HANDHELD REVIEW

HP iPAQ hx2750 review

8.0

Editors' Rating

Design		7.0
Features		9.0
Performance		8.0

Bonnie Cha CNET

Published: 01 Dec 2004

In September 2004, HP introduced its high-performance, business-class hx4700, wowing us with its large VGA screen, its innovative touch pad – and, unfortunately, its eye-popping price tag. Now, the company has released its hx2000 series, offering professionals another mobile business solution. Not to be outdone by its more powerful sibling, the high-end hx2750 has enough talent to shine on its own. It boasts a biometric fingerprint reader for enhanced security, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and solid performance. At £355 (ex. VAT), it's still costly, but if you can forgo the fingerprint reader and make do with a little less memory and a 520MHz processor (instead of 624MHz), check out the hx2410 (£288 ex. VAT) or the hx2110 (£234 ex. VAT), which has a 312MHz processor and Bluetooth only.

Design

If there's one word to describe the HP iPAQ hx2750, it would be sturdy. From its appearance to its feel, this handheld has a solid build and could probably withstand some rough treatment. Outfitted in charcoal grey and carrying a similar footprint to the Dell Axim X30, the hx2750 is fairly compact (7.66cm by 11.9cm by 1.63cm) but it's a bit thick and hefty at 164.4g. A nice touch, however, are the rubber sides, which make for a good grip and easy one-handed use.

Another positive design feature is the included plastic flip-screen cover. The detachable transparent cover pops onto the top of the device, and again, the durability theme continues here. It's strong, and it remained scratch-free during our tests, although it's prone to fingerprints and smudges. Of course, the whole purpose of this armour is to protect the hx2750's gorgeous 3.5in. TFT screen. Although it's only QVGA level (compared to the hx4700's and Dell Axim X50v's high-resolution VGA screens), it displays 65,536 colours, and we were surprised by the vibrant images and sharp text. Beneath the display are four programmable shortcut keys -- Appointments, Contacts, Inbox and iTask, by default -- and a four-way navigation toggle with a centre Select button. And like the h5550, the hx2750 features a biometric fingerprint reader for enhanced security.

The rest of the device is standard handheld fare. Finishing out the face of the device are a power button, a speaker, a microphone and two tiny LEDs that blink orange when the hx2750 is charging, blue for wireless mode and green for alarms. On the left side is a lone voice-record button, and you'll find a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, dual expansion slots (CompactFlash and SDIO/MMC) and the stylus holder on top of the device. A small Reset button and a USB connector reside on the bottom, and there's a battery-release switch is on the back.

HP delivers the hx2750 with just the essential extras, including an AC adapter and a USB desktop-sync cradle. Although you get the plastic screen cover, we were disappointed the device didn't come with a protective leather case. However, if you want to carry a backup power source, a higher-capacity 2,880mAh lithium-ion battery with charger is available for £94 (ex. VAT).

Features

The iPAQ hx2750 is well appointed in the features department. The handheld boasts Intel's zippy 624MHz XScale PXA270 processor, and although speed is nice, but a bonus is the chip's SpeedStep and Wireless MMX technology that optimises battery life and multimedia performance. There's memory aplenty too: you get 128MB of ROM and RAM and a total of 185MB of user-accessible memory, 80MB of which are available through the included iPAQ File Store. If your work calls for more storage, the hx2750's CompactFlash and SDIO/MMC slots should meet your needs.

For wireless connectivity, take your pick: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR or all since you can use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth simultaneously. As with HP's latest crop of Pocket PCs, the hx2750 comes with the iPAQ wireless utility so that you can access networks, configure network adapters, and more. You also get a separate Bluetooth Phone Manager for connecting to the Web via a Bluetooth-enabled mobile.

The iPAQ hx2750 comes with Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, enabling you to switch to Landscape mode, access frequently used programs, and more. The device also ships with Pocket Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player 9.0. Since the hx2750 is primarily a business device, HP throws in HP ProtectTools so that you can set a password or a PIN number to protect your data, in addition to VPN- and WEP-enhanced security.

Other goodies on the hx2750 include a backup utility, Image Zone for viewing images and creating slide shows, iPAQ Audio, and two games (Solitaire and the addictive Jawbreaker).

Performance

The iPAQ hx2750 is an awesome Pocket PC that delivers great performance, as well as stunning video and image quality. In our performance tests, the hx2750 achieved impressive scores. Sporting Intel's top-of-the-line 624MHz processor, the hx2750 fell just a few points short of the Dell Axim X30. However, in real-world operations, you won't be able to tell the difference between the two. In our usage tests, the hx2750 was very fast, and there was no lag in response time, even while running numerous applications.

Aside from speed, the hx2750 also delivers impressive video performance, which is enhanced by the device's impressive display. The screen isn't VGA quality, but whether surfing the Web or playing a 3D game, we were amazed by the clear text, crisp images, and vibrant colours. It's also readable in sunlight.

The handheld's wireless connections were flawless. We were able to connect to our test wireless access point and the Web in a matter of seconds. It also had great range. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth came through perfectly in our tests, and to our delight, they can work simultaneously. Of course, having both of them on will adversely affect the device's battery life.

Speaking of which, the hx2750 offered decent battery life. Playing a looped video clip with all wireless off and the backlight set to high, the device lasted 4.5 hours. Although this isn't the best result we've seen, it's still a respectable score. Plus, since our drain tests are designed to zap power as fast as possible, you'll get more mileage out of your handheld in normal use.