Rating: 
Summary: The Best!!
Review: Absolutely love it! I have bought a Palm and later a Visor, but the IPAQ is the best. You will not regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: IPAQ ACTIVE SYNC PROBLEMS
Review: Agreed, this is a handy device with plenty of features to engage you in your obsessive organization...grin. If you're using MS XP you might experience problems when trying to sync via the serial cable, getting Device Not Connected errors, the USB seems to work a little better - but is still a hit and miss (for me). If you read the board posts at Microsoft you'll learn that this problem is not all that uncommon. ActiveSync 3.6 did not correct the problem. My other complaint is the cumbersome methode in downloading apps from the web - to the desktop - to the IPAQ. You need to have a very in-depth working knowledge to make this happen (PALM systems are superior in this...my opinion). I'm still unable to sync a dictionary I purchased to my handheld.
Bottom line: I like the device itself, but the troubles with software loading, syncing, etc. make this "time saver" too much trouble. I've jumped ship to the Sony Clie, which uses PALM OS and PALM Desktop (vs. Outlook for the IPAQ).
Rating:
Summary: Beware of battery problems
Review: Although I agree that the IPAQ looks great, has a great display, tons of neat applications, I've had a fatal flaw in my unit that doesn't appear to be that uncommon - the unit (even though completely turned off) drains the battery down to 0% at random times. One day it is at 95% battery capacity, the next day it's completely dead. That means you lose all your data and installed programs. Just wonderful if you're on the road, and used it to schedule appointments, etc (they're all gone, unless you were able to sync with a desktop/laptop before the battery died). I'm not claiming this happens with all units, but it does appear to be a significant problem - check out the links included below from the HP support site. After sending the unit back several times to HP, I'm tired of trying to get them to fix it. I'm trying to get HP to replace it, time will tell if they do....
Rating:
Summary: Your search stops here - Highly recommended
Review: Although I'm totally new to the Pocket PC arena, I've carried a trusty Palm device (a III and then a Vx) for several years. I was starting to get a bit bored with the Palm OS. Although it is implemented well, it seems to (lately) lack a bit of innovation and imagination. Despite that, there are literally millions of happy Palm users out there. And that means that there will continue to be quite a bit of developer support for the Palm, at least for the next year or so.But while developer support used to be Palm's trump card, the tables seem to be turning. Just a couple of short years ago, developer support of the Windows CE OS was pitiful. It wasn't even in the same ballpark with Palm. But what a difference a couple of years make....there are now thousands of third party applications available for Windows CE/Pocket PC devices. Now to the point....the iPaq 3955. Prior to purchasing the 3955, I decided I would go with the Toshiba e335, primarily because it is less expensive. But after getting it home and spending a couple of days with the Toshiba, I found it to be just a bit lacking. The display, while not bad, was a bit fuzzy and muted. The unit itself seemed a tad flimsy. And, although I really didn't have a basis of comparison, it seemed a little sluggish in the performance department. So after reading countless user reviews, I decided to return the Toshiba and take the more costly plunge into iPaq land. I am happy to report that the iPaq 3955 is the absolute hands-down winner. There's no comparison. To me, the iPaq is the clear winner in practically every major comparison category: battery life, expandability options, screen clarity and brightness, performance (speed), and overall ergonomic design. In terms of performance (speed), I realize that it is not really a fair comparison because the Toshiba e335 uses a 300 MHz processor, whereas the iPaq 3955 is equipped with 400 MHz. To me, there was a noticeable difference in performance. Applications launched more quickly and large Word documents, for example, took less time to load. After looking at the Toshiba's screen for a few days, the iPaq's screen is simply stunning. Very bright and crisp. You should have no problem reading even the smallest of fonts on this unit. Also, the overall ergonomic design of the iPaq is quite good, especially in comparison to the Toshiba. Where the Toshiba felt a little light and flimsy, the iPaq feels solidly constructed. I'm not sure if it's casing is made of metal, but it feels like it, while the Toshiba seems to be made mostly of plastic. I don't mean to be bashing the Toshiba. For the money, the Toshiba is certainly worth considering. But if you can afford to spend a bit more, the iPaq 3955 takes the prize.
Rating: 
Summary: Attractive but abysmally frustrating
Review: Got this refurbished from Costco. Good screen etc. BUT, the power runs out every time you turn your back on it and there IS NO BACKUP (watch-type) battery. When the power runs out, you LOSE every program you ever installed, and the software walks you through an insultingly stupid nano-tutorial before you can use it again. Stupid design of the decade. Bought a stowaway keyboard for it and whenever the keyboard got near it, the Ipaq got flaky. Tonight the thing died again and I destroyed it (dead, it makes a better work of art than it ever did a PDA). Reason: I had to spend more time and effort reviving it than using it. A great concept with severely crappy reliability.
Rating:
Summary: Attractive but abysmally frustrating
Review: Got this refurbished from Costco. Good screen etc. BUT, the power runs out every time you turn your back on it and there IS NO BACKUP (watch-type) battery. When the power runs out, you LOSE every program you ever installed, and the software walks you through an insultingly stupid nano-tutorial before you can use it again. Stupid design of the decade. Bought a stowaway keyboard for it and whenever the keyboard got near it, the Ipaq got flaky. Tonight the thing died again and I destroyed it (dead, it makes a better work of art than it ever did a PDA). Reason: I had to spend more time and effort reviving it than using it. A great concept with severely crappy reliability.
Rating:
Summary: Stay away from Ipaq's and Jornada's
Review: Having given Jornada and Ipaq one try each, it is my duty to warn you to stay from them. Both are good for one thing for one year: playing solitaire!! At the end of one year, they conk out like they were on a timing device of some sort.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent product but... check for bad pixels.
Review: I am very statisfied with my new iPAQ 3955. I would give it five stars but... It was necessary to do a return/replacement with the first unit I received due to a bad "frozen" pixel on the screen. With Amazon's excellent return/replacement policies this was a relatively painless process and the replacement unit was perfect with no problems whatsoever. Out of curiosity while I was out Christmas shopping, I checked several iPAQ 3955 units on display at a local retailer and discovered that 2 of the 3 units on display had bad pixels. I also noted that several of the Amazon customer reviews indicate a pixel problem. Apparently, this is a problem with the 3900 series - otherwise it is an excellent product with a lot of great features at a fairly reasonable price. Just be sure to check for bad pixels.
Rating:
Summary: Buyer Beware
Review: I bought a new iPaq 3955. While the applications and OS are wonderful, the defects in the display on this device are unacceptable. When I powered up the device, I noticed that several of the display pixels are "frozen" in a red color. I shipped it back to Compaq to be fixed and was shocked to learn that screen defects pass the manufacturer's acceptability criteria! I made the mistake of buying an early Jornada and recently replaced it with the iPaq. Having tolerated similar defects that got worse over time with the HP Jornada, I find this attitude unacceptable. My device went back the vendor - If you buy one, I hope you don't get mine. Buyer Beware.
Rating:
Summary: You gotta get one of these!
Review: I bought my iPAQ to replace my bulky Franklin Planner. I reasoned that I didn't really "need" it, but as an engineer I must have a certain amount of technology in my life. Little did I know how much I really did need it. I never realized how much time I spent manually transferring information between my computer and my planner. I've had my iPAQ for all of 24 hours, and I can't believe how much I like being "synchronized" in seconds. In fact, I like it so much I'm buying another one as a gift for a relative.
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