HP Jornada 728 review

Palmtop computers with proper keyboards are a dying breed.

The once great Psion Series 5 is on hold, while pen-based organisers are on the increase. Witness the likes of the Sony Clie range, which has taken two Top 50 awards - one for its colour version and another for its cheaper black and white incarnation. So is HP being brave or foolhardy with its Jornada 728? Let's see.

The 728 doesn't start off well. Opening it was something of a let-down, as not a great deal seems to have changed from the old versions. The operating system is still Windows CE - commonly known as Handheld PC 2000. The latest Palm-sized Windows PDAs such as Compaq's iPaq use the sleek and modern Pocket PC 2002, and it seems Microsoft has left Handheld PC in the doldrums. Its interface is more akin to Windows 98, which feels quite restrictive on the HP's 640x240 touch screen, despite the ability to navigate it with a stylus.

The HP also feels awkward to hold, and it's certainly not pocketable. While it's only 9.5cm deep, it's also 3.4cm high - thicker than JVC's Mini-Note (reviewed last issue). Connection to your PC and charging is via a rather unwieldy docking station, though these can be done without it, connecting the palmtop via cable instead.

The distinguishing feature of the HP, though, is its keyboard. The Jornada keys respond well, although those not blessed with dainty fingers might find them too small. When resting on a desk I was able to touch type, but when balancing it on my lap on the Tube, I was reduced to two finger stabbing. The layout is fine, though, with a row of programmable keys above the numbers and extra shortcuts on the right-hand side of the display.

The screen uses cheaper CSTN technology rather than TFT, as used in notebooks. The difference was obvious - the contrast and the display speed (with which things appear or disappear) were both poor. It's also limited to 16-bit colour. This isn't an issue for working in Office applications, but it makes viewing video and pictures a lacklustre experience. In fact, the version of Windows Media Player included will only handle audio and not video. You can download video software, but the PocketTV application I tried cost $50 after your free 7-day trial!

One advantage of buying a Windows CE device is that Office applications - Pocket Word, Excel and Outlook are bundled and stored permanently on the device. I was disappointed to see Pocket Word still doesn't include a Word Count facility, though.

The 728 uses a 206MHz ARM processor, which I found fast enough. With the 64Mb of RAM I was able to have several applications open at once with no slowdown.

With wireless communication all the rage, I was disappointed that the 728 is limited to infra red. However, there is a PC Card slot, which meant I was able to easily set up a wireless 802.11b network. For more conventional communication, there's a 56K modem.

With 64Mb of RAM there's space for MP3s on the device itself, but a better idea would be to make use of the Compact Flash slot located on the underside. This is Type I compatible only, not taking fatter cards like IBM's high-capacity Microdrive. The machine has a built in headphone socket, so you can listen and not disturb or be disturbed.

HP quotes 14 hours' life for the lithium ion battery, a major advantage over regular notebook. This is realistic for light use. Running a Wireless PC Card and Compact Flash card as well will halve this - but it's still an impressive amount of staying power.