Cons: Added size can be uncomfortable, awkward and onerous over extended periods of use.
The Bottom Line: Dual PC-card slots add virtually unlimited capabilities to your iPAQ Pocket PC. The internal double capacity batteries along with the iPAQs internal battery, almost triples total time of use.
aashok's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Compaq (216198-B21) for iPAQ
To get a good idea of the size of the combined unit, take a look at a picture of this sleeve, on my profile page.
Why did I buy it?
After I had purchased my first Pocket PC PDA, I very soon found my needs were fast outgrowing the capabilities of the Compaq H3765. I was mainly using it for work purposes, to synchronize my PIM data in MS-Outlook and Pocket Maps. After visiting various PPC websites, I found numerous options and applications designed for the PPC platform. Many are designed as expansion sleeves, but most of them needed PC-Card or CF-Card connectivity with the iPAQ. Here is a list of some of the more popular expansion sleeves made by HP-Compaq and other manufacturers:
HP-Compaq
CompactFlash expansion pack without extended battery. (170339-B22)
CompactFlash expansion pack Plus with removable extended battery. (249709-B21)
Bluetooth expansion pack with CF card slot no extended battery. (232568-002)
PC Card expansion pack Plus with removable extended battery. (249708-B21)
Dual PC Card expansion pack with two internal extended batteries. (216198-B21)
GSM/GPRS expansion pack. (219926-B21) Not offered in North America due to lack of carrier certification and technical issues.*
Symbol SPS300 Barcode Scanner Sleeve. (264084-B22 with WiFI) (253880-B22 without WiFi)
Other Manufacturers
PDAMotion: Silver Slider II CF Card Sleeve.
Nexian: NexiPak Dual CompactFlash slots with a removable battery.
Nexian: NexiCam Digital Camera Sleeve.
Navman GPS 3240 Navigation & Mapping Sleeve.
TravRoute Pocket CoPilot 3.0 GPS Sleeve.
LifeView Flyjacket with VGA port for presentations, and CF card slot.
Denali IT Mobilian TV Sleeve.
Semtek iSwipe magnetic card reader.
I personally needed to address some specific needs.
· I wanted to be able to use my D-Link DWL-650, wireless LAN card to connect / synchronize with my desktop server.
· Connect wirelessly to my broadband internet thru my D-Link DI-713P router, switch and print server.
· Use my high capacity and high speed Compact Flash memory cards to expand system memory and file storage space. Also to store application and data files like MP3 songs and MPEG videos.
· Use the Margi Presenter-To-Go CF card, to display my PowerPoint presentations thru an LCD Projector.
· Increase battery capacity and total effective time of use.
· I prefer to have the versatility of PCMCIA technology. There are a lot more options available in the PCMCIA format because it’s so commonly used in Notebook PCs. Also, there are numerous economical adapters available to convert CF, Smartmedia, Memorystick, SD, and MMC media into a PC card slot.
What’s HOT. Dual PC Card Slots. The slots can be accessed from the top of the unit. Each slot has a flip-in dust cover and dedicated eject button to it’s right. (just like on a Notebook PC) On the bottom is the AC adapter socket. On the top right rear is the yellow charge LED that blinks while charging and stays solid when charging is complete. The slot next to the iPAQ is designed to support Ethernet, WLAN, Modem and other card that have external connections or protrusions (antennae etc). The sleeve ships with an included PCMCIA CF card converter. The unit accepts two Type I and II PC cards, or one Type III PC card.
Double internal rechargeable Lithium Polymer batteries. These power the PC cards and trickle charge the main iPAQ batteries. They also effectively triple the charge duration of the iPAQ. I tested this on the H3765 under extreme harsh conditions. I switched off all power save functions, set the backlight to the brightest setting and played a loop of MP3 songs till the iPAQ was completely discharged. The iPAQ by itself, lasted for 1 hour and 50 minutes. I then connected the sleeve with a 512MB CF memory card and continued the test. The unit kept playing for another 3 hours and 45 minutes. A total of 5.5 hours of use under harsh atypical conditions was impressive. A more normal usage pattern, with power save features turned on, and the backlight set to automatic or low, would yield even better battery life.
Compatible with other iPAQ models, series h3100, h3600, h3700, h3800, h3900 and h5400.
What’s NOT. Size, Size and Size.
Dimension are: W 8.5mm x H 13mm x D 4.5mm. This makes the combined unit into a bulky hand held device. I have large hands and found the whole package to be quite comfortable. But most friends and colleagues found it bulky, awkward and heavy. They all preferred the iPAQ without the sleeve.
The Bottom Line.
Take an iPAQ Pocket PC, add a dual slot PC card sleeve and with a little imagination, you could replace most functions of a notebook computer. The dual PC-card slots add virtually unlimited capabilities to your iPAQ. The internal double capacity batteries along with the iPAQs internal battery, almost triple the total available run time. Be forewarned that you will take a hit in the wallet. You will never stop buying the next add-on accessory or card.
* Hp-Compaq is currently researching and exploring the various options in hardware and software technologies to create the next generation of Mobile Multifunction Devices. One of these initiatives is called Project Mercury: http://www.crl.research.digital.com/projects/mercury/
Increase the file storage space on your iPAQ Pocket PC Access your company's wireless network (WLAN) for e-mail and Web browsing Access the Internet w...More at Amazon Marketplace
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