HP iPAQ 211 Enterprise Handheld (210 Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)The HP210 / 211 / 212 / 214 could have been a truly great product. (They're all the same product: the different numbers indicate the channel and country; i.e., 210 US - Consumer, 214 - Asia, etc.) But it has a few shortcomings that, in my opinion, reduce it to an average product that should be considered carefully.
First, I am a big fan of PDAs and so-called smartphones and have been using them for years. None of them are perfect. In fact, most of them are far from perfect. In recent years the smartphone category, combining the cellular phone, the PDA and a camera, has really taken off. The standalone PDA is probably an endangered species and the HP211 could be the last of its kind. The emergence of the mini-laptop like the Asus Eee and Fujitsu U810 may, in fact, be the final nails in the coffin of the standalone PDA which I think would be a pity.
HP did a lot of things right with the HP211.
The screen is absolutely gorgeous. Photos and videos shine forth in all their glory. Glare from the screen surface has not been a problem. I have not tested it in direct sunlight, but it holds up well in bright daylight. The screen does require a fairly strong touch, but it is something you become accustomed to fairly quickly. Scrolling, however, in Internet Explorer seems to somewhat difficult. You have to apply firm pressure which the device may be interpreting as repeated taps. Something makes navigation in IE more difficult than it has to be.
For those who use the inking capability, once you get the touch done, it is a great experience. The Marvell processor is fast enough to make inking a delight. If you use an onscreen keyboard like TenGo, you'll be well impressed with how responsive the screen is and how fast your input can be.
Overall, the CPU powers the device with lots of horses to spare. And it is wonderful to have all that memory available, knowing as well that you can add humongous SDHC and CF cards as well. The idea that you can add 32GB of memory with 16GB card in each slot is mindblowing.
WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities are excellent.
The four function buttons are well placed and can be reprogrammed to meet your needs. On left side is another button that starts the recording function. The on/off switch is mounted on the front near the top right corner. While it hasn't happened to me, I am afraid it can be depressed accidentally, but the auto shutdown should render that moot even if it happens.
The D-pad is a major drawback and could be a dealbreaker for a lot of people. The designers lopped off the top of the D-pad. It is smaller than the right/left and down pads and, mounted just below the screen bezel, feels funny. It is also difficult to toggle precisely which is frustrating. As I use it more, it seems to be becoming more natural, but I consider it a dumb design move. I would strongly suggest that prospective owners either try it in a store or buy from a vendor with an excellent return policy.
The other major flaw - and this could be a deal-killer for a lot of people is the speaker arrangement. There are two speakers, but they do not work together at the same time. The front one is used only, as far as I know, with Skype. It has just barely adequate volume in a quiet room. If there's any kind of noise, forget it. By the way, the HP211 works very well with Skype.
The rear speaker is just plain horrible. It is inaudible even in a quiet room. It is unusable for playing back voice recordings and trying to use it for music or audio tracks on movies is unthinkable. You can also whistle goodbye to using it for voice prompts for GPS. In a unit this expensive, this design flaw is inexcusable. Making matters worse is that the headphone jack - which is, thankfully, a standard 3.5mm - is located on the bottom of the unit. I haven't tried it with Bluetooth headphones. one of the big pluses of a standalone PDA like this to me is the recording capability for quick notes. But if I can't hear them playing back without headphones, what good is it? Another reason for a standalone with Bluetooth is GPS. Obviously, you want GPS with voice prompts. But if you can't hear the voice prompts, what good is it?
Considering HP's legendary engineering, I am surprised these flaws made it into the final product, but they did and I think they greatly reduce the appeal of the product.
The unit is pretty big, which I appreciate because I want an ample writing surface and I have big hands. That's the good news. The bad news is that the surfaces are all slippery plastic. If you intend to use this unit without a case, I suspect it will become a casualty within a matter of days. Overall, the construction feels a little on the cheap side. Not awful, but it doesn't feel very robust either.
My primary reason for wanting a standalone PDA is to have a way (other than pen and paper) to take notes throughout the day. The HP211 fills this role well. I primarily use PhatNotes and TenGo. The HP211 screen provides an excellent inking experience with no vectoring problems. The stock Windows Mobile Notes and other applications and the letter recognizer also work well. It's a joy to have a ton of memory with the ability to expand to previously unheard of dimensions. The screen is a marvelous platform for viewing photos or videos. (The CPU, by the way, doesn't have quite enough ooomph to play video back smoothly. Using TCMP, I had lots of dropped frames.)
If I were ranking the device very narrowly, I would give it 5 stars without hesitation and then take 1 star away for the price, which I think is too high. Thus a net 4 stars. Because of the D-pad design and, in particular, the utterly useless audio, I can give it only 3 stars. Considering the high price in conjunction with these defects and I have to strongly urge that anyone considering this device consider it very, very carefully. One of the reasons I prefer Windows Mobile devices is the wide array of software available for them. The main reason for buying the HP211, on my part, was the large screen, which is admittedly much easier to work with than the one on my smartphone.
But at $400+ for the HP, there are alternatives and I suggest that they be considered. The Nokia N800 is less than half the price and provides WiFi, web browsing and email. The screen is great, though converting video for the N8*0 is dicey. The N800 offers SDHC expansion capability. The N810 adds a sliding keyboard. And both have a rudimentary camera which the HP211 should have, but doesn't. The big drawback to the N8*0 devices? They're Linux and apps are still relatively scarce.
On the whole, I think the HP211 is well suited for a notetaking function and moderately well suited for web browsing when Opera is installed. It is an adequate video platform. But the built-in speakers simply stink. The headphone jack is inconveniently placed and the D-pad is something of a design disaster.
The big problem is that there just aren't that many standalone PDAs out there running Windows Mobile 6 with a ton of memory and a great 4" screen. At half the price, I'd live with the problems. At $400+, though, I'm still wondering about it. My smartphone does everything the HP211 does: it's just smaller and more difficult to work on. Is the convenience worth $400+? I'm not sure yet, but am tilting toward saying "no".
Jerry

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Whether you're an IT manager or a mobile professional, you can maximize your business results with an organizer that makes the most of your on-the-go style. HP's powerful iPAQ 211 Enterprise Handheld will run your work applications and a broad range of third-party solutions. Just over 2/3-inch thin and just under 7 ounces light, it fits securely in your hand and you'll be able to see what you're doing, indoors and out, on the big, bright 4-inch touchscreen display.
The iPAQ 211 also offers robust enterprise features such as dual expansion slots for SD/SDIO cards and CompactFlash HC (High Capacity) cards, as well as convenient input/output of headphone, microphone, and voice record
With the power of the Windows Mobile 6 Classic operating system, you'll stay easily connected to your business and personal data on the go. And you'll stay productive with familiar software tools at your fingertips--Office Mobile includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint--and bring your important documents and files from your PC with you wherever you roam.
This slim, stylish organizer also lets you go online with Wi-Fi to keep your calendar, contacts, and tasks up to date. The integrated Wi-Fi networking makes it easy to access to Internet and email at the office, home or campus, and at other Wi-Fi hotspots at airports, cafes and hotels. Connect to Bluetooth accessories like headsets and keyboards to be more productive--you can even connect to your Bluetooth mobile phone to go online (requires compatible phone and cellular data plan). The Wireless Connection Manager helps you extend your battery life--check your connections and turn them off when you're not using them.
The iPaq 111 is also a great mobile entertainment companion, allowing you to listen to your music collection and watch videos with the Windows Media Player Mobile. You can store music and video files on optional Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. You can also view, share, and manage your photos with HP Photosmart Mobile, as well as play pre-installed games or download your favorites from the Internet.

Key Features
View easily in a variety of environments on the large, 4-inch, TFT touch screen
Use familiar applications including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
Synchronize email and data with your PC via mini-USB or an Exchange server with Wi-Fi connectivity
Store business-critical information with high-capacity SDIO and CompactFlash expansion
Use headphones, a microphone, and other USB devices via convenient in/out ports
Connect Bluetooth peripherals such as headsets and keyboards with the Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
Get peace of mind with the one-year limited warranty
Rely on HP: the planned three-year product life cycle will support your enterprise testing and deployment efforts

Specifications
Wireless: Integrated WiFi (802.11 b/g) with WEP through WPA2-Enterprise (EAP-TLS and PEAP) and WiFi Multimedia) Bluetooth v2.0 with EDR
Operating system: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Classic
Microsoft programs included: Office Mobile , Office Outlook Mobile, Internet Explorer Mobile, Windows Media Player 10
Processor: Marvell PXA310, 624 MHz
Display: 4-inch transflective TFT RGB color 480 x 640 pixel touch screen with LED backlight
Memory: 128 MB SDRAM main memory for running applications; 256 MB flash ROM
Power: 2200 mAh lithium-ion rechargeable, user changeable battery
Connectivity: 24 pin connector, mini USB, high-capacity SDIO slot, CompactFlash HC slot
Audio: Integrated microphone, receiver, speaker, 3.5mm 4-pin headphone jack
Hardware buttons: 5-way navigation with press to activate, 4 programmable, voice recorder, power, reset
HP exclusive applications: iPAQ Wireless Manager, HP Photosmart Mobile, HP QuickStart Tour, HP iPAQ Setup Assistant, HP Help and Support, Bluetooth Manager, Certificate Enroller, Asset Viewer
Warranty One-year parts and labor in most regions; 90 days technical support for software.
Dimensions: 5.27 x 2.97 x 0.69 inches
Weight (with battery): 6.7 ounces

What's in the Box HP IPAQ 211, standard 2200 mAh battery, AC Adapter with power cord, sync/charge cable, stylus, slip case, documentation kit, HP iPAQ Companion CD
Powered by Windows Mobile 6 Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 Classic updates the Windows Mobile 5 platform with a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.
With Windows Mobile 6, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC's Microsoft Office suite. You'll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting--without affecting tables, images or text--as well as view PowerPoint presentations.
Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
With Excel Mobile, you're not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date email delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

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