Compaq iPAQ H3850 review

Compaq's iPAQ is a longtime favourite here at Computer Buyer, thanks to a combination of good looks on the outside and raw power on the inside. The old H3630 has been a regular fixture in our own Top 50. Can the new H3830 replace it?

Ergonomics 5/6

Compaq has taken an "if it ain't broke" approach to the H3830 design, with the exception of an SD memory card slot at the top. It feels good in the hand, and the screen is still a real winner. Larger than the average PDA display, it's bright without bleaching out colours, and the image is beautifully crisp. The only downside is that there's no handy jog dial on the side, and that the buttons at the bottom are slightly fiddly. Text input is standard for Pocket PC, with an onscreen keyboard, two types of character recognition and workable handwriting recognition, but Compaq also offers two more alternatives. One is the WordLogic keyboard, similar to the standard onscreen keyboard but with an enhanced predictive text system where the most probable next 'key' is highlighted. Secondly, Compaq bundles IBM ViaVoice, enabling you to control the iPAQ (but not input text) through speech. Those of us without Received Pronunciation can expect to spend some time training if we want to get anything out of it.

Features 4/6

Business is Compaq's core concern, so Sony-style fripperies aren't the order of the day. The standard Pocket PC applications - Pocket Word, Excel, Contacts and Calendar - handle organisation and office work, while the entertainment side of things is left to Media Player 8. This gives you MP3, WMA and Video playback, and with its 206MHz StrongARM processor, the iPAQ has enough power at its disposal to cope with all of them. Bonus software includes iPresentation PowerPoint converter, IBM ViaVoice voice control, the QuickView Plus file viewer and (best of all) a Sega Game Gear emulator complete with Sonic the Hedgehog and ace puzzle game Baku Baku Animal. Fun, but they do highlight the limitations of the iPAQ's control pad.

The H3830 model only ships with 32Mb RAM, but if you find things cramped you can always use the SD memory card slot at the top of the iPAQ for additional storage. You can also choose from a range of expansion jackets to add GSM mobile phone and Bluetooth communications, or PC Card and CompactFlash support.

Portability 5/6

Once the slimmest of Pocket PC PDAs, the iPAQ is just average by today's standards. It's not particularly lightweight either, but the advantage is that the metal construction is extremely tough. The lithium polymer battery is good for around four hours of actual use, and more if you're smart with Pocket PC's power management.

Overall

You have to admire that sleek, silver style. You're paying big bucks for the iPAQ, particularly considering the limited onboard RAM, but no other Pocket PC device on test has the same classy feel or the same brilliant screen. Even so, these benefits aren't enough to stop it being beaten by the superior Sony Clié.