Replacement for iPAQ 4150

[edd]

Hello All

Hoping someone can advise with a hardware issue on a HP iPAQ 4150. It has two hardware problems:-

-> It forgets everything when the battery is removed and I have to restore from backup. (This is not software related; it is really an internal battery issue because it still happens when you remove the battery again without doing the restore.)

-> The screen under the screen protector is scratched, so using Letter Recognizer, all my lower case letters (middle box) are confused with tall letters (L's, T's, etc) when the scratch is touched. A new WriteSHIELD screen protector does not fix it any more ... and I prefer using Letter Recognizer.

I've considered sending it off to www.ipaqrepair.co.uk but, for the cost of both fixes, I could but a near-new 4150 off ebay! I'm reluctant to go for a new higher-spec PPC because:

(a) I've purchased lots of useful software and worry about compatibility
(b) I've not got much money to spend
(c) I've already got screen protectors and a case that fit this model

From what I can gather, the rx1950 has the same footprint, and screen size but runs WM5.0 and costs not much more. Would this run WM3.0 software fine? Buy one off ebay? Does anyone know of any other models that would run the software and fix the same case and screen protector?

MASSIVE THANKS to anyone who can suggest anything here ....

Cheers,
EDD

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Hi edd, Welcome to PPCT!


From what I can gather, the rx1950 has the same footprint, and screen size but runs WM5.0 and costs not much more. Would this run WM3.0 software fine?

I would seriously forget about the 1950 - it was not a very good model, as you can see from some of the forum threads here. Have you thought of looking at the new iPaq 100 series?

[edd]

Thanks! I'll stay clear of the rx1950.

Searching on 100 series I see the 114 is the latest one. Called a Classic handheld and appears to have near the same measurements. I'm guessing this is no coincidence. Maybe get away with the same case ...

Looks like I could also use my 4GB SD card.

I cannot find if the screen's exactly the same size, but would not be surprised if the same.

Does anyone know if WM3 run on WM6? I've some apps such as an old Remsco Explorer with file encryption, A-Z of London, Tube London, Creative Notes, Wordbook, TomTom Western Europe, various games (not as important), MSDict that would all cost a lot to purchase again.

Many thanks!
EDD

[mdlsimpson]

The 110/112/114 iPaq Classic PDA is a great replacement for the 4150. It also has NAND flash memory, which you will never lose your data if the battery dies.. all new WM5 and WM6 devices have this feature.

Many PPC2003 programs will run on WM6. I have an HTC Touch running WM6 and some of my old programs work fine. When you install them, it gives you a warning message that this software was not designed to work on Windows Mobile 6, but ALL of mine have worked great!

I am seriously thinking of getting one of the new iPaq 100 Series as a backup device.... plus it has a much larger screen than most of the smartphones on the market (most have a 2.6" - 2.8" screen while the iPaq has one in the neighborhood of 3.5")

Enjoy! :D

[edd]

Thanks! That makes me seriously tempted :D

[kidziti]

Hey - another soon-to-be ex-4150 owner here - and this was just the thread I was hoping to find! My own 4150 seems to have bitten the dust - it turns on and off completely uncommanded and has for several weeks now. When it turns itself on, the battery just drains and everything is plain vanilla again - have to reload everything.

I've been looking at a replacement and was wondering if the new MWg Atom Life would fit the bill? Seems like a nice WM6 unit. It's also a smartphone, but not having T-Mobile, I guess that functionality will not be used.

Any thoughts on this as a 4150 replacement?

[laura_eva]

Hi !

I've owned my IPAQ 4150 for two and a half years (bought it off a colleague for £150 who had to sell a "gadget" to let his wife "allow him" to buy a top-range Sony Vaio !!!) ....

To begin with it was just my music player (1 gig cards, "pocket music" and decent TDK ear-phones .... wow !), and my address book.

Then I started loading games ... bridge, chess, sudoku, backgammon, scrabble .... to keep me "amused" on my very frequent rail & air travels.

Its become my "work" calculator too, and now that free or BT Openzone hot-spots are everywhere, a way of checking my mails without hauling laptop around ....

And its way the "prettiest" looking PDA I've ever seen .... five stars for the design team !

Questions :

Has it really been technically superceded in the 3 - 4 years since it appeared ... seems to me not looking at the specs of newer PDAs .... ???

Is there anything more stylish and compact on the market ?

Guess PDAs have become a technological "dead end", superceded with ugly mobile phone hybrids with tiny screens and limited PC capability & useability (Blackberrys .... ugh !).

Is there an obvious "upgrade" to buy when my faithfull and much abused 4150 expires (other than which a firmware upgrade wouldn't fix) ?

Right now I'm looking at buying machines off e-bay (< £100) and screen replacement kits from China ....

Think its those unique "pretty curves" that keep me so loyal to the h4150 as it still presents a "style and functionallity" statement way above the HDD iPOD, Xen, and its like !

OK I'm a "pretty girl", so never seen as the "geek" I really am .... except so many clunky PDAs make guys look nerdy ....

.... really feel the h4150 is a design icon, a one-off in the IPAQ range .... like a Versace handbag .... but way more useful !!!!

Laura