Reviews of the HP Jornada 928 WDA

[marlof]

Both Arne from PPCW.net and Daron from Tekguru.co.uk have taken a closer look at the HP Jornada 928 WDA.<br /><br />Arne has split his review in two parts. <a href="http://www.ppcw.net/stories.php?story=02/08/15/5071151">The first part</a> concentrates on the hardware, where <a href="http://www.ppcw.net/stories.php?story=02/08/18/1435484">the second part</a> talks about the software, and daily use of this device. His conclusion: "All together the HP Jornada WDA 928 is a pretty "perfect" device in the typical HP Jornada tradition and it's frustrating to know, that not to many of us will hold it in the hands."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tekguru.co.uk/PPC_Reviews/Jornada928/index.htm">The review by Tekguru</a> is still a work in progress. At the moment he talks about the design and features mostly. You'll have to keep your eye to his site for the complete review. The WDA will also be sold as bundled with the HP CF camera, and it seems that this is the bundle Tekguru will review.

[steddyman]

I returned my WDA to the store because I was so disappointed and replaced it with a iPaq 3970 and Ericsson T68 with I couldn't be happier with.

The WDA as many faults which Arne appears to have deliberately forgot to mention, despite the fact he admitted these faults on the preview unit he had (mine was a release unit).

These faults were:
1. When used in handheld mode, the speaker is too quiet to hear the other party. This makes it useless as a normal phone.
2. When used in speakerphone mode the microphone is too sensitive so the other party can't here what you are saying.
3. The screen has interference from the phone at the top which means a dark shadow falls across the upper left corner of the screen.
4. The screen looks watery compared to the higher quality screens found on the iPaq range.
5. GAPI benchmark showed the FPU performance to be half that of a iPaq 3870 with the same processor, making me wonder if this really is a dual processor machine since only one very early press release states this and it doesn't state it anywhere on the HP site or even in the Asset viewer on the device (just shows as a 133mhz ARM920).
6. I had it hang a few times in use.
7. It drinks battery power when used as a PDA and a phone.

I loved the flip cover for the screen and the Fonix voice dial, but it is completely ruined by the fact its useless as a phone unless you use the head set. I never like these since you look like you're talking to yourself in public.

A friend also returned his to the store, and the store manager said every one they had sold had come back so far!

Don't be disappointed you won't be getting these devices in the states.

Steddy

[marlof]

appears to have deliberately forgot to mention

I'm not too happy with this comment. If you don't know ( "appears" ) if someone has done something deliberately, you shouldn't suggest they did.

These faults were:
1. When used in handheld mode, the speaker is too quiet to hear the other party. This makes it useless as a normal phone.
2. When used in speakerphone mode the microphone is too sensitive so the other party can't here what you are saying.
3. The screen has interference from the phone at the top which means a dark shadow falls across the upper left corner of the screen.
4. The screen looks watery compared to the higher quality screens found on the iPaq range.
5. GAPI benchmark showed the FPU performance to be half that of a iPaq 3870 with the same processor, making me wonder if this really is a dual processor machine since only one very early press release states this and it doesn't state it anywhere on the HP site or even in the Asset viewer on the device (just shows as a 133mhz ARM920).
6. I had it hang a few times in use.
7. It drinks battery power when used as a PDA and a phone.

ad1) It's soft, and I'd like a louder setting for sure. But to me it's not so soft that "you can not hear the other party". The only place where I had trouble using this earpiece is in noisy surroundings. That's where the headset comes in handy. A flaw, but not as serious as you present it.

ad2) There's feedback when used as a speakerphone. People can hear you, but they can also hear themselves, as the mic picks up the speaker noise. It's usable, but only if you trim down the speaker volume. Again a flaw, but not as serious as you present it.

ad3 and 4) As stated before, my WDA does not have these screen deficiencies. And I can compare it to a Compaq 3870 and a Jornada 565.

ad5) I think, but did not receive any confirmation, that the processor is just the TI OMAP processor, which is a one-chip-two-processor thing, meaning it deals with both the OS and applications, and the radio. This would explain the bad benchmarks, and the lousy video playback. This is not a gaming device, and people should be aware of that.

ad6) So far, all my Pocket PCs - and the Palm m505 of my girlfriend - at times needed a soft reset to get them out of never-neverland. Alas, the WDA is no exception to that.

ad7) Battery life is not as good as with the XDA. But then again, it's 2 x 520 mAH against 1500 mAH, so I wouldn't have expected that. One thing I like is that with the HP you can replace 1 520mAH with a new one. Using the phone on standby all the time, and doing my regular PDA work ( requiring to connect over GPRS several times during the day), it can almost get me through the day. But for me, almost isn't good enough. Happily I have Jornada car chargers and AC power adaptors, but with this device a second battery should be very high on the owner's wishlist.

I loved the flip cover for the screen and the Fonix voice dial, but it is completely ruined by the fact its useless as a phone unless you use the head set. I never like these since you look like you're talking to yourself in public.

Actually, I prefer this over holding a Pocket PC or even a phone to my ear. Guess it's a matter of preference, and what you're used to. And I agree on the active flip cover and the Fonix voice dial. It's hot stuff!

A friend also returned his to the store, and the store manager said every one they had sold had come back so far! Don't be disappointed you won't be getting these devices in the states.

To me, it's not a perfect device. But being able to choose between an iPAQ 3870 / Ericsson T39m bluetooth connected combo, or this one, I seem to prefer this one as it has become my Pocket PC for everyday use. So I'm happy it exists. :)

[Arne Hess]

I returned my WDA to the store because I was so disappointed and replaced it with a iPaq 3970 and Ericsson T68 with I couldn't be happier with.

First off all, you misunderstood the position of the WDA. Its data focused, not voice. So your T68 will be always the better choice for voice (see also below).

The WDA as many faults which Arne appears to have deliberately forgot to mention, despite the fact he admitted these faults on the preview unit he had (mine was a release unit).
I wouldn’t say I deliberately forgot to mention but maybe my perspective is also another one? At least I watched the device more from the data point than from the “replacing a cell phone point” because it’s still a data centric device, not a cell phone replacement…
These faults were:
1. When used in handheld mode, the speaker is too quiet to hear the other party. This makes it useless as a normal phone.
Something you are right and I hoped to be fixed in the final version.
2. When used in speakerphone mode the microphone is too sensitive so the other party can't here what you are saying.
I hadn’t that problem. The other parties heard me well – as they told me…
3. The screen has interference from the phone at the top which means a dark shadow falls across the upper left corner of the screen.
Also you are right here, however on my device it wasn’t due to the antenna because I saw this with a switched off radio too.
For everybody else, se the upper right corner of the following picture which shows you a darker area. Here the screen has some real weaknesses.
http://www.ppcw.net/images/column/benachmark/screen/hp_wda.jpg
(Picture taken from PPCW.Net Screen Benchmarks (http://www.ppcw.net/stories.php?story=02/08/12/3807177).
4. The screen looks watery compared to the higher quality screens found on the iPaq range.
Something I can not confirm. At least every device has different screen qualities but it’s not such bad at all.
5. GAPI benchmark showed the FPU performance to be half that of a iPaq 3870 with the same processor, making me wonder if this really is a dual processor machine since only one very early press release states this and it doesn't state it anywhere on the HP site or even in the Asset viewer on the device (just shows as a 133mhz ARM920).
That’s my latest information I try to get confirmed from hp. Unfortunately, due to the merger, most of my contacts gone… :-(
6. I had it hang a few times in use.
Not more or less than any other Pocket PC
7. It drinks battery power when used as a PDA and a phone.
Yes, something I highlighted in comparison with the o2 xda!
I loved the flip cover for the screen and the Fonix voice dial, but it is completely ruined by the fact its useless as a phone unless you use the head set. I never like these since you look like you're talking to yourself in public.
Again, it’s not a phone replacement!
A friend also returned his to the store, and the store manager said every one they had sold had come back so far!
Well, I’ve heard different but it’s all the time the question wherefore you want to use the device. For me, as a heavy data user, it would be perfect. For voice I have my small mobile phone with me anyhow.
Don't be disappointed you won't be getting these devices in the states.
Which I can still can not confirm. I would like to see it released in other parts of the world too!

PS: Woohoo... My 100st post... :)

[jornadaholic]

I WANT 1 MORE THEN EVER NOW!!!

[steddyman]

Hello Arne

I'm sorry for suggesting you deliberately forgot to mention the faults, maybe that was a bit strong. I was concerned you had not replied to the faults that had been highlighted in the preview unit you yourself had identified.

I already owned a 3870 and a Ericsson T68 and my purpose for buying the WDA was as a convergence device that would replace them. For me, it being able to act as a replacement for a phone was important, as I'm sure it will be for many of its buyers. I contacted HP before returning it and they said they had no fix for it and told me to contact Vodaphone support.

I tried to use the speakerphone mode a number of times, both in the car and in the office and each time I was forced to switch to the headset because the other party complained they couldn't hear what I was saying.

I now use the 3970 (upgraded) and T68 (only available as T68i in the states) which connect to the net via Bluetooth. Once the phone is GPRS connected and bonded to the iPaq, I have a permanent connection just like with the WDA. Connecting to my GPRS service is actually quicker with the iPaq/Phone combo.

Steddy