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HP iPAQ hx2750 Pocket PC Review

Lisa Gade writes "The hx2000 line replaces the successful but aging iPAQ 2215 as HP's mid-sized Pocket PC with dual slots and lots of power. We at pdabuyersguide.com take an in-depth look at the top-of-the-line hx2750, which is the fastest Pocket PC to date. It has a 624MHz processor, 128 megs of RAM, dual slots, WiFi, Bluetooth and a biometric fingerprint scanner for security. Sporting a new ergonomic design, the device comes with a transparent flip cover everyone is sure to love. If you have a need for speed and a fat wallet, this might be the PDA for you (if you can live with Windows rather than Linux)!" Speaking of Windows on small devices, there's coverage -- with screenshots -- originally from neowin.com, but now removed from that site, of the upcoming Windows Mobile 2005 at mobileread.com and also at davesipaq.com.

34 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Phone capability by Janitha · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Some phone capability and this is all I need in my pocket. Rather than sticking in a CF card.

    1. Re:Phone capability by UWC · · Score: 2, Insightful
      It does have both CF and SDIO slots, so sticking in a CF phone card isn't out of the question and wouldn't leave you without other expansion venues (though I guess it would prevent scavenging the 2GB CF card from that Creative MuVo player).

      I was disappointed to find that this one is 320x240. There's apparently a comparable 4700 model with VGA, but it only has 64MB of RAM.

    2. Re:Phone capability by slagdogg · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It has Bluetooth capability, which allows it to dial a Bluetooth-capable phone handset. If you want more integration, Audiovox makes a very slick Pocket PC phone (no WiFi, but you can browse the Internet via mMode). AT&T Wireless used to sell it, not sure what it's fate is with the Cingular merger. I used it a bit for some testing and it's great. It convinced me to purchase the Dell Axim X50v (a budget version of the item reviewed here), which I'm primarily using for home control (WiFi-enabled remote control).

      --
      (Score:-1, Wrong)
  2. HP by GweiLeong · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Since HP & Compaq went together... hmmm I'm going to have to say pass, sorry.

    1. Re:HP by cgoody · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually HP bought Compaq.

  3. iPAQ Support by TheScream · · Score: 5, Informative

    Personally, I'd have to think twice before buying another HP device. Since Compaq was bought, their support has gone down the toilet IMHO. (Except for their oh-so-valuable corporate customers)

    1. Re:iPAQ Support by dJCL · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I worked consumer support at Compaq when HP moved in... boy was that entertaining! Everything is billable, even when it's covered by the warranty!

      And then they laid us off, and did not even replace us with people in India. If you increase the hold time, people just hang up and solve it elsewhere...

      --
      On Arrakis: early worm gets the bird. Magister mundi sum!
    2. Re:iPAQ Support by outlaw69 · · Score: 2, Informative

      I am a corporate named account...and their support STILL SUCKS!!!!!!
      bought 24x7x4 hour hardware support on all my servers and have had to wait up to 5 DAYS for parts....ON A 4 HOUR CONTRACT!!!!

      --
      It's better to be hated for who you are, than be loved for who you're not.
  4. Trolling for hits by grub · · Score: 2, Funny


    Lisa Gade writes [...] We at pdabuyersguide.com [...] (if you can live with Windows rather than Linux)!"

    Interesting, Lisa. Nowhere in your article do I see the word "Linux" but you throw it into your synopsis. Was that for the benefit slashdot to make you cool?

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Trolling for hits by OECD · · Score: 4, Funny

      Nowhere in your article do I see the word "Linux" but you throw it into your synopsis. Was that for the benefit slashdot to make you cool?

      Lighten up, Francis. This is slashdot. If she was reviewing a friggin' toaster oven it would be incumbent upon her to tell us whether it runs linux. Or if it clusters. Or if they've got faster ones in Korea.

      --
      One man's -1 Flamebait is another man's +5 Funny.
    2. Re:Trolling for hits by swv3752 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually, I was mildly curious if Familiar and Opie would boot on it.

      --
      Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
  5. Axim X30 by cheztir · · Score: 3, Informative

    Dell Axim X30 was the first PocketPC to go 624mhz, and then this HP. So technically it isn't the "fastest", for the axim had everything the Hp has at the same cpu speed, excluding the biometric scanner (which is awesome). I'd but one just for that.

    1. Re:Axim X30 by joe52 · · Score: 2, Informative

      This isn't even the first HP iPaq with this processor. The 4700 series has been out for a few months and uses the same processor. I actually find HP's strategy with these two high-end models to be somewhat perplexing (it would make more sense if the 4700 series came with more RAM, though I guess that would make them even more expensive).

      The "fastest" claim is based on their benchmark results. If you want to see them just click through to the article and you'll find them in a nice little table.

  6. Re:Boycotting Chinese Products: HP iPaq by lucabrasi999 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I have a sneaking suspicion that the new HP iPaq is manufactured in China

    Computers products are being manufactured in China???? OMFG!!!! The next thing you know, the commies are gonna be marching right down main street in Omaha! Somebody alert the media!

    Oh a serious note: Dear AC, grow up. If we were to boycott Chinese products, we probably would not be able to purchase anything, anymore.

  7. Good Question by TrollBridge · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And why does the submission read like an advertisement? Oh wait, that's because it IS an advertisement.

    --
    There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.
    1. Re:Good Question by nizo · · Score: 2, Funny
      If you have a need for speed and a fat wallet, this might be the PDA for you.

      Yep, the phrase "fat wallet" always makes me instantly want to buy something. Which is probably why my wallet is so fat: all those reciepts for crap I don't need. :-)

  8. ROM decieving by cgoody · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Im getting tired of companies listing the ROM as if that was the number accessable. Just like your hard drive(only worse) the number indicated is not completley accessable.

  9. WTF? by SmokeHalo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Sporting a new ergonomic design, the device comes with a transparent flip cover everyone is sure to love.

    This statement is not news. It's an advertisement. Editors, please edit.

    --
    I'm not good in groups. It's difficult to work in a group when you're omnipotent. - Q
    1. Re:WTF? by mrklin · · Score: 2, Informative

      That is only because you have not owned a PocketPC or otherwise you would have know that the friggin' transparent cover that cost 10 cents to make is on every iPaq owner's wish list!

  10. Re:Boycotting Chinese Products: HP iPaq by Squatchman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If America relied on it's own industry for things like this, prices for these items would be ten times what they are now.

    Red China may not treat its workers with the most respect, but I'll be damned if they can't put out a reasonably priced product. What's wrong with that?

  11. Re:Wifi and VPN issues? by RevAaron · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Dell Axim X50v I just got has a VPN client, though I've not yet used it. It does has built-in wifi. To date, I've not had any issues with wifi on any WinCE or PPC device I've owned, including this Dell with its built-in wifi, a Orinoco WaveLAN card in a few devices (iPAQ 3650, Jornada 720), Compaq WL100 wifi card in an iPAQ 3650 and an Ambicom Wifi card on a Dell Axim X5 Basic and Sigmarion 3. Performance was quite good- using NetFront on the older devices or IE on WM2003 (when it finally improved) or vanilla WinCE 3.0 (where it doesn't suck) I get load times a little faster than on a desktop machine of comparable power running Firefox or IE.

    I did have a ton of issues with a Linksys WCF12- nay, 3 of those cards- with a Linux-based Zaurus C760, but that was the fault of the cards, which are straight shite.

    --

    Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
  12. PDAbuyersguide? by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 3, Interesting
    So...we get a review from a site that makes money by advertising PDAs...and they submit a *gasp* review of a HOT NEW PDA!!!!!!!!!

    *cough*Slashvertisement*cough*

    --
    Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
  13. Re:Boycotting Chinese Products: HP iPaq by kamapuaa · · Score: 2, Funny
    I have a sneaking suspicion that the new HP iPaq is manufactured in China (which includes Taiwan province and Hong Kong). If such is the case, we should boycott this product.

    No problem, I was planning on boycotting any $550 Pocket PC anyway.

    --
    Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
  14. It's all about the cash... by gandell · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I like what I've seen of this unit, but for $650, I'd expect a VGA screen.

    I'm thinking the Dell Axim X50v is a better buy. $450 right now at Dell, with VGA screen, dual wireless, dual memory (SD & CF), 624mhz, 64 RAM, 128 ROM, and 16mb vid memory a la Intel.
    Still, biometrics are awfully sweet...

    --
    Mercy was given to me by Christ...I must give the same to others.
  15. What about the pocket test? by peterdaly · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I have a Palm T3 for a simple reason. It has a larger than norm palm screen, yet it fits confortably in my pocket.

    Even though the feature lists of these iPaqs keep calling my name, I am unable to get past the bulk factor. Last time I tried, I was not able to fit an iPaq into my pants pocket confortably.

    I wish more attention would be paid to this in the Windows Mobile world (or whatever they are call this year.) The features are great, but they are too damn big to be as portable as a wallet like my T3. I can't be the only one who thinks this.

    -Pete

    1. Re:What about the pocket test? by ErikZ · · Score: 2, Funny

      Can't fit it easily into your pants pocket? The solution is simple and obvious. Don't wear pants.

      --
      Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
  16. Never mind the "extras", I'll take a sleeved IPAQ by sethstorm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The reason the IPAQs took off so well was the expandability - the sleeves meant you could put anything on to them, whether it was PCMCIA or dedicated GPRS. When they took those out, you might as well have a rebranded Axim - cheap in every wrong sense. When they bring PCMCIA back via sleeves, then we can start thinking of the hp series as of the line, not the current top-of-the line sleeved 5455 (and I wont have to go to Intrinsyc to spec a pcmcia dual slot into their models).

    --
    Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
  17. Not too pleased. by Isldeur · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well I haven't been all that pleased recently with Compaq. My apartment is built on an ancient Indian Graveyard and so electrical equipment related or of my computer routinely dies. As I got finally sick of going through the motions of building a new system and as my time was very short, I picked up a Compaq Presario S6500NX. I know - a noob machine, but it had what I needed, a 3Ghz Athlon XP, and plenty of everything else for like 699 US.

    Everything has worked fine, but I have since (after 3 trips to the computer store) tried upgrading ye old GeForce3 Ti 200 to a 6600 GT AGP.

    Turns out the motherboard (which is this ASUS orphan board that ASUS won't even admit to making only for Compaq) has some dumbed down BIOS. So there's some BIOS setting somewhere I just can't get to (presumably) which prevents the BIOS from even booting when the new card is in. (I've tried various cards and powersupplies.

    My question is, what the heck is the point?? Why dumb something down like this? Most people couldn't even get *into* the BIOS. What are they hiding from me and why??

  18. Re:A great feature for [insert business name here] by Chyeld · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yes, because I know a number of gun shop owners that are just looking for reasons to not sell a gun to someone... ^_^

  19. Re:Boycotting Chinese Products: HP iPaq by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Uh, everything you mentioned is a luxury. It's a want, not a need. The basic needs of humanity are very simple- food, clothing, shelter, water, medical care. Problem is, of those, only three are still "Assembled in America", and of those, only two come from raw materials found in America. (Some of the rest come from American Raw Materials also- but are assembled elsewhere, like Alabama Cotton being shipped to Bangladesh to make Levis, that sort of thing). Personally, I already purchase Fair Trade coffee, and if Fair Trade Computers were available I'd choose them over the standard Taiwan junk hardware that I have to replace every year. It's possible to make paper and ink from in-country sources (we did it for upwards of a century and a half) and it wouldn't be that hard to actually manufacture AM/FM clock radios here if there was a market for them that the boycott produced.

    But like I said- quotas and tarriffs are FAR more effective tools than boycotts for changing this behavior.

    --
    SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
  20. Dell Axim x50v by SuperJason · · Score: 2, Informative

    I have the Dell Axim x50v, and it is a sweet machine (as others have mentioned as well). I put up a simple review on my website, nothing too in depth: http://www.young-technologies.com/Reviews/Dell_Axi m_x50v_Pocket_PC_Review/

  21. Someone has to say it! by WndrBr3d · · Score: 4, Informative

    That review is Poppycock!

    They compare it against a Dell Axim x30 624Mhz (based on the Intel PXA263 processor) and then a Dell Axim x50 (based on the Intel PXA270 processor), which has the very same processor as the HP PDA being reviewed.

    Whets wrong? The Dell Axim x50 v is the Dell PDA they -SHOULD- be comparing it against, as it has not only the same CPU (Intel PXA270), but THE SAME CLOCK SPEED!

    How can they call this a fair review and comparison when the PDAs they compare it against are spec'd below the HP in question.

    That's like comparing this 2.0Ghz Celeron against a 2.0Ghz P4 (as in comparing the PXA263 at 624mhz on the Axim x30, vs. the PXA270 at 624mhz in the HP). They're different chips! Of course the newer generation is going to be more refined and a better performer.

    I'm just very disappointed with hardware review sites these days as they seem very slated towards their sponsors or preferred hardware.

  22. Re:Bimetric fingerprint security? by alienmole · · Score: 4, Informative

    Note that the article you linked to was from 2002. The latest fingerprint scanners do liveness tests, making sure it's a living finger on the scanner, which defeats the "gummi bear" hack -- and incidentally, also defeats the old "chop off the finger" attack, although one hopes the would-be hacker (both literal and figurative!) is aware of that before he takes a machete to your finger.

    That's not to say that fingerprint scanners are the way to go, but this sort of FUD isn't going to stop their adoption - it's better to be able to articulate the real reasons they're a bad idea. Schneier does a good job of that, with one of the main points being that you can't change your biometrics if they're compromised.

  23. Re:Boycotting Chinese Products: HP iPaq by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 2, Informative

    If all we needed was TIME- then there's no problem as we have some 5 billion potential workers out of the nearly 7 billion on the planet. We've got a surplus of working time- that isn't the problem.

    There are three divergent real problems here- #1 is the fact of the aforementioned surplus means purely in supply vs demand terms, the comparative advantage of any given individual is basically $1/day- the wages in most countries in the world. Problem #2 is the fact that some 350 million of us think we deserve to have our luxuries so much that we're eating up the resources that should be feeding 3 billion of us. Problem #3 is that we tend to congregate where we grow our food until we exceed the food supply; we really need to spread out a bit more and get more decentralized. All of these problems make it APPEAR we have a population problem, when in reality all we have is a resource distribution problem.

    --
    SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.