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View Full Version : More Details, Pictures On HP's hw6500 Mobile Messenger


Janak Parekh
04-08-2005, 02:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/articles/ipaq-hw6500-en.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/ar...hw6500-en.shtml</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Thanks to our friendly Netherlands resource NieuweMobiel.NL now we can acquaint our readers with live pictures of the device and its official specifications (still not published on official company site). The model is notable for small size, integrated QWERTY-keboard, integrated GPS module and two expansion slots. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declassified the information about the device last week-end."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20050408-HP6500.jpg" /><br /><br />The folks over at Mobile-review.com did an excellent job of summarizing and translating the information found over at <a href="http://nieuwemobiel.nl/">NieuweMobiel.nl</a>. Lots of nice pics, too, if you want another look. While this device may not be targeted to the power user, if it's stable and has good battery life it might be a great wireless email solution.

Paragon
04-08-2005, 02:36 PM
While this device may not be targeted to the power user, if it's stable and has good battery life it might be a great wireless email solution.

Well said, Janak. I don't think this will be very useful to power users, but it could be a big hit for email and other light duties.

Dave

MitchellO
04-08-2005, 02:49 PM
That thing looks great!! A definate Blackberry competitor. Would be better if they used a 320x320 display, or even 480x480 to allow full backwards compatibility with 320x240 progs. With 320x320 (like the treo) you could run standard apps with black bars on the side.

Otherwise looks good. Would love a keyboard in my mini, as i often use for msn/email/sms. thats the only thing i really miss from my h4355.

packetstorm
04-08-2005, 03:30 PM
what is it about Wifi do these ppl not understand? This device is totally useless to me in and around the office for checking email. And then to have to waste a slot and have a Wifi card sticking out the end takes me back say 2 years. Would have much rather have had BT, Wifi and Edge.

Just my opinion.

Paragon
04-08-2005, 03:34 PM
Wifi card sticking out the end.

Worse then that...it sticks out the side.

Darren Blade
04-08-2005, 03:38 PM
Check the size out... 71mm x 21mm x 118mm !!!!!

This is bigger than the newer Blackberry, and the HTC Magican (Jam/XDA II Mini).

Some nice additions like dual slots and integrated GPS.

I see this device being targeted at the enterprise/field force markets.

Most execs dont want to carry a brick around with them.

IMHO

BUMP THAT
04-08-2005, 03:46 PM
Looks really kool. I would consider to get one if it had stanadard PPC QVGA Screen. But must have been hard to put that on though. Anyone actually considering to get one?

Edgar_
04-08-2005, 03:47 PM
Its GPRS and EDGE. Plenty of speed for email - considering most BB's are running CDMA or GPRS anyways.

$499 is reasonable for what its providing.

The Avg BB is $299 retail - discounted many places to less than that like $200 or so w/ 2 yr voice and data plan contract - with a $49.99 monthly data charge + your voice plan ($5 discount on voice if you have BB data) - I think it has to be $39.99 minimum to get the discount. Oh and thats Blackberry data only - non-BB wap browsing using a third party browser can increase costs

I have a unlimited cingular data + 500 minute voice + 100 SMS and Im only $60 a month. And my plan is rollover minutes, 200 extra minutes for life, free nights and weekends. So I am quite happy with that.

The PPC does 10x what a BB does. More flexibility and the GPS builtin. Buy a low end GPS only device for $200 or a tomtom BT GPS and a PPC and you are well over $499. Although I understand you only get one map for tomtom with the device - major metro area - so you will need to pay something more to get your complete nation/continent maps.

Yea VGA is nice but geez. You have weight, form factor and price/cost to maufacture to balance. I'll use this first as a phone, second as a GPS and third as a PPC. Ewallet, journal bar (weather basic news) avantgo email (with clearvue or softmaker) and Pocket Informant are my basic apps, rest is gravy. For the same reason wifi would be nice but not critical as long as I get GPRS or Edge.

If it doesnt have all the problems of the 6315 or the MPX220 I think this system will shine. I've had a BB now for 7 years. The technology has barely crawled. Sure some new form factors but their implementation of MAPI causes calendar synch problems, their BES server is a kludge, kludgy/propritary data transfer implementations and they dont seem to care about moving to newer cross platform implementation. They've had 8+ years to innovate, and they haven't. Now with Exchange 2003 and things like Goodlink at cheaper costs and wider platform availability, they'll be losing market share rapidly.

My penny's worth - flame away.

bcries
04-08-2005, 03:52 PM
Okay, I like Pocket PC's; I own one. I've never owned a Blackberry, but I have enough friends working for RIM that do.

Can somebody explain to me how this is even comparable to a Blackberry? Even the old ones? Because sure, HP's form factor is starting to look more like the classic models from RIM, but we all know that push email is what Blackberries are all about.

Push email requires the device be always-on. What kind of battery life will the HP mobile messenger get with GSM on, even with the backlight off? If the radio power drain is anything close to WiFi on another ppc, I just can't see the HP competing.

You wear a Blackberry on your hip, it stays on the whole day, and the batteries are just fine.

packetstorm
04-08-2005, 03:55 PM
Its GPRS and EDGE. Plenty of speed for email - considering most BB's are running CDMA or GPRS anyways.

$499 is reasonable for what its providing.

The Avg BB is $299 retail - discounted many places to less than that like $200 or so w/ 2 yr voice and data plan contract - with a $49.99 monthly data charge + your voice plan ($5 discount on voice if you have BB data) - I think it has to be $39.99 minimum to get the discount. Oh and thats Blackberry data only - non-BB wap browsing using a third party browser can increase costs

I have a unlimited cingular data + 500 minute voice + 100 SMS and Im only $60 a month. And my plan is rollover minutes, 200 extra minutes for life, free nights and weekends. So I am quite happy with that.

The PPC does 10x what a BB does. More flexibility and the GPS builtin. Buy a low end GPS only device for $200 or a tomtom BT GPS and a PPC and you are well over $499. Although I understand you only get one map for tomtom with the device - major metro area - so you will need to pay something more to get your complete nation/continent maps...
My penny's worth - flame away.

No flames here 8)

WiFi is free in my office, as in most and encouraged for use. Honestly for me that is all I care for. The other specs are fine and since I already have a BT GPS receiver, the built in one makes this feature redundant. Kill the GPS or keep it and add WiFi and I'm in, quite happily I might add.

Edgar_
04-08-2005, 03:59 PM
Goodlink pushes, as does Exchange if you want it to. Next year's exchange has full push capability.

Battery life is a good point, but I recharge my BB at least once a day - as I run around constantly retrieving emails etc and using the phone the battery dies quickly. As they move into converged devices the battery argument with BB is less as strong as it once was. The BB charm (7100g?) is known to not have the life that clients want it to have. Its all based on how much you use the phone vs the PIM/email.

The PPC phones continue to run in the background and can retrieve mails just as the BB does. As a total package they are superior to the BB. In the interim I'm happy to recharge or have a spare battery.

By the way, this device's initial specs had it with Rim's Blackberry Connection PPC software. Don't know where this is since RIM has settled its infringment case. Perhaps this all becomes moot if they release the software.

wifi cards are smaller now :) or wait for the 4700 I guess :(

Kash76
04-08-2005, 04:33 PM
With the way that HP abandoned the iPAQ 63xx I would not put my money into this machine.

szamot
04-08-2005, 04:53 PM
considering you can get a FREE BB with a 2 year voice and data contract this thing is looking less and less attractive, especially at the price people are suggesting this will go for.

Wasp
04-08-2005, 05:18 PM
Does anyone have information about the keyboard? I own the IPAQ 4350, and its keyboard became relatively useless because I had to hit two keys each time I inputted a digit. I would hope that there is some lock mechanism on this device that would allow me to input numbers more easily. 8)

Chris Spera
04-08-2005, 06:36 PM
Does anyone have information about the keyboard? I own the IPAQ 4350, and its keyboard became relatively useless because I had to hit two keys each time I inputted a digit. I would hope that there is some lock mechanism on this device that would allow me to input numbers more easily. 8)

From what I have seen of the pictures at the link posted near the front of this thread, the blue button on the bottom left corner is a function key. The key above it is a Shift/Lock key. I am assuming that you would hit [blue] and then Shift in order to lock the shift key. You could then use all of the "blue" labled keys, which includes the numeric keypad.

I hope I explained that clearly. I've read it a few times myself and I'm not sure I did a good job...

mashtim
04-08-2005, 07:00 PM
Does anyone know for a fact, one way or another, whether or not the keyboard is backlit?

stephman
04-08-2005, 07:17 PM
Does anyone know for a fact, one way or another, whether or not the keyboard is backlit?

This is from the Manual: page 262
"Integrated QWERTY Thumb Keyboad with 26 LED backlit alpha-numeric keys, one Function key, and two application buttons - Calendar and Start menu buttons"

Also mentions the backlit keyboard in the "Product Overview" pdf linked from mobile-review.com

11. QWERTY keyboard with
LED backlight

Look on Page 8 of the following pdf:
Product Overview pdf (http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/articles/2005/image/ipaq-hw6500/official/hp-ipaq-hw6500-product-overview-final.pdf)

MitchellO
04-09-2005, 01:08 AM
Okay, I like Pocket PC's; I own one. I've never owned a Blackberry, but I have enough friends working for RIM that do.

Can somebody explain to me how this is even comparable to a Blackberry? Even the old ones? Because sure, HP's form factor is starting to look more like the classic models from RIM, but we all know that push email is what Blackberries are all about.

Push email requires the device be always-on. What kind of battery life will the HP mobile messenger get with GSM on, even with the backlight off? If the radio power drain is anything close to WiFi on another ppc, I just can't see the HP competing.

You wear a Blackberry on your hip, it stays on the whole day, and the batteries are just fine.

I don't know about the battery on this new device, but my Mini handles all-day email just fine. I have it setup to check emails every 5mins (not 15mins like the blackberry) and it virates and chirps when an email comes in. When I am not using it, I just turn it off (ie. push the power button), but it still keeps checking every 5mins (without turning on) and tells me when i have mail. I can also be constantly logged into MSN Messenger and be alerted when a contact comes online or when i get a message. When I get home, I have about 55-60% battery left, after being on GPRS all day! I don't think the phone takes as much power as the WiFi.

I think this easily beats the blackberry, simply because it does soooo much more and just as well as the blackberry, without so much proprietry nonsense.

jwb1969
04-09-2005, 03:22 AM
looks like that site:

http://www.nieuwemobiel.nl/index.php?Toestel_code=11bd1d1

also mentions the hw6710, hopefully that is released soon.

I could live with EDGE, but Wifi would be a nice backup. Also, I don't know if i'd like to give up my SD cards for the mini's just yet.

As for GPS, I'm a travelling consultant and I rely Pocket CoPilot ALOT. However, I can give the built in one a whirl.

James

MitchellO
04-09-2005, 04:42 AM
Yeah, the higher one should dump the miniSD if anything, but not the ful SD. I have TWO 1GB SDs and it would be expensive to replace even one of them with a similar miniSD. Like the builtin wifi though. That and the keyboard are what i miss from the 4355.

mcmuddle
04-09-2005, 07:11 AM
what is it about Wifi do these ppl not understand? This device is totally useless to me in and around the office for checking email. And then to have to waste a slot and have a Wifi card sticking out the end takes me back say 2 years. Would have much rather have had BT, Wifi and Edge.

Just my opinion.

Yup. Agreed.

MitchellO
04-09-2005, 02:58 PM
I think it would have been a better decision to make a version just like the one with GPS/GPRS/EDGE/BT, but with WiFi/GPRS/EDGE/BT, and left the SD slot in, in addition to the one that has all but the SD slot.

Thats probably too many of a similar thing, so might be why they didn't do that.

Just wish it had a 320x320 screen.... any screenshots of the device running standard, 240x320 apps?

g-funkster
04-09-2005, 04:39 PM
Okay, I like Pocket PC's; I own one. I've never owned a Blackberry, but I have enough friends working for RIM that do.
Can somebody explain to me how this is even comparable to a Blackberry? Even the old ones? Because sure, HP's form factor is starting to look more like the classic models from RIM, but we all know that push email is what Blackberries are all about.
Push email requires the device be always-on. What kind of battery life will the HP mobile messenger get with GSM on, even with the backlight off? If the radio power drain is anything close to WiFi on another ppc, I just can't see the HP competing.
You wear a Blackberry on your hip, it stays on the whole day, and the batteries are just fine.

A vzw technician once let slip what became one of the most duh moments of the past few years. I'm using a treo (posting from it right now), and doing a send receive in timed intervals (ie every 10 mins) does take up battery life that most times is unnecessary.

Fact is, a gsm radio doesn't take up that much battery when it's on. They have 20 years of innovation in that space to thank. What happens is that vzw sends a text message to the device only when a new message comes in. Thus, power is used extremely efficiently. So genius is this idea that I have my treo configured in the exact same way: when an email comes, it's forwarded to my sms email address and forwarded to my device which instantly does a send/receive.

Thus, ANY device with a cell radio can be configured to receive email without breaking the energy bank, just like mr. Blackberry and that's why this could be considered a competitor.

jalm1
04-09-2005, 04:54 PM
One major thing for people to consider, and I have seen mention of it here, is what the user wants. Currently I am one of the unluckily ones with a 6315, I got it to replace carrying two device a BB and a I-mate, and I really don’t like it. Now granted there are a lot of issues with the 6315, but many of them I don’t have. pry b/c of the way I use the device. What I have found, after being a ppc user before it was called ppc, is that I am using less and less of the advanced functions. I have goodlink on my 6315 and love good link. But for my use, and many other users, size and usability is a big issue. I don’t really need to have work/excel with me out of the office, as I always have my laptop and could never only carry a handheld (tried, didn’t work). And one can not operate the 6315 with one hand (or for that matter I don’t know of a ppc that you can). For me, what I need is a small device with push email that I can operate one handed with out doing almost anything (weather that is walking, driving, on the tube, drinking coffee, whatever) sure, the address book and calendar are not the best on the BB, but I have found they are just fine for what I need, knowing that outlook is not very far away. I am currently oversees for a wile so the wiFi has been wonderful, that is why I got the device, goodlink over wifi, awesome. But the device is unstable. And sadly I see this new HP messenger falling in the same category. Sure it adds a keyboard, hopefully a better d-pad. But still not all one handed, and a ppc will never be as simple as a BB to use for email and PIM on the road. That is where BB shines. But then again, there are those users that want it to do so much, that a PPC excels as, and for those users I say there are great PPC's out there. Sadly I don’t think this ppc fits to many users needs. It will not fit the needs of those that want a BB alternative, and it will not meet the needs of the power users ( I don’t think). So sadly I see this device going the way of the 6315 that I plan on throwing out a window as soon as I return to the US and get my BB back. Just my opinion. I just don’t see this device doing a lot of good for users. I feel today, there is only so much convergence that can be doing practically.

MitchellO
04-10-2005, 02:27 AM
It definately looks better at doing what the 6315 was supposed to do, esp. with the builtin thumbboard for email.

beq
04-10-2005, 08:38 AM
I don't get it, I thought the fashionable thing is to have the keyboard slide out from the bottom half a la the Blue Angel, that Samsung model, etc -- so that you can still have a large screen with normal 3:4 aspect ratio, but without making the overall device too long or elongated?

MitchellO
04-10-2005, 08:43 AM
I definately would get a Blue Angel over this. Has heaps more memory, wifi, faster, normal screen and more buttons.

bnycastro
04-11-2005, 09:13 AM
I don't think GPS should have been built in. Instead WiFi and more RAM and ROM could've been placed, but this is just my opinion. I probably won't be getting one. because I don't need EDGE and GPS. Also the square screen is a bit scary as it is something new for PPCs. I'm sticking with my JAM for now.