Rating: 
Summary: Has exceeded my expectations
Review: After studying and reading about all the different PDA's I finally purchased a Casio BE-300. I was very disappointed. I couldn't even figure out how to load additional software on it. I tried calling tech support to no avail (only open certain hours). I then e-mailed tech support and received no reply. I returned to product to CompUSA where I bought it, paid their 15% restocking fee (I will never buy anything from CompUSA again). I then purchased this one. What a difference. Same price as the BE-300, but ten times the PDA. I have been extremely impressed with the Jornada. It does everything I want it to do and more. I have been pleasantly surprised by its various features. It has exceeded my expectations.
Rating: 
Summary: Best bang for your buck
Review: All in all I am VERY happy with my purchase. I was a stubborn Palm IIIc user until I bought this unit. I ahd the Ipaq but did not want to deal with the manufacturing issues. This unit is solid, performs aptly (I recommend GoBar to assist in memory usage), and I bought the hard lid that the 548 sports. One drawback is the lack of USB support. If you need that, you must look elsewhere. I cannot give it 5 stars because it does not have an active matrix screen and only sports 16 MB of ram, but I would recommend this to anyone who want to try the Pocket PC platform but does not want to shell out $500; or anyone who wants a good PDA while they wait for the next hottest thing to come out.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware! You get what you pay for.
Review: Beware! This is not the deal it appears to be. The 525 is an older model. It does not accomodate the vast majority of e-books retailed by [Amazon.com] which require Microsoft Reader 2.0. Handango, the software provider of MS Reader has no plans to accomodate these older models.ActiveSync 3.5, the much touted, much more stable sync software will not run on my ONE-year-old Gateway/Win Me system (Pentium III, 128 mg RAM), so I'm left with 3.1. Not sure if this is the reason why, but MP3 files will not download to my handheld without disrupting the sync function...meaning uninstalling, unplugging, restarting, reinstalling, etc., etc., etc. A lot of my time was wasted trying to download MP3 files and I'm afraid to even try the Audible.com "deal" that comes with this gadget. The buyer of this device is left with a color palm device that will sync with your Outlook calendar, contacts, email, etc., but doesn't deliver on the "bells and whistles" that appear in this [Amazon.com] ad.
Rating:
Summary: Watch Out!!
Review: Don't get this one. It is the old model and is not upgradeable to the new Microsoft Pocket PC 2002. Unless you just want to use this as an electronic address book get the new 560 series.
Rating:
Summary: questions needed to be answered
Review: dont know how to work it there is no instructions how do i get connected to the internet with it ?????? etc
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the price
Review: For almost three years I had exclusively used a Jornada 820 (Windows CE handheld with built-in modem and keyboard) as a portable device. And while I still love to take the 820 along on trips, there was one drawback: It was always just a little too big and heavy for my purse. This is why I recently bought a Jornada 525 Pocket PC. The main reason for deciding on a 525 was its price, but I was also pleasantly surprised by its great functionality and design. The device fits well into my hand and exudes a sense of quality - no thin plastic body but substantial metal with rubber coating on the sides for a better grip. It looks pretty cool. Of course there are a few compromises compared to higher-priced Pocket PCs: The 525 does not come with a cover, although one is available separately; the stylus cannot be stored in the device itself, although there is a slot for it in the included protective glove. Also, this Jornada has only a 256 color display, and no USB interface, however, a serial cable is included for synchronization. Another thing that's missing is a docking station, but again this can be purchased as an accessory. The 525 has only 16 MB memory, and not the fastest processor (SH3, 133 Mhz). But all these things do not bother me too much. I synchronize via infrared anyway (which you CAN do with this device), and I have already purchased a cover - the silver-colored one looks quite good with it! Sure, the 16 MB memory is not great, but luckily the 525 has a Compact Flash Card slot. With prices for these cards plummeting, I put in a 128 MB CF card and I'm loaded for bear. If you are like me - and I would dare say like most of the Pocket PC users - you will probably use such a device mainly for storing contacts and appointments, for playing Solitaire or read an eBook while waiting at the doctor's office, or for listening to MP3 files when the wait gets REALLY long. Also for storing other information like credit card numbers, passwords and PINs, and for keeping track of projects, orders, etc. With the optional camera module, one can even take pictures and view them. All these things work on the Jornada 525, and work well. I would urge anyone who is in the market for a Pocket PC to really think about what he/she wants to do with it, and not blindly go for ads that make you want to spend hundreds of dollars more for a little more speed, contrast, and built-in memory. The fact is that all these devices have a very short shelf life, and what is top-of-the-line today, will very likely be gone by this time next year. Unless you are one of those rare power users who really live and breathe this technology, I believe the Jornada 525 will more than meet your needs. The reason I didn't give 5 stars is that in my experience its battery life is not the best - I've learned to never stray too far from an electrical outlet. But again: This also depends on what kind of applications you are running, and how many at the same time... Nothing to gripe too much about.
Rating:
Summary: Good value/price
Review: Great little machine. Does just what I needed. Maintains contact list; transfers files to/from PC; great reminder process. After seeing what it can do, everyone I've shown it to was amazed by the price (< two hundred).
Rating:
Summary: love at first sight
Review: i am definitely not a techie....i don't even have a dvd player or cd-rw....but i have always refered to myself as a bag lady cause i love my stuff and want it with me....i always carried some large bag with notebooks, books, games etc
i originally wanted to simply read ebook....lots of books in one small space...the other features (games, notebook, contacts, calander) were simply bonus features i soon learned to love and not live without. my first pda was ebookman....it was ok, mono-color, some software avaiable etc but when they didn't release microsoft reader for ebookman and i realized i may never be able to read a well-known author on my device....i returned it and bought a hp jornada 525. the specs vs price were right and from my research i still think this little dynamo is the best for the price!!!! since then i've definitely found i can't live without my pda (my boyfriend is actually jealous of the pda for the attention it gets from me)
i have a keyboard, a camera, any accessory i could get! and rarely am i disappointed with my purchases! the only cons i would say are....a/ it uses windows ce 2.11....time consuming to switch between programs (microsoft's fault, not hp)....this was solved by downloading task manager software free from the internet (many programs out there)...b/ one thing i can say about franklin's ebookman was the screen didn't scratch. trust me...the jornada's screen can scratch very easy and so i simply recommend shelling out just once even for screen protector...definitely worth the money.
overall, i love my pda! i listen to books and music, keep my calander and contacts, get reminders when i need them, play games, compose documents, read books, take picures ect ect.....all in one little package (NO MORE BAG LADY)
best of all, being a nurse, i have complete drug reference stored on it, lab values, and various other programs to help in my medical field - fast easy information i can take with me! my back thanks hp for not having to lug all those refence books around...i even have programs to help diagnose and treat various symptoms! and that makes my pda TAX DEDUCTIBLE :)
YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS LITTLE BABY!
Rating:
Summary: piece of [work]
Review: I can't believe HP has fallen this low, It use to be, they had the best quality products in the market, this Jornada, is just a piece of [junk]. The main problem is that if you ever step out of your office (and mobile computers are suposed to serve this purpose) you will not see a thing, ZERO! in the cheap display; I mean ZERO. Then, the little cover for the card, which is so delicate and wrongly positioned, it is bound for breakage in less than a month after you buy it; Then you get a customer service that is totally worthless, unpolite, endless voice mail messages, etc... Need I go on?, I hope Pilot comes up with this technology soon, it will be a good machine, forget HP, I went back to Palm Vx.
Rating:
Summary: The Jornada 525 is a lightweight champ
Review: I got a terrific deal on my Jornada, squeaking in under some of the economy PalmOS deals. Having used it now for a month or so, I can say that it's worth the advertised retail price--any money off that is icing on the cake. The drawbacks were mostly mentioned in the review--no stylus slot, serial data transfers (USB is not available for the 520-series), and 8-bit color doesn't really lend itself to viewing photos or the like. However, in a PDA at this price, any color is a terrific bonus. I carry the soft case that came with the Jornada everywhere I take it, and it has a small loop where you can store a stylus. And you can get around the transfer speeds by using CompactFlash memory and purchasing a USB CF reader (they have gotten very inexpensive). I have my MP3's downloaded in a flash (pun intended). (Note that if you try this, it is probably best to store your files somewhere under the "My Documents" folder on the CF card--you can create it if it doesn't already exist.) This unit works well as an MP3 player, though I did notice a slight pop between tracks using the included Media Player. It is also a terrific digital recorder, and if you search around in the settings long enough, you can even change the recording format for better quality sound (the default format is proprietary to HP, so if you want to listen to it on your computer you will need to download a driver from hp.com). The quick-access keys on the unit are user-assignable, and there is extensive customization available--both device-specific and the usual PocketPC stuff. The display has a few different lighting presets and is generally easy to read in all lighting environments. The speaker leaves something to be desired--it is pretty tinny and not really useful for listening to MP3's, for example; however, plugging in headphones solves that problem nicely. Overall, I couldn't have asked for much more than this at double the price I paid.
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