Hewlett Packard IPAQ h5450 Pocket PC

Where did PDA's come from, and look where they are going. At one time, they were there to store appointments and work as a Rolodex. Now, they have become a glorified Rolodex.

The next generations of PDA's are called Pocket PC's. They come with a simplified version of Microsoft Windows, can access the Internet, include Microsoft Excel and Word, can play music, contain pictures, and do many things your computer can do on a smaller scale. But by no means at this stage will they every replace a desktop or laptop computer.

When looking for a PDA, you have to ask yourself "What do I need it to do?" Based upon your answer, that will determine everything else. How much am I spending, what options do I need? If you just want something to keep appointments and telephone numbers, this PDA is not for you. If you desire the top of the line, a color display, wireless capability, and the ability to work on your Excel and Word files on the run without lugging around a laptop, then this is for you.

The First thing about this PDA everyone notices is its size. When you open the box, it seems smaller than expected. Its about the size of an average persons hand and weighs almost nothing. After going through the box, you also notice no real instructions except for the wireless and fingerprint reader attachments. Don't worry; the instructions may be printed from the included cd-rom. The help file in the devise is extremely thorough and helpful as well.

So lets get down and dirty, past the novelty. Every function this Pocket PC comes with works from the Fingerprint reader, the wireless, even Microsoft Word and Excel. It will however take time to get used to.

Word & Excel will work with almost any file you transfer from your desktop. You have to remember this is no laptop, and memory is smaller decreasing the complexity of the software. It will also take time to master the onscreen keyboard. It's not hard, but you are not going to be willing to type a paper on this baby. Don't expect to use all you fancy fonts, and margin settings either. Words capabilities are less on the Pocket PC. Excel looses some features on this devise. The drag feature to copy formulas and cells does not exist in this version. You are going to have to select them and click copy. The major problem with both of these is the screen size. It's too small to really do too much. It will also take more time. There is no mouse or eraser. Just because this PDA lets you change Word and Excel files, it does not mean it was designed for you to create complex files in a short period of time.

With Internet Explorer the screen size becomes a hindrance to navigation. I have become used to it, however sometimes I just go to my desktop.

Naturally the calendar and contact list work flawlessly. They enable you to separate all your appointments by class, business or personal for example. They are intuitive and easy to use. I suggest creating a partnership with your home or office computer to save time in entering this information with the onscreen keyboard. It took forever. You also have the option of purchasing an expandable keyboard for an extra $100.

You can also transfer mp3's and pictures, but that will use much of the built in memory. I would suggest if you plan to do so, purchase a memory card. They come in varying sizes (64 to 512 mb) for everyone on a budget. I would suggest going online to find it. Just don't purchase it from HP or Compaq - they will rip you off. The cheapest place I found was PCMall.com. I purchased a 256mb card for $109 with a $30 rebate.

For those paranoid people, this unit comes with a built in fingerprint reader. I was really surprised how well it works. Now it did take me several training sessions for me to learn how to position my finger. If you watch the demo in training, that's exactly how you must do it. Place you finger above the reader, and drag it down quickly when the picture moves. I would suggest for anyone planning to use this feature to enroll more than one finger. If you cut it or hurt your fingerprint, you will not be able to access you PDA. Also check the number of allowances you enter. After a number of attempts and failures, the PDA may blank its memory. If you did not make a backup – you're going to get screwed. Now, you should also not believe that if you have your fingerprint enrolled locking you PDA, it would be useless to anyone else. If someone takes it, all they have to do is perform a hard reset and the unit will return to the factory settings. That will erase all your stored information, but it will give them a practically new, top of the line PDA. So don't loose it.

This unit, unlike many others is equipped with a removable battery. Most units have a buiilt in battery. When it goies bad you have to return your PDA to the manufacturer. I have found it has a useful charge of 3-4 hours when I am using it constantly. You are able to change the internal power settings that alter the battery consumption rate based upon how you use your PDA. If you use it infrequently, you are able to set it for more standby time allowing greater time between recharges. Or you can set if for less standby increasing the time you can use it, requiring more frequent charges. They way the unit is designed, it has the main battery, and a backup that supply's power to the memory when you either go dead, or are changing the battery. The unit has built in mechanisms to turn it off to save battery life. If for some reason you unit goes dead without your knowledge, it may exhibit signs like - it does not work. This prevents further power consumption allowing your data to stay intact. Just plug it in and it will power back on. Don't freek out. Any data kept on either a memory card or in the Ipaq file store (read only memory) will remain if all power is lost. I have not run into a problem using it every day. I just recharge it each night. If you are planning to be apart from you PDA for over 72 hours, I would just suggest leaving it plugged in or backing it up before you go. It will use power even in the off position.

The wireless also works well. I have found no problem with range or power, just with finding networks. Depending on you location (assuming this is not your network) you will only be able to detect open networks. Networks that are encrypted, or require a specific IP address, you will require the assistance of the network administrator. The PDA provides the ability to work with encryption. So for those paranoid people, you may ensure that your information is transferred securely. With the wireless feature, you may do all the normal things, access the Internet, get your e-mail etc.

The wireless feature also lets you use your PDA as a universal remote. You can program your stereo components, DVD player and television codes into the device. Why anyone would purchase this PDA to use as a remote is beyond me.

If you plan on purchasing a Pocket PC, my question still stands. "What do I need it to do?" After answering that question, go to any retail store and try it out. Really play with it for 10 minutes and see for yourself if it meets your requirements. Now don't purchase it there, go to any of the online stores. The prices will range from $699 down.