PC Magazine Names iPAQ rz1715 One of the Ten Worst Products of 2004

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1735287,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,175...,1735287,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"iPAQ used to stand for quality. Then HP bought Compaq, and you can't bet on an iPAQ anymore. Witness the fundamentally flawed iPAQ rz1715. HP's low-end PDA was designed to compete with low-cost products from Dell and Palm, but it lacks any of their redeeming qualities. The glacially slow processor and anemic memory make using it torture, but at least the pain is short lived—because the battery wears out hours before the ones on comparable units do. It's a pity this iPAQ's so bad, but don't saddle yourself or your friends, with this boat anchor."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20041218_rz1715.jpg" /><br /><br />That's gotta sting a little. Still, if you're going to be the worst, you might as well go all out. Parents, if you're considering the rz1715 as a stocking stuffer, I'd urge you to consider the comparative advantages of a nice lovely piece of coal instead. :mrgreen:

[Pony99CA]

No more sleeves, no Windows Mobile 2003 SE upgrades and the worst PDA of 2004. Is this the new HP? Invent, Carly!

Steve

[alex_kac]

Don't take the entire iPaq line down just because of a couple dunce products.

[Pat Logsdon]

Don't take the entire iPaq line down just because of a couple dunce products.
Absolutely not. HP has some great devices - this just doesn't happen to be one of them. ;)

[szamot]

I am surprised this thing did not take all the 10 spots. It is THAT bad.

[Jason Dunn]

Don't take the entire iPaq line down just because of a couple dunce products.

I don't know...the new "brick" design is really bad IMO. They had SUCH a wonderful device in the 4150...it just needed a new OS!

[Jason Dunn]

:werenotworthy: Pat you RULE - that graphic is hilarious! :lol:

[bigkingfun]

You'd think that with a name like "GigaFast," the WF717-APR router would deliver a great performance, but you'd be GigaWrong. Buy this one and you'll end up GigaSad in no time... It's also GigaBuggy...That's not just GigaBad, it's HellaBad.

At least the iPAQ didn't get this kind of treatment. He must REALLY not like the router. :-)

[shawnc]

I don't know...the new "brick" design is really bad IMO. They had SUCH a wonderful device in the 4150...it just needed a new OS!

EXACTLY!!!!!!!

[Paragon]

I didn't even buy a 4150 till the "rz" came out. Then I grabbed one figuring it may be a while before something as good as the 4150 came along again. I'm sure glad I did. I heard the "rz" design team is now working for Lada! :lol: :lol:

Dave

[Darius Wey]

I thought the author's commentary of the device deserved a mention. The use of descriptive words here and there really bring out the "true qualities" of this lamentable unit.

[philb2k]

Still using my 1945 and still loving it. What a great design.

Cheers,

Philb.

[marcm]

Parents, if you're considering the rz1715 as a stocking stuffer, I'd urge you to consider the comparative advantages of a nice lovely piece of coal instead. :mrgreen:

Ok. I found that the coal burned better than the rz. The coal was also more cost effecive, and it had a faster processing (burning) speed than the rz. I chose to buy the coal. :wink: (even though I'm not even close to being a parent, only 14 years old.) 8)

[mysterie]

So sad how far the iPaq has fallen :cry: I've been a very loyal user since my lovely 3635, then my two 3955s, then my 2215 (even influenced many a sale for friends, family, and people I just meet). The newer styles just never inspired me, even the new 2000 series seems really disappointing. I thought I would never find a new toy and lo and behold my beautiful Axim x50v. It was my X-mas gift for myself :) I would never afflict the rz1715 on someone, I'd rather get them a :eek: Palm :razzing:

[Jorgen]

Don't take the entire iPaq line down just because of a couple dunce products.

I don't know...the new "brick" design is really bad IMO. They had SUCH a wonderful device in the 4150...it just needed a new OS!

Exactly!

Jorgen

[Jerry Raia]

So sad how far the iPaq has fallen :cry: I've been a very loyal user since my lovely 3635, then my two 3955s, then my 2215 (even influenced many a sale for friends, family, and people I just meet). The newer styles just never inspired me, even the new 2000 series seems really disappointing. I thought I would never find a new toy and lo and behold my beautiful Axim x50v. It was my X-mas gift for myself :) I would never afflict the rz1715 on someone, I'd rather get them a :eek: Palm :razzing:

I don't know, my 4705 is pretty nice.

[ignar]

Visit Amazon rz1715 product page. 1715 gets four stars out of five and reviews are very positive. I don't know what kind of people are writing those "reviews", but feel something should be done before more innocent people get 1715 based on those reviews :?

[Menneisyys]

That's gotta sting a little. Still, if you're going to be the worst, you might as well go all out. Parents, if you're considering the rz1715 as a stocking stuffer, I'd urge you to consider the comparative advantages of a nice lovely piece of coal instead. :mrgreen:

Nice one, Pat! This is why I like PPCT so much - you're indeed independent. (One of my articles listing the deficiencies of the iPAQ PDA's has even been censored out by either HP or some of their resellers from a non-English PDA site so I do know what the HP cenzorship/oppression means... This is why I'm delighted to read anti-HP remarks from PPCT.)

[Jonathan1]

"Right on doc another successful diagnosis." - Bart Simpson

[karlth]

I don't know...the new "brick" design is really bad IMO. They had SUCH a wonderful device in the 4150...it just needed a new OS!

:rock on dude!:

The IPaq 4150 is still recommended as the best PDA available in the British gadget press.

[bigray327]

For every rz1715, there's an hx4705.

Best. PDA. Ever.


P.S. Please tell me that's not President Bush in the dunce hat.

[pjerry220]

I have three users assigned an rz1715 who use the device everyday for mail synchronization and working on files. I guess it depends on what you are using the rz1715 for to determine the actual end user performance.

[Deslock]

I don't know...the new "brick" design is really bad IMO. They had SUCH a wonderful device in the 4150...it just needed a new OS!
I think the 4150 has the best ergonomic design ever in a PDA. However, all the PDAs I've had over the past few years (Clie 665c, hp1910, hp2210, Palm T3, hx4700, and X50v) make the 4150 screen look like crap, not only because of its low resultion, but because of color accuracy, saturation, and dot pitch. Too bad HP didn't use the 1910's screen in the 4150. More disappointing is their decision not to update the model with a faster CPU and 3.5" VGA screen... hardware-wise, it would've been unchallenged and a runaway hit.

[Menneisyys]

For every rz1715, there's an hx4705.

Best. PDA. Ever.

Oh yes, with 128M RAM, USB host, CIR, 2700g, jog dial, built-in camera :)

[Jonathon Watkins]

For every rz1715, there's an hx4705.

Best. PDA. Ever.

For you maybe. If it had a proper directional controller button instead of a daft touchpad, if it had USB host, if it had consumer IR and especially if it had 128Mb RAM, I'd agree with you. But it doesn't, so I won't. ;-)

[Jonathon Watkins]

For every rz1715, there's an hx4705.

Best. PDA. Ever.

Oh yes, with 128M RAM, USB host, CIR, 2700g, jog dial, built-in camera :)

Great minds think alike Menneisyys. ;-) We posted the same thing at the same time. tTotally agree about the jogdial, though I think the ATI graphics processor has not shown it's true potential yet. Allow me to disagree with you over the camera though. :wink:


At this rate, HP's next attempt a a low end model will probably have less functionality than an etch-a-scetch. :lol:

[firescorpy]

I really don't like the new designs HP is incorporating, I still love the design of the iPAQ 1940 :D

[Menneisyys]

though I think the ATI graphics processor has not shown it's true potential yet.

Picard with BetaPlayer has managed to achieve much better video performance &amp; quality at 208 MHz than any other VGA machine at 520/624 MHz with using the 2700G. Much as there are no 2700G-specific games (except for the x50v-bundled ones), BetaPlayer alone is worth the 2700G. I wish the x50v had 128M RAM &amp; USB host &amp; a better, more vivid screen &amp; a better battery...

See http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=59008&amp;page=1&amp;pp=25 on benchmarks.

Allow me to disagree with you over the camera though. :wink:

Well, still better than nothing :) I've found the camera of my Pocket Loox 720 very handy so far. Its quality is questionable (as bad as that of my Palm Zire 71, or, in low light, even worse), but its utility isn't :)


At this rate, HP's next attempt a a low end model will probably have less functionality than an etch-a-scetch. :lol:

Well, the 1715 is like "back to the roots" (namely, the Jornada 525 - 15M usable RAM, "speed" and stuff. Ah I forgot! The j525 had a much better and durable metal case...). Prolly the next low-end HP PDA will take this further, and they return to the 320LX as capabilities are concerned :)

[bigray327]

Oh yes, with 128M RAM, USB host, CIR, 2700g, jog dial, built-in camera :)
Let me rephrase...

Best. HP PDA. Ever.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Menneisyys]

BTW, I've just checked the latest MultiIE ( http://www.multiie.info/ ) build (3-1-d59). Every new PIE window you open consumes another 1 Mbytes of memory. So, it IS important to have a LOT of RAM if you want to do some heavy MultiIE'ing... See the advantages of a 128M RAM VGA machine? ;)

[serpico]

It's sad how HP has fallen from the previous generations of PocketPC 's. My 4150 was the reason I looked into replacing my Palm and leaving Palm altogether after so many years. The 1910 was a beautiful device that I almost got but decided to go all out and get the 4150 instead. I took the risk b/c of the device, I could never say that now with HP's product line. I love my 4150 and it has been a great device for me. I would now suggest a DELL if anyone asked me to suggest a PDA for them.

[Ed Hansberry]

So sad how far the iPaq has fallen :cry: I've been a very loyal user since my lovely 3635, then my two 3955s, then my 2215 (even influenced many a sale for friends, family, and people I just meet). The newer styles just never inspired me, even the new 2000 series seems really disappointing. I thought I would never find a new toy and lo and behold my beautiful Axim x50v. It was my X-mas gift for myself :) I would never afflict the rz1715 on someone, I'd rather get them a :eek: Palm :razzing:
My 2215 is 18 months old. I have never stayed with one device for so long and right now, have no plan to switch. The Axim X50v is very tempting, but I just can't see spending the $$$ for it right now.

[szamot]

I didn't even buy a 4150 till the "rz" came out. Then I grabbed one figuring it may be a while before something as good as the 4150 came along again. I'm sure glad I did. I heard the "rz" design team is now working for Lada! :lol: :lol:

Dave

There is no need to insult Lada, I thought they were cranking stuff out at YUGO.

[bigray327]

BTW, I've just checked the latest MultiIE ( http://www.multiie.info/ ) build (3-1-d59). Every new PIE window you open consumes another 1 Mbytes of memory. So, it IS important to have a LOT of RAM if you want to do some heavy MultiIE'ing... See the advantages of a 128M RAM VGA machine? ;)
Of course I'd love more RAM, and not being a retard, I know the advantages of having 128MB. This isn't a huge concern for me, though, IMHO not worth going with a company that hasn't been in the PDA market very long. I understand this is an HP bashing thread, though, so I'll let you continue.

[gt24]

It's sad how HP has fallen from the previous generations of PocketPC 's. My 4150 was the reason I looked into replacing my Palm and leaving Palm altogether after so many years. The 1910 was a beautiful device that I almost got but decided to go all out and get the 4150 instead. I took the risk b/c of the device, I could never say that now with HP's product line. I love my 4150 and it has been a great device for me. I would now suggest a DELL if anyone asked me to suggest a PDA for them.

I purchased a new ppc recently, and it was a Dell X30 (the older cousin to the X50). Other than the typical Dell issue (weak battery, fixed for the most part by Mugen!), I have been pleased with my device. The only revelent thing about Dell, in this discussion, was what they did with the X30... they gave it Windows Mobile 10 as an upgrade to the OS, something HP didn't do with their top of the line device. Minor things like that made me avoid HP, and this rz unit also might have helped too...

In other words, HP lost customers by doing this and will have a hard time earning them back, if they want to earn them back that is...

[Jonathan1]

For every rz1715, there's an hx4705.

Best. PDA. Ever.


P.S. Please tell me that's not President Bush in the dunce hat.

HEHE. That was the first thing I was thinking. Had to do a double take on that one. As for the 4700. Mine is under the tree. I know its going to be a good PDA but it is overly expensive. I found mine for $575 after shipping and all, but the base price IS still $650 which is a hell of a lot of cash for a PDA and frankly the design of the thing is uninspiring and there is the whole touchpad thing which is useless. If you think the 4700 is flawless I have some land in Western Florida to sell you. ;)

[gibson042]

At this rate, HP's next attempt a a low end model will probably have less functionality than an etch-a-scetch. :lol:
You just made my day. :D

[Wasp]

I have had HP PDA's since my 95LX (or was it LX95?). I also had the 100LX, the 320LX, the HP 548, the HP 680, the HP 568 and now the IPAQ 4350 ( a great product that would have been superb if I could only operate it in numeric mode). I was always happy with their products designs, and their support until recently. When they didn't upgrade my 4350's operating system, I knew I would no longer be buying their products. Instead of letting me make the decision to upgrade, they are trying to force me. If they have no loyalty to me, then I sure don't owe them any.

[rob_ocelot]

I have had HP PDA's since my 95LX (or was it LX95?). I also had the 100LX, the 320LX, the HP 548, the HP 680

[SNIP]

The hp680 was a great machine, probably the best Hitachi SH-3 based palmtop ever! Hard to think it was 4 years ago I was using this with their extended battery and getting 21+ hours of use on a charge. There are even military/industrial use cases lined with Li-polymer batteries available that give you power for 14 days. Wish there was something similar in the Pocket PC lineup.

Every time I see this new low-end HP model, I keep thinking back to that WKRP episode where they revealed the station's REAL purpose was to lose money. I'm sure HP will turn around and use poor sales of this unit to make statements about the PPC market in general -- perhaps in a bid to boost sales of upcoming convergent devices (Phone+PIM+media player+camera+??).

If this unit were agressively priced against the Dell and Palm units then I can see it having a niche. Too bad HP decided to slap on their usual insane price as I'm sure many of the bad reviews were based on price/performance ratio of this unit. However, there really is no excuse for a unit to have WORSE specs than a unit that was released more than a year ago -- especially when it's priced the same or higher.

Right now I have an HP4150 and a Toshiba e800. Guess which unit gets more day-to-day use?

The 4150, mainly because it's just plain faster, smaller and more ergonomic. I like the e800 for a lot of things -- nice screen, USB host, jog dial, 128MB + 32 flash, dual slot. It's basically a mini tablet.

My ideal PDA seems to be right in the middle of these two. Scary to think that my 4150 is basically a 'stunt' pda that takes all the daily abuse and my e800 gets used only when I have need of one of it's specific features.

[Dermot81]

On a side note, the hx4700 did get their editor's choice award :)

[andbrown]

My 2215 is 18 months old. I have never stayed with one device for so long and right now, have no plan to switch. The Axim X50v is very tempting, but I just can't see spending the $$$ for it right now.

I was saying exactly that right up until three weeks ago... :mrgreen:

(mmmm...VGA...)

[Jonathon Watkins]

My 2215 is 18 months old. I have never stayed with one device for so long and right now, have no plan to switch. The Axim X50v is very tempting, but I just can't see spending the $$$ for it right now.

I was saying exactly that right up until three weeks ago... :mrgreen:

(mmmm...VGA...)

Oh yes. :) The folks I have shown my X50v to have been blown away by the VGA screen. Several have independently said that they now see what the point of a Pocket PC is. Showing Pocket Informant and then showing the Matrix 2 trailer running at 25+ frames in Betaplayer at VGA resolution helped as well. :mrgreen:

[Dermot81]

The Matrix trailer + Betaplayer is a deadly combination on VGA devices :) Use it responsibly!

[xdev]

they should never have let go of the original in house jornada designers in singapore. they should have either stuck with HTC's designs, or kept that dream team from singapore.
even though my jornada 928 is a little slow, the design is brilliant. did you guys know it has 2 lithium ion batteries in it? one for the phone and one for the PDA, or you can turn off the phone and have a super long life PDA :lol:

[acollet]

I'm surprised there is so little discussions on the rx3715. IMHO, this is an awesome device. Has good speed, wi-fi, bluetooth, and 1.2 MP camera all in a small package. I think HP got it right on this one if it had VGA to boot, it'd be the best around. What are others thoughts on this device ?

[Paragon]

My 2215 is 18 months old. I have never stayed with one device for so long and right now, have no plan to switch. The Axim X50v is very tempting, but I just can't see spending the $$$ for it right now.

I was saying exactly that right up until three weeks ago... :mrgreen:

(mmmm...VGA...)

So Andrew, does the wife no you are sneeking off to post.....this could be considered work related. :lol:

Dave

[Darius Wey]

My 2215 is 18 months old. I have never stayed with one device for so long and right now, have no plan to switch. The Axim X50v is very tempting, but I just can't see spending the $$$ for it right now.

Agreed. My h1940 has certainly lived on for longer than a year, and while the VGA devices are tempting at the moment, they don't offer anything compelling enough for me to shell out a wad of cash on it. I'm willing to wait to see what the WM2005 devices have to offer. Sure, my h1940 may lack Wi-Fi at the moment, but I've lived on it so far... :lol:

[alex_kac]

Don't take the entire iPaq line down just because of a couple dunce products.

I don't know...the new "brick" design is really bad IMO. They had SUCH a wonderful device in the 4150...it just needed a new OS!

I'm not a fan of the "brick" design, but I must say that among the US VGA models, I really prefer the slimness of the 4750 and its mag case has withstood me dropping it onto concrete quite well :)

I also like the 2700 design and the 3700 isn't too bad, though frankly I long for the cool silver look of the 4100 series. Yes, I did love the 4100/4300 designs too.

But one redeeming attribute on the 4750 is that the trackpad can be used as a scroll-thingy on the side when viewing books/IE in landscape mode.

[dunos]

As a techno-child I always wanted a PDA but could never afford one and could never convince my parents to buy me once since back then they were very very expensive. While the rz1715 may not be fast and may be a tad lacking in the memory department it is still a functioning PDA and is relatively cheep compared to say an h4150 which is a good £100 extra. If a kid is asking for a PDA for christmas and the parents don't want to spend the extra £100 then why shouldn't they get the kid an rz1715?

I think it is important for a company to have a product range and not just constantly concentrate on releasing models with better this, better that. While we, the power users, demand such features there are other people out there who just don't need them.

Having said that I do think that the h4150 is one of the best designed PPC's in terms of form factor. I had a quick look this morning to see if there was anything I would change it for and couldn't see anything on the market that looked quite as sexy. I agree with comments saying that there should be an updated version of the h4150 with a faster processor and more memory in the same size case... and WM2k3SE please :)

Dan.

[Darius Wey]

While the rz1715 may not be fast and may be a tad lacking in the memory department it is still a functioning PDA and is relatively cheep compared to say an h4150 which is a good £100 extra. If a kid is asking for a PDA for christmas and the parents don't want to spend the extra £100 then why shouldn't they get the kid an rz1715? I think it is important for a company to have a product range and not just constantly concentrate on releasing models with better this, better that. While we, the power users, demand such features there are other people out there who just don't need them.

Even still, taking the h4150 out of the equation and comparing the h1940 with the rz1715... The low-end rz17xx models were intended to replace the low-end h19xx models. From what I can see, the h1940 offers many more features than the rz1715 at roughly the same price. While it may lack WM2003SE, it's still the better performer across a broad range of categories.

If I was to choose between an rz1715 and an h1940, I'd pick the latter any day! At least I get Bluetooth and a replaceable battery. :roll:

[mysterie]

So sad how far the iPaq has fallen :cry: I've been a very loyal user since my lovely 3635, then my two 3955s, then my 2215 (even influenced many a sale for friends, family, and people I just meet). The newer styles just never inspired me, even the new 2000 series seems really disappointing. I thought I would never find a new toy and lo and behold my beautiful Axim x50v. It was my X-mas gift for myself :) I would never afflict the rz1715 on someone, I'd rather get them a :eek: Palm :razzing:
My 2215 is 18 months old. I have never stayed with one device for so long and right now, have no plan to switch. The Axim X50v is very tempting, but I just can't see spending the $$$ for it right now.
I actually stayed with the 3955 for almost 18 months too (I damaged one so I replaced it within the 18 months). I really did not want to lose the larger screen to sort of "downgrade" to a 3.5". But eventually I took to the 2215. The 4700 is great and all but it really never inspired or interested me to spend that much money on it. The x50v on the other hand caught my interest immediately. It had all the features I needed or wanted (I have no use for the touchpad, the one on my X1000 notebook is in too poor a condition for a over a year notebook so I would hate to see that happen on a PDA). It doesn't help that I got my x50v for just a tad over $500 including two year plus accident coverage, extra battery, travel cable, rhinoskin case, extra styli, and SD memory so no complaints as I can't even get a 4700 by itself for that price. Oh well, to each his own :way to go:

[Ed@Brighthand]

I recently picked up an rz1715 and I think PC Magazine is being much too hard on it.

Partially, I think this is because this device was too expensive at its debut. At $220 (or less online), it's a decent first handheld.

First timers aren't likely to load their device up with 50 applications. One or two is more typical, so the lack of internal storage is not a big deal. Plus, the price of SD cards is dropping like a rock. When someone's needs outgrow the rz1715, SanDisk is waiting.

Think about it this way: unless you bought it in just the last year or so, the rz1715 is at least as good as your first Pocket PC. 32 MB of memory was the standard for a long time, and we all got along just fine.

The screen is good (with built-in orientation switching) and I've no complaints with the speed of the processor. It went for over 7 hours on a single battery charge, which is outstanding these days.

It's definitely small and light, an important factor when someone is still trying to decide whether a handheld is better than their paper organizer. It isn't as pretty as some older iPAQs, but it isn't that bad.

The rz1715 wouldn't suit most technophiles, but it's a good handheld for those who only have moderate needs.
.

[rob_ocelot]

I recently picked up an rz1715 and I think PC Magazine is being much too hard on it.

Partially, I think this is because this device was too expensive at its debut. At $220 (or less online), it's a decent first handheld.

I totally agree, and I think that was the real problem the reviewers had with the unit -- it cost to much, so they worked backwards and painted the 1715's specs in a negative light when they really aren't all that bad.


Think about it this way: unless you bought it in just the last year or so, the rz1715 is at least as good as your first Pocket PC. 32 MB of memory was the standard for a long time, and we all got along just fine.


True up to a point, but software 2-3 years ago was written (and sometimes compromised) to fit into the 32MB constraints. With 64MB being pretty much the de facto standard and 128MB machines starting to trickle in we are starting to see the onset of software bloat -- mainly becuase developers now have the space to spare and aren't as frugal about memory.

I do see that most non-power users probably wont run into this sort of thing but it could be a potential problem down the line if there are still entry level 32MB models being released when 256 or 512MB is the standard.

It reminds of me the days when developers had to churn out code for three different incompatible processors and essentially sell to three separate markets. Is there a market for stripped down versions of more beefy programs like Netfront?

[Pony99CA]

Don't take the entire iPaq line down just because of a couple dunce products.
I don't know...the new "brick" design is really bad IMO.
To be fair, the boxy design could be so that the device is easier to hold in landscape mode. I've heard people say that about the 4700, but it could also apply to the other Mobile Media Companions.

Interestingly, the new 2700 series doesn't seem as boxy, though. I'm not sure I like the button layout, though....

Steve

[Pony99CA]

As a techno-child I always wanted a PDA but could never afford one and could never convince my parents to buy me once since back then they were very very expensive. While the rz1715 may not be fast and may be a tad lacking in the memory department it is still a functioning PDA and is relatively cheep compared to say an h4150 which is a good £100 extra. If a kid is asking for a PDA for christmas and the parents don't want to spend the extra £100 then why shouldn't they get the kid an rz1715?
Because they could get you a Dell Axim X30 that would run faster and have a removable battery. :-D

For that matter, if all you wanted was a PDA (not necessarily a Pocket PC), they could have gotten you a Palm Zire. :twisted:

I think it is important for a company to have a product range and not just constantly concentrate on releasing models with better this, better that. While we, the power users, demand such features there are other people out there who just don't need them.
Yes, having a range is important. Too bad HP didn't price the rz1715 at $199. I think at that price, it would have been a good value.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

Oh yes, with 128M RAM, USB host, CIR, 2700g, jog dial, built-in camera :)
Let me rephrase...

Best. HP PDA. Ever.

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Again, that's your opinion. I think I'd pick the iPAQ 2750 (http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/215348-64929-215381-314903-f67-421420.html) over the 4700. It's got 128 MB RAM and 128 MB ROM, plus a fingerprint scanner like my iPAQ 5550. It's also $100 cheaper than the 4700 (list price, of course).

I'm not thrilled with the 3.5" screen instead of the 3.7" screen that my 5550 has, and, as mentioned earlier, the button layout seems odd, but I haven't been convinced I need VGA and the 4700's touchpad seemed difficult to control when I tried it.

One thing I found interesting is that HP is still selling the iPAQ 5500 (http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/215348-64929-215381-314903-f66-322916.html) (and for $499, too). I seem to recall they had disappeared from HP's site, but maybe HP got complaints from people who still needed a sleeve-compatible Pocket PC. :mrgreen:

Of course, that assumes I'd buy another iPAQ at all. I can accept abandoning sleeves (not that I'm thrilled about it), but I can't accept their neglect for customers who bought Windows Mobile 2003 units and wanted a WM 2003 SE upgrade. If the Dell X50v had a fingerprint scanner, I suspect that would be my next Pocket PC.

Steve

[Menneisyys]

The screen is good (with built-in orientation switching) and I've no complaints with the speed of the processor. It went for over 7 hours on a single battery charge, which is outstanding these days..

Actually, I disagree. There're quite a few units that have even better battery life - the Asus 716, or even a previous iPAQ model, the 2210, which has far better spec than the 1715, in every respect (except for SE). And, you can get a 2210 for not much more than the 1715 now.

Of course VGA and/or 624 MHz models won't have so great battery life than, say, the 2210, but they're a different league. And, the 2210 is still a very good PPC.

[Menneisyys]

32 MB of memory was the standard for a long time, and we all got along just fine.

THAT 32M is not 32M, unlike with old PPC2k/PPC2k2 machines. Of it, only 15-17M is available, the rest is occupied by the op. system/heap etc. See e.g. http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&amp;threadid=114800&amp;perpage=10&amp;pagenumber=1 for more info.