HP iPaq rx1950

Features of HP iPaq rx1950

Running the latest Windows Mobile 5 operating system, the HP iPaq rx1950 has many of the features of bigger and more expensive PDAs, including updates to Microsoft's mobile versions of Word, Outlook, Excel, Internet Explorer, and PowerPoint. This means that the rx1950 can work with Word docs that have tables and images, and you can preview a presentation before the big show, although forget about editing the show or playing PowerPoint's embedded audio and video clips. With ActiveSync 4 and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, the rx1950 is easier to synchronize with a PC and can play all the major audio and video file formats, including MP3, WMA, and WMV. On the downside, this PDA doesn't come with the extra games that Dell loads on its PDAs, but we love HP's Image Zone software, which not only displays images and sets up slide shows but also has a color histogram. HP includes a couple of extra utilities, such as a self-diagnostic test and Pocket Panel Lite, which allows you to check your PDA's battery life, available memory, and backlighting settings right from the Today screen.

Built around Samsung's new ARM-based SC32442 processor, the HP iPaq rx1950 may be slower on paper than just about any recent PDA, but its 300MHz clock speed is deceptive. The system is a strong performer that can compete with faster Intel-based PDAs, but we'll have more on that in the Performance section. Barely the size of a thumbnail, the CPU has hidden extras such as a flash-memory controller and has been designed to reduce lag time by packaging all essential equipment in one unit. There is 96MB of user-accessible memory onboard--64MB of ROM and 32MB of SDRAM--and 33MB of key data can be stashed in the persistent storage area that is immune to a dead battery. Overall, the internal memory is pretty small for such a device, so you'll definitely want to load up on some SD expansion cards.

For wireless connectivity, the HP iPaq rx1950 comes with integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b) for getting online at home, the office, or at a hot spot. The good news is that the rx1950's connection software is simpler and easier to use than the setup for the iPaq hx2790, but we sometimes had trouble establishing an online connection, requiring a restart. After connecting at home, the office, and a hot spot, we found that the PDA had a Wi-Fi range of just 70 feet, about half that of some competitors. Yet more disappointing than the short Wi-Fi range is the lack of Bluetooth. Similarly priced models, such as the Palm TX and the Dell Axim X51, come with both wireless options, and we would have liked to see the same in the iPaq rx1950.