iPaq hx2750 review / nags / complaints...

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Brad Berson (userj_at_no.spam)
Date: 01/26/05 

Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 15:50:21 -0500

Who else here has the new iPaq hx2750 or 2755? Or anything in the new
hx2000 series for that matter? How about Windows Mobile 2003 SE?

First off, some MS -specific stuff since we're in an MS forum:

The calculator included in WM2003SE is pathetic. It would have been
hot stuff twenty years ago but it's pathetic now. Yeah, there's good
freeware out there, but why should we have to bother?

No freehand drawing or note-taking, at all. Even Palm can do that.

Windows Media Player does recognise MP3s. To ignore the format would
have been suicidal, no doubt. But it can't do a thing with AVIs or
MPEGs. It took me hours of web surfing to find a player that didn't
die horribly on tha pxa270 platform (PocketMVP WinCEsoft edition, by
the way).

Why can't I use [Tab] in my appointment notes?

And why do the scroll bars not scroll the screen content in realtime
in some of the screens?

There's no way to quickly reach the current day in the calendar
without using the stylus. Unless I'm missing something obvious?

Where in hell did this "2577" category come from in my notes? I can't
get rid of the folder even though it appears empty. Oh well.

Now to blast HP a bit:

Software...

Credant's HP ProtectTools locks up sometimes on wake-up. It's also
slow to the punch, leaving prior screen data visible for a second or
two before overlaying it with the finger-swipe screen.

iPaq Wireless locks up sometimes, unpredictably.

TodayPanel Lite seems like it never reached the beta stage of
development. Display corruption is not infrequent and when I tried to
alter the selection of what to display, it no longer mapped taps to
the proper areas of the display!

Why can't I map the long press on button #4?

Hardware...

A note from the Design Compromise Department - the flip cover
interferes with stylus removal when opened to a comfortable degree.

The four-way control takes a little getting used to, but it would be
nicer if it didn't require quite so much force.

The tiny speaker won't be frightening anyone at Dell.

The IR is almost uselessly weak. The range is barely two feet if your
aim is perfect and interference is non-existent. I haven't gone so
far as to use measuring instruments but the dismally faint blips that
appear on my 3M IR -sensitive paper is telling.

Documentation...

You're led to believe that AvantGo is installed and ready to roar, but
it's just the conduit. No mention of needing to download the PC
client and the handheld bits. Just head-scratching.

One would think you would benefit from better notes on how to
accomplish Palm data conversion. But like AvantGo, you just get a
pointer into the wilderness. C'mon folks, proselytize a bit!

OK, the news isn't ALL bad.

The unit is very fast, the screen touch is magically light, the
handwriting recognition is almost terrific, the feel of the unit is
very good overall, not too heavy or big (although I still would like
something thinner), and being a Palm refugee I'm really getting to
like the ability to multitask.

It took me years to switch from Palm, and in the past week I've
rebooted the hx2750 more times than I ever rebooted all of my Palm
units put together since the original PalmPilot. Putting the above
complaints aside - much of which looks like your test community was a
bit too limited - if you folks could stabilize the software a bit I'd
be awfully happy. Right now I'm happy but a little frustrated.

-Brad

Relevant Pages

  • Re: -> Synching with what apps? <-
    ... I'm coming from the Palm word and am thinking about switching to an HP ... But I'm not using Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus Notes. ... synched with an iPaq? ... Besides Activesync or Windows Mobile Device Center to synchronize, ...
    (microsoft.public.pocketpc)
  • Palm & Windows Mobile 2003?
    ... My wife uses a Palm and I use an iPAQ 2215 running Windows Mobile 2003. ...
    (microsoft.public.pocketpc)
  • Hi...i need your help...
    ... i need to understand if i can update my iPAQ rz1710 to windows mobile ... and also if i can change the operating ... system e put on that the palm os. ...
    (microsoft.public.pocketpc)
  • Migrating from Palm OS to Windows Mobile
    ... I'm thinking of buying an iPAQ with Windows Mobile 2003. ... Right now, I have an old Handspring, which runs Palm OS v3.1H3. ... How can I migrate the data from the Handspring to the iPAQ? ...
    (microsoft.public.pocketpc)
  • Re: PDA Recommendations
    ... BlueTooth Adapter in my iPAQ 210. ... want to ruin a display put a touchsceen overlay on it. ... mounted above the panel is that all are almost invisible when the sun ... so one hopes that properly sunlight useable low power screens ...
    (rec.aviation.soaring)