Compaq iPAQ 3955 Color Pocket PC

The HP iPAQ H3955 Pocket PC comes with a 400 MHz Intel XScale processor, 64 MB RAM, 32 MB flash ROM, and a Secure Digital memory slot for additional memory.

The H3955's display is a color transflective TFT LCD, 3.78-inch, low power, 16-bit color touch screen, capable of displaying more than 65,000 colors with 240 x 320 resolution and .24 mm dot pitch.

The H3955 comes with a docking cradle (USB or serial with AC power and charging), a 400 mAh lithium-polymer rechargeable battery, a touch-sensitive display, a soft keyboard, character recognition, handwriting recognition, inking, and a voice recorder.

Programs installed on the Pocket PC include: Microsoft Windows CE, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Voice Recorder, Notes, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player (MP3), Calculator, Solitaire, Inbox (for e-mail), Microsoft Reader (eBooks), File Explorer, MSN Messenger, Terminal Services Client, VPN Client, Infrared Beaming, Clock, Align Screen, Memory, Volume Control iPAQ Task Manager, iPAQ File Store, iPAQ Backup, and iPAQ Image Viewer.

Software included on an accompanying CD-ROM includes: Microsoft ActiveSync 3.5, Pocket Outlook 2002 (e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks), Microsoft Reader (eBooks), and Conduits Peacemaker Professional.

What's in the box

iPaQ H3955
Docking cradle (USB or serial with AC power and charging)
400 mAh lithium-polymer rechargeable battery
Touch-sensitive display
Soft keyboard
Character recognition
Handwriting recognition
Inking
Voice recorder
Software

1 Power issues
I have had my 3955 for only 16 months of relatively light usage (I do not even use it every day, as I quickly learned how rapidly the unit burns through a charge). Now, for no apparent reason, the internal battery will not hold a charge . . . fully charged off the docking station, the unit is fully discharged (and all my data and settings gone!) less than 24 hours later after the unit has not been used at all! For this kind of money, I would expect better battery life and the ability to self-install a new battery, rather than having to send the unit in for service. I will probably not purchase another iPaq unless these issues are addressed by HP.

2 Attractive but abysmally frustrating
Got this refurbished from Costco. Good screen etc. BUT, the power runs out every time you turn your back on it and there IS NO BACKUP (watch-type) battery. When the power runs out, you LOSE every program you ever installed, and the software walks you through an insultingly stupid nano-tutorial before you can use it again. Stupid design of the decade. Bought a stowaway keyboard for it and whenever the keyboard got near it, the Ipaq got flaky. Tonight the thing died again and I destroyed it (dead, it makes a better work of art than it ever did a PDA). Reason: I had to spend more time and effort reviving it than using it. A great concept with severely crappy reliability.

3 Great and awesome HandHeld PC
Words cannot even begin to describe this handheld pc. Well, I'm over exagerating a little. If you wanted to get a pocket pc, I suggest you get an Ipaq. It has the most amazing backlight and it's amazingly easy to use. There's hardly nothing that can't be done with it since it can be expanded with different kinds of expansion slots. Buy an Ipaq.

My main reason for writing this review was to actually thank the merchant that provided me her great service. Since it was too late for me to rate her using rate seller, I'll just rate her service here. I give yong2_wen2 a 5. Although I recieved the incorrect item at first, I was able to return the Ipaq and get the correct model with all shipping paid. yong2_wen2 was very responsive to every email I sent providing me with great customer service.

4 Excellent
This is a great piece of equipment. i would recommend it for any working person with a full schedule. you can use it for anything! i've even used it for sound testing for churches and such. Buy this product! its worth the money!

5 COMPAQ IPAQ GOOD TILL IT LAST
i have had my share of POCKET PCs, PDA and even the CE devices. My very first PDA is the Casio Pocket Viewer, next is the Casio BE-300, after that i had my very first COMPAQ 3850 and now its the COMPAQ 3970.

I kinda like my COMPAQ 3970, it has all the good features youre looking for a pocket PC, bluetooth, picture viewer, calendar, notes, contacts, tasks... but maybe thats all there is.

I enjoyed it for almost a year, im just weary about how COMPAQ will adress this issue, "WHAT IF MY COMPAQ WOULD BE DEAD AFTER A YEAR", this problem keeps buggin me, any problems with my compaq would be a disater, its a timebomb waiting to explode and shatter all your informations into dirt. THe problem is the battery it works well now, but what will happen in the future.

Its expensive the time i bought it, but now newer models are coming in with more features. SO if i were you, buy the newer models, they're more reliable.

6 Stay away from Ipaq's and Jornada's
Having given Jornada and Ipaq one try each, it is my duty to warn you to stay from them. Both are good for one thing for one year: playing solitaire!! At the end of one year, they conk out like they were on a timing device of some sort.

7 iPaq, a story of tragedy...
I was so happy to finally get my iPaq. New, cool, full of features and power! I had debated going with this over a Clie from Sony, and finally made my decision. The wonderful honeymoon didn't last through the first night. I charged my iPaq and installed the software. Everything went well until I powered on the unit. The first thing that made me nervous was the sinister orange eye of the charging LED that would not turn off even when not in the cradle. Some times it would blink forever. Everything else seemed to go well until the next morning when I powered on the unit to find the battery at 2%. Was I seeing things? No, the unit gave me a power warning and shut off. Weird. I charged it again and used it durring the day. After lunch I noticed that blinking light again and checked the battery. The unit turned on, couldn't power the back light, and crashed. That was it for that day until I got back to the charging cradel. Well, I returned it and got another. The same type of thing started happening again with the new one. I couldn't believe my luck. I returned it and bought one from a different store (bad batch maybe?) Well this one charged and worked ok for about a week before it went catatonic and crashed 3 to 5 times a day and required charging every night with light use. Wow. I asked around the office. Several of my co workers have iPaqs. I talked to them to find that their iPaqs spend more time as paper weights than PDAs. My friends joked endlessly about how unreliable their iPaqs have been. Upgrading is what my friends are doing. Most to a palm device. Well, I had heard enough to know it wasn't just me having the same experience with three different units. I returned my iPaq for the last time and am now the proud owner of a Sony Clie. God have mercy on iPaq users in their trials. I will pray for you.

8 What a piece of icrap
I have never been so disapointed after using my IPAQ. Do not purchase one of these icraps. They are a porqueria. The OS crashes on a daily basis. Please purchase a handheld that is running the Palm OS. My son is still running my old palm 3x (5 years strong). Out of 30 days out of a month, the icrap would work properly for 25 days. Do not buy one. I am the only person that has had these issues. I work in the IT industry and I have run into many people with the same issues. Buy a real PDA not a self tortured system. If you want to hone in on your troubleshooting skills without resolution, then this is the product for you. May the force be with you...

9 This BABY can do it all!
I got this last week at Best Buy and am really thrilled. It holds my entire address book and its handwriting recoginition is absolutely wonderful. It is very accurate. It is a lot of fun. Download games from various sites for a game machine. It is simply a POCKET PC with many features found on windows XP. It has Word, Excel, IE, EReader and much more. The 21st century is simply amazing and we are living in it!

10 Beware of battery problems
Although I agree that the IPAQ looks great, has a great display, tons of neat applications, I've had a fatal flaw in my unit that doesn't appear to be that uncommon - the unit (even though completely turned off) drains the battery down to 0% at random times. One day it is at 95% battery capacity, the next day it's completely dead. That means you lose all your data and installed programs. Just wonderful if you're on the road, and used it to schedule appointments, etc (they're all gone, unless you were able to sync with a desktop/laptop before the battery died). I'm not claiming this happens with all units, but it does appear to be a significant problem - check out the links included below from the HP support site. After sending the unit back several times to HP, I'm tired of trying to get them to fix it. I'm trying to get HP to replace it, time will tell if they do....

11 Pocket PC - Amazing
While most of the reviewers have done a great job of examining the various technical advantages of this amazing little device, I'd like to take a moment just to describe the incomparable beauty of the operating system itself. Long gone are the days when the Pocket PC Operating System was home to a handful of difficult-to-use, technical software hash-togethers; today, a Pocket PC can do everything and anything. Microsoft's original marketing ploy for the device - "Can your Palm do this?" (answer: not unless its holding a Pocket PC) - rings truer than ever. Some of the things you can do with a Pocket PC:

1) Using a connection to the internet (purchase a Secure Digital wi-fi card and stick it into the iPaq) you can transfer money and check your bank balance, if you bank support online banking. Do it anywhere in the house, or even at Starbucks, using their wi-fi hotspots.
2) You can watch your DVD movies on the airplane on the iPaq using Pocket TV; checkout [the website] for idiot-proof instructions on how to transfer those movies you downloaded...(legal movies, of course ;) into your Pocket PC in no time flat.
3) Play Super Nintendo and Original Nintendo - as well as Gameboy games - on your Pocket PC. Of course, ROMS are generally illegal. So in reality, you cannot do this. But if you were so inclined, various emulators - all of them, except for the SNES, are full speed (and larger than original screen size, in the Gameboy emulator's case) - are readily available on the internet. Checkout pocketgamer.org for info on Pocket PC gaming.
4) Use it as a remote control. If you've misplaced the sound system remote again, simply use the iPaq sitting in your pocket.
5) Look at (and edit) your digital camera pictures. If your digital camera uses secure digital cards, it is simply a matter of sliding the card into your iPaq. Otherwise, purchase the extra-slim Silver Slider Expansion Pack for the iPaq (about $50) and then you can insert compact flash cards (a more popular digital camera format) into the iPaq.
6) Get the latest headlines and news briefs from the Internet every morning using Microsoft Plus Sync'n Go (available in MS Plus!: Digital Media Edition, available to purchase and download over the Internet) and watch MSNBC at work or in the bus. No commercials, no advertisement, such a quick rundown of the day's news. Simply dock your Pocket PC in the morning, and you're all set.
7) Play Quake - the original, fully 3D version - on your Pocket PC. Fully legal to play the demo version on the optimized Pocket Quake engine, available to download for free at pocketmatrix.com
8) Play Tomb Raider, Simcity 2000, and, within months, the complete version of Worms World Party on your device. All are available to purchase and download from trusted online retailers like handango.com
9) Replace all your glove compartment maps with MS Pocket Streets, available for free from MS to download over the Internet. Maps are fully zoomable; streets appear just like on a real map, or just click on any street to identify it. If you are really into, purchase Pocket Copilot, a black plastic sleeve with an antenna that slides onto your iPaq and makes it a full-color, ultra-professional GPS system with audio instructions ("Next intersection, turn right"). Even comes with a suction cup holder so you can attach the GPSed iPaq to your car dashboard.
10) Experience e-Books the way they were meant to be experienced. Countless classics, from Kurt Vonnegut to George Orwell, are available...And anything published in the 1920's and earlier (Hemmingway, anyone?) is copyright-free; in other words, go to goggle and type in the book's title and "Microsoft Reader ebook" along with free, and you're bound to find something. Otherwise, check [online] to find out if your favorite book is available to purchase for MS Reader, Palm Reader, or Adobe Reader (all compatible with Pocket PC, even the second one!)
11) Edit documents with on the fly spell-checking (i.e. underlines mistakes in red as you type) along with synonyms, pictures, headers, tables, etc. using Textmaker, a third party app that is as fully functional as Word in every single way.
12) Forget the dictionary; 8 megabytes or less is enough for virtually any of the various dictionary (and translator) products available for Pocket PC.
13) Play the shareware versions (or full, if you own the originals) of Hexen, Heretic, and Doom, all for free. Open source engines for all three games are available, and easily accessible, on the Internet. Take a peak at pocketgamer.org to find out more.
14) Using Thunderhawk, a third party Internet Browser, you can view websites in 100% full "virtual" resolution. When you type in a site address, the website first goes through Thunderhawk's servers and is transformed into a virtual page that then appears on your Pocket PC. Everything...appears just as it does on your PC, with support for all cookies and proprietary standards. Palm cannot match that - it is 100% real web browsing.

...In other words, calling a Pocket PC an organizer is an understatement like no other. This is a PC, with all the advantages of portability, that fits in your pocket. Amazing little gadget - if you like technology, you will adore the iPaq.

12 iPAQ'ed full of stuff.
This PDA is fantastic!... Be sure to download the firmware from the "HP Support" website to update the version of the operating system when you recieve it. The upgrade should make it perform a little better. It'll let you "beam" contact info between platforms ie... pocket pc to palm and palm to pocket pc, and make the today screen look like Windows XP. The only thing that I wish this PDA had is the Bluetooth functionality.

If you can aford it go with the H3975 because it has the Bluetooth built-in, that's about the only diference between the H3955 and the H3975; but it's worth the extra [cash]. With Bluetooth you can send info between other devices such as contacts to your cell phone, or do dictation in your car while you drive if you have the OEM "U-CONNECT" handsfree option built into your car. The Bluetooth is priceless once you start to use it.

Either one you choose; the expandability is virtually endless. You can use it for your biz to keep track of inventory with the optional Bar Code reader, map directions for you next cross country trip using a GPS compact flash unit, take notes in classes, keep track of your money, and even listen to MP3's. What ever you choose to do with it, the iPAQ is right for everyone.

13 IPAQ ACTIVE SYNC PROBLEMS
Agreed, this is a handy device with plenty of features to engage you in your obsessive organization...grin. If you're using MS XP you might experience problems when trying to sync via the serial cable, getting Device Not Connected errors, the USB seems to work a little better - but is still a hit and miss (for me). If you read the board posts at Microsoft you'll learn that this problem is not all that uncommon. ActiveSync 3.6 did not correct the problem. My other complaint is the cumbersome methode in downloading apps from the web - to the desktop - to the IPAQ. You need to have a very in-depth working knowledge to make this happen (PALM systems are superior in this...my opinion). I'm still unable to sync a dictionary I purchased to my handheld.
Bottom line: I like the device itself, but the troubles with software loading, syncing, etc. make this "time saver" too much trouble. I've jumped ship to the Sony Clie, which uses PALM OS and PALM Desktop (vs. Outlook for the IPAQ).

14 The Best!!
Absolutely love it! I have bought a Palm and later a Visor, but the IPAQ is the best. You will not regret it.

15 I definitely needed this!!
Once I found a keyboard made for a typist (not the HP version!) this has been an indispensable tool. I take class notes, keep my schedule and contacts, use it as a file backup (with the add-on pack CF card), turn it into a camera (with nexicam), and have recently added the "flyjacket" projection pack! The battery lasts for hours (haven't run out of battery power yet); but I like the fact that the add-on packs come with batteries of their own. It is much more versatile than the Palm and syncs effortlessly with my pc. (I don't even need to tell it if it should upload or download - it knows what it needs to do!) When they finally straighten out the wireless standard I look forward to adding a wireless pack!!

16 COMPAQ IPAQ 3955 (ROCKS)
K I KNOW YOU HERD ABOUT IT IT IS VERY COOL AND IT HAS ITERNET WEB AND YOU CAN TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE LIKE A WALKI TALKI! OR YOU CAN TYPE WORDS TO OTHER PEOPLE. NOW TO ME THERE ARE NO DOWN FALLS BUT THINK SO DONT PAY ATTENTION TO THEM NOW WERE WAS I OH YEAH IT HAS COLOR AND IS VOICE COMMANDED THAT MEAN TALK IN TO THE SPEAKER AND SET THE TIME AND WHEN THAT TIME HITS ON YOUR Compaq IPAQ 3955 IT WILL PLAY THE MESSAGE LIKE (((YOUR OWN VOICE LIKE YOU HAVE 5:30 MEETING WITH DR.quack K THIS PDA IS SO COOL PLZ buy it it is a big A MUST!NOW THE SCREEN IS GREAT AND ALSO COLOR AND IT HAS SOME STUNNING DESKSTOPS!GRAPHICS IS SO COOL AND IT HAS 16 BIT COLOR GRAPHAIC AND I HERD IT PLAY MOVIES! AND SHAP AND CLEAR! SOUND ITS GREAT ALSO YOU CAN CONTROL THE VOLUME CONTROLL SO WHEN YOU IN PUBIC IT DOESENT YELL!!.BATTERY IS AWSOME COOL BECAUSE YOU CAN RECHARGE IT AND IT COMES WITH A CRADLE I THINK THE Compaq IPAQ 3955 HAS A COOL SHARP DESIGHN NOW THE MEMORY IS 64 MB IF YOU DONT KNOW THAT THAT IS LIKE A PEMIUM 4 COMPUTER BUT ITS FITS RIGHT IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND!!!NOW I HERD OF AND KNOW YOU CAN PLAY GAMES COOL!! NOW THINKS COMES WITHS THOSE PEN THINGS WELL LAST ONE EMAIL YES INDEED ITS DOES HAS E MAIL SO IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS YOU CAN EMAIL ! SO I HOPED I HELPED YOU ENOUTH TO GET STARTED AND PLZ BUY IT IS WORTH THE MONEY.ALL IN ALL I SAY FOR MY SELF IT (ROCKS!

17 If you can be organized without it, then you don't need it.
Unless you are someone who sruggles to keep track of appointments and phone numbers, then iPaqs, or even PDAs in general, are not for you. While the Compaq iPaq has a good color screen (easily readable when lit up), decent battery life, and a slew of useful programs, a buyer should remember that this is definately not a portable PC. It is only a portable organizer, and a digital one at that.

18 Love It
I bought the IPAQ 3955 and was in love with it from the beginning. The price was kinda high, but for the features that you get on it, the price could be worth it. I love the memory capacity, the screen is very bright, there are a lot of accessories for it and there is plenty of software out there for it. The salesman in the store said the battery would last about a year and a half. That could be the only downfall of it. The microphone on it works wonderfully. Have not used the built-in blue tooth yet. I highly recommend this. It's hard to find on the Compaq website, so I would study every review on here.

19 ITS A MUST!!!!
This was one of the best PDAs that I ever had and I have had more than enough of them. Two Jornadas (54-568)and a Toshiba e740. The Jornadas were really good but they had become outdated. The Toshiba was a good idea with too many problems. Battery life was horrible. The buttons were made for a 4 year old. I recomend it to anyone who wants their PDA to be challenging because that is how I describe the Toshiba. The iPAQ was a message from heaven, figuratively speaking. Its one of the best PDAs that I have had. Battery life is awesome. It works specifically well with Plus! Sync & Go, a program to watch video content offline. It is a good PDA. The screen. Too much to say. WAY too much to say. Go to a demo and look at it yourself. Its beautifull. The bad parts: Case. Should be better. Slots: Needs a CF slot built in. Battery: replaceable like the 5455. The rest is good. The processor is OK. Look at other sites for more info. Pocketnow.com has a great review.

20 Good product, always back up
I have had this since it first came out and I have been very happy with it. I use my ipaq for everything now: contacts, schedule patients, music when I workout, email, games, and as an alarm clock. I have it in a wallet case, so it is also my wallet with my ids and credit card. It took awhile to get used to using this instead of pieces of paper and for anyone interested in investing in one should really consider this...it takes time and patience to learn how to use the ipaq in your everyday life. Being in the medical field it has become an invaluable resource for information I need to get my hands on quickly.
For those who buy this, I give two recommendations:
1) back up! You can lose much data through freeze ups. It is the nature of the technology and it is going to have some problems now and then.
2) get an extended warranty program. If you use it alot, like I do, it will probably break within a year. After all it is a small machine with alot of technology and it is bouncing around with you all day long.

Other than that, enjoy it! It is amazing that we can have all this technology in our hands! I can't wait till they come out with a car starter/door opener options. As I think it about it, it will be the next thing to patient charting. We will just speak into it and it will chart patient information. Maybe it will turn on our house lights, computer, oven, cars,etc. one day.... I look forward to that!

21 Very Impressive
I just purchased the 3955 and it is absolutely amazing. First of all, the screen just blew me away. The screen on my old 3835 just isn't in the same league. You may hear people complaining about the short battery life, but pay no attention to them; they have never owned a 3955 and are stereotyping all PDAs with fast processors and color screens. Thanks to the energy-conserving screen, the battery life is quite impressive and I have never even come close to completely discharging the battery. Just about the only complaint I have is that the 400 MHz XScale processor is a little bit slower than the 206 MHz StrongARM processor in the 3835, but the difference in the screen quality makes the 3955 better by far.

22 Your search stops here - Highly recommended
Although I'm totally new to the Pocket PC arena, I've carried a trusty Palm device (a III and then a Vx) for several years. I was starting to get a bit bored with the Palm OS. Although it is implemented well, it seems to (lately) lack a bit of innovation and imagination. Despite that, there are literally millions of happy Palm users out there. And that means that there will continue to be quite a bit of developer support for the Palm, at least for the next year or so.

But while developer support used to be Palm's trump card, the tables seem to be turning. Just a couple of short years ago, developer support of the Windows CE OS was pitiful. It wasn't even in the same ballpark with Palm. But what a difference a couple of years make....there are now thousands of third party applications available for Windows CE/Pocket PC devices.

Now to the point....the iPaq 3955. Prior to purchasing the 3955, I decided I would go with the Toshiba e335, primarily because it is less expensive. But after getting it home and spending a couple of days with the Toshiba, I found it to be just a bit lacking. The display, while not bad, was a bit fuzzy and muted. The unit itself seemed a tad flimsy. And, although I really didn't have a basis of comparison, it seemed a little sluggish in the performance department. So after reading countless user reviews, I decided to return the Toshiba and take the more costly plunge into iPaq land.

I am happy to report that the iPaq 3955 is the absolute hands-down winner. There's no comparison. To me, the iPaq is the clear winner in practically every major comparison category: battery life, expandability options, screen clarity and brightness, performance (speed), and overall ergonomic design.

In terms of performance (speed), I realize that it is not really a fair comparison because the Toshiba e335 uses a 300 MHz processor, whereas the iPaq 3955 is equipped with 400 MHz. To me, there was a noticeable difference in performance. Applications launched more quickly and large Word documents, for example, took less time to load.

After looking at the Toshiba's screen for a few days, the iPaq's screen is simply stunning. Very bright and crisp. You should have no problem reading even the smallest of fonts on this unit.

Also, the overall ergonomic design of the iPaq is quite good, especially in comparison to the Toshiba. Where the Toshiba felt a little light and flimsy, the iPaq feels solidly constructed. I'm not sure if it's casing is made of metal, but it feels like it, while the Toshiba seems to be made mostly of plastic.

I don't mean to be bashing the Toshiba. For the money, the Toshiba is certainly worth considering. But if you can afford to spend a bit more, the iPaq 3955 takes the prize.

23 Excellent product but... check for bad pixels.
I am very statisfied with my new iPAQ 3955. I would give it five stars but...

It was necessary to do a return/replacement with the first unit I received due to a bad "frozen" pixel on the screen. With Amazon's excellent return/replacement policies this was a relatively painless process and the replacement unit was perfect with no problems whatsoever.

Out of curiosity while I was out Christmas shopping, I checked several iPAQ 3955 units on display at a local retailer and discovered that 2 of the 3 units on display had bad pixels. I also noted that several of the Amazon customer reviews indicate a pixel problem. Apparently, this is a problem with the 3900 series - otherwise it is an excellent product with a lot of great features at a fairly reasonable price.

Just be sure to check for bad pixels.

24 Terrific
Last year I got the Palm Vx for a holiday gift and I was very happy with it. It didn't come stocked with many feature but it did what I needed it to do and then some. I kept it for a year but this year, with the falling price of Compaqs in my area, I decided to grab my dream PDA. Let me tell you the iPAQ is the epitomy of PDA, there's nothing like it. When you first see it, what catches your eye is the sleek design of it. Once the screen turns on and see the 65,000 color screen, you'll know what seperates a Palm from a Pocket PC. The features that come with this Pocket PC: expandibility, 64MB ROM, Handwriting Recognition, Speakers, Mic/Voice Recorder are just obscene. Its hard getting past all of the great things it allows you to do and getting to work. The best part about this Pocket PC would be multitasking however. On PDAs that run on Palm OS (Palms....Clies....Visors....) there is only one task at a time. With the iPAQ I can listen to music, synchronize with my desktop and do work simultaneously. And the sound quality on the Pocket PC is actually quite good and there's a headphone jack if you need it anyway. The iPAQ is hard-pressed to be outdated because Compaq included an expansion slot. With this you can turn your Pocket PC into a digital camera, a cell phone, a GPS system, etc. And the screen, is among the largest on any Pocket PC (save for the newer Clies) and what it lacks in size, it makes up for in style. The iPAQ is a gorgeous PDA, no doubt about it
It fits comfortably into your pocket. So if you own a PDA and you're looking to updgrade or you want to purchase a very nice, reliable one, grab the iPAQ.
P.S.) Last year the Compaq iPAQ was the same price as a Palm m500, the difference is laughable... Check the features on amazon.com yourself...

25 Love it!!!!
I traded up from an Ipaq 3600 - it was getting too slow for what I needed. I hated having to use the expansion pack to add memory- I'm in the medical field and have 5 full textbooks on it- had to put it on the memory card. The expansion pack makes it too big and bulky and heavy. So I wanted a PDA with more memory and an integraded memory card.
I left my 3600 charger in a hotel room and was forced to go manual for about 6 weeks! It was horrible!!!
My new 3900 is wonderful- fast! I use Agenda Fusion for my calendar functions and the 3600 used to seize up all the time. I can put photos of my kids on the 3900 as well and all my texts are now right on the hard drive and I still have tons of space left over!
I had planned to get a Toshiba before I read the reviews of the 3900- I can't afford sudden and total memory loss and I need a durable machine. I dropped my 3600 several times (after it was already slow) and it had no change in function.
Thanks to everyone whose reviews convinced me to upgrade my Ipaq.
Customer support from Compaq has been wonderful in the past also..... we have a laptop as well that has needed servicing- it's very simple. The 3600 seized up twice and had to be sent back and they replaced it no problem. That was another factor in sticking with them.

26 If you want a pocketpc, choose this one.
Well, for those wondering between a 3800 and a 3900... get the 3900. If for nothing else, battery life. Granted, my comparison is from the 3600 series, my first, but all I have heard is this thing even blows the 38xx in terms of battery life. I know that I found the battery life *PITIFUL* for the 3600... I couldn't even use it all i wanted to in one day without it warning me it was running out. This thing I have on for like 3 days and it's still got like 73% battery life left (or more if I have used it less).

The accuracy of where you tap the screen also does seem to be better.

And it synchronizes with the computer better, or rather less problems getting the two to recognize they are connected (I've only once had the problem with this one, after I disconnected it while it was trying to connect, and I've actually done that a few times and it has no problems, just one time too many this time). The 3600 I had all the time would have problems recognizing it was attached.

Also, this one seems a whole lot more durable too (durability is very good in a handheld device). Haven't given it too many major falls but it has had some falls and it still works fine. The other one had a foot fall out of my purse (I didn't notice it was open) and stopped working (at which point I never bothered to get the 3600 working again... battery life itself made it kinda pointless except as a toy. This one's battery life is so good I've come to really rely on it).

Another really nice feature is the fact that you can set the battery conservation time. That means you can set it to turn off and stay off til it is recharged anywhere from a 24 hour safe period (meaning that for 24 hours after it hits that point it won't lose your data) to like three days or something like that. This way you can squeeze more power out of the battery if you want to use it longer (but know you are going to be able to get to a recharger relatively soon), or make sure there is plenty of time left to get to a recharger but have less time to use it. It's a very important feature when you realize that once the battery runs out of charge your data goes kaput (and the fact that the min they allow you to run still keeps your data for 24 hours is nice, and that still gives you a whole lot of usage time out of the PDA).

One of the few bad things I can think about it is it doesn't seem that much faster than the 3600 that I can remember. But personally give me same speed and much better battery life over faster and "bad" battery life.

A large minus to the 3900 (and any Ipaq so far) is the fact you still cannot replace the battery without sending it to Compaq (well, I know that will change, they have kits now you can buy to replace the battery in the 36xx, even one that has a much longer battery life battery). But the point is having a battery that you supposedly have to get Compaq to replace when it dies is a *large* minus. I mean come on, you pay 600 dollars for it, and they treat it like something that is disposable once the battery dies. This is something I thought Compaq should be slapped for when I got the 3600 and I am very disappointed they are still doing it this way.

Oh, and I'm not sure if the 3800 had one, but the 36 series didn't, and I'm glad Compaq finally got the sense to put in some sort of "floppy drive" so to speak (the SD slot). Would have rather had flash but better than nothing. I once heard some one say that the whole point of not having a slot was so that you could pick whether you wanted it to be thick or not.. but the ones that had it integrated didn't seem all that thicker and having a sleeve on the ipaq did make it *much* thicker. Nice to have an integrated removable data slot (and hardly noticeably thicker).

27 BAD PIXEL?--TOUGH LUCK!
This is a great product! I researched for months and months, and finally decided to go with the 3900 series. While, if I were to do it again, I'd get the 3975, just becuase it's bluetooth enabled, but it'll be another year or so before bluetooth is used widely enough to justify the extra hundred bucks. No complaints with the iPAQ itself, execpt for the fact that I have a pixel out smack dab in the center of the screen. Amazon wouldn't take it back--because I live in Japan, and after I had my visiting friend hand deliver it to me, I couldn't get it back to America in time for Amazon to feel they had an obligation to help me out--other than by referring me to the manufacturer. So, I had it sent to a Compaq repair center and it was sent back to me with an explanation that my annoying pixel outage was within their accepted "industry standard" and they wouldn't repair it or replace my product. What a bunch of hay! What about my standards? I bought their product brand new for around $$$, and they don't care that it's defective and really annoys me? Bad customer service has likely cost Compaq a previously devoted customer.

28 The BEST SCREEN out there
I like PDA's and had several. Let me tell you something: compared SIDE by SIDE with all the other PDA's screens out there and you'll decide in less than 1 minute: this is the BEST screen I've ever seen.

29 Buyer Beware
I bought a new iPaq 3955. While the applications and OS are wonderful, the defects in the display on this device are unacceptable. When I powered up the device, I noticed that several of the display pixels are "frozen" in a red color. I shipped it back to Compaq to be fixed and was shocked to learn that screen defects pass the manufacturer's acceptability criteria! I made the mistake of buying an early Jornada and recently replaced it with the iPaq. Having tolerated similar defects that got worse over time with the HP Jornada, I find this attitude unacceptable. My device went back the vendor - If you buy one, I hope you don't get mine. Buyer Beware.

30 How did I ever get along without this?
I've had this a week and it blows all Palm OS devices away. I only use my small Treo 90 when weight and size are a major factor. This is not to say that this is huge and heavy. It is however a loaded machine that does everything well, including the ability to still be viewable on a sunny day, most useful since much of my work takes me outside. I wouldn't recommend this unit for the teen gamers or those needing only a calendar and note pad as it is a full featured business machine that does it all. Imagine Window XP Pro in the palm of your hand. If a PDA has become a primary fixture in your life then this one is a must have.

31 Finding the right PDA
The ipAQ H3955 is an excellent tool for managing multiple tasks. The color is sharp and the use of the equipment is easy. The negative side of this product also applies to other PDAs, battery life and loss of data if you allow the battery to die. The fact that I can use word, excel, and other programs easily on this PDA makes it easier for me. The expansion slot and memory cards are plentiful. A drawback is getting a manual with the PDA that explains its programs and how to use it. The manual that comes with the PDA is totally useless. They could have saved the time wasted putting it together and placing it in the box. I am still looking for a manual that can help shed light on some of the capabilities.

32 Best Pocket PDA
The Compaq iPAQ 3955 and 3975 are hands-down the greatest pocket PCs out there. I've learned a few things that might be helpful to other users, so rather than write another general review, I thought I would post a few suggestions on their use, especially for those that may be making the transition from the Palm platform to the iPAQ, (as I did).

The iPAQ saves individual Notes that you make in the sub-directory where you create them in the Notes app area. This results in them initially having a name such as "Work1, Work2, etc. (i.e., if you have a Note directory called Work). This is not very helpful so you have to rename them by doing a "tap and hold" on the file name, and giving it the new name. Otherwise you end of with lots of Notes with non-descript names with numbers at the end. Not too helpful.

For better power management, watch the screen brightness setting which you set from the Settings menu. You can also hit the "Q" button and pop up the Q menu and get to it from there. A lot of times you can reduce the backlight setting and save power and extend battery life. Otherwise running it at the highest intensity you'll only have about 3 hours. Also, in direct sunlight, where the iPAQ works great but the Palm and Casio units wash out totally, you can set it on "power save" mode

If you use the digital recorder function, be careful what you have the settings here. The iPAQ will record anywhere from 8,000 Hz, Mono, 2KB/sec, to 44,100 Hz, 16- bit, stereo, 172 KB/sec. You'll find that even the 22,050 Hz, stereo settings will cause even short notes to take up 300K of space. After a few of these you're out of memory and you'll wonder why. The default setting of 8-bit mono is okay so I just leave it there.

This setting is also hard to find and can be found under Settings\Personal\Input\Options.

I've found my iPAQ to be the best of the Pocket PCs out there. Hope these suggestions help.

33 easy and fun to use
Since this is my first piece of "personal technology" (aside from the computer), I have found this to be easy to use and understand and just an all-around great convenience!! I can keep track of everything...and it's not cumbersome to take with me everywhere I go...and even better, my husband tells me that I will soon be able to use his PocketMac to get my files off of his Mac computer!! This is a great device!

34 GREAT HIGH-END CHOICE
I've been dying to get a palmtop for the last year to replace my old bulky HP Jourdana. I convinced myself that I would not get one until I could get the perfect package, phone and pocket pc integrated together with high-speed wireless internet, MP3 capability, infrared remote control, all of it. I waited and waited. Unfortunately the first generation of phone/PDAs is out and they all .... I want pocket PC not palm, so I checked out the Verizon Thera, and I actually physically laughed at the Verizon guy when he was showing it to me. For over [$$$] you get a PDA that can be a speakerphone, or you can carry a headset. The screen is awful. Their "high speed" wireless internet is [$$$] a month and no one can seem to get it to go faster than 14.4K. So I decided I definately was not waiting for the next set to come out. I got this Ipaq and kept my cell phone.

I don't like the palms, primarily becuase the graffiti pad is built into the screen; on a pocket pc you can choose between keyboard or a graffiti type recognition system or have the option to use the FULL screen. My girlfriend wanted one so I bought her a color palm m130(she mostly wanted the removable faceplates) and that one is really nice. Palms are definately the better option if you want an organizer, you would like some cool games and programs, and you want to pay less than [$$$} for one. She loves it, but I wanted more.

This Ipaq has the BEST screen. They made it thinner so there is not that annoying gap between the actual screen and where the stylus touches the pad. Makes it easier to use. The audio is very good; use one of those cassette adapters for a car cd player, plug it into this and you have awesome skip free digital quality music to pump. The screen is nice and big and VERY bright. I have the brightness turned about halfway down, and it is still plenty bright enough in all environments. The Battery life is the best of any pocket PC, one of the main advantages to having a palm. This can go all weekend without a charge and I use it constantly. Turning the screen brightness down really helps.

The feature I love the MOST is the consumer infrared port. It RULES. I have a lot of electronics, all the audio goes through a 5.1 reciever, and the video mostly goes directly to my TV (to take advantage of s-video and colorstream). Comcast has a motorola cable box that it is IMPOSSIBLE to get to work with regular universal remotes. This Ipaq can control EVERYTHING. It actually learns the infrared signal from any remote you have, and then you program it yourself to a device, room, and person. You can program MACROS too. I walk in the door, and with one touch this thing turns on my reciever, vcr, cable box, dvd player, and TV, sets the TV to the correct input mode, sets the reciever to the correct input and sound mode, and brings up the cable guide for me, PLUS turns on my air conditioner, sets it on high cool, and turns on my ceiling fan. With another touch it switches both the reciever and TV to DVD mode, changes to digital sound, turns down the brigtness of my TV and I'm ready to watch a movie, with ONE TOUCH. I also have a macro that turns everything off with one touch. My buddes are SO jealous of my home theater now hehe.

The writing recognition is WAY better than Graffiti. It can work with whole sentenes at a time instead of individual letters. It lets me go way faster, and actually makes a decent substitute for jotting notes down on paper. You have to try it to believe it. It's the 'transcriber' option, not the letter recognition. It recognizes printing, cursive, or a mixture of both; and you write across the whole screen instead of a little pad like Palm.

All in all I love this thing and I don't regret buying it at all. It is expensive, so if you are looking to save some money, go to maybe a Toshiba or a Palm. My stragegy is to own this for a year or so, by that time hopefully someone will create a viable phone/PDA hybrid, and then sell this one to buy the hybrid. Either that or just keep it as my universal remote control haha.

Here's what I DON'T like about it. Mostly the physical shape of the thing. My gf's palm is more contoured to the hand and lighter, it is much easier to hold. The main thing is that on hers, you detach the faceplate and fit a screen protector right there; if you want a screen protector for this Ipaq you have to get a special bulky case and increase the weight and size. I'm finding that hard to live with. My gf's palm also has a built in black plastic screen cover (cover, not stick on-protector like I was talking about) that flips UP. That is important because you hold it on one side with your hand. This comes with a really ... plastic case that opens to the side, and it is very inconvenient. I'm going to shop for cases, but with the palm you don't need one at all.

Another thing I don't like is that to get wireless internet or add more memory than the one slot, you need those bulky sleeves. However, since I kept my phone I use the internet on that and I will not need any of those sleeves unless I choose to go ahead and get a GPS add on (which I am going to do) In that case, the GPS will just stay in the car.

ALl in all, this thing is the best buy if you are willing to spend the money to have the BEST palmtop pc. I could not be more happy with it.

35 You gotta get one of these!
I bought my iPAQ to replace my bulky Franklin Planner. I reasoned that I didn't really "need" it, but as an engineer I must have a certain amount of technology in my life. Little did I know how much I really did need it. I never realized how much time I spent manually transferring information between my computer and my planner. I've had my iPAQ for all of 24 hours, and I can't believe how much I like being "synchronized" in seconds. In fact, I like it so much I'm buying another one as a gift for a relative.

36 Elegant & Functional
I recently replaced my 3600 Series iPaq with the 3955. What a difference! This iPaq is truly a joy. Easy setup. Clear instructions. Solid construction. Excellent sound quality. And a screen that makes the vivid color display on my old iPaq look like mud in comparison. True, the iPaq is a bit pricey and the learning curve - as with all Pocket PC's - is a little steeper than with a Palm, but once you get familiar with it (and it doesn't take long) there's nothing like it. Highly recommended.

37 Blazing Fast!
I recieved my 3950 a few days ago, and haven't put it down since. Extremely fast. All programs work excellent. The operating system (Windows 2002) is one of the best I've seen so far (if you use XP or 2000, it's second nature). What is really impressive is the handwriting recognition software... have tried it with 5 different "scribblers", and it nails 4 out of 5 words right out of the box. By the way, go ahead and get one of the expansion sleeves (you'll need it), and some extra memory (the 128 SanDisk available here on Amazon is a steal). After a nerve-wracking 30 minutes (to avoid this headache, here's a tip. Go get the updated driver from the linksys website, and skip the disc that comes with it), I got the Wireless Modem card to recognize. Works FLAWLESS on my Linksys network at my home. Bravo, Compaq! You've given us a winner here!

38 My 50th Birthday present
My husband bought me the Compaq iPAC 3955 after looking for over a year for a new brain. I wanted a PDA so I did not have to carry a large DayTimer. This is a wonderful birthday present. All I can say is "IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST TAP!!.

39 magic
i think this PDA the most perfect at the moment in the market!

40 Simply the Best!
I was a bit hesitant about spending another [price] on yet another iPAQ. Not that I disliked my previous two (I've owned the 3600 and the 3800 series), but ten seconds after I turned the unit on (3955) I was glad I did! The iPAQ 3955 works so well I have renewed confidence in the "New HP" as Compaq has merged with HP. I must admit I was a bit skeptical when the merger was announce about the future of the iPAQ, but this first model since the merger has dispelled any concerns I previously held (Although the unit and all materials are still branded COMPAQ). The Consumer IP port is exceptional, it easily relaced my Phillips Pronto 2000 Universal remote, (with color to boot!) I've even downloaded a Voice activated Universal remote version for even easier use! The remote function alone is worth about [price]! The most striking feature is definately the display. Wow! When I compared the 3800 and the 3900 on each screen with identical files, I was amazed! The colors are vivid, crisp, great contrast, depth of color and is truely superior. Videos look amazing and sound incredible due in part to the Bass and Treble controls. The speaker is clear and for MP3's the headphone jack makes the unit sound unmatched. The iPAQ's popularity makes the availability of software vast, although there is currently limited software that takes advantage of the new processor speed (twice that of the earlier models). Be warned: Nexian is still having compatability issues with the 3900 series, so your Digital Camera expansion pack won't work yet. Nexian hopes to have this fixed soon. All other accessories are compatible from the 3800 series to the 3900 series, and most all others for the 3600 series work as well (Except for cradles and other cables.) The unit has performed well to date with none of the quirks or bugs from the 3800 series. (LED issues, static with speaker, unit auto-turning on/off, unit requiring frequent soft resets, color resolution, contrast settings, etc.) As a previous owner of the iPAQ 3635, iPAQ 3835, and now the iPAQ 3955 (all purchased from Amazon.com), I can recommend the new iPAQ 3955 with overwhelming support! P.S. I was able to sell my previous units at about 80% of their original price on Amazon Marketplace, so again the investment in the iPAQ is well worth it, the depreciation is low since demand is high! I would highly recommend all you 3600 and 3800 users out there to trade up and sell your older units to those just beginning to get their feet wet with PDA's. The older units are fantastic for High School or College students, make great gifts for graduation, and the newer units (3900 series) are essential for PDA junkies/technophiles who demand cutting edge technology!

41 iPAQ 3950 is the Ultimate PocketPC for Certain People
The first thing I have to say about the 3950...Finally has a company worked to make a PocketPC more consumer-oriented than other models. The iPAQ 3950 works flawlessly as a Phillips Pronto replacement, and has as great a distance as standard remote controls. Hundreds and hundreds of brands are preprogrammed, and it's very easy to create macros. The remote function alone could be worth $200+ if purchased separately. The second thing to mention is the iPAQ's breathtaking display...The screen rivals the Casio EM-500/E-125 HAST displays, and it has flawless color rendition, flawless contrast, and everything that appears on the screen is gorgeous. Videos look amazing, as do photos. The third thing to mention: the iPAQ's sound quality is unrivaled thanks to Compaq's inclusion of Bass and Treble controls. Music and movies sound amazing, both through the internal speaker (the loudest of the PocketPC market) and through headphones. The iPAQ's 3rd party support, too, is unmatched; no other PocketPC has anywhere near the number of 3rd party options as the iPAQ. Compaq's own accessories from the previous 38xx series are backwards-compatible with the iPAQ 39xx series (including cables and expansion packs). Overall, after owning the iPAQ 3635, iPAQ 3835, and now the iPAQ 3950, I can recommend the iPAQ 39xx series without hesitation; I've owned the Toshiba e740 and returned it within 2 weeks (Poor performance, poor WiFi implementation, poor battery life). Battery life on the iPAQ is very impressive, outlasting the previous PocketPC battery champ, the HP Jornada 567.