The HP iPAQ rx5915... Sucks? [Archive]

Darius Wey

11-12-2006, 10:00 AM

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://geardiary.com/?p=691' target='_blank'>http://geardiary.com/?p=691</a><br /><br /></div><i>"It's not often that I will just give up on a device, but the iPAQ has managed to evoke that reaction from me. Let's just say that this is a huge difference from the days when I would try an iPAQ and quickly become enamored, and I am feeling the let-down."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060905-rx5900.jpg" /><br /><br />Judie over at <a href="http://geardiary.com/?p=691">Gear Diary</a> really didn't like the rx5915. Of the 2GB, only a quarter was available for use. There were no dedicated soft key buttons, the ROM image was wildly unstable, the D-pad was a real pain, and the list goes on. Do any of you have the rx5915? If so, what do you think of it?

alese

11-12-2006, 10:43 AM

In any case if all the problems are common to the series, than I guess this is probably the last non converged iPaq from HP. With everybody moving to converged devices, this iPaqs would have to sell very well for HP to continue the developement and production, but given the above problems I guess that's the end of the line...

Rod3

11-12-2006, 02:55 PM

That makes me want to scream! I read everything I could find about it yesterday, and ordered it yesterday! :cry: Wonder if I can cancel?

Darius Wey

11-12-2006, 03:35 PM

Rod3

11-12-2006, 03:41 PM

That makes me want to scream! I read everything I could find about it yesterday, and ordered it yesterday! :cry: Wonder if I can cancel?

An online order? If it hasn't shipped, I'm pretty sure you can cancel it. :)

Ordered from HP. I know it hasn't shipped. Right now, I'm trying to decide if perhaps Judie got a lemon. I know that might not be likely, but I've had stuff work before that didn't work for anybody else. I'm pondering.....

stlbud

11-12-2006, 04:49 PM

In the past, HP has been very good at providing updates to their buggy iPaqs. I hope that is the case with this one as well.

Ed@Brighthand

11-12-2006, 05:12 PM

Rod3

11-12-2006, 06:21 PM

If Judie got the same kind of device we did for the Brighthand review, it's a pre-release model not using the final version of the ROM. These often have bugs that get squashed before the device hits the market.

Also, it's possible to remove the mapping files from this iPAQ, freeing up almost all the 2 GB of internal storage.
.

That's what I'm counting on. The Brighthand review was one of the reasons I decided to get it. I don't need tons of maps, so would remove all but my local area. The squishy screen doesn't sound great, but I have other squishy screens, and I've learned to live with them. And I have high hopes for ROM upgrades as well. I've decided to go ahead and get it. I'll post on it when it gets here. Hope I'm pleasantly surprised. 8)

Barry_Rau

11-12-2006, 06:40 PM

I have one of these devices and while I have some of the same complaints as Judie, I feel that even if it is a tad expensive I am likely to keep it. I did a mini hands on in the forums at Mobility site if any care to see my extended 2cent's on this device. http://www.mobilitysite.com/forums/ipaq-rx-45xx-59xx-series/32127-got-rx5915-my-2-cents-mini-hands.html
**Yes it is a fingerprint magnet, just not as bad as a PSP because it's not black** :D

Regards
BR

isajoo

11-12-2006, 07:05 PM

doesn't look like a problem, seems they are just try to take on other standalone gps devices, on average they cost around $400-600 so with the benifit of having a ppc OS plus gps it should sell to people looking for a gps device only.

jickbahtech

11-12-2006, 08:22 PM

I just dont get why, if this thing is supposed to be multimedia based why QVGA? Whats the advantage of this over say a 4700 (or Dell) and a huge CF card and a big SD card, and a BT GPS?

Ok I get that some dont like having to set up equipment like that, but I see this ipaq as really poor bang for buck...

ADBrown

11-12-2006, 10:05 PM

Also, it's possible to remove the mapping files from this iPAQ, freeing up almost all the 2 GB of internal storage.
.

That's what I'm counting on. The Brighthand review was one of the reasons I decided to get it. I don't need tons of maps, so would remove all but my local area.

Unless the production version is substantially different from the one I used, you cannot remove only part of the maps. You have to remove all of them or nothing at all. It's possible that you might be able to alter this if they ship with a TomTom Navigator install disc, but the one I had did not.

Honestly, most of Judie said is true, albeit with some exceptions and conditions. The preproduction ROMs are pretty bad, but hopefully that will be fixed in the final devices.

Barry_Rau

11-12-2006, 11:46 PM

are removable but it is an all or none setup (you can not remove some areas that you do not need and keep others) it is just the way TTN6 seems to be set up. (like data base files, one file is the map, another is POIs & so on).

Regards
BR

kaiden.1

11-13-2006, 12:21 AM

After playing with it a bit, I found that it was not that impressive and that it was a device that I really didn't need. I don't feel that HP did a very good job with this one!

I'm going to pass!

ctmagnus

11-13-2006, 12:34 AM

I read somewhere a list of at least a dozen or so models of these devices and some of them had up to 1.5GB free storage. So hopefully that's one area where Judie's experience doesn't apply to the whole range of models.

Update: That list was on her site. :oops:

Barry_Rau

11-13-2006, 01:19 AM

The main difference is in RF usage and likely map space used for the target country. here is a link to the quick specs for the entire line of RX5900 units and respective target countries.

http://h18002.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12532_div/12532_div.HTML

Cheers
BR

igreen

11-13-2006, 06:19 AM

I got one earlier this week. I also have the Garmin Nuvi 360. So far I O.K. with the device. I agree with Judie's comment on the directional pad, it needs work. However thus far the unit hasn't crashed at all. The GPS has worked well for me. I like some of the features that TomTom has, downloadable maps over WiFi. Also the unit comes with Worldmate Standard edition which has some decent features which also take advantage of the WiFi for updates. I'm not crying about the storage because quite frankly the maps have to go somewhere. If I used anoth PDA and a BT GPS I'd still have to add more storage to hold the maps. Keeping in mind I am primarily comparing this against the Garmin NuVi I'd say the HP comes closer to being a "Travel Companion" than the Garmin. The Garmin is a great GPS, all the other features they tout are frankly lame. For example...they have a currency converter on the Garmin. To do a conversion the user needs to find the conversion rate and plug it into the calculator then do the conversion. I can do that on a pocket calculator. The HP uses Worldmate which downloads the various exchange rates off the web and plugs them into the calulator for you. Does the same thing for weather. For a retail price of $599 HP has kicked the stuffing out of the $800 MSRP Garmin. Is the 5915 the best PDA ever? No. But is it a decent compromise combining PDA functionality with GPS and basic travel needs? Actually it ain't too bad.

Judie Lipsett Hughes

11-13-2006, 06:50 AM

Hey guys, Jenneth just pointed me to this thread, and I want to clarify a couple of things:

1. The device I ordered was not pre-production; it is the exact one that you'll get when you order directly from HP, because that's how I got it - and why it is going back. $650 including tax (free shipping) is too much for a device I don't love. :wink:

2. I have pictures of the packaging list which explains the various memory configurations here:
http://geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/gear_diary_ipaq_rx5915_unboxing_01.JPG

and here:
http://geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/gear_diary_ipaq_rx5915_unboxing_16.JPG

"Mine" was part number FA811AA#ABA, which was 2GB with 500MB free. Depending upon the maps installed on the 2GB models, some may have as little as 300MB available, or as much as 1.67GB.
http://geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/gear_diary_ipaq_rx5915_unboxing_17.JPG

If you know your shipping device's part number, you can check it against these sheets.

Ed@Brighthand

11-13-2006, 04:49 PM

The device I ordered was not pre-production; it is the exact one that you'll get when you order directly from HP, because that's how I got it
That's bad news. :cry:

I haven't tried this device myself (Adama did the review), but I'd say the first ROM update is going to be very important.

Sounds like HP rushed this device a bit to get it out in time for Christmas.
.

Rod3

11-13-2006, 04:55 PM

I'll just pray for the update. My part number is the same as Judie's. I'm just gonna put in a big SD card. 500mg is more than I've got in any of my other PocketPC's, and I'm trying to look on the bright side. How the GPS system does will be the determining factor for me. I have a Tom-Tom, which is so bulky and heavy, it slides around on my dash and I have hopes for this one. But if it stinks, it goes back. :cry:

igreen

11-13-2006, 06:07 PM

Rod3, you might be pleasantly surprised. Your view of the product could very much be determined by how you look at it. Since you mentioned your TomTom, you may have the same view as I did. As a GPS with PPC functionality vs a PPC with GPS functionality. Sounds trite, but both views are very different. As I mentioned in my post above I was comparing it to the Garmin Nuvi. The Garmin is a nice product as only a GPS. All the additional functionality in what Garmin calls the "Travel Kit" is pretty poor. Much of it requires paying Garmin a hefty sum of cash for an SD card/download to make the feature work. (Travel Guide, Langauge Guide). I found myself wishing the Garmin had more features that I found in a PPC. Things like a contact list. The ability to tell the unit to navigate to an address in the contact list. Also basic travel stuff for me is some access to email, weather updates, currency conversion. The HP has all these things. I also found that the HPs PPC platform afforded me the ability to add 3rd party apps which do a better job of most of the embedded applications in standalone GPS units like the Nuvi. And in most cases those apps are significantly cheaper than what Garmin wants to charge for the similar functionality. As for stability, no hangs/crashes for me so far. The lack of soft buttons is somewhat annoying, but I can understand why HP didn't include them. They understood the unit would be getting flipped between landscape and portrait mode quite frequently which would have made placement of softkeys problematic. Other keys on the unit can be programmed for softkey functionality. Unfortunately the buttons on the front of the unit are not programmable. I live without softkeys on my X51v so they aren't a big deal to me (can't miss what you've never had).

Rod3

11-13-2006, 06:25 PM

Barry_Rau

11-13-2006, 06:26 PM

I have now had this device for about three days and have not had any lockups, I have also found a set of options within the TomTom App that allows you to add and delete maps (Note I have not attempted to delete anything but the option is there) I have all my must have apps and content on my 2GB SD card and have not even touched the available 500MB in the File Store, so space is not currently an issue for me.

As I said in My Mini Hands On (Some will love it, Some Will Hate it & Some will be on the fence)

Cheers
BR

Perkinscl

11-16-2006, 04:54 AM

I had the chance to see this in person at the local CompUSA. Not bad. The manager let me take it outside and try the gps. A little hard to see in the daylight and the taps with the stylus were a little sluggish. Not due to the screen, it just took a second (a whole second) to perform the appropriate action.

The fingerprints on the case would personally not bother me (too much) and I didn't think the screen was "squishy".

I'm definitely not the pickiest person, as I'm currently using a Sony TJ37 and a gps mouse, this would be a huge upgrade. I'm putting some serious thought into buying the rx5915, I just wish it were a little less$$. CompUSA's selling price is $599, which is list. 8)

Rod3

11-16-2006, 02:16 PM

Mine got here yesterday. I can't put a fingerprint on it unless I stick my fingers in ink. I can't imagine why that's a problem to anybody. I have a PSP and an iPod, and those are fingerprint magnets, not this one. It's stormy here, so I've not been able to get the GPS going outside (not gonna stand out in a storm to get a fix!), so can't comment on that, but the rest of it is just fine. Just like my other PocketPCs, but with some interesting aspects. I think this will meet my needs just fine. The screen doesn't seem squishy to me, but it takes a bit more pressure to get a response. So far, so good. Glad I didn't cancel. It's still early days, though.

kutapio

11-17-2006, 06:17 AM

i got mine somewhere other than the HP site. My savings was considerable. Shipping was fast too. I am quite content with the PDA. I don't see any other alternative PDA cum GPS that would be this size and feature packed. Given that some aspects leave room for improvement, I can't imagine shelling out the same if not more money for a standalone gps device let alone buying separate components. Presently is there a PDA with 500 MB available storage? I guess I am that kind of person who don't rely too much on what other people say. Beauty as they say lies within the eyes of the beholder.

Rod3

11-17-2006, 02:11 PM

I was afraid I'd have trouble with the GPS picking up my location. I live in the boonies, and my home address, which was arbitrarily picked by the people we bought the home from, is inaccurate. Took about a minute! I'm really pleased I didn't cancel this order. As usual, everybody's mileage may vary, but it's been just right for me. :D

redjoecat

11-17-2006, 03:21 PM

Rod3, thanks for your updates. I'm really interested in this unit, have a question. The TT software and screen display, are the icons & screen buttons large enough to use your fingers or is a stylist necessary?

Rod3

11-17-2006, 03:27 PM

Sometimes you have to use the edge of a fingernail to tap an icon (I do for the close button which I have enabled with Magic Button), but the Quick Launch screen has big icons on it. The today screen has fair sized ones, but it depends on how much stuff you add to it. Mine is a bit crowded. I don't mind using a stylus, but I use one that's separate from the unit, with a pen in it. So, I never pull the stylus out. The GPS buttons are large, and easy to poke with a finger. Hope this helps.

yeaidid

11-18-2006, 07:46 PM

I’ve had mine for about 3 days. No one has mentioned that it lacks an IR port, and the infamous Nevo remote. That and the fact that Slingplayer does not run properly are big minuses for me. I also wish it looked a little more PDAish than a handheld game. That said, I like the TomTom software, the traffic updates are way cool (I sync it via my Treo while on the road). It’s fast and I can play audio over my Bluetooth headset out of the box. You still have a lot of memory left even with the TomTom maps installed. B/G wi-fi doesn’t hurt either. I’ve decided to keep it, in hope that I can get Slingplayer to view correctly, I can live without an IR port and remote.

Rod3

11-19-2006, 02:47 PM

I've got a question to those of you who have one. Do you have any trouble connecting with your WiFi? I haven't had any with my other iPAQs, but this one doesn't want to connect. It sees my network, just never loads a page. The first fly has surfaced in the ointment. :(

yeaidid

11-19-2006, 08:13 PM

Rod3

11-19-2006, 11:15 PM

Still having problems at home, but zipped right in on an unprotected hot spot in Charlotte today. I'm puzzled. Home isn't encrypted. Don't know what the problem could be.

kutapio

11-20-2006, 04:58 PM

Rod3

you might want to check your wlan access point config. Your home network might not be encrypted but it may only allow certain machines with particular mac address to access your network. If then you might want to add the mac address of your rx5915. Hopefully this helps.

Rod3

11-20-2006, 07:54 PM

Thanks, kutapio; I don't think that's the problem. This morning I connected at home as soon as I plugged the 5915 into an ac outlet. It was at 100% anyhow, so I don't know what that has to do with it, but it seems to have something going with it. I have a laptop that won't connect wirelessly unless it's plugged in. And it's brand new. I just can't figure this out. Any ideas why this would matter?

edit: I think I've got it. I disabled the auto power thing in the power settings, and I connect just fine now. But still don't know why I was able to connect so easily away from home. Wish I could figure out how to disable the power saver on my laptop. :)