HP's iPaq 4350 Review: Powerful and Loaded
Written: Feb 20 '04 (Updated Feb 22 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: High quality, strong design, feature rich and attractive.
Cons: Not intuitive for a new user; so new that some accessories are not available yet.
The Bottom Line: Choose the 4350/4355 for its style, features and functionality. I love it - zero regrets. Not for those who want a digital address book and scheduler.
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| got1's Full Review: Hewlett Packard iPAQ H4350 Pocket PC |
Note: the iPaq 4350 and 4355 are the same unit, marketed differently by HP to business users and retail/consumers. When you search online for the best price, check both units - in fact, some sites not only have different prices, but even offer free shipping on the retail unit but not the other.
Overview: In The Box, Why I Bought It, What I Like, and how it Comes Up Short.
In The Box: iPaq, USB sync cradle with travel charger, companion CD with user guide, ActiveSync and Outlook, carrying case, spare stylus, marketing offers. Full specs online at hp.com.
Why I Bought It: I've been a PDA/handheld user for many years and I love technology, especially thin & ultralight. When my Palm m500's internal battery failed I had no qualms about upgrading. This is my first Pocket PC (Windows platform as opposed to Palm OS). I really wanted something with power, something I could actually use to accomplish work while out of the office. (And I admit, something to play with, too.)
The upper line of iPaqs now come with Bluetooth - a feature I love on my mobile phone; few other units come with Bluetooth. It also has WiFi (802.11b), Infrared and tons of other features that were attractive - more on the features next. It also had solid reviews in the few places I could find them.
What I Like: First of all, it's extremely attractive. Who wants to drop a bundle on something ugly? It's small, light, well constructed, and the screen quality of the device is amazing. Games, eBooks and photos of my family appear in crisp and brilliant color.
This is the only iPaq model with an integrated keyboard. (If you don't want the keyboard, check out the 4100 series.) While I was quite proficient with Palm's graffiti, there are just some things you want a keyboard for - and this is quite nice: small enough to keep the device streamlined, yet impressive for its functionality. When in use it has a fantastic blue backlight. It retains all the other stylus input methods (letter recognition, tap keyboard, etc.)
I mentioned WiFi - it took me less than 15 minutes to set it up on my home network, including WEP security features. I'm sure it would have been faster if I'd used an iPaq before, but it shouldn't have been that complicated (trial and error through various settings); I've already got TiVo on my WLAN (wireless network.)
I also mentioned Bluetooth. Using a wireless mobile headset is wonderful - this should be too. Unfortunately, I spent about an hour trying to get rolling. I did get it paired with my Nokia phone and my Dell Latitude. But I failed to exchange data. I'm no novice, but it's just going to take a little more time playing with settings.
Here are a few other things that I really like and get excited about:
I like that you can sync your email with Outlook, write emails and fire them off. You can do that via a computer or mobile phone (depending on your Exchange server you can connect directly.) It comes with the basic Microsoft Office suite of applications including Word and Excel. It's easy to exchange photos and every other sort of data.
It's simple to add other applications such as United's flight schedule - I can have it with me at all times, and it auto-updates. And I swapped my eBooks from my Palm with no effort.
I like the option to charge a spare battery (normal or extended) in the cradle at the same time as the iPaq.
I like that it's got a voice recorder that drops your words right into your notes. So easy to use for a to-do list. I've never used MP3s but I will now. It should be fantastic for music on the plane with my headphones.
Coming Up Short: I'm fairly tech-savvy, yet the WiFi and Bluetooth settings just should be easier. It may be fine for experienced users, but I could see a novice getting pretty frustrated if everything didn't click right out of the box. I've read that some other handhelds have far easier set-up utilities.
The printed user manual in the box is pretty weak. The version on the accompanying CD is hardly better.
The carrying case will prevent damage to the body and screen, but is just a stand-in. I'm searching the various online sites for a better case. Supply is short for the 4300 series because it's so new. Same is true of other accessories such as a USB charger or Targus PowerTip.
Overall I couldn't be happier with my new iPaq. It's a blast to discover all it can do - I couldn't go back to a Palm OS unit now that I'm aware of the limitations.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 465
Recommended for: Gadget Lovers - Trendy and Hip
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Epinions.com ID:
got1
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Location: Mission Viejo, CA
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Committed to research to enable smart purchasing
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