iPAQ PROS AND CONS

I got my Compaq iPAQ 3630 in December 2000, and I've had a succession of replacements owing to the digitiser problem (touch screen problem) with the original model.

The iPAQ's colour screen display is absolutely brilliant and its fast performance is stunning. The Palm now seems horribly primitive and frustratingly slow.

Its functionality is noticeably different from the Palm O/S. As a standalone I still prefer the Palm system, but if you work extensively in MS Word and Excel the iPAQ becomes an obvious choice.

MINOR QUIBBLES

Now for a few quibbles:

• I miss the appearance of tasks in the diary view, and the floating tasks which would move themselves to the next day if not completed. I regard this as a major drawback in functionality in comparison to later Palms (or earlier Palms with Datebk3.
• Recurring all-day events (e.g. Birthdays) don't display the recurring or attached note icon in Agenda view. Reminder icons do not appear in Agenda view.
• The Word Completion function is very useful (I used WordComplete and TextPlus on the Palm), but it completes an upper case word in lower case, so it is pretty useless for completing headings, and it does not handle phrases like TextPlus for the Palm. It is also too persistent in certain instances, blocking your view of what you've already entered and failing to be dismissed until you enter a space. The Word Completion dictionary builds up interactively - including your mistakes, but its exact functionality is a bit of a mystery and I have not been able to find any documentation. As far as I know, it cannot be accessed for editing, cannot be backed-up, and - according to a posting on a bulletin board - dies with a cold reset.
• Transcriber does allow for user addition of vocabulary, but I don't know what its relationship is to the Character Recognizer/Word Completion dictionary is, if any.
• Notes will only sync if at top level. If you store notes in subdirectories they will not be synced.

The above quibbles relate to areas of design which could, I believe, be improved. I've detailed some actual problems in a section on current operating issues. These are in addition to the digitiser problem referred to above.

CONCLUSION

This is a luxury item for those who think that only the best is good enough! The expensive basic price is soon boosted by the must-have extras. A protective case is essential as is the ongoing cost of screen protectors. I also needed an extra power unit and an extra cradle for use at work. Then there was the calculated investment in an extended warranty. And that's witnout expenditure on software, or a PC card sleeve or Compact Flash cards and sleeve (plus new, larger leather case) that may be incurred down the line.

The iPAQ is never-the-less a pleasure to behold and I am sure we could be very happy together if only the digitiser aspect ceases to be a problem.

RIK - 18 June 2001. Amended 17 January 2003.