In a temporary departure from past editions of Smartphone Insider, this edition will focus on two Windows Mobile devices without built-in phones: the HP iPAQ 110 and 210. The 110 and 210 are widely considered to be the top standalone PDAs currently available and have garnered quite a bit of attention from mobile enthusiasts since their release in late 2007 and early 2008. Also referred to as the iPAQ 111 or 114 and 211 or 214, they are the first PDA-only devices to be released in the U.S. in almost two years.
Strengths
- 110 is very light and thin: only .54 inches thick and one of the lightest available (3.7 ounces)
- 210 has the largest and clearest display available (4-inch VGA)
- 210 has largest capacity standard battery on the PDA market today: 2,200 mAh
- 210 has both a mini-USB port and a 24-pin connector for charging and connectivity
- 210 is rated to withstand five-foot drops
Both iPAQs
- Updated PXA310 624 MHz processor that is faster than the older Intel 624 MHz processor
- 32 GB expandability available with SDHC/IO card. The 210 also has a CF card slot.
- 256 MB of flash ROM built in
- Solid and durable
Weaknesses
- The Up button on the 210's D-pad can be difficult to press due to a design flaw.
- Some reviewers have complained about the lack of volume and clarity of the external speaker on the 210.
- Some CF cards may cause a battery drain in the 210.
- Users complain about poor battery life on the 210.
Limitations & Solutions
- Neither iPAQ has dedicated soft keys; however, the Calendar and Messaging hardware buttons can be remapped to serve as the left and right soft keys under Start >Settings >Buttons, which aids one-handed use.
- The 210's touch screen requires a little more force to be applied to it to enter commands than on other devices, which can cause some initial annoyance. With time, however, this issue proves to be less noticeable as you get used to it.
- If both iPAQs are turned off or automatically go into suspend mode with Wi-Fi on, they take substantially longer than other devices to turn back on (2-4 seconds). If you want to avoid this, turn off Wi-Fi before you turn either device off; this way they shouldn't take as long to turn back on. Also note that when both iPAQs do come on after the brief delay, tests have shown that they are immediately available for use (as opposed to some devices that power on immediately but have a delay before responding to screen taps).
- Some have found that the 210's battery life is less than desirable, since it may wear down before a full day's usage of Wi-Fi, e-mail, and media playback. An extended battery (with twice the capacity) is available for the 210 from lionbattery.com and other online vendors. An extended battery for the 110 is also available. Note that using an extended battery will require a bigger back panel; the larger battery and panel extension will add size and weight to the devices.
Tips & Tricks
- Remember that under Start >Settings >Buttons, both iPAQs have the ability to remap the three hardware buttons to perform up to six functions, three with a standard press and three more with the secondary press-and-hold function.
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