Handheld Reviews

I must say, for such a ...piece of equipment, this device is not made very well. Before I purchased the Compaq, I owned a Palm V. Whereas the Palm never failed me, in less than a year of ownership, the Compaq has developed several problems:

* My Compaq has fried its memory repeatedly
* The stylus no longer clicks into place, that mechanism has apparently broken.
* The silver coating is coming up

The color screen is nice, but doesn't make up for the headache or the cost. I wish I'd just purchased another Palm V when my last one was stolen.

Compaq has a winner here in the base technology but it needs a tune-up big time (which is happening as we 'sync').

Summarily, you get a cool little computer with a stubborn streak and a big mouth that can thankfully be turned down, with MUCH more space and operational capacity than a Palm, but still not enough for most people to call it Home.

Thanks to the back light, you can actually >see< the information, which is a clever bonus. Unlike some PDAs, there is no drab olive-green screen to twist your eyes into pretzels. Its like you're in a little office with the flourescents on.

The 'sync' software works (ok), just don't expect any pampering like the Palm people gave us with their one-button push sync. You'll work for this peanut, baby. It has the distinct flavor of rushed-out backroom benchmarking.

But after several knock-down drag-outs you'll (hopefully) find your feet and eventually get your Purple Heart, and then you're ok; you become VALIDATED, a part of the GREAT-SYNC legion - a surviving Groto of the IPAQ challenge, the strong, the proud, the survivors. Or else you'll have a _________ yard-sale or throw it in the trash (I dare you.)

So go ahead and stick MS Outlook in the Start-Up menu, cause she's a legend in her own mind and hates to be left out of the fuss (sync loop), (this is one thing, among others, they don't mention).

If you get through the software installation, wait 30 or 60 seconds til blastoff, and make a connection, you might actually get to build a working relationship or two..but don't get comfortable. LOL.

Hey, why can't the Compaq people invite the Palm people to a pool party, and let them explain how to make (like they did A LONG TIME AGO!!!) that INGENIOUS ONE-TOUCH SYNC BUTTON and that TOTALLY FUNCTIONAL (AND PRETTY) PALM DESK-TOP SOFTWARE, that makes you the king of your castle, not a serf in a wrestle.

The bad news: you just heard some.

The good news: It's a buyer's market baby on the 3670 due to the yard sales from the frustrated and upgraders - and after all, it is a cool little computer. So why not test your skills and pick one up?

Take a hint from Nike..JUST DO IT!!!!!!

I've owned the Palm V (Monochrome)...Palm 505 (Color)...and the iPaq 3670 (Color).

Now, the Compaq screen wins hands down. It's bigger since the keyboard and hand recognition areas hide, releasing the screen space for images, text, etc. Plus, don't forget the MP3 player, which the Palm does NOT have (I think they only beep, how embarassing).

The programs are a bit memory hungry so it would be nice to have internal expansion for memory (64MB is really very little for this unit - the equivalent of 8MB in the Palm). Sounds weird, especially coming from an engineer, but that's how it feels. The Windows environment really gobbles up the memory. You can buy an expansion port that will hold additional memory, although with good management you can get away without expanding it.

The only real problem that I have with this unit is the battery life. Well, actually, WHAT BATTERY LIFE? If you play any game for 1.1/2 to 2 hours...you're out of battery!! If you leave the unit, WITHOUT USING IT, overnight - for two nights - you're out of battery again! Did I get a lemon? Do they all work like this? Does anyone sell battery packs that also include memory expansion? How does battery life compare with the Palm, you ask? Well, the Palm 505 (Color) will last about a week with decent everyday use and a lot of playing each day. The Palm V will last about 2 weeks (yes, WEEKS), with average use. The iPAQ will last 1 to 2 days with average use (and I'm being kind).

It's sad to see the best selling Pocket PC with such few options where accessories are concerned, shame on Compaq for not providing incentives to other manufacturers. Let's see how HP plays the game. Congratulations to the NEXICAM for bringing the first digital camera adapted for this unit. Now, they should have combined it with a battery pack, GPS, Cell Phone and Memory Slot - that way I could get rid of all the other gadgets that clutter up my night stand.

Want the best ? If you can live with low battery life, then this is your unit. I have a car charger and 110VAC-12VDC adapter that goes with me when I travel or I lose access to my contact information while I'm away.

The Clio was a good idea, but doesn't meet expectations. The passive matrix screen is difficult to read. The keyboard is small and curved making touch-typing difficult. The unit itself is a bit heavy and ackward to lug around compared to some of the latest (and smallest laptops). With a max resolution of 800x600, images and video look cheap. There are NO output ports on the unit itself - you have to hard-link to a computer even to print! No VGA-out for use with a projector. Not even a PS-2 or USB port! The handwriting recognizer works about 3/4 of the time. That is, in a page of handwritten notes, you'll have to manually correct about 1/4 of the page. It does slightly better on single words or sentences. My recommendation: Take the [amt] that you'd spend on the Clio and add to it the [amt] you'd spend on a Pocket PC and buy a decent laptop.

I bought the Clio C-1000 about 3 years ago and have yet to see a product of the same form and functionality as either model. I bought it to replace a dearly loved Newton 2100, and fell in love with it from the moment I opened the box. With a battery life of 8-10 hours and a key board, you can't beat the verisility of the machine. Once I purchased my Handspring Visor, my wife took the opertunity to start using the Clio for her job, and I yet to get it back from her. I am currentlt contemplating replacing my outdated laptop with a new C-1050 model. You can't beat this machine for it features, use of use, compatibility of file formats and the "WOW! what's that!?" factor when people see you using it. The only thing that would make these units better would be the addition of Pocket PC2002 (or even Linix).

I would highly recomend these for any company that has a mobile sales force. you can load powerpoint presentations onto it, email, transfere data between units (IR port), and the 8+ hour battery and sixe make it easy to use in confined areas such as on a plane. Try using a full laptop on a NYC to LA flight for the whole trip!

The Clio is working great for me. I've been using it for about two weeks so far. First of all, it looks very small (and is light) when closed, but the 9.4" screen is great, wwaaaayy better than the Jornada's tiny screen. The folding arms are awesome and Tablet mode is cool too. The handwriting recognition actually works, it recognized most of my handwriting right away and I've further fine tuned it's settings since so it's even better. Recognizes cursive very well too. The C-1050 is twice as fast as the C-1000 and Mobilon Tri-Pad (by Sharp). There's virtually no delay in opening things. No booting up either, since it runs on WinCE and just suspends when you're done using it. Battery life is excellent! It isn't ten hours, but at least 6 on medium brightness & contrast. Synchronization worked without problems using the included software. It's definitely 10 times better than a Palm and in my opinion better than a laptop unless you need to be doing graphics or using Windows programs which don't come on CE as well. I highly recommend it.

Para resumir mi apreciación de las 4 estrellas puedo decir a favor que es genial contar con un verdadero PC portatil, en la practica de bolsillo, ya que puedo recibir e-mail con imagenes en colores ideal para mi trabajo y con una buena resolución.Puedo preparar textos para presentaciones en la empresa ya que cuenta con un teclado practico y funcional lo que le da una gran ventaja comparativa a una Palm. El equipo funciona muy bien, aunque solo unos detalles me gustaria mejorar como la corta duración de la batería y aumentar la capacidad de su memoria. Sin duda lo recomiendo con estas salvedades.

i bought my c2010 this september 2003 and i was supariesd how much cost,but it is brillant for it money,i love because it has got a color screen and word,powerpoint and excel,and voice memo so i can record songs on it,and the infra-red is brillant because i have got a irda mobile phone if you are going to buy a pda buy the compaq c2010
john boulter,cholsey john_bou2001@hotmail.com

i just purchase this item a few days ago, it is very well design,and practicalbut it`s very hard to get components,and accsesories specially when it comes donw to software,and conecting cables.this is a good machine,but don`t make the mistake that i made by buying this with out any software,cables,pim software,and no cradle because you will not be able to get anything for this unit that easy,not even from compaq/hp parts store.

this watch does what the other reviewers say. BUT, don't get it wet. i had mine replaced for $75 after an online complaint to the company. the watch fell into 5 feet of water and was trashed by the water leak. i like the compass, barometer the best. the trend line is helpful on the weather forcasting. the temperature is only good if you take the watch off and leave it on the ground.
besides the compass, it functions the best if you leave it in one place and refer to it daily at your tent...not all that convenient, eh?

I bought the Suunto Vector primarily because of the altimeter. I appreciate that it works off barometric pressure and that there will be discrepancies. However, I did not expect to return home to find that I was living 10 metres below sea level!

The remaining functions are OK but can be purchsed in a watch for 70% less than what I paid for the Vector.

Very disappointing.

John Sloan.

I had previously owned a Nike Altimax watch, which I kept having problems with. The wristband would come off it, the altimeter would drift by hundreds of feet. The only function that was actually usefull (besides the altimeter sometimes) was the weather forecasting function. I eventually gave up with it and looked around for a better watch. I wanted a good watch, but didn't want to spend the money on the x3 series. I soon came across the Suunto Vector.
The Vector is larger in size then the x3 or nike. I have read many reviews that say the watch is uncomfortable because of its large size. However, from my experiences you will quickly grow used to the size of it.
I have had the watch for about a year now, and I am still finding out about it. many people complain about the accurateness of the altimeter. If you calibrate it regularly and keep it in the altimeter mode when you need it (if you leave it in when you don't it will drain your battery fast) your altimeter will rarely be off by more the 30-40 feet.
The barometer is very useful, and have found it accurate when compared the barometer readings of weather.com. The box in the upper corner is useful because it is there now matter what mode your in. I tested the temperature against a digital thermometer and it is accurate to 2 degrees F.

Pros
Altimeter accurate
Accurate barometer and thermometer telling what the air pressure has been doing
Battery easy to replace
Only 4 buttons for easy use

Cons:
No computer telling you the forecast
You have to push the buttons harder than most watches
Plastic Screen

Overall, if you are getting this for the altimeter, I highly recommend it. It has much better quality than the Nike Altimax.

this watch does what the other reviewers say. BUT, don't get it wet. i had mine replaced for $75 after an online complaint to the company. the watch fell into 5 feet of water and was trashed by the water leak. i like the compass, barometer the best. the trend line is helpful on the weather forcasting. the temperature is only good if you take the watch off and leave it on the ground.
besides the compass, it functions the best if you leave it in one place and refer to it daily at your tent...not all that convenient, eh?

I bought the Suunto Vector primarily because of the altimeter. I appreciate that it works off barometric pressure and that there will be discrepancies. However, I did not expect to return home to find that I was living 10 metres below sea level!

The remaining functions are OK but can be purchsed in a watch for 70% less than what I paid for the Vector.

Very disappointing.

John Sloan.

I had previously owned a Nike Altimax watch, which I kept having problems with. The wristband would come off it, the altimeter would drift by hundreds of feet. The only function that was actually usefull (besides the altimeter sometimes) was the weather forecasting function. I eventually gave up with it and looked around for a better watch. I wanted a good watch, but didn't want to spend the money on the x3 series. I soon came across the Suunto Vector.
The Vector is larger in size then the x3 or nike. I have read many reviews that say the watch is uncomfortable because of its large size. However, from my experiences you will quickly grow used to the size of it.
I have had the watch for about a year now, and I am still finding out about it. many people complain about the accurateness of the altimeter. If you calibrate it regularly and keep it in the altimeter mode when you need it (if you leave it in when you don't it will drain your battery fast) your altimeter will rarely be off by more the 30-40 feet.
The barometer is very useful, and have found it accurate when compared the barometer readings of weather.com. The box in the upper corner is useful because it is there now matter what mode your in. I tested the temperature against a digital thermometer and it is accurate to 2 degrees F.

Pros
Altimeter accurate
Accurate barometer and thermometer telling what the air pressure has been doing
Battery easy to replace
Only 4 buttons for easy use

Cons:
No computer telling you the forecast
You have to push the buttons harder than most watches
Plastic Screen

Overall, if you are getting this for the altimeter, I highly recommend it. It has much better quality than the Nike Altimax.

this watch does what the other reviewers say. BUT, don't get it wet. i had mine replaced for $75 after an online complaint to the company. the watch fell into 5 feet of water and was trashed by the water leak. i like the compass, barometer the best. the trend line is helpful on the weather forcasting. the temperature is only good if you take the watch off and leave it on the ground.
besides the compass, it functions the best if you leave it in one place and refer to it daily at your tent...not all that convenient, eh?

I bought the Suunto Vector primarily because of the altimeter. I appreciate that it works off barometric pressure and that there will be discrepancies. However, I did not expect to return home to find that I was living 10 metres below sea level!

The remaining functions are OK but can be purchsed in a watch for 70% less than what I paid for the Vector.

Very disappointing.

John Sloan.

I had previously owned a Nike Altimax watch, which I kept having problems with. The wristband would come off it, the altimeter would drift by hundreds of feet. The only function that was actually usefull (besides the altimeter sometimes) was the weather forecasting function. I eventually gave up with it and looked around for a better watch. I wanted a good watch, but didn't want to spend the money on the x3 series. I soon came across the Suunto Vector.
The Vector is larger in size then the x3 or nike. I have read many reviews that say the watch is uncomfortable because of its large size. However, from my experiences you will quickly grow used to the size of it.
I have had the watch for about a year now, and I am still finding out about it. many people complain about the accurateness of the altimeter. If you calibrate it regularly and keep it in the altimeter mode when you need it (if you leave it in when you don't it will drain your battery fast) your altimeter will rarely be off by more the 30-40 feet.
The barometer is very useful, and have found it accurate when compared the barometer readings of weather.com. The box in the upper corner is useful because it is there now matter what mode your in. I tested the temperature against a digital thermometer and it is accurate to 2 degrees F.

Pros
Altimeter accurate
Accurate barometer and thermometer telling what the air pressure has been doing
Battery easy to replace
Only 4 buttons for easy use

Cons:
No computer telling you the forecast
You have to push the buttons harder than most watches
Plastic Screen

Overall, if you are getting this for the altimeter, I highly recommend it. It has much better quality than the Nike Altimax.

this watch does what the other reviewers say. BUT, don't get it wet. i had mine replaced for $75 after an online complaint to the company. the watch fell into 5 feet of water and was trashed by the water leak. i like the compass, barometer the best. the trend line is helpful on the weather forcasting. the temperature is only good if you take the watch off and leave it on the ground.
besides the compass, it functions the best if you leave it in one place and refer to it daily at your tent...not all that convenient, eh?

I bought the Suunto Vector primarily because of the altimeter. I appreciate that it works off barometric pressure and that there will be discrepancies. However, I did not expect to return home to find that I was living 10 metres below sea level!

The remaining functions are OK but can be purchsed in a watch for 70% less than what I paid for the Vector.

Very disappointing.

John Sloan.

I had previously owned a Nike Altimax watch, which I kept having problems with. The wristband would come off it, the altimeter would drift by hundreds of feet. The only function that was actually usefull (besides the altimeter sometimes) was the weather forecasting function. I eventually gave up with it and looked around for a better watch. I wanted a good watch, but didn't want to spend the money on the x3 series. I soon came across the Suunto Vector.
The Vector is larger in size then the x3 or nike. I have read many reviews that say the watch is uncomfortable because of its large size. However, from my experiences you will quickly grow used to the size of it.
I have had the watch for about a year now, and I am still finding out about it. many people complain about the accurateness of the altimeter. If you calibrate it regularly and keep it in the altimeter mode when you need it (if you leave it in when you don't it will drain your battery fast) your altimeter will rarely be off by more the 30-40 feet.
The barometer is very useful, and have found it accurate when compared the barometer readings of weather.com. The box in the upper corner is useful because it is there now matter what mode your in. I tested the temperature against a digital thermometer and it is accurate to 2 degrees F.

Pros
Altimeter accurate
Accurate barometer and thermometer telling what the air pressure has been doing
Battery easy to replace
Only 4 buttons for easy use

Cons:
No computer telling you the forecast
You have to push the buttons harder than most watches
Plastic Screen

Overall, if you are getting this for the altimeter, I highly recommend it. It has much better quality than the Nike Altimax.

I owned an ipaq 3150 for about two months before I decided that it was just too big to be practical. I needed a device that would fit comfortably in my pocket... I guess I figured that I could get by with 16 mb and not need to use the expansion sleeve. But the memory dissappeared rapidly and I discovered how bulky the thing is with the sleeve on. Bulky and heavy. I really enjoyed my use of this PDA, however; the large screen is nice for Ebooks and photos, if you can stand the monochrome display. If you can get by without the sleeve, the PC itself is quite sleek and attractive. I bought it in the first place because it seems less expensive than it's color relatives, but recently prices have plummetted and a thinner machine with a color display is no longer unaffordable.

I got the iPAC a few weeks ago. It is my first Pocket Pc, and I am so so happy with it!!
It is very simple to use, it covers my needs and it even has extra features I didn't expect.
I use it to keep my contacts and appointments handy at all time, my schedule, as a calendar, to write notes, play games, read books, listen to music, wake up in the morning, to tape reminders and messages, and as a place to keep other important info.
The box contained two other software programs, Audible and eWallet (great to keep track of all your credit cards, internet site memberships and so on)
I believe it has become my "right hand assistant".

I have to say, I love the "taping" option and it is very handy when Im driving...

The only things I believe this product lacks are the colour screen and a printed reference guide within the box.

All in all, its a GREAT buy for the money.

Bought mine initially because it was my first PDA and I didn't want to spend $5-600 on the color one. I live by it now and don't want the color models. The monochrome screen draws far less power. I can go a week between chargings whereas my friends with the color model have to re-charge everyday. If you have poor eyesight the color models may be better for you because the screen is a little tough to see in low light (despite backlight). Otherwise, it's a deal and a half.

Wish there had been some mention of this before I got it. The antenna on the 5400 and 5500 series of iPaqs makes it physically impossible to plug this in using a standard CF sleeve. Supposedly it can work if you use a dual CF sleeve.

Bottom line: Huge improvements needed but gets a 4 because it's the most comprehensive of what's available for PDAs.

I am a financial consultant and am on the road everyday to new residences and businesses, giving me in-depth knowledge about this particular product. Because many good reviews are listed, I will focus more the drawbacks. Read on for the nitty-gritty details.

The Maps:
The maps can be huge, ranging from a couple megabytes to 15 megabytes. You'll need plenty of memory and a fast PDA. What a map covers depends on how dense the city is. Los Angeles requires about 4 maps while Riverside county is covered in two maps. You can only load 3 maps at a time, so if you're travelling long distances, your destination may have to be somewhere along the highway. Once you get there, load a different set of maps. Loading more maps, though, will reset your start/end points as well as your route. So you'll need to renter the information. Also, the more maps are open, the slower it is to pan across the map.

Finding yourself:
Unlike a static map, the GPS can track your location or you can search by contacts, address, intersection, or major points of interest. Unfortunately, it only lists major venues (e.g. stadiums, major shopping centers) and not places like gas stations (a major drawback). Searching for an intersection without knowing the city can be quite tedious. You first enter a street name, then the city, then the next street name. So if the city is unknown and the first street appears in several cities, you have to try each city until you find the second street.

The GPS:
If you use the system in your car, as I do, the GPS is a mixed blessing. When first starting the system, it may take a LONG time before getting a fix - if you're stopped. If you try to get a fix while moving, that drastically reduces your chances of getting a fix at all. After that, however, it is quick at requisition after going under tunnels and such. Because being in a car weakens the signal, it has a hard time following you after making turns. You may have made a left, but it still shows you as going straight. This is especially frustrating when you cannot stop and wait for it to tell you which way to turn, as in a highway exit with a green light. If you know this will happen, you best look at the directions and memorize the turns. Also, because of the weakened signal, the voice might keep saying, "you are off-route," either because it hasn't yet taken into account that you made a turn or simply because it can't quite pin-point where you are and has you located as driving off-road through blocks of houses. Expect this to happen frequently in mountainous areas or in downtown areas with tall buildings.

Routing:
Routing is a mixed blessing as well. You can route by fastest, shortest, or no highway, and you have a voice telling you where to go. It is fairly quick at routing when you only have one map open. If you're travelling across three maps, it might take a while. Also, it is supposed to reroute you when you have gone off-course, but it rarely ever does that, meaning you have to take your eyes off the road and manually tell it to find a new route. Perhaps the biggest drawback is the amount of time it gives itself before telling you that a turn is coming up. On streets, it makes announcements 0.1 miles before street turns and 0.5 miles before highway exits, meaning you better keep an eye on how far away you are from your next turn. Also, the maps do not use highway-exit names. For example, the Santa Monica exit off the 405 North in California puts you on a street called Cotner Ave, which in actuality is just an off-ramp with a street name. The directions will tell you to exit onto Cotner Ave, meaning you will miss it because you will never see a Cotner Ave. exit on the highway signs. And if the off-ramp does not have a name or does not immediately exit onto a street, it will simply say to exit onto the off-ramp. Along those lines, you better remember your destination address because it doesn't show it to you in the text directions. I always have to switch back to my Outlook Contacts to look at the address because the map will get you to the block, not the specific address (probably to save memory). By the way, the voice simply tells you a turn is coming up - it doesn't actually say the name. But that is forgivable in order to save memory. The map always displays in large font what is coming up and the distance left to make the next turn as well as the distance remaining to your destination.

Battery Life and Memory:
This product drains your batteries and the maps take up a lot of memory, so it would be prudent to get a car adapter and at least a 256MB flash memory module. Do NOT get compactflash because that slot will be taken by the GPS unit.

Bottom Line:
Obvously, there is MUCH room for improvement. I tried many competing products and this one was, by far, the most comprehensive. There are products that list restaurants and gas stations, but use TINY maps of which you can only load one at a time and have limited search, routing, and GPS features. Others have better GPS sensitivity but are much more expensive. Others can show a cross-country route from start to finish on a single map but again, lack in other features.

I use the Pharos module for the Siemens (ATT) PocketPC phone. For the most part this device is limited because it uses a handheld to display the information. (limited by resolution and screen size, beyond the scope of this review) It will never approach a printed map for clarity, readability or comprehensive data. I have used this device quite a bit.

That said this device does things that a printed map could never do. It will show you exactly where you are, and give you directions to where you want to go - quite accurately. I think the software for the PDA is quite straight forward and intuitive, but the PC side is clunky - and needs further refinement.

The maps are regional only - for example if you are driving in the San Francisco Bay area - you will need to load three separate maps on to your PDA. (I have a 256MB SD/MMC card that has allows me to load the entire state of CA on the PDA).

Don't expect to have the entire US at your fingertips - unless you plan on bringing a laptop with you to synch and load new maps as you travel. I recently drove from San Francisco to Ft Lauderdale - I didn't use the device. It would be good though if you were going to fly somewhere and loaded maps of that area before you left.

My chief complaint is that it will not load neighboring regional maps as you move into new territory - even if they exist on your memory card.

Bottom line: (1) Not a replacement for you atlas or map(s), but a useful aid/enhancement to both. (2) Not a device for non-technophiles. (3) Well-designed software (at least the PDA side). (4) Very accurate.

It really is a bit much for a cable. It does what it says and gives you flexibility on the road...but if you can find a cheaper alternative...do that.

For [the $...] you could probably build your own and still go to a movie and have the big popcorn.

Forget infrared sync, it's way slow compared to serial, and WAY, WAY slow compared to USB. If you travel, this is a must to keep your iPaq in sync with a laptop. Of course, if you don't take a laptop, it's useless and you should get a CF modem to dial up your ISP.

I can only rate 3 stars though because of the blatant price gouge Compaq is sticking us with. The USB cradle costs $10 LESS than just this cable, and it gives you more functionality.

used without a hitch. what more needs to be said. sync time was cut in half compared with the serial cable sync time. recommend highly