HP iPAQ h1910 review

12 November 2003 10:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Pocket PC's are a strange breed of fish. Some are the size of small laptops whilst others would fit comfortable in your jean pocket. The HP iPAQ h1910 is of the small, compact and very slim variety. The screen is bright and large supporting 65,000 colours, the buttons small and dainty making this sit comfortably in a handbag or even a jean pocket.

Weighting only 120g and clad in silver, the 240 x 320 pixel screen measuring 3.5” diagonally takes up most of the unit. Quick access buttons are arranged across the front for easy access to your favourite programs and note takers across the land will be pleased to see that the h1910 has a build in Mic for voice recording. For playback, the h1910 comes with a headphone jack, basic headphones in the box as well as the addition of a SD card slot meaning storage of music, transferring files or expanding the devices options is all possible.

Inside, the h1910 is powered by an Intel PXA250 200Mz processor and 64Mb of memory, all of which makes this a fast little machine for the majority of its users and those wanting more would likely opt for a higher more advanced model anyway. Connection to a PC is via a standard USB cable with the option to by a docking station from hp if you want to.

Powered by a lithium ion battery, battery life depends on usage but after the four hours charging we managed to get a good weekend's use out of it before the usual warning signs started to be displayed.

Out of the box and the h1910 provides enough software to get you going. The buttons of the front of the device give much of what it can offer away: calendar, contacts and in box via pocket outlook. The system also comes pre-loaded with Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel and the ever-present Solitaire to keep you amused on the train.

Those wishing to add more can do so via the aforementioned expansion slot and those wanting to connect to the outside world either via a mobile via or similar device can do so via the infra-red port on the side.

Inputting text can be done via the on-screen keyboard or via Pocket PC's hand recognition software. Getting to grips with this tool is hard to begin with and as with most things practice makes perfect as both man and machine learn how to get the most of out of the situation.

Verdict

If you're looking for a starter model, and desperately want to go for a Pocket PC rather than a palm alternative then this is certainly a good device to get you going. If offers crystal clear viewing and plenty of options for the executive not wanting to get bogged down with add on kits and extra peripherals. Of course nothing is perfect and while the screen is large and clear, how long it would last without getting scratched to pieces is anyone's guess. Investing in a case would therefore be money well spent.

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Review Recap

Made by: HP
Price as reviewed: £215
The good: As good as the rest of the range if slower
The bad: Screen can be damaged easily without proper case.
Quick verdict: The real problem is there wasn’t much wrong with any of the range, leaving you to choose on price- get a case for that screen though
Score