Big review of HP iPAQ hx2750

It has seemed lately that HP turned its back to fans of classic Pocket PCs. There have been many new iPAQs but each of them had something that traditionalists disliked. Perhaps closest to the ideal was HP iPAQ hx4700, but its unusual memory allocation and unique touchpad in place of the standard joypad was too hard to digest for many users. The HP iPAQ hx2000 series hit the shelves recently to fill the gap in the iPAQ product line.

As was the case with the multimedia series HP iPAQ rx3000, you can choose from three models that differ in features and price - but more on the differences later. For now, I should say that I was reviewing the top model in the series, HP iPAQ hx2750. I thank Sunnysoft, a distributor in the Czech Republic, for lending me the device for review purposes.

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What is in the box?

The box is relatively large, yet a few usual items are missing:

• HP iPAQ hx2700
• Li-Ion battery 1440 mAh
• Stylus
• USB synchronisation cradle
• AC adapter with a connector adapter for direct charging
• Plastic display flip
• CD with applications
• Quick Start Guide
• FAQ brochure
• iPAQ Choice voucher
• Warranty information and a few promotional leaflets

Cradles bundled wall iPAQs of the latest generation look all the same and this one is not an exception: only a removable plastic device holder is different size and shape, but it is hardly noticeable. Its low profile, relatively big weight and five rubber buttons on the bottom give the cradle perfect stability and it does not take up much space on the desktop, either. I prefer simple designs like this. Unfortunately, there is no slot for charging a spare battery. On the other hand, if I understand it correctly, every spare battery is bundled with an extra AC adapter. Some users may have problems with the fact that they will find only a USB connector, not a serial one at the end of the 1-metre synchronisation cable. It is a fact that COM ports are on the decrease in home computers but its support in a device for corporate sphere may still be desirable in many cases.

The AC adapter is the same as those supplied with all other iPAQs. Its parameters (5 V, 2 A) are common to a host of other pocket devices. It comes with a fixed 180-cm cable which has an adapter for direct charging of the device attached with a rubber band at its end. It is no more sophisticated than that:)

Not many items left in the package. There is only one stylus - a plain piece of plastic, the same as those supplied with all new iPAQs except for the h6340. Don't look for a case, there isn't any. If a plastic shield over the display won't do for you, you have to buy a case separately. This may come as a disappointment considered the price tag, though...

As usual, the package includes a CD-ROM from HP and some brief user guides, promotional leaflets and warranty information. Again, Czech users will obtain a comprehensive user manual in Czech. It is common to all new iPAQs but beginners who are not proficient in English will find it priceless.

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Design

Having reviewed several new iPAQs, I have grown used to their rather futuristic design. That is why the hx2750 did not appear so extravagant to me; on the contrary, I found it quite elegant. AT first sight, you will notice especially its rounded shapes, compact size, and a conspicuous plastic shield that protects the display, or, more precisely, the whole front panel. Unlike that in the HP iPAQ hx4700, this shield is attached at the top on serrated pivots on both sides and flips vertically, not horizontally. It is not possible to flip all the way to the back to the device but only a little more than 180 degrees. Nevertheless, the pivots enable positioning of the shield e.g. as a sun screen.

As for materials used, the shell of the hx2750 is almost all plastic. That means that the hx4700 remains the only iPAQ that can withstand rather harsh treatment. Otherwise, it is built solidly, all parts fit very well but for a few exceptions. The device is conveniently small - 4.71 x 3.01 x .65 in / 119.4 x 76.6 x 16.3 millimetres is not much considered all the built-in features. The weight is average, at 5.8oz / 165 grams, yet acceptable to carry around in the pocket. It resembles the iPAQ rx3715 in colour combination with dominant dark grey and black, in contrast with matt and shiny silver buttons. The new model has rubber stripes on the sides resembling older iPAQ h2210, but these seem more durable and cover the whole area of the sides and overlap slightly to the top. Let's hope the notorious peeling off of the rubber won't occur in the new model.

The front panel hosts a common 89-millimetre (3.5-inch) display and many other elements. At the top, there is the main switch and two LED indicators (the left-hand one shines green/orange and indicates device status and events, the one on the right is blue and indicates wireless activity). Under the display is a rectangular fingerprint reader (hx2750 only) to provide maximum security for your data, and a microphone on one side and a loudspeaker on the other. Close to the bottom is an unusually shaped combination of a joypad with separate confirm button in the centre and four user-definable buttons. Three of them can be assigned different functions for a short and long press and can be deactivated in suspend mode using a special applet.

The rear side is quite uninspiring with nothing but plastic battery compartment cover. Unlike some other iPAQs, this one does not reset automatically after the battery is replaced but you can immediately continue working.HP iPAQ hx2750

The sides are quite simple, too. I have mentioned the rubber stripes, otherwise there is nothing but a sound record button on the left-hand side.

On the top side, there are two expansion slots siding with each other - one for SD/MMC cards, the other for CF cards type I or II, an infrared port, standard audio headphones jack and a stylus shaft.

We end our trip around the device on the bottom side, which hosts a data connector (backwards compatible for most accessories) and a small, sunken reset button.

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Parameters

Unlike the HP iPAQ h6340 that I reviewed a few weeks ago, the new iPAQ hx2750 offers top performance and an extensive range of features. It does not include all thinkable modules and features yet it will surely satisfy even the most discerning users. Let's start with the processor - the device runs an Intel PXA270 chip at 624 MHz, which is the most powerful available. As usual, there is no point looking for a utility to adjust processor frequency - this feature remains taboo in iPAQs. Memory specification is even more pleasant reading. HP seems to have decided to sort out the question of the past few months whether it is better to have 64 MB of RAM and 128 MB of Flash ROM or the opposite, 128 MB RAM and 64 MB of FlashROM. The resolve is to give all hx2750 users 128 MB of RAM and 128 MB of FlashROM (at last! ;). Well, after a HW reset, the user can access 108 MB of SDRAM and almost 83 MB of FlashROM as a safe storage for specially sensitive data, which, combined, is the largest memory of all Pocket PCs I have ever reviewed.

Judging by the specifications, the display in the hx2750ky is the most common type used in Pocket PCs - a transflexive TFT display with LED backlight and resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, 65 colours, 3.5in / 89-millimetre diagonal, pixel distance 0.24 millimetre. Nothing to write home about, indeed. Nevertheless, I was surprised by its qualities in reality, especially in comparison with older iPAQs. It is not the absolute ideal yet it is quite good and definitely a step in the right direction. It is very bright, the backlight is adjustable at 21 level separately for battery and mains operation (no automatic adjustment). It is not free from a yellowish tint but it is due to the overall warm colour setting rather than bad backlight quality. The colours are rich and contrastive, almost excessively - as you can see in the image below, there are sharp divisions between colours while in several other Pocket PC, they were smooth. The display's qualities under sunlight and outside in general were the same as in most other devices - it is usable but far from enjoyable. As other Pocket PCs, this iPAQ can be controlled using a stylus. The touch-sensitive layer is sufficiently and evenly responsive. All in all, it is not the best display in the world but if I were considering whether to buy the hx2750, the display quality would not be a negative point. Pity there is no model with a VGA display in this series...:)

HP devices are known for excellent audio features and the new model is not an exception. It lacks the luxury graphics equaliser we saw in the hx4700. Instead, you must be content with a standard, four-level bass and treble adjustment (for headphones only) but it is not an issue. Quality of the headphones output, in my opinion, is the most important feature. In this case, it is clear, free from any noise or hiss, simply excellent. Volume is more than sufficient, the maximum level would make a deaf man dance;) AN integrated loudspeaker provides audio output at sufficient quality yet the maximum volume could be higher. This is most annoying for instance when you play an MP3 file at the highest volume over the loudspeaker (just enough for a busy environment) and then plug in the headphones -poor eardrums... And finally, this iPAQ, too, can record sound. You can set microphone sensitivity manually or leave it up to the device to adjust it automatically. Close-distance recording was perfect. On the contrary, a roundtable debate was not as loud and clear, but still fully understandable.

The new iPAQ excels in communications features. The basic communication channels include fast USB 1.1, a must in Pocket PCs these days. Unfortunately, USB Host functionality is not supported. The data connector supports also serial port but a serial cable is not included in the standard package. The third standard port is the infrared which offers only the basic speed of 115 kbps, unlike the hx4700. Even if I tried hard, I could not make the device control home appliances - CIR is not implemented.

An integrated Bluetooth module has virtually become a standard in high-end devices. That is why this iPAQ has one, too. Specifically, it is Bluetooth 1.2, the latest version, in an implementation from Broadcom (formerly known as Widcomm), as in most pocket devices. As far as its functionality is concerned, most applications worked at first attempt. I connected to a desktop PC with MSI BT dongle and was able to surf the web for several days this way. I connected to the internet over a BT-enabled mobile phone and did not encounter any problems there either. In addition, I was able to easily copy fiules between the phone and the Pocket PC. After some initial problems, I eventually managed to connect the PDA with two BT GPS devices, so that the iPAQ could serve as a navigation tool, too.

As you may know, I am no WiFi guru but as far as I can judge, the WiFi implementation in this device is a very good one. Besides a highly sensitive receiver (I found networks I had never been able to detect before in my neighbourhood), there has been a huge improvement in the WiFi control software, something iPAQs badly needed. It displays IP protocol settings, signal status (a graphic indicator), list of available networks and other basic information. In addition, the WiFi module supports a power-saving mode and two modes of automatic switching between Access Points - a new AP is sought when connection with the current one is lost completely or as soon as signal strength drops below 70 dBm. However, having only one AP, I could not test this feature... According to the documentation, the iPAQ should support WEP 64/128-bit, 802.1X (EAP-TLS, PEAP), LEAP, WPAV and other standards. For more information, see this document :: HP iPAQ hx2700 series Pocket PC [82KB]. In any case, the WiFi module quality is respectable.

As I have mentioned above, security of data is given a high priority in this model. Designed for the corporate sphere, its memory will often carry confidential documents whose leakage would be incomparably more disastrous than that of the (not only) indecent contents of Paris Hilton's T-Mobile Sidekick:) Security is cared for by both hardware and software. The hardware side is represented by a biometric fingerprint scanner, similar to (or the same as) that implemented in the iPAQ h5000 series. It is easy to use - just stroke it with your finger from top to down. You can scan all your 10 fingers (and/or toes - as you like:) in case of an accident. The biometric sensor seemed more accurate and sensitive than that in the h5000, with a minimum of wrong scans. I tried cooling my finger with an ice cube for a minute before touching the scanner and was able to log in at the second attempt. Thet means you do not need to worry about accessing your data in winter. Needless to say, the iPAQ had no problems detecting "false" fingers of my colleagues...

HP Protect-Tools, which is the software side of the security, is not new to iPAQs; it was available in the hx4700 model. This time, it adds support for the fingerprint scanner. You can choose from four levels of protection - a standard 4-digit PIN code, simple password, strong alphanumeric password or fingerprint. You can opt for a combination of two of the above with either logic operator (AND/OR), i.e. PIN AND fingerprint, password OR fingerprint etc. The you need to enter a phrase that will be used for encryption and fingerprint learning. Unfortunately, I was unable to make any screenshots because at this stage, the iPAQ detects any non-standard applications and forces a soft reset to close them. The learning is rather tedious, but as the saying goes - practice makes perfect:)

The security protection system is quite sophisticated and seems to be able to fend off any intruders. Users can choose which data will be encrypted (contacts, calendar...). If you choose to encrypt files, an encrypted folder will be created in the main memory or memory card (iPAQ File Store is not supported), which will appear as another memory card. All data you copy in it will be encrypted automatically. It is possible to have the device perform a hardware reset to erase ALL data in the memory INCLUDING the iPAQ File Store after a certain number of unsuccessful access attempts. There are lots of different options and their close description would take a whole review on its own. If security of data is your top priority, the iPAQ hx2750 is currently the best choice.

Lately, we have seen quite good power management in iPAQs. The iPAQ hx2750 does not last as long as e.g. HP iPAQ h6340 yet its performance in this area is respectable. A replaceable 1440-mAh Lithium-Ion battery can keep the iPAQ up and running for more than 8 hours and it could be significantly longer with reduced backlight. A double-capacity battery is available as an extra accessory.

This iPAQ, too, makes it possible to set a period of time for which data will be retained in the memory when the main battery runs flat. This can be anything up to 96 hours but the maximum level will significantly reduce the normal operating time. Charging over USB is a very convenient feature. The iPAQ offers two modes (fast and slow), differing in the current required. That means if you are travelling with a laptop, you can leave an AC adapter for the iPAQ at home.

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Expandability

Even though the device is rich with features in the basic configuration, it offers not one but two expansion slots in addition. One of them is SecureDigital (compatible with the SDIO standard), the other is a standard CompactFlash type II slot. Both are located on the top side, which is the most convenient configuration, if limited to a certain extent - for instance, you cannot use a CF LAN card and an SDIO camera at the same time. The CF slot lacks an eject button, which is tradition in iPAQs. That means that those who bite their fingernails may have serious problems pulling out some types of cards, such as a Microdrive. Otherwise, I have not encountered any functional issues. I tested several different memory cards in both slots, an SDIO digital camera from HP, and a CF LAN card from Socket and everything worked perfectly at the first attempt.

Those, who need more expansion options, can use two radio modules, especially Bluetooth, which is ideal for wireless communication with various accessories. WiFi can be used for communication between devices, too; I can imagine a solution for presentations with a WiFi link between the iPAQ and a data projector. There is also the good old data connector (fully compatible with all other iPAQs except the oldest models and the h1900 series), which you can use with your older accessories, such as synchronisation cables, foldable keyboards etc. without any problems. Some will miss USB Host functionality - USB flash disks and other peripherals are not supported.

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Software

A device from HP designed for the corporate sphere is expected to carry a decent selection of bonus applications. This model offers fewer of them than the iPAQ hx4700 yet the software suite is satisfactory. The operating system is Windows Mobile 2003, fortunately in its latest version, the Second Edition. There is a complete package of Microsoft applications included in the Premium Edition, i.e. Pocket Outlook, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player (version 9 only, which will hopefully be upgraded in the near future), MSN Messenger and Terminal Services Client. No surprises there.

The Today screen includes a simple plug-in called simply Today Panel Lite. It offers two modes of displaying battery and memory status, and allows quick backlight adjustment using a slider. Tapping on an icon will spawn a respective Settings applet for you to adjust e.g. charging options. This is a very basic plug-in, whose advanced PRO version the manufacturer offers on its website but for money.

It is no secret that Microsoft has left out support for printing in its OS. Well, it has been ignoring printing for three generations of Windows CE for Pocket PC, believing such a feature is not necessary in mobile devices. Fortunately, HP believes otherwise and has been including the HP Mobile Printing utility in the ROM of its devices to solve the problem. HP Mobile Printing is available to download free of charge for users of pocket devices (not only) from HP. I can only recommend installing the utility, because its upgraded version 4 supports not only HP printers but also Canon and Epson. The pre-installed version will suffice for HP printers, though. I tried printing over the network on a B/W and a colour laser printer and it worked fine. The only problem was that I had to print directly to the JetDirect port, printing to a shared printer did not work - problem with the settings, maybe. Unfortunately, you cannot print everything but only plain .TXT files, Pocket Word documents (.PSW and .RTF), notes (.PWI) and images (.BMP, .JPG and .PNG). If you need more than that, such as printing desktop Office documents or .PDF documents, you need an additional viewer from Westtek...

HP Image Zone has been present in almost all iPAQs. It is a very fast image viewer that supports group view as well as automatic slideshows. In addition, you can easily send photographs by e-mail or to a printer, and attach a written or spoken note to an image. It is nothing special but sufficient for basic image management.

A backup utility called iPAQ Backup has become a standard in HP devices. Produced by Sprite Software, it offers a high standard of user comfort. It offers two modes, basic and advanced. The basic mode offers no settings just one button to backup data and one to restore them. The advanced mode gives more choice. You can choose what to backup, whether to compress and/or encrypt backup files, and where to save the backup file. You can set up automatic backups when battery power decreases under a certain level. It is also possible to backup PIM data to the FlashROM, so that they are renewed automatically after a hard reset etc.

HP Profiles is a small but useful utility which make sit possible to create different profiles with different loudspeaker volume, backlight intensity, idle time before suspend, and wireless activity. You just choose an appropriate profile from a menu and all the settings activate in an instant. If you often change environments, e.g. busy street and quiet office, HP Profiles can save you a lot of time.

BT PhoneManager is a utility for users who are not sure about setting up things like internet connection via a cellular phone. BT PhoneManager will take care of that, as it did with my SonyEricsson T610.

ITask, an advanced task manager, has been present in iPAQs even longer than the backup utility. You can use it to quickly rotate the screen, manage wireless connections etc. but it has never been my cup of coffee...

A tiny utility called SelfTest will perform a detailed test of all parts of the device and notify you of any problems, which may come handy when buying a second-hand device or when you encounter strange behaviour of the PDA.

The bundled CD-Rom carries a few bonus applications, too. Apart from standard desktop applications, such as Microsoft ActiveSync, Microsoft Outlook 2002, and Windows Media Player, there are several demos and two full versions of document viewing software, ClearVue Suite (for viewing MS Word and Excel documents) and ClearVUE Suite (PPT and PDF). You can obtain other software for your voucher from the iPAQ Choice server.

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Comparison of models

As I mentioned at the beginning, there are three models in the iPAQ hx2700 series. Let's examine differences between them. For convenience sake, the table includes only parameters that are different.

iPAQ hx2110	iPAQ hx2410	iPAQ hx2750
Intel® PXA270 312 MHz	Intel® PXA270 520 MHz	Intel® PXA270 624 MHz
64MB RAM / 64MB ROM	64MB RAM / 64MB ROM	128MB RAM / 128MB ROM
Bluetooth 1.2	Wi-Fi (802.11b), Bluetooth 1.2	Wi-Fi (802.11b), Bluetooth 1.2
920 mAh Li-Ion battery	1440mAh Li-Ion battery	1440mAh Li-Ion battery
-	-	biometric fingerprint scanner
USB cable	USB cradle	USB cradle

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Pricing

Recommended prices are as follows: ca $550 USD for hx2750, which is the top model, $450 USD for hx2410, and $520 USD for the weakest model, the hx2110. Fortunately, shelf prices are significantly lower. This is no bargain - which is not expected from HP, anyhow - but not even the hx2110 is a real low-end.

[POLL]

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Benchmarks & Tests

I will be quickly through with benchmark tests this time. Spb Benchmark won't complete some of the tests, so it would be unfair to compare the device with others. The tests that did produce results show that the iPAQ hx2750 is as fast as other devices fitted with the same processor. Graphics performance was above the average.

As for real-life experience, I must start with the plastic display shield. It looks cool at first sight but it started driving me crazy after the first few minutes. For instance, if you first get the device ready for work and then take out the stylus, you will have to change your habits - when you open the flip, it blocks the stylus. You have to close the flip a little, take out the stylus and reopen the flip. Yes, of course, this is a matter of getting accustomed to it, but I was a little nervous about it. More problems arise when you use e.g. an SD digital camera - it is possible to use the camera while the flip is open but it is rather clumsy and I preferred to remove the latter.

Even though this device is targeted primarily at a different market segment, I tried playing a few games on it, without any problems. The joypad and buttons are located quite close ot the bottom but it did not matter. It only felt slightly unstable when I held the device and controlled it by one hand only. The joypad is quite accurate and handles presses of multiple buttons well. I have seen many significantly better controllers but this one does suffice for plying games. I tried some of my favourite games (Anthelion, Snails, GangstaRace and Z-Raid) and encountered no issues regarding sound or graphics.

I tested video playback only with BetaPlayer version 0.096 (beta), because hardly anyone uses different software for this task on a PDA. I used a collection of clips compiled by the author of the application for this purpose (look here). To cut it short, even the best-quality clip (resolution of 640x480 pixels, video bitrate 1500 kbps, audio bitrate 128 kbps, size 29.1 MB) made me think of nothing else but superlatives like "absolutely perfect", "amazing" and "wonderful". I should add that I played the file from a Panasonic 256 MB memory card. That means mobile video fans will surely be fully satisfied. I also ran a benchmark test integrated in the BetaPlayer. The average speed was 163.65 percent, which is an excellent for such a file (whose parameters are IMHO much better than anyone would normally use to watch video on a PDA - an hour and a half film would be larger than one gigabyte). For comparison, FSC Pocket LOOX 720 scored 121.43 percent (but this figure is not directly comparable since the LOOX has a VGA display) and HP iPAQ h4150 reached only 85.24 percent. In other words, the new iPAQ is superb pocket video player!

Considered the video performance, it is needless to say that the device has absolutely no problems with audio, either. I tried the best-quality MP3 file with a bitrate of 320kbps and the iPAQ hardly noticed.

I mentioned my other experience throughout the text above, let me juts reiterate that this is a high-end, feature-packed classic-concept device that shows no apparent weakness.

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Detailed evaluation

The HP iPAQ hx2750 is another device I subjected to a more detailed and stricter evaluation. This is because the rating of most devices I have reviewed lately ranged from 90 to 95 percent and it was difficult to tell which device is better (I intentionally tried to avoid a 100-percent rating). Another reason is that this new system is more transparent... That is why the final rating is NOT BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE. 90 percent now and 90 percent before are completely incomparable figures.

Now, a few words to explain the new system: Type can be Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone edition, or Smartphone. Class means the target group, which is key for understanding the other categories. The number of points in the other categories is relative with regard to the class. For instance, a device with a VGA display, two expansion slots, BT and WiFi modules in the high-end category will receive nine points for a certain weight, whereas a device in the "entry" class with a QVGA display, one slot and no radio module will receive three points for the same weight. The date is also important - if I am rating a 1.3-Mpix integrated camera today, it will receive 10 points because there is nothing better available. Half a year later, when 2-Mpix integrated cameras will be available, this one would receive fewer points.

If you would like to comment on the evaluation, please join the discussion. I am not doing it for my own pleasure but to make it easier for you to choose a new device. If you think it is a wrong idea, just let me know:)

Rating
Name:	HP iPAQ hx2750
Type:	Pocket PC
Class:	High-end
Date:	April 27, 2005
Design, user friendliness
Design:	8
Dimensions:	8
Weight:	8
Buttons, user comfort:	8
Assembly quality:	9
Performance, memory
Processor:	10
Free RAM:	8
Free ROM:	10
Display
Dimensions:	5
Size:	7
Quality (indoors):	9
Quality (outdoors):	7
Backlight:	9
Touch layer:	8
Audio
Microphone:	7
Loudspeaker:	8
Headphones output:	9
Communication
USB:	6
Infra:	7
Bluetooth:	10
WiFi:	10
Battery, power settings
Features:	7
Battery life:	9
Expandability
General:	8
Software
System, settings:	9
Bonus apps in ROM:	8
Bonus apps on CD:	4
Accessories
Quantity:	3
Quality:	9
Other
Overall impression:	9
Manufacturer's support:	9
Price/performance ratio	7
Total
HP iPAQ hx2750	7,94 out of 10

Notes :: Rating on the scale from 1 to 10. The higher the figure, the closer to the ideal. If a device receives 10 points for "Design", it means it is beauty from heaven. On the other hand, if it receives 10 points for "Weight", it means it is extremely light.

That's all, folks.

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