Slow and Reliable wins the race for me
Written: Jun 24 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Connected screen protector, removable, onboard Compact Flash Media, ergonomics
Cons: Screen hard to see in sunlight, moderately slow processor, only 16 MB Memory
The Bottom Line: I was simply more comfortable with holding and using the Jornada than any other PDA.
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| timm_inc's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Jornada 545 Pocket PC |
In the summer of 2000, a new graduate (me) emerged from the public high school system. I was motivated, eager, and, above all, disorganized. I, along with my parents, decided that I could think of no better tool/graduation present to help me traverse this rite of passage from high school to college than a brand new PDA.
I decided to purchase the Hewlett Packard Jornada 545 (a Windows CE based, color screen PDA) for multiple reasons, but only a few set it apart from my other choices.
1) It comes with the best screen protector: Super tough, hard, plastic.
a) Being a mobile student, I really liked the fact that I could simply flip down the cover over the screen and get going. With the screen down, it just slides into my back pocket and allows quick, easy access if I need it. A PDA is hardly worth taking along if you are worried about scratching it. It is also a pain in the neck if you have to purchase a separate, bulky case to protect it. This cover made transportation a snap for me. You can even sit on it. It doesn’t care.
2) Onboard removable Compact Flash media. I knew that the 16MB onboard media wasn’t going to be enough, so I wanted some onboard expansion capability.
a) There are adapters that allow for CF cards on many PDAs, but that would add bulk and complexity I didn’t want while rushing off to my next class.
3) Ergonomics. The Jornada is very comfortable to use. It has rubberized sides to avoid slipping and is of substantial, but not portly, weight so you don’t forget it is in your hand.
a) OTHER PDAs are cased in brushed metal or plastic with no rubber sides. I don’t care how cool it looks, those sides feel like a well-oiled bar of soap. The only thing the owner of one of these greased pig PDAs can be confident of is how incredibly trendy he and his PDA will look as his investment careens toward its imminent death via the sidewalk after it squeaks out of his hand.
The Jornada can also do all the other standard pocket PC things too. Like play MP3s, record voice dictation, keep track of dates and phone numbers, download email and Internet content, connect to a portable keyboard (VERY handy for taking notes from fast talking professors) and make you look like you know what is going on. But I chose the Jornada 545 for the reasons above that I believe set it apart from the competition.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 499
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Epinions.com ID:
timm_inc
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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No joke, my face really is an emoticon with a question mark for a mouth.
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