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ŔquŽ es mejor, el peso o la levedad?
Me quedo con ambas, menos de 150gr con todo el peso de la tecnolog’a.
lets face it, things break it is inevitable. but dont believe the hype. The HP warranty from what many other people post here across different models of IPAQ can be summed up in 1 sentence.
"the warranty is simply an insurance plan in which repair costs will be lower than getting your item fixed out of its warranty"
as i found out my same issue would have run me $250 & change out of warranty , however my fix was not included in the warranty and mercifully was given a reduced rate because i am in warranty..its a bit of rhetoric nonsense but this is the corporate engine of HP.com...now that we got this KUNG FU style of chess playing here are my grades
warranty coverage .. c+
lets face it we are all out to make money and to shell out as little as possible!! hp is not immune the the capitalist economy we are in. stuff breaks because $--it happens, and why not make a buck or 2 out of your inconsiderateness. Warranty is a joke, to get a repair really free of charge it has to fall on the floor a certain way..or have not appeared abused.. there are plusses & minuses to this ...i was not satisfied with the handling of my unit not covered as part of warranty. I didnt purposely put moisture on the LCD. if i dropped it or scratched it i wouldnt have a beef, however i stand with the poor mark for HP warranty.
HP telephone support : B
they dont get an A because they OUTSOURCE...i am a minority myself I am hispanic so no offense to anyone here. but with this GLOBAL effort alot of the computer comapnies now have chains of tech support in INDIA. and trust me i could not get a straight answer unless I spoke to someone in the US...once speaking to a rep in USA status & details & next steps were clearly given to me in a timely manner. I noticed the outsource reps still seem to be figuring out their screens on dropdown menus as to what to say next to a caller I was on hold alot and this was unacceptable.
Billing Center : D
this is the area you will have to deal with WHEN your item falls out of warranty and customer support will transfer you here, as there is no further discussion on your case, they need money and thats it. I felt in my talk with them i felt like I was talking to a collection agency, to which the rep i spoke to seemed a bit miffed as to me asking
"just what was wrong with my unit, what was the fix?"
i may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to repair in scientific terms but anyone can explain SIMPLY what was wrong with a product and what could fix it..if im shelling out my hard earned money..you will humor me and tell me what i wanna hear!!
after all i said to the lady i spoke to
"it isnt so wrong of me to ask what was wrong with my item? Surely you yourself dont go shopping and just stuff items in your shopping bag, you are gonna look at what your taking off the shelf? right? let alone the bill that your spending money on the items on right? or are you just gonna fork out your cash with no questions not caring what its amounted to and what you have bought?"
a cut & dry collections team here made this part of the repair process by far the worst ive had to deal with. Reminds me of a traffic cop giving you a ticket, heartless & un speakable.
shipping Process & return process : a+
this is their strong area!! and made all other suttleties bearable..Wednesday may 26th received box to mail the ipaq back for repair...after having called Tuesday 5/25 to lodge my trouble report.
Box picked up on 5/27 Thursday...and had it not been for the Memorial Day Weekend it may have come back sooner..the PPC was back in my posession on wednesday 6/2..on tuesday 6/1 is when i got everything squared away as to fixes & non warranty & asking me for credit card info..
more plusses.. ther was a ROM upgrade for my IPAQ which they put on it.. 1.10 is the rom for 2200 series it was upgraded to from 1.00...and its on HP's website FYI for download..by placing this rom on your unit it requires HARD reset & such ive done it for some of my colleagues in the office upgrading from PPC 2002 to 2003 on different HP models. They replaced the SHIELD...there were some minor NICKS & cuts from having placed screen shields on my PPC prior, all to which are GONE...they gave me a new shield scratch free.
treat your PPC with love..those are my plusses & minuses with HP
now stop reading and BUY your PPC !!!
beaming files also became an issue as the PPC kept getting installed with more & more apps...granted this model has both CF and SD cards with a 1GB card you can guess where I am installing most of my games & apps...somehow as the handheld was getting filled it wasnt beaming files properly it kept saying it was attached to the cradle this was a phantom feeling the device has when too many apps occupy the handheld's main memory..Hard reset fixed the beaming issue but once i used the IPAQ restore file backup I had same issues...MIND you this does not affect the NEVO remote control program, nor does it affect BLUE TOOTH beaM & connectivity.
I will repost here with either a pro or a negative, here is an issue I brought on myself...
I am still in warranty for my model, i recently had an issue in which CONDENSATION built up on my screen..and you could see beads of what looked like water drops & fog on the panel which I was able to shift around in the panel off to the sides..however a day later the dew buildup evaporated...i thought YAY no more DEW buildup...but upon its evaporation came the ERRATIC and or NO PEN response from tapping the screen was the price i paid...ive seen other posts on people dropping their models, cracking screens ...trust me DEW buildup / condensation moisture will send your unit to its grave as well...reason for the DEW is still unknown to me..i will report back on how HP handles me in warranty and if they hit me up for a ridiculous fix price...
good model , if you choose an ipaq, and arent that hell bent on built in WI-fi this model suits your needs...i have a CF wi-fi card and this model i am utterly happy with..I hope to be re-united soon with my PPC once it comes back from HP repair.
Dont let this stray you away from this model..things happen, its inevitable!! and I will see how warranty handles me before i unload any further negatives.
I am a physician and am happy to have plenty of memory to install some programs like epocrates. I only charge once a week and to me it seems to charge fairly quickly.
So far no complaints.
My previous PDA's were:
1. Casio Agenda (128 kb, the basic of the basic but never had to be reset)
2. Apple Newton (still the best after all these years)
3. Palm III (I regret this one very much)
4. Palm V (excellent)
5. Sony Clie 760 (not bad, but expected a lot more...)
And now this ipaq 2210. I was afraid of going into the dark world of Pocket PC... so far:
1. I have had to reinstall Active sync and outlook three times and I am still having problems with the installation.
2. The standard battery runs out of juice extremely fast (between 3 and 5 hrs) and then it takes so long to get recharged...
3. Syncronization is anything but smooth (these unresolved items are starting to annoy me)
4. I have had to soft reset more times in one week this ipaq than I had to reset all the other pda's together.
5. And how hard it is to bring from Palm OS to Pocket PC all my contacts and calendar data.
6. As well, I wanted to migrate from Eudora to Outlook... not easy at all.
7. Handwriting recognition. No better than Newton's 7 years ago and no better than Palm either.
8. The Clie's display is better at the resolution level
9. No easy way of knowing how much battery is left (too many tabs before getting there)
But not everything is so bad...
1. CF and SD slots. This is the best thing since sliced bread. I hate Sony's memory sticks (expensive and propietary stuff is not nice at all)
2. Built in bluetooth. Wished it had wifi as well without having to use an external card (CF or SDIO)
3. Notes are very nice
4. Calendar is ok
5. MP3 sound is awesome!!!
6. Display brightness is outstanding
7. Files organization is much better than in the Clie's PAlm OS
8. Interchangeable and upgradable battery (hate the palm V and the clie on that)
9. Best cradle yet
I am still in the process of getting to know and understand Pocket PC and it has not been easy (specially compared with Palm OS 2). It is sad seeing Microsoft and Palm fighting each other instead of having both companies incorporating the best of each into a single product.
Hopefuly, when I get more proficient with Pocket PC I will be able to extract the full potential of this very nice PDA.
When I was searching for a PDA, I wanted one with an abundance of features and this little gadget has exceeded my expectations. It makes my train commute go by fast because I can read the news and listen to music. I bought it right before the 4000 series came out and I was going to wait for that one but I couldn't wait a few weeks. So far, I haven't regretted my decision. I think it's best if you find the one PDA that suites your needs instead of waiting for the 'next great thing' because if you wait, then you'll keep putting it off.
p.s. Back then, I did take a look at the Dell's Axim, Sharp's Zaurus, and Sony's Clie but the Ipaq 2210's seemed to be the most versatile.
I've not had the problems other people report, except with the occasionally quirky third party software (although after buying, you should download the latest patches from HP support). People have reported that the plastic side-bars fall-off, but HP will in many cases replace. I've not had that problem, but I immediately bought a case.
HP's included software includes a task manager (often an add-on for other PDAs), with shortcuts to Backup, Image viewing, and settings. The included backup program is fantastic and has saved my rear-end. Use it!
Speaking of the need for backup, I have accidentally entirely re-set my device, loosing everything, but it had been backed-up earlier that day, so I lost only an appoinement. I don't know the cause and have been unable to replicate. That's one more reason to backup.
Three additional thoughts: buy yourself a nice case since really adds to your comfort (I bought a somewhat expensive flip-top leather Sena Case www.senacases.com); purchase a better LCD screen protector (such as WriteSHIELD, available discounted through sites like PocketPCPassion); and spend a few bucks on add-on software. For an Outlook add-on try Pocket Informant (Handango.com or pocketinformant.com); for Explorer try Pocket Commander (freeware at www.freewareppc.com). You might also check the "most popular" and "highest rated" categories at Handango.
I haven't encountered any of the reliability problems with the iPaq some reviewers have mentioned, but I did manage to break the hotsync cradle on the first day I used it, and now the charger won't operate properly. Otherwise everything that comes with it works smoothly and without fuss. All in all, I think HP has a fundamentally good platform to develope future iPaqs (a higher resolution display and faster processor will do nicely).
I need to get a new laptop/desktop for home and because of my satisfaction with my iPAQ, I will probably get an HP.
The large button in the center broke within a week. Then, after I'd had it about two months, it broke completely. I was staring right at it and it shut down, never to turn on again.
I'm not generally rough on things - my last handheld was a Palm Vx that I bought around 1999. It still works, so I don't think the breakage was due to me.
Keep your recipt! Or, better yet, choose a different handheld.
Combine that with the problem that there's no carrying case that accomodates this sizable appendage. So now you have to pop the card in, use it, take it out and put it back in the case. Too much work!! Another issue with the Wireless use is that chews up your power like crazy.
Its worth mentioning here that I called HP and told them about my dissatisfaction with the product. I talked to about three representatives and all of them were pleasant and courteous. They suggested that I return the device to them if I'm not fully satisfied with the product. I'm surprised after that experience considering the harrowing experience another user here faced.
Putting together my impression of the device's functionality and HP's customer service, I decided to upgrade to the iPaq 4155 to get the built-in wireless. 4155 does not come with the Nevo Universal Remote control but while it is a novelty, its certainly not a deal clincher for me. And I'm buying an extra charger to keep at home so I can charge it for the juice needed for wireless use.
1. Cannot wirelessly sync with my IBM T40 Notebook using bluetooth. The online manual is not helpful. The "hold time" when I called the HP technical helpline is about 20-30 minutes, and did not solve the problem. They suggested that I call Microsoft or IBM. I even went to the BlueTooth convention, the "expert" could not get the BlueTooth feature to work.
2. Short battery life.
3. I turned on the PDA after not using it for 10 days and found that it completely ran out of power (even though it had been in the "off" position) and lost all data on it.
Advice: do not waste money on this product. It is high on advertisment but low on quality and performance.
Great screen, great battery life, stable OS over previous.
Lastly - This is a product review forum not an extended warranty forum. And if you drop anything and it breaks, don't blame the manufacturer on cheap quality or over priced repairs. Carry a pen and paper instead.
Since the unit was clearly still under warranty, I called customer support. I immediately encountered a language barrier, and because I could describe the exact location and nature of the chip but didn't have the part name, I ended up receiving an unneeded pair of side grips. Armed with the part name, I made a successful second try past the language barrier, and HP arranged for the unit to be shipped to their repair group. When they noted that I would be charged for whatever wasn't under warranty and asked me to authorize these repairs I (luckily) chose to be called first.
Why lucky? Because HP Billing just called to tell me the motherboard needed to be replaced and I would have to shell out $197.03. Huh?!? The unit was working fine when I sent it in! I was sure it was a mix-up, but it wasn't. Turns out that the infrared port is connected to the motherboard. Replacing the cheap plastic on the outside of the infrared port means replacing the pricey motherboard. Although there's no other mark on the unit, the billing rep (no language barrier here) said this wasn't covered by warranty because I must have damaged it. Fortunately, I have no need for the infrared beaming so I've chosen to forego the expensive repair (about half the cost of what I paid for it new, a few short months ago). I'll glue or tape the little chip back on and in a few years put the saved $197.03 toward something a little less fragile with brand new software and hardware.
Yes, it's a beautiful device with great capability, but that can't help you if it's too fragile withstand everyday use, or if the simplest of repairs is too expensive for you to make. My previous PDA-type device was an early, early generation Casio organizer that I used for seven years (yes, years) with no problem! I'll shop smarter next time.
I had a few initial dissapointments with the PIM (calendar, task, contacts, etc.) programs that come stock with Pocket PC, but this complaint has nothing to do with HP or their iPAQs. (A sturdy, options-rich third party app took care of those worries ... it was the same way with the Palms).
In short, I could not find the level of features for this price in any other device, especially when you catch an online sale.
Cons:
- Integrated Bluetooth, would be better if it had 802.11b instead
- Media Player can't play avi files
- Wish it came with a vibration mode for alarm
I've had my iPAQ for the last 4 months and it's been least to say an experience. With it's calender program I'm able to organize my life because, college life is extremely chaotic. The calender is easy to tweak for editing the pattern or just a single occurance. For some time I was also using it as an MP3 player, while I was getting the kinks out of my Archos, which works properly now. The sound quality is superb, with and without headphones. The playlist feature is good considering that it uses Media Player 9(I'm not very fond of Media Player I still use 6.1 on my PC). In addition I've been able to play small MPEG's on it. However, it can't play AVI files that I make from my digital camera.
The resolution from pictures is pretty decent for the screen size (3in x 2.25in). The picture viewer prpogram runs a bit slow but it does the job. It comes with Nevo which is a good universal remote program that is easy to navigate. It uses Active Sync which allows you to syncronize email and calander between your iPAQ and PC.
Now I haven't been able to try Bluetooth (the campus I'm on uses 802.11b wireless) which is more common I think and would have been better than the integrated Bluetooth. I have been able to use the internet on it while it was connected to my PC. It wasn't complicated using the onscreen keyboard. For taking down quick notes it uses a handwriting recognition function because of course using the styllus on the keyboard can be a little tedious for some things.
The main reason I would recommend this iPAQ is that you can choose between two types of storage. The smaller SD memory, which is a little expensive or CF memory which which is cheaper. Not many Pocket PC's utilize CF memory and because the camera I have uses CF I decided to buy it.
At some point my iPAQ did stop functioning and I had to call HP tech support. I've seen lots of horror stories abobut them but I had a pretty easy time on thet phone with an ENGLISH speaking person with no accent. He was very helpful sent me a new battery (which was where the problem was) and I had my iPAQ back running in less than a week wait. I'm very happy now.
It's very useful to have Compact Flash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) slots. And eventhough HP support has some flaws, it's still one of the best ones. I think HP should not abandon this line of dual slots PPCs, and they should take them to the next step, with built-in WiFi on a similar model (CF+SD).
PROS:
- Size and Weight
- Expandability (CF + SD)
- Great design
CONS:
- Some users had some trouble with the rubber grips (HP will send you a pair if you have this problem).
- No Built-In WiFi (This is what would make this unit perfect), but you can get a CF WiFi Card, and have some SD memory in the SD slot.
This is exceptionally easy to use and well designed. i debated about buying the 5555 series, but opted to purchase this and carry separate WLAN card - it all works so well. It's a small design and is extremely lite to carry.
If you are tired of incompatibility between Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, Power Point, etc. move up to this Pocket PC. Great display and user friendly!
Just purchase the GPS mapping hardware (Pharos), excellent system, which helps when I am on the road.
Can't wait until my next accessory purchase....
First off, the size and weight of this PDA are fantastic! Much smaller than the Dell that I almost bought. I bought the case with belt clip and I always have it with me when I am working.
Another huge advantage over the previous Palms that I owned - direct integration with my MS applications. It is fantastic to be able to directly open and modify Excel and Word documents without using a 3rd party software package.
The bluetooth feature is great. Another reviewer listed this as a con. They need to do some digging into the advantages of bluetooth. My whole house is wired for network so I have no need for 802.11 wireless access. Bluetooth is the perfect solution. I purchased a USB bluetooth adapter that has a 100 meter range for $24 and can sync my palm, send/receive emails, browse the web and access files from anywhere in my house. If I wanted to do that with a wireless network, I would have to buy a router for $100, buy a wireless adapter for my PC and then have a PDA with WiFi built in. HP makes one, but it is $655.00. Not only does it cost twice as much, it is much larger and much heavier.
You can't use Wireless with a phone or with GPS - two more reasons for bluetooth. You can also get bluetooth headphones and keyboards.
Overall, I love this thing. The speed is great. The screen is very sharp and the OS is very easy to use if you are familiar with Windows.
Pros:
1. 400 Mhz processor
2. Nevo
3. CF for expansion
4. Craddle with regular purchase.
5. Price
6. Provide some leather casing.
7. Mobile 2003 OS. I expect they are still developing and offer everything that is available on Palm OS in future.
8. Support from India will improve. They will not be sleeping while on support at our odd hours. I understand that they have their limitatins as not to disclose problems with OS on your PC. I love India.
Cons:
1. It says only bluetooth ready with optional card.
2. Active Sync
3. Screen is not reflective screen. I mean you can always see yourself on the screen whenever you use this PDA. I felt screen on 1945 was better than this. They say it as liquid transreflective screen.
4. Trial versions of Vindigo & Avantgo are no good to really evaluate them whether they are useful or not
5. We can't have all the software that is available on Palm OS
6. 400 Mhz of intel processor look weaker than 260 mhz of samsung. This is a real problem. It takes a while to surf internet and use some programs. I am not satisfied with Intel processor on this PDA. I hope they will do something to correct this problem.
7. This unit is not as thin as 1945. This will resolve as we always increase our cababilities and electronics.
How to get away with problems that I mention about 1945 or 2215:
1. Active sync problems. Active sync will not work properly when you have firewall software or any anti virus software. Disable them when you have problems. Customer Support told me that there may be un-necessary softare running on your PC so contact your o/s vendor and remove them. So I disabled them on my own and corrected the problem. Anyways, the next release of active sync should take care of these problems.
2. No caps loc button appears on soft key board: The reason was I selected big buttons. When you select big buttons the caps key and some other keys do not appear. Select small keys for best settings. (If You don't understand what I am talking about, then select input options and select keyboard and select big keys).
3. slip in leather case is ok. Not so good but I can adjust with it for som time till I get new convenient one.
It comes with integrated Bluetooth...I'd prefer to have WiFi instead, I cannot asses the usefulness of Bluetooth on such a device other than connect it to a cellphone, but with growing number of WiFi hotspots there is no real need for this interface.
PROS
- Bright screen
- Huge memory
- iTask application (the best application management interface I've seen on pocket pc's)
- Slim design
- Excelent sound (w/headphones...obviously)
- Nevo remote feature
- Dual expansion slot (CF/SD)
CONS
- Buttons size
- Navigation control responsiveness
- Integrated Bluetooth
NOTE: If you have an Ambicom CF 802.11 card be aware: you'll have to fight with it in order to make it work.
What I finally did is install the drivers for PPC 2002 that came in the card installation CD and THEN installed the new drivers posted by Ambicom in their website. You must run the Ambicom application to configure your network. In order to connect you should run the application each time, go to the Configure page and click apply...not a big deal.
UPDATE: Is evident that the Bluetooth/WiFi discussion is a simple matter of personal needs. I started planning my home network for WiFi from the early beginning so I got a WiFi laptop, then a linksys AP/switch/router and CF adapter for PDA...never spent a cent in wired networking. That's why for me bluetooth is a con, probably for other users this is a pro...that's what review are for to express our opinions, isn't?it
The problem is with ActiveSync 3.7, the latest syncing software from Microsoft. It just doesn't work. It was working fine (I was using BT to wirelessly sync), until I installed Vindigo. Mind you that my significant other's Palm version of Vindigo always syncs flawlessly, and my previous PPC version on the 1910 was fine if not perfect. But after I installed Vindigo on the 2215, ActiveSync just decided to retire early. Nothing would make it sync. I ended up uninstall and reinstalling AS, and it had trouble finding the 2215 when I connected the USB port. After oh perhaps 50 restarts on both the PC and the 2215 it somehow was able to identify the latter, but ended up duplicating all my calendar items, a total nightmare as I use Outlook calendar as a diary book and have close to 10,000 appointments all told. This actually had happened to me before as well (twice, once on the Audiovox Maestro and the other on the 1910), and it took me an entire week to remove all the duplicate entries manually. Trust me, this is not something you'd ever want to do -- even if you were the most patient man in the world. Luckily this time I was ready to send back the 2215, and I did.
The bad tech support experience is all too common. India is the new sweat shop country for tech companies. The accent is the least of the problem. Those tech support people are untrained. They have little authority to do anything except picking up the phone and tell the customers to go away.
Expect no support if you buy HP. It is pretty much the same story for DELL which also runs shops from India.
The bad: HP has terrible customer support. Because in my experience PDA screens scratch and/or wear out, I made the mistake of purchasing an extended warranty, the HP Care Pack, from HP. So far my experience has been very negative. To begin with they sent me two warranties for my one device. I discovered this when I looked at the purchase confirmation so I called them for help. First they blamed me and accused me of purposely buying two warranties and then they proceeded to make the return process as inconvenient as possible. Let's just say that I still haven't gotten a refund for the warranty they "accidentally" charged me for, but that isn't why I am upset.
Unfortunately my problems actually began as soon as I opened the one warranty I had actually purchased. When I opened the warranty I found that my product, the iPAQ h2215, was not listed on the warranty as a covered product. Additionally, the warranty specifically excluded items not explicitly covered by the terms and conditions.
I then called HP for help, which is when I realized just how terrible HP customer service has become. I called the sales representative, who promptly told me that she did not know anything about the product warranties and then gave me a phone number to call.
I called the number and was greeted by a cheerful attendant who also knew little about warranties. She attempted to help me, but she seemed confused about why sales would refer me to her since she was not the warranty department and she did not have any warranty information.
So, she referred me to technical support. Of all the departments, technical support was by far the least helpful and most frustrating. This should be a warning to anyone planning to buy an HP product because even if you never purchase an extended warranty from HP you may at some point have to deal with HP tech support.
The heavily accented technician began by asking for my model and serial numbers. I provided them, but he was unable to find them on the system and so he was extremely reluctant to provide me with any kind of assistance whatsoever. I see no reason why the model number would not show up on the tech support computer. What if I needed tech support?
Anyway, he said the problem was probably that I was giving him the wrong number or that I had not registered the warranty like I should have. I told him that I was giving me the model number that appeared on the box's label and that I had purchased the item less than a week ago. He was unconvinced. I then asked him, hypothetically, if he would honor the warranty I had purchased even though my product was not specifically included in the warranty card. He said that he probably would not. This was about as much help as he was willing to provide. From the start of the conversation both he and I were confused about why I was directed to technical support in the first place and I understand that he was not trained to help me. However, he was extremely rude, difficult to understand, and had no inclination to provide even the slightest assistance without appearing to be inconvenienced. This is not understandable and not excusable. After he "helped" me, the technical support representative referred me back to sales.
After waiting on hold for a sales representative I explained my problem and asked to speak to a supervisor. The representative assured me that he was almost certain that the warranty covered my product, but he was unable to say for sure. He also said that although there is a supervisor available the supervisor cannot provide any additional help. I asked to speak with them anyway, and soon learned that the representative was more than correct. The supervisor was able to offer even less help than the representative. The supervisor basically told me that it is only logical to assume that the warranty covers the product because it is not specifically excluded like some other models. When I told him that technical support had informed me that they would probably not honor the warranty, he seemed to change his mind and he referred me to one of the phone numbers that I had already contacted.
I am now waiting for a return authorization so I can return this warranty. I am also planning to return the iPAQ, even though I really like it, because I never want to deal with HP again.
The iPaq 2215 has the same slim form factor, but advancing technology has made this a vastly superior product to my old Palm. It fits just right in my hand, and the rubber pads on the side give just the right amount of no-slip grip.
The screen is superb, readable indoors or out. I also considered the Dell Axim, which has the same processor and memory, but it bulkier, has a screen that isn't as good, and has no built-in Bluetooth.
At first I didn't care about Bluetooth, but then I realized if I get a Bluetooth-capable cell phone, then I can use the phone as a modem for the 2215. Cool!
The combo of perfect size, powerful processor, superb screen, lots of memory, built-in Bluetooth, and flexible expansion (via both SD and CF slots) makes this unit a fantastic value. Sure, it cots a bit more than the Dell, but it's well worth it.
That said, every device had some sort of flaw. PalmOS was too limited to be a decent value, while Pocket PC / CE devices were too heavy to keep in my pocket. Finally, HP got it right.
The h2215 is the perfect balance between a powerful OS, powerful hardware, and a device you can truly keep in your pocket. The expansion options are absolutely wonderful -- you've got CF I/II and an SD slot that supports SDIO, so you'll always be able to have extra memory, without sacrificing wireless connectivity.
While Pocket PC 2003 isn't much different than 2002 in terms of cosmetics, it's a huge leap forward in terms of stability and ease of use. Connecting to wireless networks is a snap, and I've yet to have anything cause me to do a reset.
The h2215 is light, and easy to hold. The rubberized grips are absolutely perfect -- just light enough to keep the unit firmly in your hand, but not as uncomfortable as the grips on the side of the Dell Axim.
The best part (at least for me) is that old iPaq accessories work on the h2215. I was able to pull the sync cable I bought for my old 3800-series out of the closet, and plug it right in to the 2215 without any problems.
This is truly the best PDA I've ever carried. At this price, it's a steal.
PROS
- Sleek
- Great navigation button for game lovers (even sony CLIE's aren't close)
- Integrated bluetooth
- Good display and good speed
- HP support was good when I had problem setting up AvantGo
- Even though HP doesn't mention bundled software, they did infact bundle quite good collection of software which I think is around [money amount]worth.
- The synchronization software that comes with Palm is useless. You have to buy additional software and configure it to really get all the contact information mapped to the Outlook contact fields. If you are going to synchonize with Outlook, think no other than Pocket PC based PDA.
CONS
- Notes support in Pocket PC sucks. PDA device vendors should start bundling HPC Notes software along with this until Microsoft decideds to make it better. Can't even filter notes by categories.
- Carry case should be flip-open type. You have to take the PDA out before using it.
CONCLUSION
Even if money is no constraint, I would still go for this model.
I still can't understand why it takes Sony so long to come up with a good mix of features that is sleek. Inspite of being a big Sony fan, I wouldn't pay $800 for Sony PEG-UX50.
Add value to your PDA by buying Pocket Informant or Agenda Fusion.
I gave 4 star instead of 5 because:
- I want it to be as sleek as iPAQ h1910 with iPAQ h2215 feature set
- Software like HPC Notes is not bundled
The PDA looks dull in the plastic body. The buttons are all standard PPC type. Average weight and battery life for a PPC.
The Windoze OS is a bad idea for handhelds, why do think MSFT keeps changing the name every time they release new bloatware? Comparing raw MHz/MB or advertized feature set is not a good idea with PDA's. (8MB on Palm OS does more than 64MB on bloated Windoze.) All the cool features look great for first few weeks and then the PPC gadget might stay in your drawer!
Easy of use, reliability, battery life and intuitive software (like a Nokia) are more important than voice recording, mp3 playback and video. Check out the "Zen of Palm" if you aren't convinced that Palm OS is much better.
If you desperately want a "PC in your Pocket" buy this iPaq, its better than other PPC clones out there.
I also bought a foldable keyboard so add that to the price. I am a graduate student and I bought the Ipaq knowing it had a recording function. This is very handy for me in interview situations. I like being able to display PDFs, PowerPoints (not very usable but a nice 'toy' this since the slides are so small), word documents, EXCEL, etc. The addition of the keyboard actually allows me to create files and I really like the size of the Ipaq even with keyboard compared to a laptop.
Of course it is not all work. I had an audible.com subscription for a couple of years and can play my library on this. If you have never tried audible with a pocketpc...it is a worthwhile experience. I am an avid reader but I have found that there are times when listening to a book is just the thing. With 1GB it is not an Ipod but it gets the job done for me and the sound is very good with MP3s. Add avantgo, ebook reader, and ahem, Pocket Everquest and it is a pocket entertainment center.
It is also extemely verstile. To get an idea of what a pocket PC can do for you visit a website that had downloads of applications. I found a very nice scientific calculator with graphing functions that would be at least $70 or more dollars for $12 as a download today. I am also trying out something called pocket earth that is very interesting.
Why 4 stars? I didn't really need bluetooth and there are other products out there a bit less exsepsenive if you don't need that. But HP customer service is A1. If you ask an email question they usually reply within 24 hours although for my old Jornada it use to be within in an hour. The unit comes with a CD-ROM with multiple utlities that you will find useful. In addition to price (and it is a very fair price btw overall) I feel the battery life could be better. Granted size played into that but you will find yourself recharging quite often. In a way that is a backhanded good thing though, it means you are finding uses for it, even if they are frivolous. So if you are willing to spend the money for the unit AND the money for a memory card big enough to serve your needs AND the money for a keyboard if you plan on actually creating documents with the Ipaq and it still seems worth it, enjoy your new pocket computer and your new toy. I am.
On hp's website comparing the ipaqs, it says only the 5000 models has mutiple input methods: transcriber, block (graffiti), letter recongnition and soft keyboard; while the 1900 and 2200 models has only soft keyboard. I almost chose the Dell Axim over the ipaq for this! Just let me be clear, this ipaq 2215 has all four input methods built-in.
Some reviews on Amazon complain about the lack of documentation. Well, the box does have very little paper, but the 200+ pages of users manual is right on the CD-ROM. I have found all the answers I want from the manual so far. And I think it's great now they are not shipping heavy manuals. With electronic versions, whoever wants a hard copy can print it out. And those who don't need it will save trees. Moreover, it is more portable and easier to search with electronic books! The saved printing cost and shipping cost will benefits the buyers eventually.
Let me also briefly point out what this handheld can save you: the Nevo univeral remote program works perfectly (with easy on-line info and download), that save you 100-200 bucks on a high quality learning universal remote. (By the way, have you ever been in a public place, like airport or restaurant, where you find those TVs too loud? You can control them with your own remote! Ha!) If you need a graphics scientific calculator, there are a lot of not-too-expensive downloads to do the job; another 50-100 bucks saved. It serves well as a digital picture frame for slide shows with hp built-in viewer (better than the microsoft's "pictures" program). And of course, it can easily replace your mp3 player, and voice recorder if you uses one.
I guess there is something less than desirable about the ipaq in a way: It's too new and too hot! I bought a mini keyboard for it the other day but returned it coz it only works with older ipaqs. I bought a really nice Linksys CF wireless card too, and again returned. Linksys told me their CF wireless cards don't work with PC2003, yet at least. They are working on the new drivers. So, if you have some older accessories, keep in mind they might not work, although there might be new update drivers later. The ONLY other thing that is a little disappointed is that the windows media pocket version only support mp3, wma (audio) and wmv (video) files, but not mpg. So you have to convert mpg into wmv with some external programs if you want your own video clips portable. Just typical microsoft's strategy to monopolize the market. How sad.
But all in all, if you buy this *really hot* pocket PC now, you won't regret it later.
First off, let me say that the software upgrade from 2002 to 2003 is barely noticeable, except for a few connectivity features, one of which I've found very helpful. This version has a good Bluetooth Manager that makes connecting to a Bluetooth cell phone (such as a Sony/Ericsson T68) easy. With this feature, the cell phone can be used as a modem with a dialup internet service (e.g. MSN or Earthlink) for net access from anywhere with free nights and weekends, and in addition to the included email software and Internet Explorer just about all the net software you could want is available for PocketPC - AIM, ICQ, IRC, SSH.... If you want Wifi you'll need a CompactFlash addon card.
Pocket Word and Excel are useful but don't expect to write a book on it without an addon keyboard. The iPaq picture viewer with slideshow and thumbnails is a nice touch, works very well with the CompactFlash card from my digital camera.
As far as the hardware, you get 400MHz, 64MB, 2 kinds of expansion slots, Bluetooth and a very nice screen in a package that's an inch shorter and a fair bit sleeker than older iPaqs - definitely pocketable. The battery life is a good 8 hours (less if you're doing battery-draining things like running the screen at full brightness or playing Age of Empires). 64MB sounds like a lot but you'll use that up pretty quickly if you start installing software or downloading e-books - fortunately a Secure Digital expansion card works seamlessly and doesn't add to the size or weight of the device.
One complaint - the rubber grips on the sides are not attached as securely as I would have expected, and they are coming off. I fixed this with superglue.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Addendum, one year after purchasing:
The rubber grips came off completely, and I ended up calling HP about a week before the warranty ran out. They sent me new ones, no charge, and replacing them is very easy. I'm pretty sure they came off because the slip cover they include rubs against them, so I still recommend this PDA highly but advise you to get a different case for it.
Size, Screen, Battery life, expandability (with SDIO and tried and true Compact Flash) and most of all speed. This device is quick, easy to work with, feels comfortable in my hand. Lightweight, it can fit in a shirt or pants pocket very easily.
The only...and I mean, the only...problem I have with it is that the device does not have a job dial. I like reading e-books with my PDA's, and the job dial is ideal for this function. However because the 2215 is so light, I can use the include d-pad to page through my e-books.
What are you waiting for, get it!
I did it and it works like a charm! Too bad Microsoft won't post the instructions on their website for Pocket Money
--------------
Follow these instructions and you should be able to
install Money for the
PPC (2003 version):
1. With the PPC in the cradle and ActiveSync running,
start the installation
of Pocket Money for Money 2003 on the desktop.
2. Go through the normal install routine, following the
prompts on the
desktop machine.
3. When the PPC pops up an error message, don't clear it.
Instead, open File
Explorer on the PPC. (I don't know if the error message
needs to remain
open,
but without having experimented, I suggest leaving it on
screen for now.)
4. Browse to "My Device /Windows /AppMgr /Install" and
tap-and-hold on the
file that is in that folder. (This is the one caveat...
your folder may end
up
being different, but something tells me that this is the
folder you should
look in). The file should be obviously related to Pocket
Money.
5. When the menu appears, choose copy.
6. Still using File Explorer on the PPC, browse to "My
Device /Temp" and
paste the file in this new folder.
7. Once the file appears in this new folder, single tap
the file. The
installation will begin on its own.
8. Close the error message from the original installation.
9. After you have successfully installed Money, with the
PPC in the cradle,
explore the PPC (use Explore from within ActiveSync).
10. Browse to "My Device /Windows" and look for "MoneyCE".
11. Right click on this file and choose "Create a
shortcut".
12. Move this shortcut to "My Device /Windows /Start
Menu /Programs" to
finish the install.
13. Rename this new shortcut as "Microsoft Money".
14. Remove the PPC from the cradle. Check the settings
for the Money Conduit
in ActiveSync, place the PPC back into the cradle, and
away you go.
At this point, it should be working like a charm. Money
shows up in the
uninstall listing on the PPC, but I actually don't know
if it will work or
not. Good luck!
Bluetooth??? eh. My cell and laptop aren't bluetooth enabled so not much use there. I have a wireless connection available at work, which I use for my computer, but it's not bluetooth enabled. I was thinking about buying a wireless compactflash card for my iPAQ, but then I realized that i'm hardly away from my computer at work anyway so why get it? The only other place I could really use it is at trendy coffee shops and I don't need to connect there. If i REALLY need to be connected, I'll bring my laptop.
BEWARE that the OS is PPC 2003 and some applications will not work!
A lot of the freeware for PPC available is "poo poo" (There were a lot of great freeware apps for Palm that are only available for a price with PPC). For instance, I tried to use "Shopaholic", a PPC based shopping list (I had something similar on my Palm, which was great) and it doesn't work on the OS PPC 2003.
But the BIGGEST disappointment I have is that the MS Money for Pocket PC DOES NOT WORK FOR PPC 2003. MS only has versions for PPC 2002 and lower. So I had to make an excel file to capture that info, then type into MS Money 2003 later. It's not realy a critique of the iPAQ itself, but its OS. I'll just have to be patient (1 month, 6 months, 1 year???) until MS creates it.
So the verdict? Well, I really like the things that I CAN do, but am a bit frustrated with all of the features I don't really need, and VERY frustrated with the limited ability to use PPC 2003 with other apps.
Why? Because the OS software and Sync software loads and operates flawlessly. HP answered every complaint ever made about PDA's from its competitors and its own PDA products. This machine tops them all. It was my last machine to review after three days of intense research. When I went to buy the second best, this unit had just hit the rack. After working with it and despite the fact there were no reviews out by other users, I took a chance because it looked and worked absolutely perfect. In the electronics department, this was one the smartest moves I ever made.
Before this, I didn't know what to buy: Pocket PC or Palm. How glad I am that I chose the IPAQ H2215. I am a minister of the gospel and loaded this thing with Bible software, a mini-word processor - heavy weight programs and they work like a dream. It is not a toy or a gadget - it is a wonderful tool!
The battery is replaceable and operates a good 5-6 hours in heavy use. The cradle connection is solid; there is no doubt that you are charging the unit. There is a place on the charger for a second battery, as the battery can be replaced by the user. Also, there is an adapter to permit you to charge on the road, without the cradle. Nothing extra to buy.
It uses both CF (compact flash) and SD Card, has blue tooth installed and the screen is marvelous. The processor is lightning fast. The unit fits in your shirt or pants pocket easy enough. If you work a lot away from the office or home desk top, this is the unit you want.
Buy it!
1 - It's small and lightweight for a device that supports both Compact Flash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) formats. It's about the same height and width of the iPAQ 1900 series, but just a tad bit thicker and heavier. *BUT* not by that much!
2 - With both CF and SD, you can mix and match wireless/memory options. If you already have a wireless CF card, then use the SD for memory or vice-versa.
3 - SDIO - You can use 802.11b SD cards when they're out or any other SDIO cards (as long as there's PPC2K3 support.)
4 - Removable batteries!! Yippie!! If your battery dies, you can have just pop in another one. And they're Lithium Ion so no worries regarding memory effects. You can charge an extra battery in the cradle while your device recharges!
5 - Gorgeous screen that can be seen on all iPAQs! Bright and colorful.
6 - Really nice joystick like directional button. I've owned the first iPAQ and a Cassiopeia (as well as played demo versions of other PPCs) but I believe this is the best directional button there is.
7 - Built-in Bluetooth! With PPC2K3, it's much easier to make partnerships with other bluetooth device! Just connect your iPAQ to your cellphone and surf the web! I've made it sync with my computer and my Sony Ericsson T610 with no hitches.
8 - It's fast, and much more stable than the previous PPCs. And I've used them all from WinCE -> PPC -> PPC2002. This is the most stable PPC OS so far, and the fastest. I can watch a 300kbps stream on my PPC Windows Media Player (WMP).
9 - OS hasn't changed much from PPC2002, but the small changes that are there really makes a difference. As I mentioned in point no. 8, there is WMP. And better connectivity (as I mentioned in point no. 7) with built-in Bluetooth. Pocket Internet Explorer (pIE) is speedy. I use my 2210 and T610 to connect to the web wireless via GPRS and surf the web on pIE. It's great! Now that's true wireless. Not as speedy as WiFi, but I can use it just about anywhere I get a phone signal!
I've been using this device for over a month now (it's now August 4) and I still love it. So go ahead now! Buy it from Amazon! You'll love it! I've had no problems with the rubber grips and they make the iPAQ fit well in your hands! The price is great too!
The PDA looks dull in the plastic body. The buttons are all standard PPC type. Average weight and battery life for a PPC.
The Windoze OS is a bad idea for handhelds, why do think MSFT keeps changing the name every time they release new bloatware? Comparing raw MHz/MB or advertized feature set is not a good idea with PDA's. (8MB on Palm OS does more than 64MB on bloated Windoze.) All the cool features look great for first few weeks and then the PPC gadget might stay in your drawer!
Easy of use, reliability, battery life and intuitive software (like a Nokia) are more important than voice recording, mp3 playback and video. Check out the "Zen of Palm" if you aren't convinced that Palm OS is much better.
If you desperately want a "PC in your Pocket" buy this iPaq, its better than other PPC clones out there.
Definately a thumbs-up...Never been happier with a device.
This isn't true in practice -- what we've missed out is Stradivarius's
constant. And then the aside: "For those of you who don't know, that's
been called by others the fiddle factor..."
-- From a 1B Electrical Engineering lecture.
Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the
earth? Did not the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his
children? Tecumseh, (Shawnee)
