Satisfy your gadget fetish at all costs... [Jornada 548 (32MB) Pocket PC]
Written: Jun 08 '01 (Updated May 15 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Style, 32MB, HP Task Switcher, MP3, CompactFlash expandability
Cons: Screen, Usability of the OS, Price, Quirky sync behavior, Excessive for normal users, Non-removable battery
The Bottom Line: It may be a bit excessive compared to a simple PDA, but then that's why they call it gadget fetish. It can easily replace a laptop for most folks.
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| herjazz's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Jornada 548 Pocket PC |
For the longest time, I tried to stay away from the whole Palm/Handheld PC trend, simply because I never had a need for one: I don't work at a job where I have appointments and meetings daily, I don't have that many business contacts to keep track of, and I believe in the separation of work and play (which means no work done outside of my office). I still don't have a need for one, but I recently received the HP Jornada 548 as a gift, so I decided to at least give it a try before selling it on eBay. ...You know, just to see what the hype is all about... And it comes down to this: it is a toy for those with serious gadget fetish. As a productivity tool, I can see it serving its duty as a mini-computer for the "on-the-go" professional (not me), but for most users it's a bit too excessive, especially given its $450 price tag. Let's take a look, shall we?
Features:
You can read the detailed specs on HP's homepage, but in sum, here are some highlights of the 548:
Uses Microsoft Pocket PC OS
Color screen (DTSN, aka "dual scan")
Li-Ion battery built-in (not swappable, non-removable)
16MB ROM built-in
32MB RAM built-in
Additional RAM, or expandability (modem, ethernet, etc.) via CompactFlash slot (I'm using 256MB cards with no problems)
IR capability
Cradle with USB sync cable
Serial sync cable
Software (Custom HP Software, Basic Pocket PC apps (MS Office), MS ActiveSync and MS Outlook for your Windows machine))
Flip Cover with stylus holder
Ability to play MP3s right out of the box
Physical:
The unit is fairly light and portable, although it's heavier than what I expected a handheld PC to be. It feels very solid in my hands, though, and not plasticky. The color is a nice, conservative gray steel. I feel that the cover is a bit too big, and the stylus holder on the inside of the cover takes up too much space. They could have designed it so that the cover is thinner and placed the stylus holder on the unit itself like the Palm units. Some folks complain that the unit is right-hand biased, due to the fact that the audio record button and the scroll bar (for navigating without a stylus) is on the left side. But I actually find it easier to hold the unit on my right hand and scroll with my fingers rather than scrolling with my left thumb and holding on my left hand. The screen is nice and large, much larger than those on Palm units, but about the same on all other Pocket PC-using handhelds (Casio, Compaq). This is because the area for handwriting input is part of the software and on the screen itself and not outside of the screen (like on Palm/Handspring/Sony). I find that the screen could be a lot more brighter when I'm outside and in direct sunlight: It is almost impossible to see anything in direct sunlight, even with my screen adjustment set to "Outdoors." This is probably because the screen is a DTSN and not TFT. Even so, it's very bright and clear during indoor use.
The CompactFlash slot is on the top of the unit, and there is a flimsy plastic cover for it, which has the tendency to open very easily. It allows for you to add accessories such as extra RAM, a modem, an ethernet card, a wireless modem, etc. for added functionality. The IR port is located on the top as well, and even with the cover flipped open, both the IR lens and the CompactFlash slot is accessible and clear of obstruction. There are 4 "hot keys" on the bottom of the screen that by default takes you to "Home" "Contacts" Calendar" and "Tasks" but you can map them to any application you choose, or map them for game buttons for playing games.
Sync with PC:
One of the downfalls of this unit is that it can only sync with a Windows-based PC. It does not work with a Macintosh, and of course doesn't work with a Linux machine. If your PC has a USB port, you're in luck because you can take advantage of the faster transfer speeds (compared to serial connection). I set this up on my Windows 2000 machine at work, and I had a lot of difficulty trying to get my PC to connect to the Jornada. I installed the ActiveSync software, and then plugged in my unit to the cradle which I connected to the USB port. My computer could not detect my Jornada. So I did a restart, and Windows said it found new hardware and was installing device drivers for it (it installed something called "HP USB Sync"). And even then, ActiveSync couldn't find my Jornada. So I unplugged the USB cable and plugged it back in and after a song and dance, it finally connected. I don't know if this is typical, but it's way too much work and frustration for the average home user, I'd say.
Once connected, the ActiveSync software does its neat job of syncing everything with your MS Outlook (ships free with the unit) on the desktop. You can also set up an AvantGo account to download website "clippings" from any site (you're not restricted to pre-selected sites, like on a Palm) you choose, and view them later on on your Jornada (via Pocket Internet Explorer). If you want to install additional software on your Jornada (such as the Sierra Imaging Image Expert CE (included free) for viewing image files, or Microsoft's Cubicle Chaos game), you run the installation program on your Windows desktop, which in turn opens up ActiveSync and installs it on your Pocket PC. To uninstall, you go to the Add/Remove Programs menu on ActiveSync. Remember that the Jornada is uses a Hitachi chip, so download programs meant to be used on a Jornada or Hitachi SH3 chip.
Pocket PC OS and Usability:
Although Microsoft's Pocket PC is a big improvement over its predecessor, the Windows CE, its usability flaws still need a bit more improvement. By default, the Jornada starts with the "Today" screen, and you can select programs by going to the "Start Menu" on the top menu bar and selecting an application (a "shortcut"), or going into the "Programs" folder and selecting your application. You can also launch it by going to your "Home" page and clicking on an icon. And if you are daring, you can go to the "File Explorer" and double-tap on the application (like on a Windows desktop) to launch it. You see how confusing that is? There are 4 places from which you can launch an application! They need to consolidate that into one for improved usability.
Another frustrating flaw that I found from the first 30 seconds of use is that it's not easy to see how to "close" an application after you're done using it. Well, by default, an application stays open, so every time you start a program, you are multi-tasking without even knowing it! That is, you could be running 5 programs at the same time: with 4 programs in the background that you thought you "closed." By default, the OS keeps opening up new programs until you run out of RAM (and your system slows down noticeably), and then closes programs one by one as needed. Now, it took me a while to figure this out, but you can close programs and switch between them using the supplied "HP Task Switcher" program (which is not part of the Microsoft Pocket PC OS, but supplied with all HP units). This little program lets you close programs running in the background, but it is not very easy to use. You must first hit the "Home" hot key and then click on the HP Task Switcher icon to do this; That is, you cannot simply close programs and switch between them while in another program! Another usability flaw: too many clicks and screens to do what you need to do often.
In terms of some positive aspects of the OS, I appreciate the fact that you can input using the "handwriting" style (similar to Palm) or doing hunt-and-peck with the online keyboard. For some types of data (such as phone numbers), it's easier to use the keyboard function. Also, the Notes and Pocket Word applications let you write on the screen directly as if you were writing on a piece of paper, and then you hit "Recognize" and the program does its best to convert your scribbles into letters. It's about 50% accurate on the first try. You have to adjust your writing a bit to make it work right, but it's a commendable effort on Microsoft's part to make handheld PCs easier to use.
Programs:
Pocket PC comes with its standard set of Microsoft applications that you will find on all other Pocket PC handhelds: Word, Excel, PowerPoint Viewer, Outlook (Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, Notes), Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, etc. These programs are stored in the ROM, which means that you cannot uninstall them or upgrade them without "flashing the ROM." But in some ways it's good because they cannot be changed or corrupted even if your handheld crashes. And yes, the Pocket PC does crash, though rarely. You simply hit the "reset" button on the back of the unit to restart it.
Although Excel and Word is mainly for touching up text written on your desktop, you could start a new Excel spreadsheet or Word document from scratch on your Handheld if you have the patience to write that much text and numbers with the stylus. You can also read your emails on the road and write replies to them, and when you sync with your PC, have it send the emails. If you have the money for a Wireless Modem, you can check your email and send email and browse the web on your Jornada anywhere. For users who traditionally tote laptops to do simple tasks such as checking email, writing emails, brushing up on Word documents, jotting notes, playing MP3s, this is a great alternative if you get yourself a CompactFlash modem. Plus it's much better since you don't have to go through a 2-minute start-up sequence like on a laptop. You simply hit the power button and everything is up and running in half a second. So I can see some folks trade in their laptops for a Pocket PC handheld unit.
The included 32MB of RAM (built-in) stores both your files and other programs you may have installed. There is a RAM manager that lets you allocate resources between files and programs as needed. If you get yourself a bigger CompactFlash card (now's a good time to do it since RAM is so cheap nowadays-- I got a 256MB CompactFlash for about $100), you can store MP3s on them and use your Jornada as an MP3 player. Since MP3 playing drains battery fast, you can turn off the screen by pressing/holding the button on the top of the screen to save battery life. (When I use the Jornada just as an MP3 player, I get just under 4 hours of continuous playback time of my MP3s (128K-miniumum, VBR-encoded) off my 256MB CompactFlash card.) The sound through the tiny built-in speaker is aweful, but if you plug in a good set of headphones, the sound is pretty good! A side note: when you have Windows Media Player playing MP3s in the background and you are doing other tasks, the sound for the non-Media Player application will be turned off, and everything is a bit slower.
Games are numerous (from free to shareware to commercial) and since I don't use the unit for work that much, I'm usually playing some sort of game on this thing while on my train commute. I've renewed my addiction to the simple game of Solitare! It's so much fun to play with a stylus since it's more intuitive and faster to move cards around... I also have a beta version of Pocket Quake (based on the original Quake game) which runs fairly decently via my 128MB CompactFlash card. Other games and programs can be found on many sites (for example, http://www.ce4you.cz/en/), just make sure to download the "SH3" "Hitachi" or "Jornada" versions of the programs.
If you have a digital camera that uses a CompactFlash card, you can simply plug in your "film" into the Jornada and browse the image files with the Image Expert CE program, or copy selected images on your Jornada.
Conclusion:
The Jornada 548 is a nice sleek unit that does a lot more than what laptops used to do a few years ago. It has more functionality than what most folks know what to do with. Which is why I'd recommend not buying unless you are one of those professionals on the go, or someone who has to have the latest and greatest gadgets. There is still some room for improvement in the usability of the Operating System and programs, but overall it's a fairly usable laptop alternative.
Note: Epinions prices this unit at $600, but you can buy this for under $450 (some stores throw in a free foldable keyboard with it) at most places.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 450
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Epinions.com ID:
herjazz
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Member: Mike Choi
Location: Long Island, NY
Reviews written: 70
Trusted by: 56 members
About Me:
Web/Graphic Design, Art, Computers (Macintosh), Activism, Cars, Music (drums, bass, guitar, CubaseVST)
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