The Compaq H3670 is one of the newer Win CE handhelds on the market. This review will try to highlight some of the features of this unit and talk about things that you can’t necessarily find on the spec sheets. Each function will be looked into and then a comparison with other handhelds on the market as well as my opinions will follow in brackets [].

Size, Style & Interface

This unit measures 5.11 X 3.28 X 0.62 inches. This translates to a handheld that is about the size of the palm III series handhelds, but slightly longer. Including battery, the Compaq weighs 6.3 oz, which is also approximately the weight of the palm III series handhelds.

[This unit is currently the thinnest of all the PDAs running WIN CE on the market. As compared to the PDAs running the Palm OS on the other hand, this unit is one of the largest, only smaller than the Palm VII series. However, considering the functionality of this unit, it’s astounding that it is this small.]

The Compaq 3670 has a metallic finish, reminiscent of the trend that began with the Palm V. There are five buttons that line the bottom of the unit: one large speaker/joystick and four smaller navigation buttons, two flanking each side of the speaker. From left to right, the default functions are as follows: calendar, contacts, speaker/joystick, qmenu, qstart. Of course, the functions are customizable via software. Along the top of the unit, one finds the power button and a silent alarm/charge light. The microphone and an ambient light sensor can also be found on top. The record button for voice recording is found in a recessed area on the upper left hand corner of the unit.

[The interface on this unit is pretty standard. The functions to note are the speaker/joystick and the record button. The speaker/joystick is a pretty neat addition to this handheld. The joystick is a 5-way joystick that allows you to scroll through your documents. The placement of the scrolling joystick is in the same place as that of the palm units. Therefore, if you are uncomfortable in scrolling through documents this way (as I am), you will not be happy with it. The speaker, though better than having none on the palm units (except TRGPro) is not made for music. Luckily, there is a stereo output jack for your headphones on the unit as well. As for the record button, having it recessed was a good idea, but was not needed in this case. The record button is very hard to keep depressed.]

Key Functions

Display - The display is a color display capable of 4096 colors (12 bit). Resolution is 240X320.

[In terms of regular use, the 12-bit color display is pretty good. Flesh tones on pictures are good. The resolution of 240X320 is average for other Win CE devices, but much better than current Palm OS devices that are 160X160. Since PDAs are really used for reading text and to show the occasional picture, the resolution and amount of colors on the Compaq unit are adequate. A neat feature is the ambient light sensor, which adjusts the contrast to best fit the light conditions. As compared to the Palm IIIc and the Visor Prism, I would have to say that the Compaq system holds up very well under natural sun conditions - the colors are bright and pretty easy to see.]
Audio - As stated earlier, the handheld comes with a speaker and a stereo output jack. This coupled with the included Audible music software allows you to listen to mp3’s on the system.

[The nice thing about this unit is its capability to play mp3’s while using other software. Other Win CE systems can’t do this without a noticeable lag in using other applications and/or jumps in the music. This is probably attributed to the processor included.]

Speed - The included processor runs at 206 mhz.

[The processor speed is light years ahead of even the fastest palm device (33mhz). It is also among the fastest in the Win CE market as of this review. In terms of use, there is definitely a noticeable increase in speed at which applications come up. The biggest problem with past Win CE devices is that there is a lag time between when a program is called and when it actually comes up and is useable. This has not been a problem for palm apps and now, with the included processor, not a problem for this unit either. There is no problem with running three applications simultaneously.]

Memory and Expandability – There is 64 MB onboard RAM included plus 16MB flash ROM memory. Expansion is via a “sleeve” much like the expansion sleeves on the new Visor edge. Current sleeves allow use of Compact Flash cards and PCMCIA cards.

[The expansion capabilities is one of the best things going for this unit. An expansion sleeve can be purchased which hooks on to the back of the unit. Dependant upon what you get, you can add compatibility to compact flash cards and PC cards. As a matter of fact, at the writing of this review, there was an announcement of a new expansion sleeve that adds both features in one. Although the sleeve adds weight and size, the added functionality is worth it. As of this point, I believe that compact flash expansion cards go up to 128 MB in size and a 256 MB version is due out soon. As for PC card compatibility, this means you can use the pc cards that are in your laptop. This opens up a whole new world of peripherals for this machine. Almost all the current PCMCIA cards that are used for your laptop now can be used with this machine if you buy the expansion sleeve. PCMCIA cards do require a large amount of battery power, so I wonder about the effect this has (I have not check this out as of yet).]

Battery – Lithium Ion polymer

[The included lithium ion battery is rechargeable in the docking cradle. Assuming that you sync with your PC daily, there should be no problem with battery life on this unit, even with a couple hours of mp3 listening.]

Final Thoughts

Compaq certainly adds a lot of functionality and features to this handheld. This review could easily be pages and pages long if I talked about each. There are some general things I’d like to add if you are indeed thinking about buying this handheld.

Software

In terms of software, as compared to Palm OS devices, Win CE software is sparse. Furthermore, what software is available is often not freeware. Compaq does bundle this handheld with a lot of software, so for daily use, this won’t be a problem. The bundled software includes: pocket versions of word, excel, outlook (which is separated into calendar, contacts and tasks) and internet explorer; voice recorder; notes; calculator; file explorer; qmenu (Compaq’s version of the start button); audible player; asset manager; solitaire. As you can see, there is a lot of software that comes with the unit already.

This one or a Palm?

As compared to a palm device, this unit is bigger than most. However, it comes with an mp3 player, a very fast processor and a good display. The handwriting recognition program is reminiscent of the old Apple Newton programs and does not require learning the graffiti handwriting of the Palm systems. In weighing whether or not to buy this device over one running the Palm OS, you should think about what you are going to use it for. For routine business use, a palm device would probably suffice. They are easier to carry around and also have a lot of software available for them. The reason to buy the Win CE all boils down to the “wow factor” or the “geek factor”. This handheld will draw lots of attention with what it does and well, it really does do a lot. If you are looking for an all in one system without much need for further expansion, this unit is worth looking into.

One last thing, the Compaq system at $650 is very expensive. You are actually better off buying the 3650 at $500 and adding compact flash expansion cards. If you can spare the money, then by all means, go for it!



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 650