iPaq Pocket PC Holds Palm-Killer Instincts:
Friday, October 13, 2000
Berst Alert
Jesse Berst, Editorial Director
ZDNet AnchorDesk
We've always taken the coolness quotient seriously here at AnchorDesk.
And you can tell just how cool people think things are by the number of o's in the word "cool."
The new Compaq iPaq Pocket PC with the wireless Web gets five o's easy, as in, "coooool."
In this, the latest episode of our Jesse Jetson series, Jesse (that's me) roams the office, the state and the country while wirelessly connected to the Web via the iPaq Pocket PC.
For the uninitiated, our Jesse Jetson series is a look forward at cutting-edge, next-generation consumer products for the smart home and beyond. We pick a promising product and put it through its paces.
Today I'll tell you what makes the iPaq Pocket PC a truly next-generation product and why it raises the bar for handhelds and wireless Web surfing.
PALM KILLER
I've written a lot recently about handhelds. You can't talk much about handhelds without talking about Palm, which
controls the lion's share of the market. But after several generations of lame Windows CE-based competition, Microsoft has bested the competition in features and performance with the Pocket PC operating system.
And the iPaq is a great wrapper for the system.
A quick look at the little number I'm carrying around:
206 MHz central processing unit
32 MB of RAM
A very bright backlit display. Click for more.
That's the basic system, which clocks in at $500. Steep?
You bet, especially when you tack on the extras I got:
Expansion Jacket, $149
A Sierra Wireless AirCard, $399
AT&T wireless access, $60 per month
Microsoft reps rightly point out that the Pocket PC really is powerful enough to be called a PC. At those prices, it also costs about the same.
Microsoft says the cost for wireless will come down as they negotiate deals with service providers.
IPAQ IN ACTION
It's what wireless Pocket PC can do that's attention grabbing.
Surf wirelessly. Palm offers this through OmniSky and integrated on its Palm VII. And Microsoft certainly isn't the only handheld maker offering wireless connectivity. But the Pocket PC interface, speed, color and graphics are far out in front.
Instant Messaging. That's right. Wireless Pocket PCs allow for instant messaging with MSN messenger. And it works.
Synchronize. Using Microsoft's ActiveSync program, Pocket PCs will flawlessly and effortlessly sync up contacts, incoming and outgoing email messages in Outlook, including tasks, notes and some files, including Pocket Access and Pocket Excel.
Download Web content. Without wireless access, the iPaq Pocket PC will absorb Web content to be viewed later. This is not revolutionary, except that the screen graphics makes it enjoyable rather than a chore.
Play MP3s. With 32 MB of Ram, there's room enough for a couple songs, and more if you empty your inbox, ditch the downloaded Web content or spring for extra compact flash memory (which also requires purchase of an expansion pack). |
