HP iPAQ 3900 series officially announced on Monday

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1040-938019.html?tag=fd_top">http://news.com.com/2100-1040-938019.html?tag=fd_top</a><br /><br />"The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company will announce two new handhelds, the HP iPaq 3970 and the HP iPaq 3950, on Monday, sources said. Both gadgets will feature brighter screens and more powerful processors than Compaq's previous generations of iPaqs, as well as new universal remote-control technology. But the devices will have the same basic design as former iPaq models."<br /><br />More details:<br />• The new HP iPaqs also feature remote-control software from Universal Electronics. Universal announced on Tuesday its Nevo software designed to turn handheld computers into remote controls. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1770">Read more here.</a> <br />• Both HP iPaq devices will also have "transflective" active-matrix screens to improve the brightness of their displays.<br />• The HP iPaq 3970 is expected to cost $100 more than the currently available $649 iPaq Pocket PC H3870, and like the 3870, the new gadget comes with the short-range wireless networking Bluetooth technology. The HP iPaq 3950 is expected to cost $649. <br />• Both HP iPaq devices will have Secure Digital expansion slots<br />• Both have 64MB of memory<br />• The HP iPaq 3970 will come with 48MB of flash memory and the HP iPaq 3950 will come with 32MB of flash memory. <br /><br />Source: Michael Wang &amp; Tony Muscarella both sent in links. Thanks!

[PJE]

Why the $100 increase...

PocketPCs seem to be the only devices that each year the devices offer little more than before, yet the manufacturers carge you for every update. Every new PC costs the same (or less) than the equivalent old model. Look at how Dell laptop prices have come down over the last few years.

The new device should cost the same as the equivalent 3800 series, or at least have 128MB RAM.

Regards,

PJE

[brntcrsp]

Why the $100 increase...

PocketPCs seem to be the only devices that each year the devices offer little more than before, yet the manufacturers carge you for every update. Every new PC costs the same (or less) than the equivalent old model. Look at how Dell laptop prices have come down over the last few years.

because we (being uber-geeks) continue to buy them. The Jornada started out at $650 and then rapidly dropped to $600 or less in about 3 months.

[Ed Hansberry]

Why the $100 increase...

PocketPCs seem to be the only devices that each year the devices offer little more than before, yet the manufacturers carge you for every update. Every new PC costs the same (or less) than the equivalent old model. Look at how Dell laptop prices have come down over the last few years.

The new device should cost the same as the equivalent 3800 series, or at least have 128MB RAM.
I think the transflective screen is a bit more costly.
The increased FlashROM store and the consumer IR, and the X-Scale, whatever benefit that really is.

I am not saying it is worth $100, but there is more stuff with the 3900's than the 3800's. Much more so than the 3700 offered over the 3600.

[DJR]

Hmm, no integrated CF-slot, no replaceable battery, and somewhat bluky form-factor?

It's going to be a tough sell against the Toshiba e740 (with integrated WiFi) at $599.

The days of iPAQ being the king of the PocketPC family seem to be numbered...

[mookie123]

I thought Xscale based PDA suppose to be cheaper to manufacture? The chip being highly integrated and reduce a lot of multiple chips into one?

[Foo Fighter]

I think the transflective screen is a bit more costly.

No it isn't. Sony is selling the T615c for $299.

[Ed Hansberry]

I think the transflective screen is a bit more costly.

No it isn't. Sony is selling the T615c for $299.
So, a Sony 615 with a transflective screen would be the same price as a 615 with a reflective screen? They are the exact same price? Facinating Foo. Absolutely facinating.

[Grey]

Why the $100 increase...

PocketPCs seem to be the only devices that each year the devices offer little more than before, yet the manufacturers carge you for every update. Every new PC costs the same (or less) than the equivalent old model. Look at how Dell laptop prices have come down over the last few years.

because we (being uber-geeks) continue to buy them. The Jornada started out at $650 and then rapidly dropped to $600 or less in about 3 months.

No it just that you have to Pay to be an Alpha Tester, I mean you don't really think these will be any more tested that the 38xx, or 37xx where do you? I'm willing to bet that Toshiba will come out with a real fix for their unit, while Compaq continues to blame the user for not knowing how to turn it on. Sound like they design this one with room for a lot of screens that will popup and tell you to reset your 3970, and this function will now work! :roll: Anyone purchasing one of these can look forward to not only the problems of the 3800s' but the new one of the X-scale. Good luck

Grey

[Foo Fighter]

So, a Sony 615 with a transflective screen would be the same price as a 615 with a reflective screen? They are the exact same price? Facinating Foo. Absolutely facinating.

Yes, it would. In fact, Sony was selling the N610 for $299.

[ricksfiona]

I won't pay $750 for the 3970. I had a hard time shelling out $650 for the 3870, and I really like my device. I'll by another 3870 before I shell out the extra $100. IF it had 128MB OR built-in WiFi, I would consider it.

[hshortt]

What will the time difference be between announcing the product and the actual availability?

And then, the availability in Europe?

Can some kind person please tell me if my 3600 usb cradle can be used with these new devices or has the connector changed??

Ta very much,
Howard

[hollis_f]

What will the time difference be between announcing the product and the actual availability?
Well, us cynics would probably bet that they'll be generally available in the US starting sometime around mid-August.
And then, the availability in Europe?
Mid- August (2003, that is).
Can some kind person please tell me if my 3600 usb cradle can be used with these new devices or has the connector changed??
The port was different on the 38xx series, so I'd say the chance of them going back to the old style was zero.

[Duncan]

Someone has lost the plot at HPaq! I might not be a Toshiba fan but they, at least, are offering something that some Pocket PC users actually need... the new iPAQ offers us... a remote control! Wow!

Ok - there is the bigger file store - assuming anyone wants to trust the file store! Show of hand for those who never had the file store fail on them in some way. Come on - SOMEone raise their hand!

This whole transreflective thing - Ed - I have to tell you this - the transreflective screen is NOT more expensive than an orinary reflective screen. Most of the Pocket PCs have used a form of hybridised screen that can actully be called transreflective (I did a hell of a lot of research on this when checking out the specs of the Loox). What Compaq have done is go for a different way of lighting the screen - a somewhat dubious rise in apparent screen picture quality at the expene of battery life.

You may want to doubt me on this - but if I have to I will publish the five pages of detailed analysis of screen technology I have sitting on my desktop - you have been warned...! :)

[TomTanida]

Anyone know if the 39xx series will use the ATI video chip?

If so, I will upgrade my scratched, old 3630 to the 3950 without much thought. The screen and IR capability would give it the edge over the Toshiba e740 for me.

-Tom

[PPCRules]

I don't know where these people come from. Those prices are way out of line. Either there will be some quick discounting, or they are going to be some slow movers once the pent-up demand is filled. Or, they are banking on their corporate customers to buy them as the standard issue device, no matter what the price, which will happen. But they won't get their way to my pocket at that price.
This is just the thing that will keep our preferred platform from attaining a respectable market share.

[st63z]

I was wondering, did Toshiba plan the sub$600 e740 street pricing from the get-go, or was the $100 drop a last-minute thing? If the latter, I'm hoping HP (and other manufacturers) will respond accordingly with their own last-minute price drops soon. Thoughts?

And Duncan, actually, if you have the spare time, it might be educational to post the research literature you have...

I was wondering if the 3900 series does have a technologically new transflective screen, which uses a backlight like the transmissive screens of old, wouldn't that mean going back to a thicker display subsystem than reflective screens (I remember that a thinner design was hyped as one of the advantages of a reflective screen)? Is this one of the reasons contributing to why HP didn't (couldn't?) fit a built-in CF slot?

Or maybe it's the other way around -- IIRC, HP has committed to keeping the numerous CF sleeves "relevant" by purposely not including a built-in CF. But with advances in miniaturization technology, they now have quite a bit of room left over inside the iPAQ to fill (remember that basic dimensions can't change to stay sleeve compatible), so they went looking and settled on transflective screen and NEVO consumer IR chip and the like...? If this is the case, it might've been nice if they could've added in 802.11 also (or maybe instead of). But then again, maybe the 802.11b/BT interference issues proved to be a whole other set of headaches (since the two would have to be in real close proximity to be squeezed into a PDA)?

I know, I'm pontificating more and more out of left field (into paranoid conspiracy theories)...

[tthiel]

Those prices are ridiculous. So much for the HP merger benefiting the consumer. Like most mergers it only benefits a few at the top.

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-938019.html?tag=fd_top

"The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company will announce two new handhelds, the HP iPaq 3970 and the HP iPaq 3950, on Monday, sources said. Both gadgets will feature brighter screens and more powerful processors than Compaq's previous generations of iPaqs, as well as new universal remote-control technology. But the devices will have the same basic design as former iPaq models."

More details:
• The new HP iPaqs also feature remote-control software from Universal Electronics. Universal announced on Tuesday its Nevo software designed to turn handheld computers into remote controls. Read more here. (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1770)
• Both HP iPaq devices will also have "transflective" active-matrix screens to improve the brightness of their displays.
• The HP iPaq 3970 is expected to cost $100 more than the currently available $649 iPaq Pocket PC H3870, and like the 3870, the new gadget comes with the short-range wireless networking Bluetooth technology. The HP iPaq 3950 is expected to cost $649.
• Both HP iPaq devices will have Secure Digital expansion slots
• Both have 64MB of memory
• The HP iPaq 3970 will come with 48MB of flash memory and the HP iPaq 3950 will come with 32MB of flash memory.

Source: Michael Wang &amp; Tony Muscarella both sent in links. Thanks!