This is a techie's dream gadget, and an extremely useful piece of kit for anyone who needs to organise their life on the move. The sexiest aspect is, of course, the biometric fingerprint scanner. It's easy to use, and only occasionally refuses to take a scan. As there is a PIN alternative (you can opt for both options to be turned on or select either one of them) it doesn't detract from the joy of having something that nobody else's PDA has and being able to show off in meetings. It's a real bonus for people who have problems recalling PINs and passwords.
The screen size makes this PC very easy to use. The handwriting recognition is excellent - it makes occasional mistakes, but that's largely because my handwriting is bad. It's perfect for taking notes in meetings and lectures - I managed to write a 10 page report of a conference while I was there, and it took me less than 5 minutes to correct any mis-spellings. This would be a great gadget for students - you can hand-write lecture notes, which the H5550 will convert into text in Word. The various network communication methods (wireless, bluetooth, infra-red) enable you to transfer data onto a PC for storage.
If you don't like the handwriting option, the H5550 is compatible with the i-techvirtual keyboard, which enables you to take showing off to an entirely new level. This wireless/bluetooth gadget projects a red keyboard onto any surface and you type onto the image - it uses infra-red light and lasers to register input and beams it to the PDA.
The battery life is excellent. It can handle more than ten hours of continuous use if you take the time to optimise the power settings - dimming the screen a little and setting it to turn off the backlight if it hasn't been used for a few seconds helps.
If you tend to use your normal PC for word processing, email and the occasional spreadsheet, you could easily replace it with one of these. Once you get used to the slightly different approach and the necessity to back up to another device if you're generating large documents, it's a breeze to use, and other devices suddenly seem clunky and outdated.
The organisational software is also excellent - you can prioritise task lists, set reminders for regular meetings, and amend and view all of your items and documents extremely easily. All of the software included is trimmed down to the bare essentials, but it all works together exceptionally well.
I've only encountered two downsides to the H5550. Firstly, when it's connected to a wireless LAN, the battery power disappears as if by magic. It starts complaining after less than 2 hours, which is a little annoying if you need to use the device all day with intermittent trips online and don't have access to a power socket. The reception also seems to be rather poor. I've had it connected next to my laptop and been able to get no reception at all when the laptop reception is 'excellent'. That can make online use a little slow. When it's close to a transmitter though, it's fine.
It's also necessary to reset it occasionally when it decides to freeze up. At the moment this happens once or twice a day, but it is being used a lot for some very demanding tasks. Resetting only takes a few seconds, and because documents are continually saved as you type, data loss would be extremely rare.
You can pick these up second hand from reputable dealers - I paid £150 and got extra kit thrown in, so you should be able to pick one up for under £200 if you shop around (eBay is a good option). The i-tech virtual keyboard adds another £100 to the price tag, which is exceptional value for what you're getting. It feels like you're years ahead with this set-up, and with all of the additional software and optional hardware extras available it should keep the most demanding geek happy for at least another year.
Highly recommended :-)
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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
Handheld - 64 MB RAM - Screen: 3.5 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: XScale PXA270 - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Infrared - Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Premium Edition
Handheld - 64 MB RAM - Screen: 3.5 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: XScale PXA310 - Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi - Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic
No more scoping out airport waiting rooms for AC plugs. No more sweating in the parking ... more
lot waiting for your HP iPAQ h5550 / h 5550 to charge. Keep the family plugged in on camping trips or the office wondering how you so utterly available. Small; Lightweight; and extremely durable; The Gomadic High Capacity Battery Pack; is the perfect addition to any nomads road arsenal. Whether you need an extra boost to squeeze some extra hours out of your device; or youre resurrecting it from the dead; the High Capacity Battery keeps you mobile; agile; and free. Consider yourself an independent and free-moving provider of energy!
Postage & Packaging:£4.09 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days......
Advantages: wifi, bluetooth, fast processor, large memory, sd slot, clear screen Disadvantages: bigger than latest PDAs, loudspeaker not that loud, battery life
Sep 15th, 2005
very helpful by (100%):
