HP's rx5915 Travel Companion on Display

[Nurhisham Hussein]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=12500' target='_blank'>http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=12500</a><br /><br /></div><i>"At an HP event in New York City this evening the HP iPaq rx5915 was on display for the first time in the U.S. and the device has also shown up on the HP website with a price of $599.99. The iPaq rx5915 isn't being dubbed as a PDA, but rather a Travel Companion as it has a built-inSiRFstar III GSC3F GPS chip. Indeed, at the HP event dubbed "Your Life is the Show" HP had the iPaq rx5915 setup on a mocked up car dashboard to show how it would work as a guidance system while driving."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/hishamh-20050928-5275.jpg" /><br /><br />We reported on HP's new family of cool devices a few weeks ago (<a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=51031">here</a>, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=51075">here</a> and <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=51053">here</a>), and it's beginning to look better and better. The US version of the <a href="http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/store_access.do?template_type=product_detail&product_code=FA811AA%23ABA">iPaq rx5915</a> will come bundled with a huge 1700maH battery and Tom Tom 6 navigation software, and a car cradle/mount and charger will be included in the box. It looks like a very capable device, especially if you can get the version with 2GB ROM storage. I like the fact that it has an SD slot, mini-USB connector (a departure for HP), and standard 3.5mm headphone socket. Any takers?

[Phillip Dyson]

I have to admit that this one actually piqued my interest. Don't get me wrong, I'm the proud owner of a PPC Phone Edition, a Cingular 3125, and a Toshiba e830.

I'd mostly been using my Toshiba with a Sirf III bluetooth gps and Mapopolis. But thats two things that I have to carry around.

A device like this, I could techically leave in the car. Or carry around with me in a strange city. And its a WM5 device so I don't have to worry about weather my device has been laying around too long without being charged.

Of course after looking at the list of devices above, it may just be my sickness. 8O

[Darius Wey]

This does look good! I'm not particularly fussed about the lack of VGA. As far as spacious standalone PDAs are concerned, this one looks like a winner, and the inclusion of GPS gives the LifeDrive a reason to worry. 3.5mm jack, SD, mini-USB - take that, HTC. ;)

[Newsboy]

I attended the HP High Definition Living event tonight, and had the opportunity to play with this device extensively. The quick launch interface HP has designed is simple and easy to understand. Overall device size is on par with an average Pocket PC (I have an Axim X30, and it's nearly identical in size). It's designed to be held in a landscape orientation, and honestly, I like it better than the standard portrait screen orientation of other Pocket PC devices. Edges are rounded, so it falls right into hand. It's certainly bulkier and heavier than a Treo, or a slim Pocket PC, but not unreasonably so. (It's certainly not as huge as the original Dell Axim BRICK.) :lol:

The inclusion of TomTom Navigator software is what wins me over. While at another PR event last week, I was asked by one of Kodak's PR reps which GPS device I'd recommend. TomTom was at the top of my list, simply for ease of use. Kudos to HP for partnering with TomTom to provide their software on this device.

The price is right. You could easily spend more than $600 on a GPS system and a separate Pocket PC, and you wouldn't match the capabilities of this integrated device.

What would I like to see? Same device, Pocket PC Phone Edition. Built-in megapixel camera. Slide-out keyboard. All of which would push the size and weight past my acceptable limits. As is, it's nearly perfect.

This device sets a new standard for GPS capable Pocket PCs, and in my opinion, for Pocket PCs in general. Plain and simple.

[inteller]

WAY overpriced. people need to quit pricing out the components seperately to arrive at these ridiculous prices. It just doesnt work that way. VLSI is supposed to reduce the cost of all of these "features". Whoever thinks it costs $600 for a good GPS setup is kidding themselves.

good looking unit, but WAY overpriced.

[The Yaz]

It's a shame HP couldn't have squeezed a CFII slot there. With the 12+ gig flash cards coming out, it would have given the travel companion enough storage to hold a sizeable library of video/music/whatever.

I know the higher capacity SD cards are on the way, but that standard has not been listed with this device, and history has shown that HP is famous for not pushing the technology standards on their own.

Overall, I like the layout and will wait for this to show up on Ebay.

Steve

[kiwi]

nice..
I'll wait for the discounted items on ebay too!

[Kevin Daly]

It doesn't look like there are any dedicated hardware buttons for SoftKeys.
I think that's inexcusable by now on what is clearly a Windows Mobile 5 device.

[Newsboy]

There are SoftKeys, but they're on the left and right sides of the device, as opposed to on the face as on most PPC devices.

[MobileAGBell]

I attended the HP High Definition Living event tonight, and had the opportunity to play with this device extensively. The quick launch interface HP has designed is simple and easy to understand. Overall device size is on par with an average Pocket PC (I have an Axim X30, and it's nearly identical in size). It's designed to be held in a landscape orientation, and honestly, I like it better than the standard portrait screen orientation of other Pocket PC devices. Edges are rounded, so it falls right into hand. It's certainly bulkier and heavier than a Treo, or a slim Pocket PC, but not unreasonably so. (It's certainly not as huge as the original Dell Axim BRICK.) :lol:

The inclusion of TomTom Navigator software is what wins me over. While at another PR event last week, I was asked by one of Kodak's PR reps which GPS device I'd recommend. TomTom was at the top of my list, simply for ease of use. Kudos to HP for partnering with TomTom to provide their software on this device.

The price is right. You could easily spend more than $600 on a GPS system and a separate Pocket PC, and you wouldn't match the capabilities of this integrated device.

What would I like to see? Same device, Pocket PC Phone Edition. Built-in megapixel camera. Slide-out keyboard. All of which would push the size and weight past my acceptable limits. As is, it's nearly perfect.

This device sets a new standard for GPS capable Pocket PCs, and in my opinion, for Pocket PCs in general. Plain and simple.

Check out the new (and available) HP hw6900 series Mobile Messengers. I recently received the hw6940, which is a PocketPC Phone Edition, with built-in GPS, WiFi, BT, GSM/EDGE. Very nice unit. It would be my favorite if it had UMTS/HSPDA and a better screen. The cost was $600USD. This unit does not have a camera but the hw6945 does and it is also priced at $600USD.

[BoxWave]

This does look good! I'm not particularly fussed about the lack of VGA. As far as spacious standalone PDAs are concerned, this one looks like a winner, and the inclusion of GPS gives the LifeDrive a reason to worry. 3.5mm jack, SD, mini-USB - take that, HTC. ;)

Agreed, I'm going to have to take a closer look at this piece. Nice write up.

[haesslich]

PC Magazine just did a once-over of of this unit and likes it - you can rotate the screen all the way around, it has 400MB of "Storage Memory" available for programs even after the pre-loaded maps, and takes SD cards, so you can in theory throw in another 4GB for using music.

About the only thing it's missing IS VGA, IMO, to make it almost perfect as a multimedia unit which also has GPS capability.

[Timothy Rapson]

If someone else likes this more power to them.
It looks to me just like the cheesy $5 LenoxxSound transister radio I got at the Dollar General store. Ugly.
I also need VGA standard. In case HP wonders why they can't sell PDAs any more, they gave up on the market when they dumped the 2200 series. Some day there ought be an expose written about how PDA makers threw the future of their business in the toilet with idiot redesigns that offered LESS product for MORE money in a tech field. Is there any area of the information technology market where products are raising prices and dropping features to succeed?
This product is going to go nowhere at this price with these features. My guess is that it was just a Samsung or lower end piece of hardware that HP slapped a logo on. The company making it is probably paying HP for their name just to get it on shelves. HP is just going pick up some easy money and let the product fail.