New PPC for me

[edtech2000]

I have 3 iPaqs: 3600, 3835, and the 4155. I'd like to upgrade to a Windows Mobile 5 PPC, and have been considering the HP iPaq 2795. Since this model is over a year old, I'm wondering when its upgrade will be out, or if an upgrade to the operating system will soon be released. I'd hate to get one and see a new one come out right away.

I'm also wondering if there are any known issues with this model, and if there any recommended comparable models of another make. I'm not looking for a SmartPhone - just a PDA. Those of you who have the hx 2795, are you pleased with it?
Thanks.
Patti

[JesterMania]

I see you're an iPAQ fan 8) . Anyhow, I have the hx2790 (hx2795) and I'm quite pleased with it as it performs exactly as advertised. I'm not sure what you mean by "upgrade", but it's got WM5 native, so it has persistent storage. If you want a higher AKU version than 1.0.1 or are wondering if HP will release WM6 "Crossbow", I don't think any such update will ever come.

I feel the highlight is on the dual memory card slots though, CF + SD makes a pretty nice media machine. The processor is also as fast as you can get at the moment (624MHz) and it's handled everything I've thrown at it with good speeds. Battery life is average, not too bad but not exceptional. You can probably run it for days doing standard PIM tasks but when listening to music/watching movies, you'll probably want to charge nightly. Running TomTom Navigator GPS software + SirfStar 3 bluetooth GPS receiver sucks the battery clean within an hour.

Having said some nice things, I wanted you to note a few "gotchas". First of all, this device is prone to the battery drain bug, also found on some other models such as the Dell Axim x51v series. This is due to a bug in ActiveSync and can be semi-fixed here (http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=112638). It seems to help a lot, but does not solve the problem entirely as I still get a random battery drain once in a while. It could be due to software I've installed but I doubt that. This, in my opinion, is a major disappointment and as I don't own other devices, I'm not sure if this bug exists outside of the iPAQ and Axim crowd.

Secondly, there is a pretty bad bug with the SD slot I've recently been encountering. Basically, when you are copying files to the SD card via ActiveSync, the device randomly times out making copying large files impossible. I highly recommend you get a card reader to do this for you. This "timeout" bug as I call it, has only happened to me when copying to SD via ActiveSync and does not affect the PDA's operations. This bug has also never occurred while copying to a CF card.

One last thing, the hx2790 is a decent device, but have you also considered a Dell Axim x51v? It's exactly the same, except it has a VGA screen (with 3D accelerator + VGAOut)?

That's all I can think of at the moment. If you're looking for more information, just ask.

[edtech2000]

Jester,
Thanks very much for the run-down on the 2790. I do have a few more questions: what's the maximum capacity it will recognize in a CF and a SD card? And what's the maximum total amount of memory that can be recognized using both slots? Just a point of curiosity.

As for the Dell Axim x51v, I'm completely unfamiliar with Dell anything. Are there any x51v users that can comment?

And finally, what is the benefit of a VGA screen as opposed to the iPaq's screen?

I know someone who got a 2790 for Christmas but is selling it because he prefers the Palm OS. He's asking $350, and I think that's a great price if the full warranty is still available on it. So if I can get it for that price, would it still be worth considering a Dell?

[JesterMania]

As far as I know, the maximum capacity that's officially recognized by most devices would be 4GB (flash memory) per slot. Anything higher with regards to flash memory is risky on a PDA, hopefully someone can verify this, or maybe you can verify with HP tech support. To the best of my knowledge, neither slot affects each other, so there should be no limit to the "maximum total amount of memory". If, let's say, the CF slot can take up to 4GB and the SD slot can take up to 4GB, then you have 8GB total.

As for Dell users, the Axim x51v is a very popular unit. My friend uses it without trouble, though I can't say he's a very heavy user. Maybe you can try the Dell section of this forum or try the folks over at AximSite (http://www.aximsite.com/) to get some second opinions.

The benefit of the Axim x51v screen (VGA - 640x480 pixels) versus that of the iPAQ hx2790 screen (QVGA - 320x240 pixels) is in the sharpness. The x51v has 4x the number of pixels so the screen is noticeably sharper, especially with the 3.5" screens. In rare cases, VGA may cause slight incompatibilities with some programs but these issues should be quite rare now so I wouldn't worry about compatibility. I guess it breaks down to if you do a lot of reading (lots of web browsing, eBook reading, etc.) then a VGA screen maybe friendlier on the eyes. If you've been managing fine with QVGA (your past iPAQs should all be QVGA), then you can probably continue using QVGA and not really miss out on too much.

Regarding whether it is worth getting the hx2790 for that price you had better make sure you get a warranty on it. I had my hx2790 for about 7-8 months until the device exhibited faulty behaviour (such as installations not completing, the device spontaneously locking up, etc.) and it turned out that I had to have the motherboard fully replaced. Good thing I was still under my 1-year international warranty. Service was top-notch though, the iPAQ was sent, repaired, and received within 2 days time.

Assuming you have the warranty included and you've decided on the hx2790, then I think $350.00 should be a good price. Here in Canada, the hx2790 costs a ridiculous $549.00 on HP's website 8O . If you're interested in the pricing of the Axim, the x51v model goes for approximately $369.00 on Dell's website so that's something to consider.

[jpjehu]

The x51v is a far superior device b/c of the screen - it's more compact - and the video chip.

[Joelacrane]

I'm not even going to read though the thread. HP sucks. Badly. Their hardware is excellent, but their software is absolutely horrible, and I have decided that I will never, ever, ever buy an HP product ever again. I am very pleased with my Dell Axim x51v. I payed $330 for it, and it has been worth every penny. Do yourself a favor, and go for the Axim.

[fivepetpalace]

...... and the 4155.

what a great pda.... Best Form Ever, Fast, WiFi..... I still miss using mine...but I had to go with a converged device.

[BarePaw]

...... and the 4155.

what a great pda.... Best Form Ever, Fast, WiFi..... I still miss using mine...but I had to go with a converged device.

I'll second that. It still works great after 2 1/2 years of heavy use (pharmacy references, wyfi, music, even video sometimes), but the nicer screens, faster processors, and better batteries that are out now are tempting.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

As far as I know, the maximum capacity that's officially recognized by most devices would be 4GB (flash memory) per slot. Anything higher with regards to flash memory is risky on a PDA, hopefully someone can verify this, or maybe you can verify with HP tech support.

The official capacity defined by the SD association for SDA v1 slots (i.e. all PDAs) is 2GB, though 4GB is possible and works for some. CF is another matter entirely - the limit is essentially FAT, not the format itself. Therefore the theoretical maximum (as it is for SDA v2 slots, AKA SDHC) is the FAT limit of 32GB, which we haven't quite reached yet, though it should be only another year or so before we get there. You could potentially thus have 4GB in the SD slot and 32GB in the CF for a total of 36GB. I use two 8GB CFs (one is a microdrive) quite regularly in my Loox 720 without any issues at all - neither the Dell nor the iPaq should have any trouble with large capacity CFs unless you count the damage to your wallet.

[fairyliquidizer]

...... and the 4155.

what a great pda.... Best Form Ever, Fast, WiFi..... I still miss using mine...but I had to go with a converged device.

I'll second that. It still works great after 2 1/2 years of heavy use (pharmacy references, wyfi, music, even video sometimes), but the nicer screens, faster processors, and better batteries that are out now are tempting.

Booo hooo, just dropped mine, big crack on the screen. Still readable though so I'm keeping it until I decide what to get next. I mainly use mine for web browsing in bed. So I want a higher resolution. Might even try a Zaurus if they still make 'em.

Can you use the full VGA resolution on the x51v in PIE?

Thanks,
Fairy

[edtech2000]

4155 - I didn't realize I had such a gem! Yes, it works fine, but I'd really like to have 2 slots and Windows Mobile 5. Hope I won't be disappointed.

I'm still considering the Dell with the VGA screen, but would like to get something soon. I returned a GPS I got as a Christmas gift because I already have the Garmin 10, which is a Bluetooth GPS that will work with a PPC or a laptop. I've used it with my 4155, but want to be able to store all the US maps and use my little sd camera at the same time.
Patti