Having been a previous iPAQ owner (model 3650: see my other review), I was skeptical when I saw that they had released a lower cost PocketPC. Then one day at the local electronics store, a small narrow PDA with a great screen caught my eye. It had the HP logo on the bottom and then I noticed the iPAQ logo at the top of the unit. This was their new "budget" model 1910. I picked up one of these units last week and have been increasingly impressed with it.

This unit replaces my trusty Toshiba e310 - another budget PocketPC unit that fit my needs perfectly because of its small size and good features and software interface. But the screen on the e310 was always a bit lacking. The colors seemed washed out and the battery life never lived up to expectations. The H1910 is very small, even smaller than the Toshiba. It's narrow, slim, contoured, and looks really nice. Good button placement, etc.

Screen: The H1910 uses a transflective TFT screen with an LED backlight. The richness of the colors and the high contrast of the screen looks better to my eyes than the larger more expensive iPAQs. The long-life, low power LED backlight conserves energy and isn't overly bright - doesn't blind you in the dark. As is the case with most color screens, it's not great in bright sunlight but you can still see it thanks to the improved contrast. Also, turning off the backlight in a brightly lit room still yields a pretty visible screen, but saves battery life. The 240x320 display resolution is typical in its class, but I wonder why they don't move to a 320x320 screen like the Sony Clie'?

Features: To me, this unit is almost exactly what I want in a PDA. It has all the basic features to make it usable, including small unobtrusive size, light weight, expansion, etc. 64MB is standard and the SD card slot gives you up to 256MB of additional storage and the possibility of using upcoming SD bluetooth cards. Audio quality through the headphone jack is decent, and the system is responsive enough (could be a bit better). What you DONT get with this package is a charging cradle. You've got to spend another 40 bux if you want that. But the charging cradle doe support an extra battery... which leads me to perhaps the greatest feature of this unit - a removable battery! Wow! What a concept! Too bad the more expensive iPAQs don't have that. When your battery runs down on the high-end iPAQs, you're out of luck. When it dies completely, you need to send it to a service center to get replaced.

Software: This package isn't loaded with many software goodies. You get Outlook 2000, Microsoft Reader, a dozen or so books, and Transcriber software. About what you expect for a PocketPC PDA in this price range. One thing that all the iPAQ's lack though is a decent task switching interface like the Toshiba with its customizable panels and "running software" tab.

Portability: My biggest gripe about the iPAQ's all along is that they have been big, clunky, slippery, power-hungry hulks. This iPAQ changes that. The light weight (4.23oz!) and narrow design means you can slip it into your shirt or jacket pocket with ease. The contours of the case make it easier to hold, not slippery as ice like the other iPAQs. The battery compartment lid actually helps here. I still wish PDA designers would implement a thin rubber strip to help you grip the unit. If you drop this thing and crack the screen, you're probably out $200. Again, let me emphasize that this unit is much easier to hold on to than the other iPAQs with their slippery rounded form over function design.

Another great portability feature is the removable battery. Imagine taking your pocket PC with you to jury duty and running out of juice in the first two hours. This happened to me, and it's the day I stopped using my first iPAQ. When I bought this unit, I immediately bought an extra battery to take along for just those occasions. Surprisingly, I used this iPAQ numerous times over the last weekend, without running out of power. This leads me to believe that despite HP's claims that the bigger iPAQ's have slightly better battery life, I'm not so sure. I think the H1910's improved screen and different backlight allow it to more intelligently manage power. So far so good, but I've got a backup battery just in case. (Call me a skeptic, but I don't believe HP's claims of 10 hours on a charge. I've never seen that on any PocketPC.)

Multimedia: With the included multimedia player, MP3's play perfectly. Haven't tried video yet. The slower processor doesn't seem to hinder multimedia too much. I wonder what the faster processor would really buy you?

Dislikes: So far, very few options exist for this unit. Not even a carry case. I use the slip case for my old iPAQ so that it doesn't get scratched up in my backpack. But I'm hoping to see HP or some third party release a case soon. Another gripe is the lack of a standard cradle. You have to shell out another 40 bucks or so for the cradle unless you want to read the thing upside on your desk while it's connected to your computer. Also, the interface seems a tiny bit more sluggish than my Toshiba e310, which had a slower processor. Not a huge difference, though. Lastly, this is a gripe about the pocket PC in general. How hard would it be to implement an alarm that would actually work? With the PocketPC software, if you turn the volume off, it turns everything off! You can't force it to turn the volume up for alerts. DUMB DUMB DUMB! This feature alone is enough to drive people to the PalmOS. (The only reason I use PocketPC in the first place is because of the better integration with Outlook.)

Overall: In my opinion, this is the best PDA that HP or Compaq has ever released, and surprisingly the cheapest. If you're looking for a practical down-to-earth PDA that does what it's supposed to do, is small, easy to carry, reasonably expandable, etc., this is the one. If you're sold on bells and whistles, you might enjoy the higher-end units weighing down your pockets and choking down the battery life. Just don't drop them!

Update: Now that I've had this for awhile, I'm very impressed with the battery life compared to the previous iPAQ that I owned. The h1910 obviously has a much smarter battery technology that doesn't drain much at all when powered off. I was away from the charger for five days and used the iPaq periodically every day to check my calendar. The battery life only dropped down to 50%! My old iPAQ would have been dead within two days, even powered off. Obviously, Compaq has put some more thought into conserving battery life which further makes this unit a *best buy*. Also, my cradle finally arrived after being backordered for a few weeks. The good: It's got a slot to simultaneously charge the extra battery. The bad: The h1910 is kind of hard to get lined up to slide down over the pins. Usually takes a few tries. Also, the iPAQ isn't totally stable in the cradle as the cradle only grips it along the bottom edge. Could be better, especially for what they charge for the *option* of having a cradle. Ohwell. Still love this little unit. Best PocketPC I've owned.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 299