TrustedReviews Reviews the iPAQ rx3715

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=683' target='_blank'>http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=683</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Hewlett Packard has established its handheld computing name firmly in the corporate sector. It proudly holds a pivotal position here: you’ll see executives toting their iPAQs on trains far more often than you’ll see them with rival Pocket PCs, and only RIM’s Blackberry seems to come near the iPAQ for popularity. You might think HP would be happy with that niche, and concentrate on consolidating its position, but it would appear that this isn’t the case. The company recently announced four new Pocket PCs, two of which are squarely aimed at consumers. The rx1710 is the entry level device, but by far the more compelling of the two is the rx3715, which HP is calling its Mobile Media Companion."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040830-TrustedReviewsiPAQrx3715.jpg" /><br /><br />Most of the new iPAQ reviews we've posted on to date have been from Pocket PC sites, so it's refreshing to see a non-PDA site give its honest viewpoint on one of the new interesting iPAQs. The reviewer is generally upbeat about the unit, and cites the software bundle with the rx3715 as being key in its offering.

[arnage2]

very nice review. when is the release date again?

[jonathanchoo]

Looks good. i like the colour. Too bad about the design though.

But the question is when will all these manufacturers release a PDA with 18-bit colour VGA display?

[ctmagnus]

I like that WMP skin. And that the headhone jack's on top again. And the ram/rom config is less awkward. But I really, really :ppclove: that WMP skin.

[daninnj]

And Microsoft’s dull old Today screen has gone, replaced by a screen that throws you straight into many of the multimedia offerings available.

Dumb question, but can you switch back to the "dull old Today screen?"

[arnage2]

yes, i think u can switch

[ctmagnus]

There's an option for it in there somewhere. The only WM2k3SE device I've used was a rx1710 so I don't know offhand where it is.

[nuka_t]

i dont like this. who are they trying to sell it to here?

id rather buy an archos digital jukebox video player with a 20gig harddrive. who needs wifi when you have that, you can download the whole internet on to it. :wink:

i think this will flop and would be used mostly by "noobs"

[Darius Wey]

very nice review. when is the release date again?

Beats me, but I saw one at Harris Technology (http://www.ht.com.au/) the other day. A very nice device.

To see it, click Hardware, then Computers-Handhelds, HP iPAQ Pocket PCs.

[Darius Wey]

There's an option for it in there somewhere. The only WM2k3SE device I've used was a rx1710 so I don't know offhand where it is.

It's in the today screen settings, where you configure the items that appear. I think it's called Media Companion.

I like that WMP skin. And that the headhone jack's on top again. And the ram/rom config is less awkward. But I really, really that WMP skin.

Perhaps someone with the device can host the skin somewhere? Otherwise it's another trip to the store for a bit of IR? :wink:

[manywhere]

very nice review. when is the release date again?
Monday this week, at least in Finland. To be precise, around 15 devices left in stock (http://www.multitronic.fi/showprod.php?prod_id=FA281A%23ABB) at the time of writing this. Price ranges around: 540 € (http://www.mbnet.fi/hintaseuranta/tuote.asp?TID=22087) (includes VAT 22%)

I'll guess there will be none left a few minutes after posting this... :lol:

[manywhere]

I like that WMP skin. And that the headhone jack's on top again. And the ram/rom config is less awkward. But I really, really :ppclove: that WMP skin.
That is Nevo "Multimedia Streamer Software" (in reality: it has got something more catchier as it's name that just doesn't stay in my memory) running on that photo not Windows Media Player.

[Darius Wey]

I like that WMP skin. And that the headhone jack's on top again. And the ram/rom config is less awkward. But I really, really :ppclove: that WMP skin.
That is Nevo "Multimedia Streamer Software" (in reality: it has got something more catchier as it's name that just doesn't stay in my memory) running on that photo not Windows Media Player.

Haha. It's quite obvious now that you see the title in the title bar doesn't say "Windows Media Player". ^_^

[Kai920]

very nice review. when is the release date again?

It's already selling here in HK. MSRP is HKD 4580 = approx USD 587 8O

[PR.]

Gah, wheres the 4700 already :evil:

[Mr. PPC]

Gah, wheres the 4700 already :evil:

Waiting to come out after the X50 :lol:

[Brad Adrian]

I'm confused about this line in the review:

"This ‘media access’ screen also provides a route to one of the unexpected successes of the PDA world – infrared remote control."

I kinda like the Nevo software, but have ended up not using it because it hasn't worked consistently for me. Is there anybody out there who would consider that in the PDA world the remote control functionality has been a huge success?

And, I know I've said it before, but I think these new devices are UGLY, with a capital UG!

[Darius Wey]

I kinda like the Nevo software, but have ended up not using it because it hasn't worked consistently for me. Is there anybody out there who would consider that in the PDA world the remote control functionality has been a huge success?

I remember back in the day when CLIEs were "popular" ( :roll: ), IR remote control was a big thing, but as of late, the hype over how "cool" it was has died down - dramatically.

[nuka_t]

bluetooth TV's anyone?

[Jason Lee]

I use nevo all the time. I have every device I own programed into nevo. I did have to manualy make the remote for my generic off brand DVD player but other than that it works fine. And I don't have to go searching for the remotes, I always know where my PPC is. :)

I also have it setup to control our "techlonogy enhanced classroom" at work. I can control the data projector, lights, curtains, dvds, vcrs, videoconferencing hardware, tvs, laserdisk player, etc.. It makes it very nice because all of those things have seperate remotes.

[ctmagnus]

I like that WMP skin. And that the headhone jack's on top again. And the ram/rom config is less awkward. But I really, really :ppclove: that WMP skin.
That is Nevo "Multimedia Streamer Software" (in reality: it has got something more catchier as it's name that just doesn't stay in my memory) running on that photo not Windows Media Player.

Haha. It's quite obvious now that you see the title in the title bar doesn't say "Windows Media Player". ^_^

Fiddlesticks. I was hoping that "iPAQ Mobile Media" was HP's new name for WMP. :wink:

[Jonathon Watkins]

I like that WMP skin. And that the headhone jack's on top again. And the ram/rom config is less awkward. But I really, really :ppclove: that WMP skin.
That is Nevo "Multimedia Streamer Software" (in reality: it has got something more catchier as it's name that just doesn't stay in my memory) running on that photo not Windows Media Player.

Looks rather good (http://www.mynevo.com/mynevo/Products/Nevo_PDA.aspx) actually. I think I'll do a bit more reading up about it....

[Rob Alexander]

I kinda like the Nevo software, but have ended up not using it because it hasn't worked consistently for me. Is there anybody out there who would consider that in the PDA world the remote control functionality has been a huge success?

Nah... played with it for about a week, then never started it again. Once the novelty was over, it just didn't really work all that well.

[Mark Johnson]

id rather buy an archos digital jukebox video player with a 20gig harddrive.

I too have found all my past PPC's to be inadequate for mp3 playback. It's mostly the interface. As you mention, the Archos has been an excellent unit, I have the 20GB Jukebox.

Yesterday, however, I traded up the the new Rio Carbon and it is SWEET! There is a true "Jog Dial" navigation wheel on the top and it makes it MUCH easier to scroll through large album lists. (It's kind of like the iPod's touchwheel, but Rio had this on the original Rio Riot long before the iPod was out so they definately didn't copy it from Apple.)

I didn't want an iPod as the ability to copy audio files from one PC to another is important to me. The Rio Carbon is immediately recognized as a USB 2.0 Generic Mass Storage Device / Removable Hard Drive without drivers. (It's predecessors, the Nitrus and Karma, both required the lame "Rio Taxi" software to be installed on each PC. What were they thinking?)

Anyway, now I've got an excellent mp3 player, smaller than the iPod mini (fits in my jeans coin pocket) with 5GB of storage and I can keep all those Microsoft service packs with me all the time and load them onto whatever PC's I need to.

If the hx4705 ever shows up, I'll be curious how much having a touchpad to navigate playlists will improve using a PPC as a mp3 player, but for the moment, THE RIO CARBON RULES THE UNIVERSE!