HP iPAQ 5555 Pocket PC

Give yourself a jump on the competition by letting the iPAQ h5555 Pocket PC increase your mobile productivity. Communicate wirelessly while securely accessing and managing information on your own preferred schedule. Access the Internet, e-mail, and corporate data at home, at work, or on the go with the integrated Bluetooth and WLAN 802.11b wireless capability. Protect your data with the fingerprint-recognition feature, VPN software, 64-bit and 128-bit WEP, F-Secure FileCrypto Data Encryption, and Xcellenet Afaria device management. Easily print documents, e-mail attachments, and pictures straight from your HP iPAQ h5555 to an HP printer. Enjoy brilliant color and image sharpness courtesy of the transflective TFT LCD (64, 000 colors). Be ergonomically correct with the five-way navigation button, touch-sensitive display for stylus, built-in speaker and microphone, and more•À? Do more as your needs grow with the expansion pack support and compatible accessories.

1 HP Ipaq 5555
I have owned the Ipaq 5555 for a year. My review is far from positive. The unit has glitzy features but many disappointments. Battery life is not long enough for practical professional use. Handwriting recognition is about 90% at best and usually less. The unit has a slippery exterior that should be kept in a case; a poor engineering design , unless they want one to drop it.
What is most disappointing is the one year warrantee support from HP. I developed synching problems. HP support put me through a variety of time consuming phone support resets et al. Finally they agreed (reluctantly) to accept the unit for analysis. We sent it in. The J2 connector on the main board was cracked. Despite a lack of any signs or history of external abuse, they claimed the unit must have been dropped and sustained significant impact. They are not planning to honor the warrantee. I am the only one who uses this unit. HP does not honor their warrantee. I would not recommend purchasing this unit.
Other limitations are common to most PDAs. Slow compared to PCs, laptops, tablets. Poor screen size for internet.
For the price this is not worth it.
On the positive side the security features were valuable to me as a physician to protect confidential patient information. Otherwise it had little special to offer over units costing a fraction of the price.
Wireless internet was of little value due to the slowness of connecting and unreliability of auto connecting. Within my own home I could walk downstairs to use the PC to access and get internet info more expediently. The only time it helped was on the road, and that was limited. Email access from the PDA is not happening for me.
Many programs have to be purchased for PDA use that would be built in to most laptops and other PCs. Bluetooth devices are too pricey to be a good value.
I think PDAs are great for storing contact info and making notes, but should not be pushed into the realm of truer computing. They should be easily held and capable of sustaining 4 foot falls.
Again, I would specifically avoid the HP products because they are not honoring their warrantee, using flimsy evidence to shift the blame off their poor engineering of a handheld onto the user. Get a far less expensive Palm for basic contact and calendar use, a laptop or tablet for on the road computing and bypass these expensive and impractical Ipaqs.

2 waste of time
Total and complete data failure (and will not restore even after a full backup) 6 X in the last four months. This is after warranty replacement of the unit (based upon the old "we don't know why it does that") -

Avoid this PPC until they make one that is suitable for everyday use.

3 Unreliable
This must be the most frustrating device it has ever been my misfortune to own! With some regularity, and with no apparent reason, it resets itself to factory settings. I spend more time restoring and reinstalling than I actually spend productively.

At least 5-6 times per day, I have to do a soft reset because the thing locks up. Half the time it won't connect or sync either via USB or wireless.

I've had the iPAQ for a year now, and am just getting ready to do a complete reinstall. Once again, it reset itself. Two weeks ago, same thing. This is the last time, however, there is a hammer in the iPAQ's future. I mean it.

Afterthought: who ever heard of a device that can't be turned off? What numbskull designed a computer that loses everything if it loses power? Duh.

4 I have used my 5555 for a year
To get absolute use out of this machine I would recommend the SanDisk 1 gig memory (inserts in top of 5555 easily .. about 300 bucks), Pocket map navigator (absolutely wonderful about 350 bucks) Sierra wireless aircard 750 (so you can use it as a cell)and Microsoft voice recognition (works great) so you can select and play your tunes. This is a brilliantly designed machine.. more usability just keeps popping out of it every day. One fair warning.. it's hell to learn to run correctly. The documentation is terrible but tech support has been patient during my dozen or so phone calls for help. I have dropped this machine and it still works so it is durable. The 5555 makes all other PDA's look like junk once you are on top of it. Forget the expense.. just buy it, fight it and make it work to do the things you want it to do. Oh, and download the software so you can watch movies on it too (another 50 bucks). You can put about 8 movies on the san disk. Don't waste money with the double expansion pack, get the single, it will still fit in your shirt pocket and do all the above.

5 Earlier Review about Battery Replacement is Incorrect
An earlier review (August, 2003) contained the following incorrect information:

"The problem that has plagued HP since the 3000 series started is the battery. It isn't replaceable by any part that you can get your hands on, and it has a shelf life of about 1.5 years."

In fact, the iPAQ 5555 battery IS replaceable and many people recommend that users carry a spare battery if they expect to use the PDA heavily.

6 Disappointed
Great while it works. Mine died after 9 months of casual use. I'm not looking forward to dealing with warranty repairs.

7 This is a great Pocket PC if you can afford it.
I really like this Ipaq. I've had a 3835,3955,2215 and now this. This Ipaq really rocks.The integrated wifi and bluetooth makes surfing the net very easy. Even with the zippy 2215, I had trouble getting wifi due to a very obstinate wifi sd card. There's something to be said for having integrated wifi. Not just that but the 128 mb really makes a difference. I no longer find myself checking the memory setting to see which program needs to go on sd storage. Speed is nice and the color display is beautiful. Battery life could be better and of course it would be nice to have a compact flash but I'm pretty happy with the product.

8 Always by my side.
EDIT Start -

I would like to comment on reviewers who claim that the technical support is junk along with the device's reliability. May I point out that it is Microsoft's operating system, which is to be expected as no operating system is perfect. The iPAQ's hardware has nothing to do with how many times a reset is needed, since it has not only more ram, but a faster processor than most other pda's currently on the market. As for the technical support, I have had two iPAQ's and always received the same friendly and careless help needed to fix my problems straight away. Here's a recent example of how HP's support works.

1. Problem occurs.
2. Call to HP, they check warranty (lasts a year).
3. They send you an empty box, shipping and parts replacement, 100% free.
4. Ship it out next day.
5. Repair begins and ends in under an hour.
6. You receive an email confirming depature and repair success.
7. You receive the iPAQ back, only having it leave your side for less than 3 days.

If that's not service, then I don't know what is. I believe that many people are rude, arrogant, and are ignorant to their mistakes. I told the support technicians that I had dropped it and they said no problem, and replaced the screen, usb host connector, and battery all free of charge. Hope this helps your buying decision.

EDIT Finish -

In comparison to newer-age pda's including the Toshiba e805, the Asus MyPal, and the new Dell Axim, I hope you will regard my post only within HP and Compaq's products. This particular iPAQ is a giant leap from my Compaq iPAQ 3835, gone are the days of cradle synchronizing and wired connections. With Bluetooth and wi-fi I can synchronize and receiving data virtually anywhere.

A few reasons to avoid buying this:
- it is not a good first pda, as some features require proficient computer knowledge
- it is not worth buying unless you plan on using all features, including the finger print scan, otherwise go with the cheaper 4100 series iPAQs.

A few reasons to avoid buying another:
- is an 'upgradable' iPAQ, which means all previous software, cords/connections, sleeves (jackets), styli, and cases will work with this iPAQ.
- has wi-fi and bluetooth built in, along with 128megs sd ram, and 48 megs rom, gives you extra storage space.
- speedy processor and an sdio slot.

I believe this is the current best option for anyone wanting a powerful handheld machine. With the largest array of expansion abilities and wireless capabilities, it is the smartest choice you can make.

9 Great features, HORRIBLE reliability
I am currently waiting for my second ipaq to be repaired, I just sent it in to HP. THe first was DOA, this one died within 6 months of getting it. When it works, and dosent need to be reset it is a great product, but generally I have to reset the device at least once a day and I am curious how often I will have to replace the unit all together.

10 Sweet but high maintenance
This thing is full of promise, the finger print recognition works great. The capacity and speed are breathtaking. Opps forgot to mention the 5 times daily soft reset, the battery life, the finicky software (not 3rd party either). $200 screen replacement if dropped.
Then there is customer service. I'm not sure who is getting seviced during these manic episodes but it sure as heck isn't me. Most of these guys are not named Mike, Dave or Mary. They are definitely struggling with english as their third or fourth language. No offense to people who are multilingual but these people are not helpful, don't care and seemed to be ex Burger King workers. HP has a great product, too delicate but no support. I would save your money.

11 ABSOLUTE JUNK!!
This product has nothing but problems. Faulty battery.... Pour technical support. Limited warranty of only 90 days for software (beware this is a mayor problem), and 6 months for hardware. I spend 2 hours with a technitian somewhere in India, and not only did I loose all of my data, but now the handheld does not ever turn on. Now I have to send the handheld for service and after it is return try again to resolve the connectivity problems that I was having. Do your self a favor DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!

12 Horrible customer service. Unreliable device!
Pros: The product is great when it works. It has all the awesome functionsw that you can find in a little device like this. It is very user friendly and when you purchase a SD card, you can store music, pictures, and other files that you could use. Not only that, the GPS system works quite well (again, when it works...)

Cons: The device failed within a 2 week period. I send it in for "review". Came back with a bill for over $300 and said that I dropped the device. Unbelieveable, I did not drop the device, the connector to recharge/sync stopped working. Well...dealing with their customer service was like hell. I would highly recommend that you STAY AWAY from this product unless you can are technically familiar with these devices. Otherwise don't expect much help from the customer service.

13 HP IPAQ 5555 Lacks Service and Support
HP engineers developed an acceptable product in the IPAQ 5500 series handheld computers. It has many features and capability for many add on features. This is all overshadowed by the lack of customer support. The devices also have a serious reliability ans survivability problem. One drop and your system is out of alignment and you quickly find yourself bogged down in HPs customer support system. They seem to have contracted out customer support to a company in another country and the folks you talk to have no expertice or interest in customer service. If you pursue the issue up the corporate complaint system, it only gets worse. This could be a good product, but with a serious lack of customer support and a very fragile product, you would do well to look elsewhere. If I ever get mine back from IPAQ repair, it will go up for sale and I will look at the new Toshiba handhelds.

14 WOW!!!! THIS THING IS AWESOME!!
I just bought this thing from Amazon and all I can say

is WOW!!!!

This is probably the best purchase I have ever made.

This thing is everything I ever expected and more!! It's

very easy to use as well!

I have bought other brands before, and this one just

blows everything else out of the water! I have to say,

everyone out there who is thinking of buying this, stop

thinking. I bought it and I am extremely happy with it

the moment I powered this thing on. YOU ABSOLUTELY

POSITIVELY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS PURCHASE! I

GUARANTEE IT!!!

15 IPAQ is the BEST PDA!!!
I have one of the older IPAQ's and have loved it from the moment I first turned it on. Unfortunately it doesn't have wireless capabilities; but definitely has the best and most vivid display screen on the market. The speed and ease of use is fantastic. There are almost unlimited software titles, most of which are either freeware or shareware and the download and installation is a snap. Since IPAQ's use Windows CE; it is compatible and easy to transfer and use any MS Office files. Downloading and uploading of data through the infrared port is also a snap. I was able to upload about 100 contacts from my IPAQ directly into my new cellphone through the infrared port in a matter of seconds. If I had had to manually input all of them into the phone it would have taken hours.

16 Simply Amazing
Calling it a PDA is a bit of an insult. The iPAQ 5555 is a hand held computer. With its Window format and very bright screen, it makes computing fun.

Some complain it was too heavy - not when you consider the fact that it is extremely fast and does many feats that a desktop or laptop does.

Set up is so quick that you are using the handheld almost immediately. It charges quite rapidly and found the WiFi in a matter of seconds.

Gripes? I would have given the iPAQ five stars but not having a hard copy of the manual included (it is on the CD ROM and put on your PC) isn't fair. Also, getting it into the docking cradle is a bit of a struggle. However, the fingerprint recognition works great and it really is an amazing piece of equipment.

17 Fantastic Support and Service
I have owned and supported several iPaq models from the 3600 series on up but this has to be my favorite. Everything every customer wanted is already included with this great machine, well except for gps but how many of us need that every day and such. The WiFi is superb and the bluetooth is the best im-plementation I have used so far. The rest of the specs speak for themselves.. huge memory processor speed etc. The only real downfall is slightly below average battery life. I attribute much of this to heavy WiFi useage and the rather small original battery. Greater capacity batteries can be purchased from HP.

I have read others "reviews" of products talking about how poor HPs service and support is. My experience has been exactly the opposite and the same can be said of every person I know who has dealt with HP. In warranty service is fantastic with on average a 3 day turn around... that includes all the ship time from me to them and back. I have occasionally gotten units back the next day after shipping. And yes it was the same unit serial number, scratches and all. They usually seem to just replace the main boards.

As I write this mt personal 5555 is on its way to HP... with an unknown problem. I know this sounds a bit odd to write a positive review during this but the machine and the others have been extremely reliable( they all get extremely heavy useage... 8 to 10 hours a day of actual use). As a side note no unit sent in for repairs had ever had to be sent back again. I think they might spend a little more time testing the replacement boards than the new ones.

18 great features, poor reliability
I would love the ipaqs if I could ever count on them to work. The 5555 is the third ipaq I have owned in the past three years (The company I work for gets them at a great discount, and I don't have to pay for them, which is why I keep getting them)

First off, there are many things to love about this pda. The fingerprint recognition is really cool. It works perfectly for me, and I don't have to worry about remembering a password or having it stolen. The integrated bluetooth and 802.11b is an excellent add-on, and hasn't added to the bulk of the device at all. There is a large amount of built-in memory, the display looks beautiful, the battery is swappable, and there are a lot of nice applications built in.

What disappoints me with every ipaq is the low reliability. It is so poor that I would never personally spend my own money on one of these devices. I typically have to hit the reset button on my ipaq several times per day, becuase under heavy use the thing will freqently slow down or completely freeze up. You can't blame third party apps for these faults, since I am commonly using the standard features of my ipaq when these faults occur.

My first two ipaqs died within about a year of purchase. The first one had a battery go bad, and since it was built into the device I could not swap it myself. The second one just stopped working. I could turn it on, but it basically just gave me a blue screen of death and nothing more.

I love what the ipaqs offer, I just wish HP could get their act together and make them work as they're supposed to.

19 Poor Service from HP/IPAQ
PLEASE read this before you buy an HP IPAQ product so you know how you will be treated if you should have a problem. I own about 6 HP products between IPAQ's, printers and scanners, and I always chose an HP before any other product, until NOW.
I purchased 3 IPAQ's within 2 months. One for myself, my husband, and my father to the tune of $1350! There are days I don't even use my IPAQ, so it isn't abused. My IPAQ froze up on Thanksgiving day of 2003. It would not do anything, so on Monday, I called HP service, they said they wouldn't do anything because the 1 year warranty had expired. I purchased two of the three on Oct. 4, 2002 and this was November! I thought, oh, this product is only good for 1 year of use?
So I talked to a few "higher up's" in the service area and got told that I am on my own. Then I had my husband call up there and they agreed to send us a box with shipping paid so we could send the unit back for them to diagnose the problem. Fair enough. They call within a week and left us a message telling us that the mother board is shot and it will cost $217 to fix. I just got done paying $450 for the product just over a year ago!! You have to be kidding!! This unit was obviously DEFECTIVE from the beginning. And because of a few days of warranty lapse, HP won't step up to the plate and help at all.
So my husband calls back up there and talks to another "higher up" again (because obviously he got further than I did the first time), and her verdict was that HP will not stand behind their product at all. We have to pay the entire bill. Well I will tell you what, I will not fix this HP product, nor will I EVER buy an HP product again. And furthermore, I am in one of the hugest business markets in the world and talk to customers all day long, and I will be sure to tell them of how HP treats their customers. They should stand behind their product, Period!
If they haven't figured it out, PEOPLE make a business and HP's people and policies are ludicrous! If I have a customer that has a problem and is 2 months out of warranty, I will make our manufacturer stand behind their product and fight for my customer's rights!! It is obvious that HP doesn't care about their customers at all. Good to know!! Beware of big business.

20 Poor Service from HP/IPAQ
PLEASE read this before you buy an HP IPAQ product so you know how you will be treated if you should have a problem. I own about 6 HP products between IPAQ's, printers and scanners, and I always chose an HP before any other product, until NOW.
I purchased 3 IPAQ's within 2 months. One for myself, my husband, and my father to the tune of $1350! There are days I don't even use my IPAQ, so it isn't abused. My IPAQ froze up on Thanksgiving day of 2003. It would not do anything, so on Monday, I called HP service, they said they wouldn't do anything because the 1 year warranty had expired. I purchased two of the three on Oct. 4, 2002 and this was November! I thought, oh, this product is only good for 1 year of use?
So I talked to a few "higher up's" in the service area and got told that I am on my own. Then I had my husband call up there and they agreed to send us a box with shipping paid so we could send the unit back for them to diagnose the problem. Fair enough. They call within a week and left us a message telling us that the mother board is shot and it will cost $217 to fix. I just got done paying $450 for the product just over a year ago!! You have to be kidding!! This unit was obviously DEFECTIVE from the beginning. And because of a few days of warranty lapse, HP won't step up to the plate and help at all.
So my husband calls back up there and talks to another "higher up" again (because obviously he got further than I did the first time), and her verdict was that HP will not stand behind their product at all. We have to pay the entire bill. Well I will tell you what, I will not fix this HP product, nor will I EVER buy an HP product again. And furthermore, I am in one of the hugest business markets in the world and talk to customers all day long, and I will be sure to tell them of how HP treats their customers. They should stand behind their product, Period!
If they haven't figured it out, PEOPLE make a business and HP's people and policies are ludicrous! If I have a customer that has a problem and is 2 months out of warranty, I will make our manufacturer stand behind their product and fight for my customer's rights!! It is obvious that HP doesn't care about their customers at all. Good to know!! Beware of big business.

21 Pretty cool
I can't be dissatisfied with the device. It has all you need on the go, big nice display, bluetooth, wi-fi... and Jack, it comes with Microsoft Outlook XP software - that's what you sync with, no need to "enter everything manually".

22 Finally for MAC
This Pocket PC is wonderful. All of the features work well. Especially appreciated is the handwriting recognition - it simply works pretty well - the processor is strong enough so you do not have to struggle with recognition. It takes a bit of getting use to - but once done it is very handy - especially for someone who does not like a lot of paper - keep your thoughts, notes, etc electronic. The recognition software is an update to the Newton - which many Mac users loved but which Apple dropped but with a lot more processing power. If you buy this and are a Mac devotee - I would also recommend PocketMac Pro - which is a Mac front end - including a look and feel of OSX - now you do not have to sacrifice synchronization or OSX.

23 Jack of all trades - king of none
Overall, disappointing for the high price.

Cons
This device and the associated ActiveSynch software is painful to configure. Synching with both a laptop and a desktop(to ensure your work and home PCs are in synch)is problematic.

There is no PC desktop software, which means you enter every appointment/contact directly in on the handheld(or buy an additional keyboard!)and cannot use your desktop to view your calendar/contact list.

The scheduling functions take quite a bit to get used to - it is much less ergonomic than the Palm capability.

I found the Help functions frustrating - they do not easily produce useful results about half the time. In particular, finding help on managing the connections between the PDA and other devices was maddening.

The accompanying help literature is very light on how to actually use Bluetooth to your advantage, get printers to work(have fun finding printers with IR or Bluetooth in your den), or how the expansion pack can be utilized.

The IR synch not only doesn't work well - depending on how you've configured, it might wipe out all the data you've stored on the handheld. When it does work, it is very slow.

Loading a variety of applications software resulted in both interesting game experiences and incredibly frustrating crashes(some which required hard reboot). I'd be very careful to back things up prior to loading new apps.

Battery usage - I'd strongly recommend changing the default power management and screen management settings unless you stay close to an abundant source of electrons. Plan to charge at least every other day. Better yet, get the expansion pack with additional battery.

Weight - think heavy - like a small brick.

Pros

Moving files between the handheld and the desktop is easily accomplished and the PPC OS facilitates easy creation of folders to organize all the different types of files/applications.

Microsoft Reader - WOW! I think the strongest application is by far the e-book capability of this device. Easily loaded and activated, the software performed flawlessly. Even after I loaded over 30 classics into the device, I perceived no slowdown in accessing, loading, or viewing a book.

This thing is capable of so much - it can be a phone, a PDA, an MP3 player, an ebook, a game device, a movie player, and more...I'm sure when I get it all working, I'll love this thing. Being an IT professional, I'm used to configuring hardware and software, but even my patience has been taxed by the amount of effort required to babysit this PDA.

24 First one broken, second one great!
My first experience with this Pocket PC was that a connector or something broke inside because I had to giggle to get the backlight to come on, and it would go off as soon as the slightest movement hit it.. needless to say this happening right of the box.. it was like buying a BMW and having it's wheels fall off when you pull out of the dealer's lot.

Still, it does what it says, and with the included Resco file viewer accessing your work network and adding network shares is a breeze. I was editing Microsoft Word documents while listening to NPR sreaming on Windows Media Player 9 in the background.. no lag.. no chops.. nothing.

This is HP throwing everything it can fit into a pocketPC just for people who can't have enough.. and it's amazing.

Some things old PocketPC people will want to know:

* Integration with Pocket Word and Excel are excellent in PPC 2003, unlike previous versions where you'd loose formatting and text detail.
* It has integrated ClearType.. nice
* When my backlight did work, it has the quality of a flat panel desktop monitor. Brilliant resolution

WORD TO THE WISE: Be paitent with the finger print reader.. it will stuboringly not read your finger prints the first 10 times.. and then all of a sudden the back gets a little hot and it "kicks on" and works for the rest of it's life... dunno why, but it does. This happened on both my old broken one and my replacement.

The extras are lacking, but beyond some games and AOL IM, there isn't much you need to buy extra for this incredible device.

25 Phenomenal!
Tips and Advice (Before or After Buying):

ClearType:
If you plan on using Cleartype make sure that you set the meter a little below what you find comfortable. I find that when I use it from far away this improves quality.

Biometric Finger-print Reader:
Use your thumb. It saves time and headaches.

ActiveSync Synchronization / Bluetooth:
Buy this adapter, http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=33-156-115&depa=1, and then you'll be all set to synchronize your iPAQ with ActiveSync. You can also browse the network and using VNC you'll be able to control your computer without Terminal Services.

The wi-fi works perfectly. The battery life is significantly increased from previous models. Backlight is tight. I've already dropped my iPAQ onto concrete at a seminar and it still works perfectly. I'm prone to dropping handhelds and this one is currently the most durable!

Streaming Movies+Music:Overall I can only live with myself by giving it 5/5 Stars. Remember you will never be dissapointed.

26 Great Product
I just purchased the IP Ipaq 5555 Pocket PC. It is an EXCELLENT tool to have. Very easy to learn... the next best thing to having a laptop, only easier to bring along with you. The memory and speed of this is far greater then any other handheld I have experienced. Thanks HP for another great product... now to find more accessories for it! :)

27 great produect
I can access the internet almost everywhere! I'm a student .. its easy to access the univeristy's files and download class notes and so on.
As for home .. i just download my songs and pictures wirelessly from the network .. and there i go .. i have a playlist ready for me :)

since i'm in the student council and i am an adminstrator in the university's forums site.. i can keep track of all the new registers .. and keep in mind the important stuff to do for the council and the forums .. i can even access the net to check out the forums and edit things very quickly :)

as for bluetooth .. i get access to every bluetooth enabled device.. works just great .. i can even get applications and files from other pda's

the only disadvantage is the battery for me .. other than that all works fine :)

worth the money ..

the new add ons and soft paqs are just great

i recommend u check out pocket pc magazines .. they have tons of info .. and software that is very useful

28 WARNING
Had to return this item 4 times due to screen misalignment issues. It would stay in a loop at the align screen option. I am on my fifth 5555 and it finally works without a hitch!

29 Fingerprint recognition poor, otherwise not a bad model
Pros:

- It feels solid and well constructed. For example, the stylus holder has an internal spring that gently pops the stylus out of the shell when you press it. The whole unit compares very favorably to something like the Toshiba e755, which both feels and looks cheap.
- Performance is great. Documents and programs open instantly.
- Configuring Wi-Fi is easy, and it's easy to tell when Wi-Fi is active by the green light on the face of the unit. I didn't test Bluetooth, but connecting to my 802.11b network was straightforward.
- Looks great. It's one of the most stylish PPCs around, and people will definitely notice it.
- The "getting started" poster that comes with the unit is useful, and while I wish it had printed docs, the online PDF is well-written and reasonably substantive. The docs weren't an afterthought.

Cons:
- It's expensive!
- I couldn't get fingerprint recognition to work reliably. Biometrics contribute to the high price, and they didn't work well enough to justify the premium.
- Wi-Fi signal frequently disconnected. Maybe that's the state of handheld Wi-Fi? I'm not sure, but for the price it should hold the connection more reliably.

Overall: I returned it. There are too many units with comparable specs for substantially less, minus the biometrics. Still, if you need to have fingerprint recognition (and if you can get it working reliably), this might be the unit for you. Leaving aside the fingerprint recognition, I was very impressed by the overall quality and will probably purchase a less expensive HP.

30 Best of Breed
It works well every time I turn it on, and isn't that what you want from a PDA? Great screen, powerful processor, flexible and well designed, works with all 5000 series accessories, integrated Bluetooth, lots of software available, integrates perfectly with MS Office, etc. all add up to a wonderful PDA. I have minor quibbles (like not providing a cradle that accepts a spare batter) but nothing that stopped me from buying one. I am a convert from Palm (and an old Psion user) to Pocket PC and I am glad that I switched. It is a more flexible platform, I find. If you can stand the price of the 5555 it is a great PDA.

31 IPAQ 5555
The best Pocket PC to date. Does everything except CF cards. Connects to wireless internet without hassle. Clear vivid color screen. Things I would change. Screen scratches too easily, software package is weak. I don't leave home without it.

32 Top notch with room for improvements...
I replaced my Sony Clie with this machine for few different reasons. I wanted a longer battery life, better software, better screen, more memory, expandability and better accessory compatibility. And I got all that in Ipaq 5555. Battery lasts a long time and put many devices to shame. It is also user replaceable which allows you not only to use extended packs but if for any reason your power pack fails you can replace it on your own without sending your device for lengthy warranty service. So far PocketPC operating system has been stable to me and very easy and intuitive to use. Most of the software I got for it provides easy and painless installation. Erasing files and keeping everything organized is also very easy. For some reason Palm devices always have very little memory. 5555 comes with whooping 128 megs and with right memory card your options are unlimited. For example I use it with 256 SD card. There are a lot of after market accessories available for IPAQ made either by HP or by third party manufacturer. You have to watch out for HP accessories because some of them are not directly compatible with 5000 series. They have an external battery charger that states compatibility with 5555 yet it is not, but it is compatible with expansion pack (one that includes battery).

Bluetooth and wireless LAN work fine and allow you to almost always be connected. Unit is very solid with it's aluminum housing and case that is supplied with it besides being a really good deal protects the Ipaq the right way. My biggest complain is that 5555 is on the bigger side. It is a big PDA and coming from the smaller machine it is a slight disadvantage. I also have to rave about the screen. It is super bright, with excellent contrast and color definition. I kind of dislike the finger print security and perceive it as useless although cool conversation starter feature.

So how do I use my Ipaq? I work both as a web developer and EMT. Ipaq holds my medical and drug reference books for street work, basic software for web developing, few games, mp3s and tons of email, contacts, notes, pdfs, docs and excel files. I use it on the street to jog down info, cross reference medications and to keep records. I use it in the office for everyday routine stuff. On the train or when I get bored I play some games. It is a good machine and with few extra accessories (car charger, memory card and keyboard) it will last you forever (or at least until 6666 is out).

33 Pretty nice unit if you're willing to pay.
If price was a factor, this might be a 3-star review. I'm reviewing it assuming price is not an issue and you are willing to pay for the model.

Positives:

* Comes with Pocket PC 2003 (Windows Mobile 2003), which has worked out some of the bugs of PPC2002, so I understand. Seems a pretty stable OS.
* 128 MB is just the best (for now!). This is great if you love to install tons of stuff on the unit.
* With the 48MB of ROM and the OS, there is about 17MB left over for Ipaq file store. Another bonus in space.
* Wifi is nearly perfect. Picks up access points without a hitch. Only minor problem might be that it's "too" excited sometimes and forgets that a certain access point is no longer around, so you have to manually remove it from the list.
* Internet apps pretty good: Pocket IE, Messenger, W Media
* Also easily used 3rd party software to browse my network and play tunes off another computer.
* Syncs over wifi. This is so great!
* Easy syncing with outlook, of course. Syncs IE favorites, too.
* Unit ships with a higher capacity battery than the others (1250 vs. 900 mAh)
* Fingerprint reader is faster than entering a PIN or a password. Also many security possibilities (i.e. fingerprint OR pin, fingerprint AND pin, etc.)
* Voice recorder is handy.

Negatives:

* Price / Value ratio is fairly high. It seems that you could have a comparable unit with the 2215, a wireless card and some extra ram for about $100 cheaper.
* The microphone/headphone jack is not flush with the bottom of the unit, but inset (see angle pic). Some of my headphone jacks sleeves are too fat to push the plug in all the way. This is a big design flaw.
* With all the stuff it's got, it is on the heavier side of the PDA weight spectrum.
* Big processor and battery means it gets very warm!
* It'd be nice if printing over a network was a possibility. Can't seem to be able to do this.
* IE is somewhat boiled down. No easy way to save a picture on a webpage like the desktop version of IE.
* Charging with USB is possible, however the unit seems to wake up and want to sync even though I set syncing to manual. Doesn't go back asleep and won't USB charge while on.

No comment:

* Haven't been able to test bluetooth for lack of other devices carrying this technology.
* Haven't used SD slot yet.
* Haven't used the ipaq expansion pack, but this apparently allows it do do oh so much more! :)

-- Buzz

34 Nearly Flawless
For me, this machine is nearly flawless. It's backward compatible with most accessories that were made for any iPaq from the 3600 series or later, which is great for me since I have a lot of old accessories lying around (From my old iPaq 3670) that I like to use.

Using the built in media player, I can play most file formats for video and audio. Using MorphGear, I can play many old video games, even from the SNES, which was too intensive to play on older models, without any glitches and a nice framerate.

I've only used the Bluetooth for syncing, but that seems to work fine. The 5555 fixes a problem that the 5455 had, in which it would run out of memory trying to run both the Bluetooth and 802.11b drivers at the same time, if the machine had been on for a while, and wouldn't be able to load the 802.11b module.

There are only two things that bother me about the 5555. The first, isn't really a big deal. It didn't come with the Nevo software that the 5455 had, and so can't be used as a universal remote. The second is a big deal. If you don't charge the batery soon enough, your iPaq will basically be restored to factory defaults when you do charge it up and use it. The only things you won't lose are files in the iPaq File Store, and on storage cards. Very inconvenient.

35 HP 5555
I too came over from the palm. I always liked the many palm apps, but in reality the more I look the more I find that are useless, but no one removed them from the sites.
I wanted wireless to connect to net at home, maybe work. Since I recently got the nokia 3650 phone for free I didn't really need a phone, but needed the pda and some internet access.
I have not tried to use it with the bluetooth on the nokia, but I am amazed at the out of the box wireless net.
Just powered up and connected right away with no problems and I was so dreading getting things connected. I had gone with the ipaq that had BT but no wifi. I bought a card with it and it just didn't work, or I just could not get it up and running. The 5555 is worth it, no problems, it connected out of the box and it looks and feels great. Color amazing and it runs games like a pro.
I'm pleased.

36 Where
The ipaq 5555 is great. But try to find any accessories, even from hp, good luck! hopefully this slow start won't let this product stumble.

37 just good
this is the best pc out thire i love it

38 Almost perfect
Have had the 5555 for about 3 weeks now, and it's been very useful so far. Had a little trouble with the wireless settings turning themselves on, and running down the battery. Did a hard reset (after backing up, which was very easy), and everything is great now. Very quick response times, easy syncing to Outlook. Beautiful screen. I went "whole hog" and got a 256mb SD card, and popped for the CF Expansion Pack Plus, which includes a slim battery, and went for a 256mb CF card as well. I'm storing alot of documents, Excel spreadsheets, and presentations. Plus, I just like the "stuff"!! Would highly recommend the Universal USB sync cable as an accessory, if you are on the road alot, like me. I have'nt yet fully explored all of the capabilities of the machine, but, give me time.... Have fun!!

39 Poor Design - Great Ideas
Well, you have to give credit to HP. If this product worked as advertised, it would be great. The problem that has plagued HP since the 3000 series started is the battery. It isn't replaceable by any part that you can get your hands on, and it has a shelf life of about 1.5 years. If that is the longest you intend to keep this product, then I strongly endorse this model. It is stellar, and several of the other reviewers have made great points. However, beware of out of warranty time. Our company made the mistake of buying several, and they started dropping like flies shortly after the 12th month. The model I have for my personal use died after 16 months, and I was told that it would be [money amount]for the repairs plus [money amount]for a year of extended warranty.

40 iPAQ 5555
A top of the line, cost is no object Pocket PC. This is the bomb. It took less than a minute and I was connected to my wireless network. Email and surf anywhere in your house. I upgraded from the Compaq iPAQ 3835. Faster processor loads programs quicker. Only complaint: I couldn't use Compaq's Dashboard software. The software suite was not as good as the 3825s...

41 Best Pocket PC
When I was first looking around for a new PDA, I looked at the HP 5555, and was turned off because of the price. But after much reasearch I decied to go ahead and buy it. Let me tell you I dont regret my purchase one bit. I have never had any problems with it thus far (had it for about a month). I love the fingerprint secuity, and all the built in goodies. The wireless internet is wonderful, I can connect to the internet at home, work, or even Starbucks. Its great for anyone who needs a powerful handheld. For me it has been a blessing at work, I can keep track of all my contacts, and sync it with my e-mail at work. I would recommend this Pocket PC, to anyone who needs a powerful handheld.

42 Great PDA, especially for the enterprise space
I've had this ipaq for a month now and I'm not sure I could live without it. I wirelessly sync with my laptop and I can browse the net with the wi-fi connection.

I've finally made the switch from Palm, and there is no going back now.

43 You can get a better paperweight for this price...
I bought this new and had to return it to the store after it started crashing... like my previous 3835 iPaq (purchase price ...) (would crash once every two times used) and Jornada (purchase price ...) (would crash all the time) both of which died almost exactly after one year of purchase. When I owned these I had to re-enter all my contacts and addresses more than I can remember.

...

Navman GPS 3450 for iPAQ H5400, H3600, H3700 & H3800 series pocket PCs