I always dreamed of a IPAQ device, but could never afford the $500 color price tag. When I lost my $300 Palm V, I thought my life was over. Just recently, however, I came across this H3150 Monochrome IPAQ w/ 16mb of ram at uBid for $158.00 shipped. (Shipping was only two days! I am VERY happy w/ my purchase though uBid. They are highly recommended, and I have no affiliation other than as a first time buyer.)

What I never liked about the Palm was that it was a digital daytimer. You stored your contacts, todo list, calendar, and MAYBE e-mail. CE is a totally different platform, baby! Only 15 minutes into ownership, I knew this is what a PDA was meant to be. The expandability, multimedia features, programmability, and customizability of this powerful device has made me a guaranteed IPAQ user for life.

The down sides? Well, I think that is a little harder to read than my Palm V in normal lighting conditions. However, it is still easiest enough to read that it would not hinder my overall opinion or make me chose another PDA as a result. The backlight, on the other hand, does seem to be considerably more powerful. I would also consider this device to have a small learning curve, where pretty much anyone can turn on a Palm and run with it.

Included applications are Inbox, Calendar, ToDo list, Compaq qMenu, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and more. You also get a full version of Outlook 2000 - which in itself is an awesome application! Your iPaq device will use ActiveSync to sync to Outlook 2000. (Another tip: You can sync your Outlook to your My Yahoo! free of charge.. you'll never be w/o your contacts when you've got them synchronized online, in your pocket, and at home!)

Overall, I can't say enough about this device. All the Palm users in my office are already jelous - and can't believe what a bargain this unit is. If you can pick it up for $149 + shipping like I did, you'd be out of your mind not to!



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 158