HP Shipping iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger [Archive]

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Jon Westfall

06-10-2008, 08:30 PM

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/215348-215348-64929-314903-3352590-3551665.html' target='_blank'>http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/e...90-3551665.html</a> </div>"HP today announced the first shipment date of the HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger, a 3G smartphone designed for maximum mobile productivity to a global audience at the HP Connecting Your World conference. The HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger shines with a stylish, glossy, piano-black design and features an integrated QWERTY keyboard, Microsoft Windows® Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system and the latest wireless technologies,(1) to simplify the complexities of business and personal life. The feature-packed HP iPAQ 900 Series offers voice and mobile email communications, along with support for critical business applications. It uses tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE wireless technology to allow customers to make calls(2) and quickly access the Internet around the world, while integrated BluetoothTM and Wi-Fi wireless technology allows for convenient connectivity. " <img alt="" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/spt/auto/1213125316.usr7.jpg" /> Ah HP, the company that everyone loves to criticize for their tardiness and odd behavior when it comes to mobile devices (it all went down hill after the 6315... 4 years ago...). Anyway, they're apparently shipping their iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger (A.k.a. a Pocket PC Phone) now, and it doesn't look half bad. WM 6.1, Modern design, Wifi / bluetooth / GPS / GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA / EIEIO (OK, joking about the last one...) and a 3 Megapixel camera. If it is actually shipping, that's a good thing. Press release after the break. <MORE /> HP 3G Smartphone Delivers Productivity On the Go BERLIN, June 10, 2008 – HP today announced the first shipment date of the HP iPAQ Business Messenger, a 3G smartphone designed for maximum mobile productivity, to a global audience at the HP Connecting Your World conference. Available worldwide beginning June 30, the HP Business Messenger shines with a stylish, glossy, piano-black design and features an integrated QWERTY keyboard, Microsoft Windows® Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system and the latest wireless technologies,(1) to simplify the complexities of business and personal life. The feature-packed HP iPAQ Business Messenger also offers voice and mobile email communications, along with support for critical business applications. It uses tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE wireless technology to allow customers to make calls(2) and quickly access the Internet from around the world, while integrated Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi wireless technology allow for convenient connectivity. “As more of the workforce becomes mobile, people are demanding greater sophistication and functionality from smartphones,” said Paul Damiani, vice president and general manager, Handheld Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “HP has used customer feedback to develop devices that not only provide connectivity, productivity tools and GPS navigation, but also support the business applications that truly keep the on-the-go professional connected.” The HP iPAQ Business Messenger runs on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system for access to familiar productivity applications and a richer mobile experience with Internet browsing and texting, simpler email and wireless setup, and security enhancements. The device features an alphanumeric QWERTY thumb keyboard for fast typing, a touch-screen display and a five-way navigation button and scroll wheel on the side allowing convenient one-handed navigation through menus and emails. Built-in Cyberon Voice Commander and HP Voice Reply features enable hands-free emailing and other device commands.(3) Those constantly on the move will welcome turn-by-turn navigation(4) via built-in GPS. The HP iPAQ Business Messenger also features Microsoft Internet Sharing software that simplifies connecting to the Internet with a notebook PC anywhere high-speed cellular data networks are available. In addition to the latest entertainment applications from Windows Mobile 6.1, the HP iPAQ Business Messenger features a 3-megapixel camera. Photos captured with an HP iPAQ can be directly uploaded to the leading online photo service Snapfish, as well as other online digital photo services. The HP iPAQ Business Messenger also supports HP Enterprise Mobility Suite, the HP mobile device management solution that allows easy setup and over-the-air manageability. The suite allows enterprises to remotely manage, help secure and support mobile devices for maximum device performance and access to applications, data and networks. Pricing and availability The HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger will be available worldwide. Shipping dates will vary by region and are expected to begin by June 30. Prices will vary by country and region. More information on the HP iPAQ 900 Series is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/personal. About HP HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $110.4 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

Pdaholic

06-10-2008, 09:03 PM

I know many folks hate HP for various reasons, but I do like the looks of this PDA. I currently have an HP 6945, and it has served me well. I am a bit disappointed in the screen on this new device; the 910 has a 2.4" while the 6945 has a 3" screen. Despite the smaller screen, the device itself isn't any lighter than my 6945. At least the resolution is improved (320x240 910 vs. 240x240 6945), but really, 320x240 is the same res we were using with wm2002, LOL.

HP has some tough competition with Samsung's static-keyboard device, and perhaps more competition with the upcoming Palm 800 devices. Price will likely be a major factor.

Phillip Dyson

06-10-2008, 09:13 PM

Its strange after months of chasing all of the "touchy" feely phones announced, HP's business phone may actually seem revolutionary.

It will surely have people scratching their heads since they probably wont understand what it is. Where's the cube? Where's the gestures?

Sorry, just being a bit silly.

As a potential workhorse, it is somewhat attractive.

efjay

06-10-2008, 09:18 PM

I was set to get this when it was first announced or the Velocity querty - but after having tried the concept version of Netfront 3.5 and Opera 9.5 I dont think that screen size will work at all well for me. Comparing this to the Samsung Omnia with its 3.2in screen (my current favorite) it doesnt stack up well. Another issue is the onboard memory, with the choice of 8 or 16GB on the Samsung it frees up my memory slot for those GPS apps that are now coming out only on microSD cards. As tomtom has abandoned the PPC market and the better options (Garmin, Oncourse/iGo) are only available preinstalled on a card the Samsung has come at the best time for me. The convenience of the always available keyboard is outweighed by the bigger screen and memory of the Samsung.

Plus there is HP's poor support, will this device receive an upgrade when Internet Explorer Mobile 6 is released?

Ed@Brighthand

06-10-2008, 10:24 PM

Not a big deal, but this device isn't actually shipping now. The first paragraph of the press release is a bit ambiguous, but if you look way down to the bottom you'll see:

Shipping dates will vary by region and are expected to begin by June 30.

daS

06-11-2008, 04:48 PM

3 Megapixel camera

Is it just me or does it seem like a very bad idea to include a camera in a "business phone"? :confused:

I have started caring an old tri-band phone I have in my laptop case and have to move my SIM from my "real" phone (AT&T Tilt) whenever I've visiting a client. It's a royal PITA that would have been solved if they had just left off the pathetic camera in the first place. The Tilt also has a 3M Pixel camera, but with the "pin-hole" size lens, it's worthless anyway and simply causes issues for those of us that can't take cameras everywhere.

Pdaholic

06-11-2008, 09:04 PM

Is it just me or does it seem like a very bad idea to include a camera in a "business phone"? :confused:

HP is one of the few companies that produces PDAs both with and without cameras. The 910's predecessor, the 6945, also has a brother called the 6920 that lacks a seeing-eye. I doubt that HP will stray from its previous practice of producing camera-free versions, but who knows.

Brad Adrian

06-13-2008, 12:26 AM

saljamex

06-13-2008, 03:20 AM

I really miss the first HP Jornadas, like the 565, it was my first quantum leap on PocketPc's scince the fisrt cassiopeas. I hope this one has the same quality as the old ones.

whydidnt

06-13-2008, 03:12 PM

Okay, show of hands...

How many people actually USE their camera? And, how often?

Frankly, I can probably count the number of times I've used my phone's camera in the past four years on one hand. I wouldn't miss it if I never had a camera option again.

I think this may be a chicken or egg argument. I don't use mine much, but that's primarily because most these cameras are SO awful. If the manufacturer actually included a camera that was half-way decent I would use it much more often. The camera in the Tilt is a total joke. Press the button and wait about 5 seconds for the picture to snap. Gee, why is everything blurry, again?:rolleyes:

Nokia and SE seemed to have figured this out, but it seems most WM manufacturers consider it a necessary evil that only adds to the cost of building the phone.

Pdaholic

06-13-2008, 09:59 PM

Okay, show of hands...

How many people actually USE their camera? And, how often?

Frankly, I can probably count the number of times I've used my phone's camera in the past four years on one hand. I wouldn't miss it if I never had a camera option again.

I use the camera on my phone nearly daily. I love having it available at all times, and I have my camera options tweaked for the best picture possible. Definitely not the best photos, but my PDA is always on my side.

odin

06-15-2008, 10:34 PM

Nurhisham Hussein

06-16-2008, 04:25 AM

I think this may be a chicken or egg argument. I don't use mine much, but that's primarily because most these cameras are SO awful. If the manufacturer actually included a camera that was half-way decent I would use it much more often.

I absolutely agree - I don't use the camera on my Advantage for just that reason. My previous phone (an SE K800i) had a superb camera, which I used a lot.

whydidnt

06-16-2008, 04:41 AM

The processor and screen are the major disappointments for me on this device. They upgraded everything else and removed infrared, which I could care less about since I rarely, if ever, used it. I'm not sure the additional memory is going to keep Windows from locking up as usual without a more powerful processor. Currently, I have the hw6945 iPaq Mobile Messenger, which I've been fairly happy with, but I still have to perform a hard reset on it every so often. I want more stability in a phone. Also, the 4GB limitation on the mini sd card slot and high price of $499.99 have me leaning more toward the iPhone or the Tilt. I'm willing to try another platform for the next couple years until HP gets it right or something better comes along.

Well, i don't think the processor will be a source of lockups on this device, but I have to agree, we sure aren't seeing much progress in this area. I don't think the specs will contribute to lock-ups at all, they are pretty standard fare for WM6 pro devices, and the platform is actually pretty stable, despite what some would want you to believe.

The Tilt you are considering has nearly identical hardware specs - the screen is a little bigger, and it uses a different brand processor, that clocks slightly lower (but maybe slightly faster anyway) than the one in the new iPaq, but same memory. I think the MicroSD slot will support any SDHC card, so you should be able to run an 8 GB model, despite HP's spec sheet. It's funny, I'm thinking of "upgrading" from a Tilt to this device. I really like the front facing keyboard and thinner profile. Of course, the iPhone is tempting, but I think i'll wait until the next round of upgrades when a 32 GB model is available, and maybe by then ATT and Apple will remove all the ridiculous restrictions.

whydidnt

07-01-2008, 04:18 AM

Some might be interested to know that you can now order this direct from HP. I placed an order with overnight shipping. It indicates an estimated delivery date of 7/5, which probably isn't correct, since I doubt they'll deliver on a Saturday. But, perhaps I'll get it on Monday the 7th? HP.com has decent overnight shipping rates, only about $6.00 more than standard. I'm not sure this is really much of an upgrade over the Tilt I'm using right now, but I'm looking forward to having the keyboard available all the time. I will miss all of the "enhanced ROMs" available at XDA though, they've helped make the Tilt much more usable.

mkheraj

07-10-2008, 06:28 PM

This message is for "whydidnt". Did you get the phone? If so, what do you think of it? I am also thinking of "upgrading" from my Tilt to this phone.

Murad

whydidnt

07-10-2008, 06:45 PM

I did receive the phone yesterday. It's built pretty well, the size is almost perfect. It fits well in both my hand and pocket. It seems to be pretty responsive, but I haven't done much extensive testing with it.

The near deal breaker for me right now is the fact that HP disabled the screen rotate function. I have some older programs that won't work on the landscape screen, and figured it wouldn't be a big deal to just rotate and hold the device sideways for those. WRONG. I'm not sure what benefit HP derives from disabling a feature of the OS, but I'm seriously contemplating returning the device because of this. :(

I also can't get TCPMP to run on the device, which is a 2nd deal breaker. I know that's an older, no longer supported app and Core Player might work, but of course there isn't a trial of that to test with so, I'm not really able to test out the media abilities, and I really prefer to use the same player I'm used to.

whydidnt

07-10-2008, 08:12 PM

To update my previous post. I found a compatible version of TCPMP at XDA, apparently it's been recompiled to be WM 6.1 compatible, and it works. I have only tried a couple of videos - all converted to WM friendly sizes, but they work well and the TCPMP benchmark shows between 280% - 333% depending on which of the videos is playing which seems fine.

I'm still concerned about the missing rotate function though. I have doubts this device will be a big seller, which means it's unlikely programmers will have much interest in fixing the issue.

mkheraj

07-11-2008, 01:31 AM

I think that's one of the few things that will keep me away from this phone, a lack of interest from many developers, unless XDA takes an interest.

The screen rotation isn't as big an issue for me as long as it has the base applications and the system is responsive. Let us know when you are able to finish your tests.

If it doesn't work out, at least I have the Nokia e71 to look forward to.