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HP iPAQ 214 Review

I know the HP iPAQ 214 has been around for a while but we’ve only just managed to get our hands on one now.

HP have dubbed this PDA an ‘Enterprise handset’ and, based on first impressions it certainly does look to have the goods. HP and many other vendors know they face stiff competition from an advancing army of UMPC’s and need to deliver what the customer wants. So, let’s take a look at the HP iPAQ 214 and see what this PDA has to offer you and me.

Design

The iPAQ 214 looks vaguely similar to the to its smaller cousin the iPAQ 110 but with a chunkier, more boxy feel created by the squared edges. The chassis design makes the iPAQ 214 feel…well, not uncomfortable…just chunky.

The case features a very attractive black gloss coating. The only annoyance was that smudges and fingerprints show up very clearly on the casing.

The external layout of the HP iPAQ 214 hides the range of features available. Just below the screen are four front buttons and a directional pad. The two inner two buttons are used for the Start menu and OK/close buttons with the soft keys providing access to calendar and messaging functions. A nice feature here is that these two buttons are mappable. This allows you to set up the iPAQ 214 for one handed use.

The thick, metal stylus is definitely a step up from the toothpick-like offerings that ship with certain other devices.

The iPAQ 214 weights 6.8 ounces. Not light by anyones standards but, oddly, it doesn’t feel heavy. This may well be due to the fact that the weight is spread over the large area that makes up this PDA (5.0″ x 3.0″ x 0.63″).

The screen really is fantastic. The 4″ LCD gives a good, crisp display which renders complicated web pages exceptionally well for a device of this size. A sensor built into the iPAQ 214 allows the PDA to automatically alter the backlight to optimise for lighting conditions and we found this to be pretty effective. The only minus point here was the touchscreen. You have to apply a fair amount of pressure to the screen to register an action. We did recalibrate the screen a couple of times but no change.

The speakers were a disappointment. Even a full volume it was difficult to hear some of the audio output.

The 624 MHz Marvell XScale PXA310 gave adequate performance. I was surprised that HP didn’t opt for a higher specification 800Mhz model but may have chosen the current CPU in order to keep costs down.

The HP iPAQ 214 ships with Windows Mobile 6 Classic without Microsoft Outlook - pretty standard. I would expect future versions of the iPAQ 214 to ship with Windows Mobile 6.1 or 7, when it’s released.

Now we come to the really interesting part. Expansion and connectivity. The HP iPAQ 214 excels. A CompactFlash and a separate SDHC card slot allows to this device to use a 32 GB memory card in each slot for a maximum total of 64 GB of SSD storage.

This device features 802.11G Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 so you’ll have no problems hitting hotspots or connecting to your mobile phone. The iPAQ 214 also features a 24-pin connnector port and min-USB which both allow you sync and charge the device.

Battery life is good coming in at around 8 hours when used under an average load. Once we cranked up some applications, media and WiFi access this fell down to about three hours thirty minutes. I know it doesn’t sound great but I really did abuse this PDA.

Conclusion

I have to admit that I’m a great fan of Windows but this PDA rocks. Yes, there are a few annoyances but given the features and capabilities of the HP iPAQ 214 I’m prepared to forgive especially when you consider the price: about £220.

Specification

624 MHz Marvell XScale PXA310 Processor
128 MB RAM; 256 MB flash (185 MB available)
4.0″, 640 x 480 touchscreen LCD
CompactFlash slot; SD slot with SDHC and SDIO support
24-pin iPAQ connector; Mini-USB connector
802.11b/g Wi-Fi (supports WPA2), Bluetooth 2.0/EDR

Downside

Poor sound quality from the speakers. Slow startup when WiFi is enabled.

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HP2133 review

Every day see another hardware vendor jumping onto the UMPC/sub-notebook bandwagon so how long did you think it would take HP to join in the games? There are many rivals to the Asus Eee PC, some crap and some good, but, from first impressions, the 2133 looks like a serious contender. Ok, this device has been in the wild for over a month now but we’re reviewing it now as we’ve only just got our hands on the HP2133. Time to take a deeper look at the ins and outs of HP latest offering.

Design

Like many offerings in the UMPC market the HP2133 comes in two flavours: SuSe linux (about £360) and Windows Vista (around £415).

First impressions were good. Although heavier and larger than the Eee PC the HP2133 looks great. A combination of brushed alumimium lid and magnesium alloy chassis make this device far easier on the eye than the Eee PC. Be prepared for crowds of friends and colleagues surrouding you when they see this sexy piece of tech. Another huge bonus is the keyboard. Most of the devices we’ve seen have been made for people with fingers like a newborn child. Not so the HP2133. At 92% of a standard keyboard, the 2133’s spill-proof is a real pleasure to use. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same of the mouse. You need more vertical strokes than the Eee PC to move the mouse around the screen. The selector buttons have been place either side of the touchpad which takes some getting used to.

The display screen is the same size as the Eee PC (8.9″) but has a native resolution of 1,280×768 pixels, pipping Asus to the post. The problem here lies with the bezel. The speakers are mounted in a wider bezel which makes the HP2133 look ‘oddly shaped’ when open. Also, trying to view the screen in clear daylight was almost impossible no matter how much we tweaked the settings.

There are some variations in hardware spec between the variants. This is based on manufacturers trying to keep the HP2133 competitive. Both versions are powered by a VIA 1.2Ghz C7-M - a poor choice considering the alternatives. The Windows Vista model has 2Gb RAM whilst the Linux based device has 1Gb. Both machines come with a 120Gb platter disk. Buy this device from the US and get the option of an 4Gb SSD - not a huge amount of storage but more resilient to the everyday knocks and drops that are likely to occur.

The HP2133 comes with Wifi a/b/g but not 3G/HSDPA. The Asus Eee PC wins hands down on this count.

The overall performance of the HP2133 is terrible but what do you expect when running Windows Vista on a 1.2Ghz CPU? The SuSe Linux version faired better but could still do with some extra memory to liven it up. The battery life didn’t impress us either - about 1 1/2 hours during testing. Come on, HP you can do better than that.

Conclusion

Looks good. In fact, the HP2133 looks beautiful. Performance is rubbish. No 3G connectivity put the device in a ‘no-win’ situation. It can’t be all bad. The pricing is about right for the market but HP will need to do some serious work to catch up with Asus.

Specifications

• VIA 1.2Ghz C7-M CPU
• Memory - 2Gb (Vista) 1Gb (Linux)
• Display 8.9″ (1,280×768)
• Input/Output Left side: D-Sub VGA port, a USB port, mic and headphone jacks,ExpressCard and SD Card readers. Right side: Ethernet, a second USB port, ExpressCard and SD card readers

Downside

The HP2133 looks oddly shaped when open, Brightview coating makes screen very difficult to use in daylight and the below par CPU makes performance poor. Poor battery life.

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