Geekzone Reviews iPAQ hx4700 [Archive]

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Jonathon Watkins

10-17-2004, 10:00 PM

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=3542' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.a...?ContentId=3542</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The HP iPAQ hx4700 has been the hottest thing since it was announced a couple of months ago. Now they are here and so is the competition. The question is should you buy one or look at something else? This article is written to help you decide whether this hot new device is for you - or not. I have not reviewed every feature of this device, as others have done a fantastic job of this on other sites. However, I have tried to focus on the things that set this device apart from the rest. Some of these features are aimed at corporate users and some are aimed at ever other user."</i><br /><br />Geekzone's review does indeed talk about some of the features other reviews don't quite cover. They particularly focus on the built-in Bluetooth headset functionality, the Business Software included, Security and the Touchpad. Worth a look if the hx4700 is on your shortlist (or longlist for that matter). :wink:

petvas

10-17-2004, 10:55 PM

I have to say that this review is very short and really I dont get why having a CF slot is a disadvantage....

Jonathon Watkins

10-17-2004, 10:58 PM

I have to say that this review is very short and really I dont get why having a CF slot is a disadvantage....

Well, the review isn't the longest ever, but that's not quite what he said:

Compact flash slot (Useful for add on accessories, but with a device so packed – why bother?)

It's the old CF slot argument again. Some love it, some want to use the space for more battery power, smaller device etc.

freitasm

10-17-2004, 11:02 PM

I have to say that this review is very short and really I dont get why having a CF slot is a disadvantage....

Well, the idea is to touch subjects others didn't - for example the security application and the Bluetooth headset - which is probably focused on the not yet formally announced but upcoming Bluetooth stereo headphones made by Logitech and branded by HP. No one tested the headset Bluetooth before (or at least no one reported about it)...

Not size, quality :wink:

ctmagnus

10-18-2004, 02:08 AM

Geeksone's review...

That must be the British spelling ;)

Jeff Rutledge

10-18-2004, 02:22 AM

Geeksone's review...

That must be the British spelling ;)

Fixed. ;)

Doug Raeburn

10-18-2004, 03:07 AM

Having Pocket Informant on the ROM in particular is great. This is normally one of the first applications I install, so having it in ROM saves space in memory.

I really don't see how this is so great. PI is updated SO frequently that this is really only an advantage if you're willing to be quickly left behind in new features and bug fixes. And on my Loox 720, the WebIS folder (containing the latest version of PI only) is a whopping 509K, a mere drop in the bucket with the 128 MB of RAM.

alex_kac

10-18-2004, 05:13 AM

Let me add a bit to the In-ROM argument.

Our view is this: It makes PI available to the hundreds of thousand of iPaq owners that don't even know a third party software market is available, it allows companies that issue PDAs that don't allow third party sw to be installed to be introduced to PI, it provides out of the box functionality which is not available otherwise, AND finally it allows for those people for whom it is absolutely crucial that PI be available even after a hard reset - for that to happen. True, they may not get the latest and greatest, but its definitely something we have heard over and over again.

Granted, the first two benefit us mostly, but if we get the exposure from this we hope to get then everybody benefits because we pour the majorty of our revenue back into development. And the last three are really more enterprise level concerns that we and HP themselves have seen with customers like Pfizer.

Let me add that we've got about 45% of our customers who don't like to upgrade as often as we put out upgrades. They are still on 5.0 or even 4.x because it does what they want it to. So having it in ROM for all those customers is a huge benefit.

So for the real poweruser that's on these forums the ROM feature isn't going to help them much. But then its just like every other PDA. And I can say that we are looking at a way to somehow get an upgrade into that ROM area.

ignar

10-18-2004, 06:18 AM

I was going to ask where I can find the BT headphone. But, it seems it is not available yet. Nevertheless, good to hear it works well with 4700. The headphone will replace a BT keyboard as a number one accessory I must have.

Doug Raeburn

10-18-2004, 07:06 AM

freitasm

10-18-2004, 08:11 AM

Let me add a bit to the In-ROM argument.

For the record, my comment was targetted towards the power user end of things, as the quote in my earlier post was from the perspective of a reviewer, who tend to be power users. It was not intended to question the overall merits of the decision to include PI in ROM. But thanks for sharing your viewpoint on other aspects of the matter.

Fair enough... But the thing is: Pocket PC users (or any computer user for that matter) are not all power users. That's why we decided to move away from some reviews where everything is wow!

User: "Just give some facts, sir, and I'll decided if this is good for me."

The things is, most reviews I see comes with this wow factor. This is the latest and greatest screen, this is the fastest CPU, etc. But what is the functionality the users need? Is it secure? Can I use Bluetooth headset? Do I have to install anything or will it work with Pocket Informant as soon as I turn it on the first time? Darryl, our reviewer for the hx4700 works with mobility and is well aware of requirements of deployment in organisations, users expectations, etc. We (all here) write to educate the masses!

Just for a change, our review of the iPAQ rz1710 (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=3541) was written by a... Palm user! Since the palmOne Tungsten T5 fiasco, I've asked James to have a rz1710 for a while, to see if I could convince him to move to the Pocket PC side :lol: . So, this review is something I expect would tell users of an entry level Pocket PC what to expect. You didn't see many reviews (if any) of these new entry level iPAQ. It lacks the wow factor, I guess...

AhuhX

10-18-2004, 10:06 AM

Just for a change, our review of the iPAQ rz1710 (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=3541) was written by a... Palm user! Since the palmOne Tungsten T5 fiasco, I've asked James to have a rz1710 for a while, to see if I could convince him to move to the Pocket PC side :lol: .

You are trying to convert him with an rz1710? *shudder*

:D

Doug Raeburn

10-18-2004, 10:29 AM

The things is, most reviews I see comes with this wow factor. This is the latest and greatest screen, this is the fastest CPU, etc. But what is the functionality the users need? Is it secure? Can I use Bluetooth headset? Do I have to install anything or will it work with Pocket Informant as soon as I turn it on the first time? Darryl, our reviewer for the hx4700 works with mobility and is well aware of requirements of deployment in organisations, users expectations, etc. We (all here) write to educate the masses!

As you said, fair enough. But does that make a comment about the downside of the decision to include a product like Pocket Informant in ROM inappropriate or misguided? And can it be denied that some users, even corporate users, might find this to be of limited personal benefit for the reasons I state? This is certainly a viewpoint that any user could possibly have. So my comment has the same potential to educate the masses as your review does.

Yes, there are positives to including software in ROM. There are also potential negatives. It's as simple as that. Perhaps that fact may be important to the masses we're attempting to educate, especially someone new to PDAs and coming from the desktop PC side where software upgrades are routine enough to be a non-event. Someone with that viewpoint may think that it's just as simple to upgrade the software included on a PDA, and may not understand that the fact that some software is in ROM may make doing so more of a challenge.

I recall when a new version of Microsoft Reader with some key DRM enhancements came out shortly after one of the ROM upgrades for the OS. Many people asked about how they'd go about upgrading the reader on their Pocket PC, and it was clear that their expectation was that somehow the new version would simply overwrite the old one. They were rather dismayed to find that the old version would stick around unused in ROM while the new version would be installed in RAM. That experience ended up being an education for these folks.

Anyway, my comment was simply an observation about one statement in the review, not an indictment of your approach regarding the perspective of the review, which I agree is a unique and refreshing approach. But keep in mind that while you write an article with a particular perspective in mind, it will be read by people with many other perspectives as well, and their opinions and feedback are every bit as valid as those from members of your intended target audience.

Just for a change, our review of the iPAQ rz1710 (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=3541) was written by a... Palm user! Since the palmOne Tungsten T5 fiasco, I've asked James to have a rz1710 for a while, to see if I could convince him to move to the Pocket PC side :lol: . So, this review is something I expect would tell users of an entry level Pocket PC what to expect. You didn't see many reviews (if any) of these new entry level iPAQ. It lacks the wow factor, I guess...

Personally, I've seen quite a few reviews of the rz1710, so the wow factor isn't an absolute requirement. A simple search of Google for reviews of the rz1710 returns many hits, including reviews by PC Magazine, PDAGold, CNET and pocketnow. It's just like with auto magazines... the testers might prefer to do the road tests on the Ferraris, but they still test the Hyundais and Hondas as well.

The wow factor with the rz1710 is more like "wow, why did HP give this unit so little RAM to the degree that even casual users might run into problems?" and "wow, why is a Pocket PC with such meager specs more expensive than its more capable predecessors?" 8O

freitasm

10-18-2004, 11:20 AM

Steven Cedrone

10-18-2004, 01:20 PM

You may want to fix your quote as I did... you're attributing freitasm's words to me.

Fixed...

Steve

Jonathon Watkins

10-18-2004, 02:41 PM

freitasm

10-18-2004, 08:41 PM

Not size, quality :wink:

Very true, Mauricio. However, one quick question. The performance rating the the 4700 was below the figures I 've seen in other reviews. They also used SPB benchmark, so I'm not sure where the difference is. I know I would expect the 624Mhz Processor to significantly outperform a 400Mhz one. Any ideas why this was?

Not really. Every time we run a test we try on a recently hard reset device. It runs through the standard SPB Benchmark, while on the cradle with power applied.

It's strange that it's not a good performance chart for the hx4700, but it must be taken in consideration the performance chart is an overall performance indicator, not only CPU.

You have to check other charts in our Performance Centre (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=2028) (which lists all models tested, plus a few other charts). You'll see the overall performance didn't seem great, but the CPU test was very good.

If needed we have the XML files created. We actually run the tests twice in some models because of these discrepancies...