HP Gives New Life to the 620/660LX

HP's 600 Series ROM Upgrade Module turns the venerable 620LX and 660LX Palmtop PCs into Handheld PC Professional Edition computers.

by Ed Zabrek

Hewlett Packard's 620LX can be upgraded to an H/PC Pro with the HP 600 Series Upgrade Module.

In the world of computer technology, promises of upgrades are met with suspicion. Introduction of the upgrade always seems to be delayed, and when you finally get the new and improved product, it rarely lives up to the hype. Fortunately, this is not the case with the HP 600 Series Upgrade Module. This is one of those rare exceptions that truly gives you a big bang for your buck.

In its time (last year, that is) the HP 620LX was the best Handheld PC around. But then HP came out with their new 680 Jornada. It was about the same size as the 620LX, but came with a better keyboard, built-in 56k modem, and a faster processor. Best of all, it had the newer H/PC Pro set of built-in applications, including Pocket Access and improved versions of the others.

I upgraded to the 680, but with a little reluctance. You see, there are many features of the 620LX (and 660LX) that I actually like better than the Jornada 680. For one, the 620 has a slightly larger and more readable screen. It also has larger and easier to access shortcut keys. Finally, I'd already adapted to its keyboard and found it quite useable. (See my review of the Jornada 680 in the July/August 1999 issue of Handheld PC Magazine.)

Time to dust off that old 620LX

When I heard that HP was offering 620/660LX owners a way to upgrade their devices to H/PC Pro status I pulled out my 620 LX, dusted it off, and bought the HP 600 Series ROM Upgrade Module.

The ROM Upgrade Module is a small, easy-to-install ROM board that slips into the 620/660's ROM expansion slot. First, back up your 620/660 onto your desktop PC (your device will lose ALL of its data). Then pull out the old ROM module (just under the main battery), and plug in the new one. Restore the data you backed up and your ready to go. It's that easy.

This upgrade module turns your 620/660LX into a full-fledged Handheld PC Pro with all of the great "Pro" features and software enhancements including the Pocket Access database application. It addition, the ROM Upgrade adds the special applications created by HP for the Jornada 680. These include HP Backup and restore, HP Dialup, HP Quick Pad, HP Viewer, HP Hot Keys, HP Settings, and HP Macros. (See review of the Jornada 680 in the July/August 1999 issue for a complete description of these HP applications.)

On top of all of these enhancements, 620LX users get an additional 16Mb of internal RAM (total of 32Mb) for running programs and storing data. The HP 660LX's 32Mb of existing RAM is not increased. The module also converts both devices from a 256 color to a 64k color screen. (Note: Existing Jornada 680 owners can update their screens to 64k colors by installing a software patch available for free download on HP's web site at: www.hp.com/cposupport/handheld_computers/software
/680ddi64.zip.html.)

Hats off to HP

The 600 series ROM Upgrade Module turns an already excellent H/PC into a far-better-than-average H/PC Pro ­ and one that still fits in your pocket. I won't give up my Jornada 680, but I now have a very nice back up H/PC Pro, and one that I can use interchangeably with the 680 when I don't need a modem.

The HP 660LX shipped with a PC fax/modem card and many 620LX users purchased one. If you're in this category and have been eyeing a 680 Jornada, remember that the ROM Upgrade Module costs $179 and a new Jornada 680 costs $900 (minus a mail-in rebate of $75, both available through HP dealers or at the HP Online Store: www.shopping.hp.com). You might consider saving some money, especially if you're satisfied with the physical aspects of the 620/660LX.

If you don't own any of the 600 series at this time, but are thinking about buying one, you're probably better off with a 680LX. The keyboard in particular is worth the added cost. However, there is another way to get a relatively inexpensive Hewlett-Packard H/PC Pro. That is to purchase a used or closeout 620/660LX and upgrade it with the ROM Upgrade Module. HP's Online store is selling a combination package including a 620LX and the ROM Upgrade Module for $659. A similar package including a 660LX and the ROM Upgrade Module goes for $759. If such a deal tempts you, make sure to check out the Jornada 680 before making your final purchase.

My hat's off to HP. Not only for this very worthwhile upgrade, but also for consistently providing upgrade modules for their PC Companions when improvements are made to Windows CE and the built-in software. This is one company that I can depend on to keep their products going, and going, and going...

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