Note: here are highlights and key features of HP's new top of the line iPAQ. Hal Goldstein will follow with his real-world impressions from using the iPAQ hx4700 for several months.
HP's new iPAQ hx4700 series Pocket PC is a well-built device with an attractive dark-grey magnesium alloy body. Inside its durable case you'll find the fastest Pocket PC processor available—the 624 MHz Intel PXA 270.
HP iPAQ hx4700
This new iPAQ also has an incredible amount of internal storage capacity. The total amount is about 135 MB, with includes 64 MB of RAM and a whopping 128 MB of flash ROM (80 MB of which is available to the user for data and file storage). If you need more, you can add storage via the Type II CompactFlash or SDIO card slots. These slots also accept cards that add GPS receivers, radio tuners, digital camera cards, and other hardware features.
You don't need the card slots for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth adapters because those capabilities are already built in. The device supports high-speed wireless network access with a built-in 802.11b Wi-Fi transceiver.
One of the more impressive features of the 4700 is its 4 inch diagonal, 64K color display. It has a 480x640 pixel VGA screen instead of the standard 240x320 pixel QVGA screen found on most Pocket PCs. The screen is noticeably larger and the VGA resolution makes text and numbers more crisp and readable. And because it utilizes the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition OS, you can display applications in portrait or landscape mode.
The hx4700 is powered by an 1800 mAh replaceable/rechargeable lithium polymer battery. Our preliminary benchmark test using Spb Benchmark (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/benchmark) measured battery life at a little over 4 hours of continuous normal use. You can expect less than that if you use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth a lot, or if you like to play videos. All in all, 4 hours is a reasonable capacity. If you want to double that, you can buy an optional 3600 mAh battery for your device. (As a comparison, the high-end Dell X30 with the same processor scored 3:01 hours in the same Spb benchmark battery test).
Unique touchpad replaces navigation pad
HP has replaced the traditional 5-way navigation button found on most Pocket PCs with a unique touchpad similar to the ones found on laptop PCs. The touchpad can be set up to function like a navigation button (i.e., press the top to move up, bottom to move down, etc.). But it can also be configured to function like a mouse pad, where you drag your finger or stylus on the pad to move a cursor on the display. The four application launch buttons are located to the left and right of the touchpad, protected by a thin plastic cover.
Rich suite of software
The hx4700 runs Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition software, which includes the Windows Mobile OS, setup utilities, and a number of productivity applications. In addition to these, HP has built a number of applications into the device, and included user-installable versions of others on the Companion CD that ships with the device.
The iPAQ hx4700 (top) sports a unique touchpad instead of the traditional 5-way navigation button found on the rz1715 (bottom) and other Pocket PCs.
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