Rumoured iPAQ rx1950 Receives FCC Approval

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/cf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=636923&fcc_id='NM8BG'' target='_blank'>http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet...&fcc_id='NM8BG'</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050914-FCCrx1950.jpg" /><br /><br />We've posted on the rumoured HP iPAQ rx1950 / rx1955 a couple of times before (<a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=42519">here</a> and <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=42628">here</a>), and now it appears to have received FCC approval. However, it's all rumours at this stage. Due to a confidentiality agreement, the name of the device and most of its specifications have been withheld from the documents.<br /><br />If rumours are correct though, the rx1950 / rx1955 will feature a Samsung S3C2442 300MHz processor, 32MB RAM, 64MB ROM, a 3.5" QVGA (240x320) 65K-colour screen, SDIO, 802.11b Wi-Fi, IR, and a 1100mAh Li-Ion battery.

[DaleReeck]

In my opinion, HP has, in the hx4700, one of the best VGA Pocket PC's in the market. So instead of improving on that as soon as possible, we continue to get underpowered, overpriced low-end devices. HP may think that they can sell more cheap devices in quantity than they can quality devices in smaller numbers, but that assumes that the "cheap" device is truly cheap. With a rumored $300 price tag, that does not define "cheap".

[rob_ocelot]

In my opinion, HP has, in the hx4700, one of the best VGA Pocket PC's in the market. So instead of improving on that as soon as possible, we continue to get underpowered, overpriced low-end devices. HP may think that they can sell more cheap devices in quantity than they can quality devices in smaller numbers, but that assumes that the "cheap" device is truly cheap. With a rumored $300 price tag, that does not define "cheap".

Agreed. What a waste of what was a terrific form factor. For $50 less than what the H4150 retailed for you get less (or around the same) processor power, the same screen resolution, no change in battery capacity, and less wireless flexibility (no BT).

This is their 'improvement' on a 2 year old design?

On the upside you get WM5 and the ability to rotate the screen -- Woo!

This just adds more insult to injury when HP refused to provide an SE upgrade a last year.

If you really MUST have this form factor do youself a favor and buy a H4150 off ebay ($200-250 average) and get PPCtechs to do a 128MB upgrade. If you must have on-the-fly screen rotation use Nyditot 4.22.

[dazz]

Maybe they are planning on this being much cheaper. Afterall, the $300 is only a rumour.

I have, and really like, the 4150 and I think there would be a LOT of consumers that would snap these up for a good price. All of us here get used to seeing the specs and the top-of-the-line gear but many users are only casual users and don't care about the fine details as much.

If this was more like $200 or $250 then I could see a lot of people going for it. Keep in mind that Dell's cheapest Axim is listing for $389, so even $300 isn't terrible.

I'm pretty sure that a decent unit that has a nice form factor and it more like $250 might do well. HP would probably make some good margin on it as it is a form factor that was already being used.

[IpaqMan2]

Maybe it's me.. but with what's already available this pretty much seems like a step back for PDAs. The only way this could in anyway be looked at as a step forward is if the price tag was near or at the spontaneous level, (like $200 bucks or less).

Personally I am waiting for something to replace my 4355... but looking at the market I don't see this happening unless I go with a PDA Phone which I wont due to the cost of the device and the cost of the data and voice plan at this time.

[Sven Johannsen]

I gotta agree that the price of this thing is what is going to make or break it. I think it is featured well for those consumers that use it exactly as it comes out of the box. You'd probably be surprised at how many do just that. For that segment, it seems to fit in with the Zire 31 ($130) and Zire $72 ($250). It does much more than the 31, but the 72 has BT and a camera, instead of WiFi. Those are MSRP prices too. $220 for the 72 is common. Any more than that and the average guy looking at the PDA display at CompUSA, is going to have a hard time picking the HP.

[jickbahtech]

I've got customers that bought rx3xxx series ipaqs that are massively ticked off. The last hold out for the upgrade was maybe some issue using Samsung processors, and the first HP ipaq out the door with WM5 is this.

Quite a few people are very unhappy...

On a lighter note, while I agree that this is a step backwards (much like the rz1700 was when it came out), it is good to see the 4150 form factor back. I always loved the look of that PPC.

[aNiMeMaN14]

lol, what's with the axes on the pic? i think i was able to figure those out myself 8)

[KTamas]

Design: A+
Spec: D-

Conclusion: Yet another vaporware by HP.... :roll:

[huangzhinong]

If they do re-use h4100 form factor, it may also show up in other high end models too. So it is actually a good news. Don't care about rx1900, I don't think anybody here will buy it.

[huangzhinong]

Design: A+
Spec: D-

Conclusion: Yet another vaporware by HP.... :roll:

Most schools have no D-, they do have F.

[KTamas]

Design: A+
Spec: D-

Conclusion: Yet another vaporware by HP.... :roll:

Most schools have no D-, they do have F.
US school rating is weird...As far as i know, there is A, B, C, D, E, F but no one uses E, and there is + and - but not everyone uses that either...am i right? Or there is just A B C F?



(In Hungary, it is a lot easier: 1 to 5, 1 is the worst, 5 is the best :) )

[huangzhinong]

Design: A+
Spec: D-

Conclusion: Yet another vaporware by HP.... :roll:

Most schools have no D-, they do have F.
US school rating is weird...As far as i know, there is A, B, C, D, E, F but no one uses E, and there is + and - but not everyone uses that either...am i right? Or there is just A B C F?



(In Hungary, it is a lot easier: 1 to 5, 1 is the worst, 5 is the best :) )

I don't even know there is E. A,B,C,D are real rating. F means failure.

[IpaqMan2]

And another note... Why did HP for go bluetooth on this.. Just doesn't make sence. If this device was going to be a "lower" end device, or a consumer level device (being geared towards the Zire folks), I'd much rather of seen Bluetooth on this. Now I may be wrong... But most people I have met that had a Zire couldn't tell ya the differnce between broadband and narrowband, let alone WiFi. It would just seem to me that there are more "consumer" devices that would use Bluetooth than WiFi, such as stowaway's keyboad and mouse, and HP's own Bluetooth headset (which I must say I own and love).

[tthiel]

Nobody pays list for Dell PPC's.

[quote="Dazz"]Keep in mind that Dell's cheapest Axim is listing for $389, so even $300 isn't terrible.
quote]

[whydidnt]

I'll be very curious to see actual useable RAM/ROM numbers for this device. The JASJAR OS and related files occupy 80+ MB of ROM and 35+MB of RAM after a hard reset. If all WM5 devices do the same then users will be left with zero storage space, and also 0 space to run non-OS programs.

I recognize the PE devices have more stuff in both places, but I think we are going to see that devices with small RAM/ROM combinations could be very difficult to use due to the new RAM configuration.

Nice to see HP using the designe of the 4150 though...

[dazz]

IpaqMan2, good question. Thinking about it, maybe it is because most people that are not the geek-chic are not going to be too interested in adding all the goodies. Since this is not a phone they are probably not going to need a Bluetooth headset either. Rather, with WiFi they can at least use their home and local coffee shop to access the Internet.

While I would not want one of these either, I think there is enough good about it for the casual user to get started with, and maybe be happy with long-term.

I don’t know this for sure but my guess is that manufactures probably make more money from lower end devices, simply because of the volume. While none of us liked the iPaq 1715 at all HP probably made decent money from it because it was lower priced but fine for many consumers.

Still, $300 is too high, especially since the 3115 is about this much and includes Bluetooth, but I think $250 and under might make this appealing enough for many, especially with such a sleek design. 8)

[dazz]

Nobody pays list for Dell PPC's.

[quote=Dazz]Keep in mind that Dell's cheapest Axim is listing for $389, so even $300 isn't terrible.
quote]

Sure, but by the same token, nobody will end up paying $300 for this device if that is the MSRP.

[Jason Dunn]

If this comes out at $199 USD, it would be decent. Anything more and it's a sucker play like the rx17xx...which I can't even FIND on HP's right right now. :?

[Darius Wey]

If this comes out at $199 USD, it would be decent. Anything more and it's a sucker play like the rx17xx...which I can't even FIND on HP's right right now. :?

It's still there, but a lot of HP's regional centres have been marketing it as the rz1710 Navigator (GPS solution) instead.

I'm hoping the rx19xx doesn't get tagged with a high price. I just can't help but wonder why HP won't pump their low-end devices with better specs. Hopefully, this device won't suffer the same death as the rz1710, but with HP, it's hard to tell. :|

[beecher]

When I was searching for hw6515 user guide I've found this brochure on HP site which is talking about and specifying rx1950.

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/search/pdf/090017ad821eb794.pdf

[whydidnt]

When I was searching for hw6515 user guide I've found this brochure on HP site which is talking about and specifying rx1950.

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/search/pdf/090017ad821eb794.pdf

Interesting. Since this brochure seems to cover the entire product line, it looks like the rx1950 is the only new device HP is going to introduce. The other WM5 devices look like the HX2XXX devices already on the market with a WM5 upgrade.

Makes you wonder if HP really has much commitment left to this platform. WM5 is a significant update to the core OS and HP has pretty well decide not to introduce any new hardware to go along with it. Of course we all agree they needed to pair down their offerings anyway, but this seems a bit extreme.