As part of my job I have been issued with an iPaq H3830 which, if all you want is an address book-cum-diary is fine. Unfortunately I expect/need a lot more from PDA and would like to use it to make my job a lot easier.
The bundled software with the iPaq is very useful at times but only really ... Read review
Handheld - 64 MB RAM - Screen: 3.8 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: XScale PXA250 - Infrared, Bluetooth - Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2002
Handheld - 64 MB RAM - Screen: 3.8 in, 3.7 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: SA-1110 - Infrared - Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2002
Handheld - 64 MB RAM - Screen: 3.8 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: SA-1110 - Infrared, Bluetooth - Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2002
Handheld - 128 MB RAM - Screen: 4 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: XScale PXA310 - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi - Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic
Advantages: Fully Windows compatible Disadvantages: unreliable, bulky, limited, too little RAM
As part of my job I have been issued with an iPaq H3830 which, if all you want is an address book-cum-diary is fine. Unfortunately I expect/need a lot more from PDA and would like to use it to make my job a lot easier.
The bundled software with the iPaq is very useful at times but only really in a networked environment - my employer has a large wireless network, wherein begins the problems with this machine.
As with all iPaqs ... ...large colour screen and the excessive processing power needed to run Windows Mobile 2000 or 2002.
To get round the poor battery life and networking issues, I also have a PCMCIA "jacket" with additional battery included. Mounted into the PCMCIA slot is a standard type II wireless network card which allows me to access networked resources at work, remotely control servers, browse the internet and collect my email on the move. ... more
As part of my job I have been issued with an iPaq H3830 which, if all you want is an address book-cum-diary is fine. Unfortunately I expect/need a lot more from PDA and would like to use it to make my job a lot easier. The bundled software with the iPaq is very useful at times but only really in a networked environment - my employer has a large wireless network, wherein begins the problems with this machine.
As with all iPaqs and Pocket PCs, battery life is dreadful due to the large colour screen and the excessive processing power needed to run Windows Mobile 2000 or 2002.
To get round the poor battery life and networking issues, I also have a PCMCIA "jacket" with additional battery included. Mounted into the PCMCIA slot is a standard type II wireless network card which allows me to access networked resources at work, remotely control servers, browse the internet and collect my email on the move. The downside of this is that the device now weighs more than twice as much as when I started and is too large to fit comfortably into a pocket.
I have also found the operating system to be very unstable and, just like a desktop PC, my Pocket PC needs regular (2-3 times a day) reboots. I have upgraded the device from Windows 2000 to Windows 2002 and also the device firmware but neither of these have made any difference to the systems performance.
In the favour of the H3830, it has been thoughtfully equipped with a secure digital/multi media card slot instead of requiring a Compact Flash jacket like earlier models. However because of the meagre 32MB RAM included this slot has been in use since day one of ownership. It is possible to get a wireless network card to go in this slot but then you will not have enough memory left to run any programs or store any documents....
There are also some reasonable accessories available - the thumb-keyboard and fold-up keyboards are very useful to me in day-to-day working as I find the handwriting recognition to be poor on the iPaq too. Even the Palm-Graffiti recognition equivalent does not work correctly.
Based on my experience supporting Pocket PCs both at home and at work I would only recommend them to people who want a simple diary/contact management device they can carry in their bag which has a familiar-ish Windows interface or for those who are label-conscious. There are now many more PDAs on the market which feature longer battery life, integrated wireless, more memory etc etc etc and I would suggest that the buyer investigates these options, even though they will cost more. I would also suggest that the more PDA-proficient check out the Palm-based PDAs which in my experience are more stable and versatile along with being smaller, lighter and more battery efficient.
Advantages: Nice looking, ergonomic, good size screen Disadvantages: Small internal memory
Speed:
Seems to be relatively quick to me. I know there are faster on the market, but as I don’t use it all day, day in day out it is satisfactory for me.
I think if you were a business user it may perhaps not be as good as what can be found around but I think you would struggle complaining – about the speed anyway for the price.
Look & Feel:
Looks very nice, silver & black with well presented keys and a good (if not perhaps a bit flimsy) docking ... ...it can be a bit of a pain – but it does protect well when not in use.
Memory / Capacity:
The built in memory is a bit small relative to some of the current products on the market. I struggle with the amount of on-board that is available because I tend to clutter with useless programs. If used in conjunction with a good sized SD card for storage of files etc it isn’t as bad.
I do however find that if you have a few programs running at once it does ...
karenlearmonth 06.01.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC H3830
Product Information for "Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC H3830" »
Audio
Voice Recording Capability
Built-in
Audio Output
Speaker(s)
Supported Digital Audio Formats
MP3
Audio Input
Microphone
Operating system / software
OS Provided
Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2002
Software
AvantGo, Notes, Voice Recorder, Calendar, Contacts, File Explorer, Inbox, Microsoft Reader for ebooks and audio books, Solitaire, Tasks, llium eWallet, Reference Guide, Microsoft Pocket Streets, Microsoft Pocket Excel, Microsoft Pocket Outlook, Microsoft Pocket Word, Microsoft Pocket Internet Explorer, AudiblePlayer, Microsoft Money for Pocket PC, Calculador, Spell Checker, ListPro, MSN Messenger, VPN Client, Terminal Services Client, Server Sync Client, Infrared Beaming, Wordlogic Predictive Keyboard, Data Encryption Package, Vegas Game Pack, Sega Game Pack, Quick View Plus, IBM ViaVoice Mobile Device Edition, ActiveSync 3.5, Windows Media Player 8.0 for Pocket PC, Jeode Java Virtual Machine, StarTap, Xcellenet Device Management Agent, iPresenter PowerPoint Converter
Manufacturer's product description
You want to do more with life? The iPAQ Pocket PC H3830 is designed to ride along on the voyage of life - in your pocket or mounted to your mountain bike. It is not much bigger than a calculator and comes standard with applications like Microsoft Pocket Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer, and Windows Media Player.
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