"Jornada 720 - Window Turbo ?"
AS YOU CAN TELL from the picture above, this
type of handheld PC does not really compete with a Palm,
Handspring or even HP’s own Jornada 540 Pocket PCs.
The 720 is not meant for easy, one-handed use. Maybe
that’s because it has a built-in keyboard. You need a very
large pocket to carry this Jornada around.
Over the years, handheld PC’s of this size have
become the favorite of
many industries, such as
health care. “Palmtops”
serve as a very portable
database carrier for many
professionals. That’s why
they’re so hugely
successful. Plus, doctors
have big pockets in those
white lab coats they wear.
The Jornada 720 is
about the same size as its
many predecessors — all
the way back to the 95, 100 and 200LX DOS devices. But
beneath the jet-black case are a number of major
improvements. Actually, in the Windows CE world, these
are revolutionary improvements.
FASTER THAN EVER
The StrongARM processor inside runs at 206MHz. In
addition to the 32MB of built-in storage RAM the 720 runs
on a high-speed, 51MHz memory data bus. Add to that
some 2D graphics acceleration and you have a very
interesting little portable computer. The rechargeable
Lithium-ion battery is said to last up to 9 hours.
The 720 contains the latest version of the Windows CE
operating system, called Microsoft Windows for Handheld
PC 2000, Version 3.0.
(MSNBC is a Microsoft-NBC joint venture).
In addition to
“pocket” versions of the
MS Office suite and
Outlook there’s been a
major upgrade to the
Web browser. The
desktop still looks like
Windows for your PC
rather than the streamlined
look of the recent
Windows for PocketPCs.
Add to that the
Windows Media Player,
Voice Recorder, Terminal Server Client, a slew of HP
utilities, including its brand new Java client for handhelds
(ChaiVM 4.1.2) and you start to get the idea that this PDA
is something very special. And it should be special. HP is
asking $999 for it.
But here’s the real reason why it’s so amazing: the 720
is really fast. I don’t mean it’s fast for a PDA, or fast by
Windows CE standards. I’m talking blazingly fast:
Palm/Handspring/Sony/Psion fast. That means not only can
this little device load most Web pages or open new
documents in Pocket Word or Excel, but it can do so in the
blink of an eye. This Jornada will go along way to quiet
many Windows CE detractors.
A FEW DOWNSIDES
But, alas, this device is not for everyone. There are two
little hurdles that might get in your way. The key word here
is little. Little screen and little keys.
The screen is affectionately called “half-VGA.” That
means it is 6.5 inches or 640-by-240 pixels. It can display a
Web page, but only half a page at a time. It reportedly
supports up to 65,000 colors, but expect to do a lot of
scrolling to see an entire Web page.
Then, there’s the
keyboard. Your fingers
have to be very small to
be able to touch type on
this thing. Yes, they say
it’s “3/4 full-size” and the
keyboard has a good feel,
but no matter how hard I
tried I was not able to
avoid pressing two keys
at a time every few
words. And my hands
aren’t that big. I suggest
you try it to see if you like
it.
I also encountered a networking problem I’ve never
seen before in a Windows CE device. The modem worked
OK but when I tried my trusty Socket Low Power Ethernet
PC card, I could only reach part of my network at work.
Before you write and tell me what I’ve done wrong, I used
the same settings as on my HP 540, 620 and 820 and they
all network perfectly. Other MSNBC experts have checked
and re-checked my settings.
I also have a Compact Flash-sized Socket Ethernet
card, but the CF slot on bottom of the 720 only accepts CF
memory storage cards.
All in all though, the Jornada 720 is a breakthrough in
Windows CE PDAs. It proves that the operating system
can be speedy. I’d love to see it this kind of CE technology
make it’s way into the Jornada 820 mini-notebook form
factor. Too bad HP just discontinued the 820.
PSION SERIES 7
Speaking of mini-notebooks, I’d like to say a few
words about Psion’s $899 Series 7 organizer. This is a
wonderfully fast, mobile computer that might fill your needs
perfectly.
You can't really tell from this
angle but Psion has done a
wonderful engineering job.
You actually unfurl the
screen, rather than just
opening it.
The Series 7 is
lightweight, compact
and the Lithium-ion
battery pack buried
inside is said to provide
8.5 hours of usage.
The full-sized
keyboard neatly unfolds
from inside the
sculpture-like device. If
you’ve never seen or held a modern Psion computer, you
should do so immediately. They are miniature works of art.
The Series 7 runs on Psion’s EPOC operating system.
It’s neat and efficient. The 7 comes with organizer software,
a mobile office suite and the Opera Web browser for
EPOC. All do exactly what you’d expect them to.
There are a number of ways to connect your Series 7
to the Internet. But, oddly,
there’s no built-in modem.
I tested the device with
Psion’s optional Global
56K PC Gold Card and
can report it works just
fine. Psion also markets an
external 56K Travel
Modem that can run off
two AA batteries and
provides infrared
connectivity with your
PDA. There’s even a
thrid-party, infrared, Ethernet networking solution.
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I also connected the 7 to the Web with my Motorola
L-dash GSM phone via both devices’ respective IR ports.
That method worked after I copied the necessary modem
string from a Psion Revo in my home, but the GSM Web
connection is a painfully slow 9,600 baud.
Despite the lack of modem and some quirky behavior
(found in the entire Psion PDA line), I can recommend the
Series 7. It’s similar in size to HP’s old 820 and it has the
advantage of still being made. I just wonder if, like the
recently announced Psion Revo Plus, with new features like
added memory and a WAP browser, there’ll be a new,
improved version of the 7 coming soon. We’ll see soon
enough.
(Mang's note: I think this guy is really trying very hard to recommend some garbages to his readers and I think even he himself is feeling the pain !!!)
msnbc.com
Mang |
