HANDHELD REVIEW

HP iPAQ H2210 review

8.0

Editors' Rating

Design		8.0
Features		8.0
Performance		8.0

David Carnoy CNET

Published: 15 Sep 2003

One of the complaints about earlier iPAQs was that, unlike Pocket PCs from Toshiba and Casio, no iPAQ offered built-in expansion slots for both CompactFlash and SD (Secure Digital) cards. HP listened and came out with the H2210 (£369 inc. VAT list price). Although it’s neither as slim nor as affordable as the H1940, the H2210 is currently the most compact dual-expansion Pocket PC on the market. And its size, performance and features make it an attractive choice -- particularly for users who want the option of adding lots of memory or a combination of memory and a CompactFlash add-on device.

Design

HP says the H2210 was in development before Dell's Axim X5 came out, but it's hard not to see the two devices as illegitimate cousins. Most of the reason for that is because both the HP and Dell products share black, rubberised side-grip panels that reduce the chance of the device slipping out of your hand. However, HP’s device definitely beats Dell’s on looks.

The H2210 isn't super-compact like the H1940, but it's not that much bigger, weighing in at 144.2g (compared to 124g) and measuring 7.64cm wide by 11.5cm deep by 1.54cm high. In fact, it's smaller and lighter than the original iPAQ, which didn't have any expansion slots at all (you had to slip on a sleeve to add CompactFlash or PC Cards).

For the extra £70 or so you'll spend in getting this model over the H1940, HP includes both a cradle and a canvas protective cover. Another plus: the H2210 has a standard headphone mini-jack, so you can use whatever headphones you want without buying an adapter.

Features

Aside from the extra CompactFlash slot, this model is similar to the H1940. Both have 32MB of ROM to accommodate the new Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC operating system and 64MB of RAM, although only 56MB are accessible to the user. Bluetooth is here, along with a top-notch transflective, 65,536-colour TFT screen. As for differences, this iPAQ uses the 400MHz XScale processor instead of the allegedly more energy-efficient 266MHz Samsung chip, and you do get consumer-grade infrared, which allows you to turn the device into a programmable universal remote control using the included Nevo application.

A big plus, the latest iPAQs feature removable batteries, so you can swap in an extra cell. However, like the H1940, this model isn't compatible with the older iPAQ expansion sleeves and accessories.

Beyond the Nevo remote-control application, don't expect to find much in the way software extras, although Windows Mobile 2003 has more embedded applications than Pocket PC 2002. You get the usual assortment of demos and a full suite of Microsoft applications, including the Pocket versions of Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Reader and Streets. There are a few other notable applications, such as iPAQ Backup; Diagnostic Toolkit, which lets you test your device; and Peacemaker, an application meant to negotiate communication between Pocket PCs and Palms. HP also throws in an image viewer application, but one is also included with Windows Mobile 2003, along with the addictive game Jawbreaker (a.k.a. Bubblet).

Performance

The H2210 uses Intel's 400MHz PXA255 processor, which is currently the fastest available for Pocket PCs -- although some argue that Samsung's 266MHz processor rivals its speed and is more energy efficient. We didn't notice an appreciable speed difference between this model and the H1940, and both iPAQs played games and ran video smoothly. Sound quality is quite good, and is supposedly improved with the upgrade to Windows Media 9. It's also worth noting that you can adjust bass and treble levels via the iPAQ Audio control panel, which acts as an equaliser.

We were particularly impressed with the transflective screen. Brighter than that of Toshiba's e330 and e335 models, it appears to be one of the best on the market. Indoors, its white background has less grey in it. The display also did well outside; we were able to read text on the screen in bright sunlight without a problem.

Battery life was respectable. Playing MP3s with the backlight set at 50 percent, the unit lasted for 4 hours and 24 minutes. This was no match for the Dell Axim X5's 6 hours and 22 minutes, but it was better than the HP H1940's 3 hours and 46 minutes. At the more demanding task of playing MPEG-1 videos in PocketTV with the backlight at its standard setting, the unit lasted for just 3 hours and 7 minutes -- about 15 minutes longer than the H1940.