07-26-2004, 03:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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PDA Buyer's Guide Reviews HP iPAQ rz1715
I'm still waiting for HP's PR department to respond to my request for a review unit, but the incredibly fast people at PDA Buyer's Guide have cranked out a review of the iPAQ rz1715 already!
"They're here! HP's new iPAQs running Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition (WM 2003 SE) will be announced on Monday July 26, 2004. We just happened to get ours a bit early . The rz1715 is HP's new entry-level iPAQ, while the iPAQ 1945 was their previous entry level PDA. The seldom seen iPAQ 1930 was actually HP's most basic model, and the rz1715's features are very similar to that model. This new iPAQ will please those on a budget who are looking for a very compact device and have no need for integrated wireless networking. Unfortunately it lacks two key features that the 1945 had: Bluetooth and a user replaceable battery. For these two reasons, I might choose the 1945 while it's still available from retailers."
I'm not usually the kind of person to judge something before I've had a chance to try it it out, but the rx1715 doesn't seem very compelling to me. Everyone has a different idea of what's attractive (my wife married ME after all! 8O), but to my eyes the design of the rx1715 is grotesque. Perhaps it's more compelling in person, but why did HP abandon the 1900 body design? That was sleek, sexy, and felt great in the hands. Design issues aside, I can see no compelling reason why someone should spend $80 USD more on this device than on the entry-level Dell Axim X30. To each his own, but I simply don't find this product competitive. Am I missing something?
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07-26-2004, 03:28 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 36
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I agree. For what this device can achieve, get a cheap Palm instead (and I mean a really cheap Palm :mrgreen: ).
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07-26-2004, 03:37 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,468
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It is a monumental misjudgement by HP. The big question is - why? Why did they design it so badly, why did they think it would be worth releasing, why did they think it should be released at such a price?
HP are hardly green at this - between them and Compaq they have more PD experience than pretty mcuh everyone - which just makes the decision to release the rz1715 all the more staggering...
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07-26-2004, 03:43 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Quote:
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Gone is the stylish HP look, though this isn't an ugly PDA.
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I think they are being overly generous. From every picture I've seen the cheap plasticy look makes this/these device/s look down right fugly. While I don't really care too much about the looks of my desktop/laptop/PDA. I would appreciate the OEM to put SOME quality in their devices. I shouldn't have to compare my PDA to a Fisher Price Pixter
Now more then ever do we need someone like apple to step in and give this industry a kick in its complacency.
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PDA History: Palm Pilot 5000 -> Apple Newton 2100 -> Casio E-11 -> iPaq 3650 (64MB Upgrade) -> iPaq 3700 -> Casio EM-500 -> HP Jornada 568 -> HP iPaq hx4705 www.spreadfirefox.com |
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07-26-2004, 03:48 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Duncan
It is a monumental misjudgement by HP. The big question is - why? Why did they design it so badly, why did they think it would be worth releasing, why did they think it should be released at such a price?
HP are hardly green at this - between them and Compaq they have more PD experience than pretty mcuh everyone - which just makes the decision to release the rz1715 all the more staggering...
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I can think of two worse case scenarios that scare me.
1. That HP is starting to pull a Sony. I hope to god not but what if they think the market is drying up?
2. HP is top dog with little to no competition. What incentive do they have to innovate?
I can�t think of any reason why they did such a craptacular job on these low end devices (and frankly some of the moves on the high end are baffling.) Does anyone know if there has been a shuffle in management at all at HP? That could be another possibility.
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PDA History: Palm Pilot 5000 -> Apple Newton 2100 -> Casio E-11 -> iPaq 3650 (64MB Upgrade) -> iPaq 3700 -> Casio EM-500 -> HP Jornada 568 -> HP iPaq hx4705 www.spreadfirefox.com |
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07-26-2004, 04:00 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 217
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Re: PDA Buyer's Guide Reviews HP iPAQ rz1715
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Everyone has a different idea of what's attractive (my wife married ME after all! 8O)
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Yeah, I was wondering about that when I saw you in that photo from the MVP conference... :lol:
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07-26-2004, 04:07 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,202
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jonathan1
I can�t think of any reason why they did such a craptacular job on these low end devices (and frankly some of the moves on the high end are baffling.) Does anyone know if there has been a shuffle in management at all at HP? That could be another possibility.
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My theory (only a theory) is that the Compaq design team has either been moved out or moved on to something else. I'm guessing that the 1900 & 4000 series we saw last year were the last of their work. These devices all have the same big, boxy, industrial look that HP's laptops have had for the last several years, and remind me somewhat of the Jornada PPC in shape and size.
In any event the rz1715 is stillborn IMO. They must be thinking that a certain group will figure --hey it looks the same as these other HP PPC's and it's $50/cheaper, I'll just buy it instead, since the software all looks the same. I think their wrong, at this pricepoint anyway.
The original 3600 series had similar specs, and that was released 5+ years ago, if memory serves me correctly. In PC terms, that would be like HP releasing a new PC with a Pentium II 266 Mhz Processor and 64 MB RAM today!!! I guess that just shows how little Windows Mobile has evolved compared to the desktop space. No wonder some are declaring it dead!
:?
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07-26-2004, 04:19 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,468
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jonathan1
I can�t think of any reason why they did such a craptacular job on these low end devices (and frankly some of the moves on the high end are baffling.) Does anyone know if there has been a shuffle in management at all at HP? That could be another possibility.
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I suggested elsewhere something similar to what whydidnt has suggested - namely that the design team (and/or management team?) responsible for everything up until the h63xx, has been replaced. I can't believe the team responsible for the iPAQ 36/38/39/54/55xx - or the 2210 or the 4xxx or 19xx - could possibly be responsible for the new bunch.
The idea that HP sees itself as unassailable is a possibility - but Palm once thought the same and had the same attitude - as did Sony too. Even if Toshiba leaves the PDA market, there are others with the interest and resources to challenge HP for the crown...
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07-26-2004, 04:29 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 164
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They did such a terribile job with this device it makes me wonder if they are trying to kill the market for the low-end devices....Dell is starting to look better all the time.
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07-26-2004, 04:51 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 209
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I absolutely agree with the complaints. I can not believer that this is happening! My original reason for converting to ppc from palm was the design-genius of the first ipaq. Althought the 3xxx series of new ipaqs do offer some good things - ppc tv pro, image viewer, cir, nevo, new nevo prog, battery convertability, etc - I think they're all $100 too much. HP would truly own the market if they released EVERYTHING $100 less in these new lines. They are making a HUGE mistake. I expect some ignorant people to buy this unit, but believe it will fail miserably and quickly dissappear - which is a good thing considering how it is TAINTING the ipaq's good reputation. Where have you gone iPAQ designers?!?!
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