a company willing to work with developers to support their old products under installations they were never intended to work with.

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    cyn, free software and *nix operating systems enthusiast.
  4. I'm glad.. by Marx_Mrvelous · · Score: 2, Informative

    The iPaq (despite sounding so much like "iMac) is the better handheld. t's really amazing all the uses for it, plus it has much better accessories.

    I'm happy with *all* the decisions they've made so far, really.

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    1. Re:I'm glad.. by Marx_Mrvelous · · Score: 2

      Since when did I say anything about the Apple Newton? Hehe. Anyways you're way off base. Like the previous post said, there's no such thing as "faster internet" and instead of a Microsoft tax, you're paying an Apple tax. And I guess you have two screens on the Newton? :)

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    2. Re:I'm glad.. by JesseL · · Score: 2

      I got my iPaq 3150 for $130USD. It doesn't have a color screen and only has 16MB flash ROM and 16MB RAM but it does still have the 206MHz SA1110 processor and uses all the same expasion packs as other iPaqs.

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    3. Re:I'm glad.. by Locutus · · Score: 2

      you have to more than double the size of the iPaq to get that internet connection (PCMCIA) and that fits in your pocket?

      The Sharp Zaurus has both CF and SD/SMM builtin and I think HP was the only other pocket pc that compared. Now that's gone... I'm amazed at the size of the the iPaq if you want expansion....

      LoB

      --
      "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
    4. Re:I'm glad.. by Locutus · · Score: 2

      Thanks for info, I'll check it out. Casio really doesn't get much press compared to HP and Compaq. Now that they are merging, it'll make their pocket pc's numbers stand out more but it's still small compared to PalmOS vendors. Casio must have a tiny market though it says nothing of the product.

      LoB

      --
      "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
  5. Uhh, Yesterday's Thread? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative
  6. uh oh by nomadic · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Jornada killed, IPAQ to live on"? That sounds mighty suspicious to me...

    Alright, I think the Jornada did it, in the conservatory, with a compact flash memory card.

  7. awesome by tps12 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    This is great. I'm pumped to eventually upgrade to a Linux PDA, once the networking issues are ironed out. The Compaq/Linux partnership has been impressive.

    Personally, I have found HP products (especially laptops and PDAs) to use an inferior, almost navy blue, plastic that feels brittle and rough. Compaq has a tendency to use silver "accents" that I find a little gaudy. Maybe with Palm's recent troubles, HP/Compaq (anyone know if they will be called HPaq?) can hire away one of the original designers (just not the guy who did the m505 or whatever...yuck!).

    I think companies tend to underestimate the importance of quality materials. Yes, what's inside counts, but the heft of a thing, the sturdiness, these are the aspects that appeal to our most primitive sense of utility and function. Never disregard the subconscious effects of the tactile world around us.

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    1. Re:awesome by WinterSolstice · · Score: 2
      I think not. The HP Jornada 500/600 series are aluminum. They are very durable. I can attest to this, and I actually drove over my Jornada 545 at one point. It continued to function for 2 years after that.

      Palms on the other hand, are terrible. The only Palm that feels comfortable to me is the Palm V. The Palm VII feels like some kind of badly-designed remote control, and the Palm m505s are not terrible attractive.

      I hope that HP/Compaq go the way of Sony and make something that looks pretty nice, with no major dressing.

      -WS

      --
      An operating system should be like a light switch... simple, effective, easy to use, and designed for everyone.
    2. Re:awesome by colmore · · Score: 2

      Seems like all people are lamenting or praising here is the plastic casing and buttons.

      The two devices were almost functionally identical. We're not losing anything here.

      --
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    3. Re:awesome by Wintersmute · · Score: 2

      I actually drove over my Jornada 545 at one point. It continued to function for 2 years after that.

      Party on. I've got a 545 too, and damned if it isn't a thug of a PDA. Its a hair thicker than the rest, but I have beaten the hell out of mine, and its still ticking. I've really been impressed with its reliability. Umm... except for Windows CE - but that's not really at issue here.

      The iPaq, on the other hand, has this vague George Jetson-look to it. I want a PDA, not a sprocket. (whatever the hell those are) Maybe someone could stand up for ipaqs out there? I'd be interested on hearing about their crashworthiness. (inertia crash, not Windows crash)

      PDA Clue: My guess is that it was Professor Palm, in the kitchen, with the silver limited-edition stylus.

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  8. Thanks HP by pstreck · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is great that hp is keeping handhelds.org alive. Handhelds.org has produced a lot of great software over the past couple of years and made things like the Sharp Zaurus possible. The death of the jornada is unfortunate but it seems that hp is just trying to keep the best products out on the market. Thanks HP for not killing off handhelds.org!

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    Later,
    Phil
  9. Take a look at the HP roadmap... by RampagingSimian · · Score: 2, Interesting
    ... here.
    Smart Handhelds Decision:

    The Compaq iPAQ(TM) Pocket PC, re-named the HP iPAQ Pocket PC, will be our smart handheld platform. The best of the current HP Jornada technology will be engineered into the platform. Jornada products will be phased out of the market in 2002. HP will continue to innovate in wireless, mobility and voice technology. HP also will offer the iPAQ Blackberry device for end-to-end wireless e-mail solutions, under the HP brand.

    Tad sad, considering the 'sleek form factor' of the Jornadas. Ah well. ;)
  10. HP / Compaq PDA .. more of a merger by Kryptic+Knight · · Score: 3, Informative



    The HP website has a Product Roadmap in its press releases.

    It makes a quite nice read, especially if you're a heavy Compaq server site.

    Smart Handhelds

    Decision: The Compaq iPAQ(TM) Pocket PC, re-named the HP iPAQ Pocket PC, will be our smart handheld platform. The best of the current HP Jornada technology will be engineered into the platform. Jornada products will be phased out of the market in 2002.

    HP will continue to innovate in wireless, mobility and voice technology. HP also will offer the iPAQ Blackberry device for end-to-end wireless e-mail solutions, under the HP brand.


    So evidently we're going to see IPaq's emerging with some of the good Jornada technology integrated. Lets hope its well done, rather than shoehorned in.

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  11. I don't get this.. by distributed.karma · · Score: 2, Insightful
    "Jornada killed, iPAQ to live on."

    "New stuff is developed for Jornada. iPAQ support still continues."

    Doesn't that sound a little contradictory? From the latter you could imagine it's iPAQ killed and Jornada lives on...

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  12. great cos iPaq is the daddy by DrSkwid · · Score: 2, Interesting

    a nice little handheld one can wirelessly use as a plan9 graphic terminal, even listening to mp3s etc.

    if only i could afford one :(

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  13. and in related news by gruntvald · · Score: 2, Funny

    Carly Fiorina just announced that hp would be shutting down handhelds.org "I didn't realize we'd left something useful out there" she commented.

  14. OT: GP32, poor mans iPAQ? by Cpt_Kirks · · Score: 2, Informative

    Has anybody looked much at the Game Park 32? There have been a couple of mentions of it here.

    Imagine a cross between the GBA and the iPAQ, kind of. The form factor is large GBA, the screen is bigger (with more colors) than an iPAQ, it uses SMC cards, has a USB port, a cell phone type expansion port for RF networking and stereo speakers.

    Ports of Doom, Descent, Wolfenstein, Emulators for GBC, GBA (possible), SMS and SNES are all working or in progress. Since gcc for the GP32 is out, MAME, 2600 and more ports and emulators should be out soon.

    The current list is about $160USB.

  15. Didn't we talk about this already? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Do we have to keep rehashing information? Can we talk about new and interesting things every once in a while?

    We discussed this issue earlier this week... The editors are really getting lame.

  16. FWIW, you can get the LINUX Distro for IPAQ.... by 8127972 · · Score: 5, Informative

    At Ipaq LINUX, the familiar project, or at Intimate Handhelds.

    (Just in case somebody isn't aware of this)

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  17. how looks matter by WildBeast · · Score: 3, Funny

    Admit it, the Jornada wasn't too sexy looking to begin with so that's why they will be stopping it's production in favor of the sleek looking Ipaq

  18. why pay the microsoft tax? by Kunta+Kinte · · Score: 2, Insightful
    If you want a linux pda, why pay the ms tax? And fund more predatory behavior? Just get a zaurus.

    Check out opie.handhelds.org/ For a great distro for handhelds. supports ipaq, zaurus, and I think others. This project, could do wonders, for unifying linux PDAs on a single platform.

    With countless stories every day on how Microsoft is evil, and Microsoft practices must be stopped ( more articles than I could stomach usually ), I'm surprised on how eagerly slashdot jumps on their products. Guess what, you're funding them!!

    By buying their products, you're speaking with the voice that counts, your money.

    The zaurus is a great tool. I love mine. Everyone was raving yesterday about how the clie had a software writing area that's hideable, guess what, the zaurus has that. And it has a built in keyboard, and a screen keyboard, and a unicode keyboard...

    And don't talk about software either. Because, there are tons of ARM linux software. In places like zaurus.sourceforge.com http://zaurusoft.com http://opie.handhelds.com http://myzaurus.com http://ipkgfind.handhelds.org http://www.debian.org/ports/arm

    so go ahead. complain that microsoft is bullying the educational institutes, that their licenses prevent OEMs from distributing alternative OSes, that they want to prevent us from being able to buy computers without paying them everytime...

    Then go buy their friggin' products.

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  19. This is too bad by chafey · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I own a Jornada 568 and prefer its form factor to that of the iPaq. The iPaq requires a very thick sleeve to support add in cards compared to the Jornada which does not. My coworker's iPaq is quite a bit bulkier with a sleeve and wireles adapter compared to my Jornada with a wireless adapter. I haven't used an iPaq so maybe I am missing something, but from a form factor view, this doesn't seem like the best decision.

  20. saw this yesterday on HP by josepha48 · · Score: 2
    http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/07may02b.h tm

    This details what they are and are not getting ride of. It looks like most of what is staying is all going to be under the HP name as well. Very little Compaq left. They are also getting rid of True64 and integrating the good parts of it, or what they think are good, into HP-UX.

    This is from HP and to their customers / consumers so if you use any Compaq / HP stuff it is worth a read.

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  21. Re:This is too bad ( CF and SD/MMC builtin ) by Locutus · · Score: 2

    yup, that's one reason why I went with the Zaurus. It too has the CF slot builtin but also has a SD/MMC slot as well. The slide-out keyboard and Linux were the final hooks that got me to buy the Zaurus.

    It'll be interesting to see if the HP iPaq gets builtin expansion and I applaud their Bluetooth support.

    LoB

    --
    "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
  22. What!?!?!? by Mr_Silver · · Score: 2
    Jordan to be killed off?? Where will I get my breast fix??!?

    Oh, Jornada.

    Whoops, my mistake.

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  23. Re:Bummer ( why buy so many? ) by Locutus · · Score: 2

    I've heard that but not experienced it myself. I run atleast one notch down in "Front" light intensity. Because it is a frontlight and not a backlight, we must keep it turned on. When I know I'll be outside using the Z, I knock it down another notch (50%).

    I'm also wondering if charging or battery hiccups aren't causing some to have very short charge life.

    LoB

    --
    "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus