Rating: 
Summary: Productivity gains on day one!
Review: I'm not usually an early adopter of new gadgets, especially in this category. I'd always wondered about the Palms and whether or not I wanted to deal with a black and white (or green and gray) world of the Palm. I also saw these devices as unneeded if one used a laptop, as I do.I had a tough time getting one, but now I have the iPaq. I can say that this a great companion to a PC -- something my laptop is, but this much more convient. I find the following features the most useful: - Voice recorder: never thought I was a voice recorder type until I started using this one. Making a short note of something takes one second and is less obtrusive than trying to jote it down. - Character recognition: No learning a new graffiti script here. Just a couple of slightv)ery slight) adjustments to how I write a couple of letters and my iPac can read my writing better than my co-workers. And if I carry over these slight adjustments into the real world, my co-workers will benefit, too. - MP3 player: It's been a long time since I worried about carrying my tunes around with me. Having a player with me has made my days a bit more calmer as I wait in line. An unexpected benefit. - Pocket Word, Excel, etc.: Now I can read the attachements to e-mails! I was also able to get a jump start on a spreadsheet I wanted to do while waiting at the airport, but this time there was no looking for a table and a plug in. Those are just a start to the features I'm using. As far as the hardware goes, the iPaq is palms down (pun intended) a winner over its HP and Casio peers. A slim, light weight product with _excellent_ visibility in daylight, the iPaq leaves the others in the dust. A faster processor than the others means there's no waiting. Syncing with my laptop takes just seconds, even with hundreds of items to sync. I find the 'game pad' interface easy to use, intuitive and comfortable. Everything is in the right place. This would have been a 5 star rating except for the fact that there is no built in CF slot -- you must purchas a separate expansion pack to add memory. Palm may have the marketshare today, but I see good things for these PC-compatible companions. I espcially look forward to being able to develop and customize my own applications and utilities with my exsiting skillset, something I wouldn't be able to do with a Palm.
Rating:
Summary: It is finally here!
Review: I have had the Compaq ipaq3630 for about 2 weeks, so far I like it. Windows CE works well, Far superior to the Palm units I looked at ( Everyone I know that has a palm likes the Palm, but most would switch after seeing the compaq) Documentation on how to get around windows ce would be helpful, But it is not to hard to figure out. More bang for the buck than the palm IIIC for those wanting color. My only complaints to date, 1.) The cover for the hidden system on/off switch does not stay latched closed, a minor annoyance not worth returning the unit. 2.) The unit comes with a USB cradle, Windows N/T does not support USB, The serial cradle is not available yet ( not that I can find as of 8/4/00) Consequently I have to wait until Sept to make this sync with my work computer. 3.) Support to make this sync with Lotus Notes could be a challenge. Overall, I like the unit better than the Palm, HP, or Casio units I looked at.
Rating: 
Summary: Well worth the wait
Review: I finally found an Ipaq at Staples... and boy was I happy. Iwas even happier to get home and find that the unit felt much more sturdy than either the HP or Casio models. Not to mention that the HP and Casio are [cost] more than the Ipaq. Now there is the issue with the expansion port, or lack there of. Now I personally like the jacket idea for the compaq. Just makes it that much more flexable. To be able to have either a flash card or a PCMCIA card is what sets this unit apart. Yes the jackets are a bit pricy... but the savings on the initial price of the Ipaq makes it worthwhile. Pretty much you gotta see one to understand. I really like it.
Rating: 
Summary: Compaq in confusion?
Review: I have ordered an iPAQ and have waited since June. I need a PDA and have delayed, waiting shippment of the iPAQ. The problem is not the delay, it is the inaccurate and lack of information from Compaq. Even a manager in product development told me it would be by July. Now we are told August 15. I did not care when it shipped, but I did care to receive real information. I have purchased a Palm Vx and love it. Too bad though, the iPAQ, despite Compaq, seemed nice.
Rating:
Summary: Well-designed product--powerful, useful and fun!
Review: ... I almost gave up waiting on this unit to instead choose an HP, but I am so glad I waited-- thanks for delivering, Amazon! As a developer, I am kind of picky, and I didn't want just another slow Palm. For only ~$60 more than a Palm IIIc, I got so much more in performance. Plus, with free Microsoft Developer tools, I can now write my own applications. The advertisement pictures do it a "professional" injustice. I was a little apprehensive that the unit would look too much like a "GameBoy" for serious business use. However, that quickly vanished when I saw that the front "joystick" device was flat and unobtrusive. My peers all were impressed. It feels solid and metal-like, but I believe it is metalized plastic. The buttons are solid and I really like the way it is so responsive--I seem to never have to wait while applications launch. It's like having a Pentium PC in your hand. Here are my feelings so far after only several days of use: * - The display is truly outstanding--bright, clear, functional, under any lighting conditions. The only negative is that it does look a little bluish for pictures--maybe a limit of the backlight or only 4096 colors. However, it is a reasonable design compromise and not a distraction to me. * - I like the way it sites in the cradle by my desk and shows me new messages appearing in my inbox. I just downloaded PicturePerfect to try--it creates a pleasant picture slide show while the iPaq is docked. I copied over several digital family photos. Now it sits and shows them like a Photo album. PicturePerfect is a nice application and performs great on the iPaq! * - I use it with USB on Windows 2000. Microsoft ActiveSync works very well. It's interesting to see the changes take place on the iPaq as I read or delete email on my PC, and visa versa. The only disappointment was that it won't sync both my separate work and home email accounts in Outlook, as I was hoping to keep both on my iPaq. * - Last night the kids were having fun recording and playing back their voices, and now I have 30 wav files-- treasures I can electronically preserve so we can laugh about when they are older. It's like taking snapshots of their voices. I would never do that with a tape recorder--too much setup. Now I can record simple voice note for later action. * - So far, the 32 mb of memory goes a long way. Over the weekend, I loaded pictures, sound bits, several Word files, and an Excel file from work. I was impressed that Excel's entire spreadsheet transferred seamlessly. As an experiment, I changed a cell and copied the file back to the PC and reloaded it into Excell successfully. Impressive! Similarly, I loaded a large Word file of a book I extracted from a CD program. This still doesn't even put a dent into the memory. However, I've yet to do MP3 files, which uses 1 mb per minute. * - Battery life is 8-10 hours. At home I mistakenly forgot to plug the charger in along with the USB. It ran all day long in its cradle until I noticed a low battery warning. A quick plug-in and it charged in a few hours. As I am still discovering, the newness hasn't yet worn off. However, it appears I finally won't need to lug around my laptop as much anymore. It's well worth waiting for while Compaq ramps up their production. I am quite impressed with this iPaq device--it is good balance between power and functionality. Now, I hope they sell enough to encourage after-market supporting products. Nevertheless, I now have a device worthy of my development attention that will run the mobile applications I've dreamed of writing without feeling compromised or constrained!
Rating: 
Summary: Compaq almost gets it right
Review: Compaq almost gets it right. When Compaq introduced their Aero 2100 series of handheld computers in 1999, they disappointed many with a murky screen displaying only 256 colors and a micro 2.5mm headphone jack instead the more traditional sized 3.5mm jack we are used to. Fortunately, Compaq offered a free software upgrade which boosted color output to 65,000 and finding an adapter for the headphone jack was as easy as going to my local Radio Shack. So, when Compaq announced their new Ipaq I was excited. I was excited to think that I would get the best features of the Aero, with the superior new features and awesome design of the Ipaq. Unfortunately, the Ipaq team left me a bit deflated. I was most disappointed with the cradle. Compaq chose to ship all Ipaqs with a USB version. Maybe you like having a cradle, but I don't need one. Sure, the cradle is nice, but wouldn't we have been better served had Compaq supplied USB and serial CABLES instead? What is even more maddening is Compaq's decision to alter the connection port on the Ipaq from the Aero 2100 standard. This renders any legacy cables useless and if you're an Aero owner who chose to upgrade, like me, you'll have to spend another $40 if you want to use your new Ipaq with other products like your cellular phone. Shame on Compaq. I was also disappointed to see Compaq chose to go with only a 12-bit, 4,086 color screen instead of a 65,000 color screen. While the Ipaq's screen is quite a bit brighter than the Aero's, the difference in resolution in photos is extremely noticeable. I'm hopeful Compaq's engineers will offer a color upgrade similar to the Aero's. Finally, instead of a mail-in rebate for the compact flash jacket, why not just include it as standard equipment? With its superior speed and awesome looks, the Ipaq is a good machine. I only wish it was a little better.
Rating:
Summary: Problems synchronizing under Windows 2000
Review: The machine and screen are beautiful. Fast and responsive. The addition of case (which is mandatory in order to protect the screen) makes fitting the unit in a shirt pocket difficult. No built-in expansion. A previous Amazon review stated that "The USB connection on Windows 2000 is a bit finiky." I have experienced major problems under Windows 2000 using the USB docking station -- it got worse and worse to the point where I can no longer sync at all. This feels like a software issue involving the included Windows sync software, as the sync software now reports that the USB port is not available. Maybe Intellisync 3.7 is the cure (if anybody knows the answer to this, please report it).
Rating:
Summary: Palm Convert
Review: After trying most of the features on the new iPAQ for a week now, I am a convert. My Palm V has been great and I have been loyal to Palm for a couple of years, but this machine represents a quantum leap in capabilties. It has a great screen, making reading everything easier for me. I love the MP3 player, and having my favorite photos to show off. Reading books actually works for me on this (and it didn't on my laptop) and emails and word documents are a snap. I print pretty well anyway, so handwriting recognition is about 95% (! much better than I get with Palm). After all of the raving, I do have to say that this is a complex device that takes some effort to master. I crashed 4 times working out how to transfer MP3s and JPEGs in one day (I have never crashed a Palm). More capabilities and features = more complexity and less stability. That said, it does work extremely well. Just be ready to invest time to learn it. After 1 week, I am also ready for more memory. (Time to go shopping for accessories. $$) I'd say that the base product is robust and very well designed, the documentation (there isn't any) and accessories (not available yet) have been rushed and have not been done well. I expect that Compaq will improve this in the coming weeks. Activesync was not included, so be ready to download this from the net if you want to sync with Outlook. I'd recommend this product. It's very fun.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing Stats, Runs Linux...
Review: It is entertaining that the description indicates that the iPAQ uses a "real Intel processor;" what it contains is a StrongARM, produced by a consortium that included Digital/Compaq, whose fabrication facilities were purchased by Intel. It certainly wasn't designed by Intel, and has no compatibility with Intel's IA-32, IA-64, or other microcontroller lines. The other "claim to fame" of the iPAQ is that its design is based on the Digital/Compaq "Itsy" design, a StrongARM handheld running Linux and the X Window System. Compaq engineers are now working on making the iPAQ a usable platform for running Linux and X. ...
Rating:
Summary: Works in Sunlight
Review: I've read all the reviews and then waited 8 weeks for it to be available for delivery. It was worth it. It not only lived up to all the hype, but its best feature was hardly mentioned. IT WORKS IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT! My work requires me to use a Windows CE (or Pocket PC) based device outdoors. This is the first one that is functional in direct sunlight. My friend purchased a Casio E115 and it is totally useless unless he takes it indoors, or a darkened area. I highly recommend it to anyone because of its overall competence, especially if you plan to use your PDA outdoors.
| 
