Excellent Value

I ordered on of these a few days ago for under £150 (inc. VAT) as it was an open box product. It arrived the next day with no documents missing (in fact the pack of documentation hadn't been opened) and the PDA was unused along with everything in the box that was supposed to be there.

I was surprised at how small and light it was and the unit didn't get hot even while charging. I'm a university student and I use it mainly to keep track of my lectures and contacts. My campus has many wireless hotspots so it's very easy to get emails and access the net using the built in wifi. Obviously battery life varies with usage but on average I charge it once every few days.

The built in storage and memory is fairly small and things start to slow down if you run too many programs. The lack of storage isn't an issue however as I've ordered a 2 GB SD card which will allow me to use the device as a good sized mp3 player. The 320x240 display is very clear and easy to read.

It lost one star as it doesn't have Bluetooth which would have been useful for transferring files from my phone, although it does have an IR port so it's still possible.

GREAT ITEM

I have looked at ever poss type of PDA and todate this is by far the best, no -ves found with it

A great box of tricks...

I've never been a great user of handheld/pocket PCs of any nature. I use a Desktop PC for most of my work and have a desktop replacement laptop for work while away from home. When looking for a smaller and more portable device, I wanted something with a familiar"feel" to it - Windows CE was the obvious operating system to check out.

Not only does the HP Jornada 720"look" like a mini-laptop, it acts like one as well. It comes equipped with a bright full-colour 640x240 display which, when used in conjunction with the internal modem, makes browsing the internet a breeze. None of this having to settle for a lesser browser, like Opera, on this machine - the pocket version of IE4 is pre-loaded as standard. HP Dial-Up makes setting up dial-up connections easy and makes setting up different ISP connections a doddle.

Email is handled by the pocket version of Microsoft Outlook (which you can set to download all or part of the emails synchronized on your ISP's server). Multiple email addresses are handled without a worry.

Also included are preloaded versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint. You can't create Powerpoint presentations but you can view them on a monitor with the HP VGA PC card (available separately).

You can download extras from Microsoft's website including the"Plus" pack for free. This gives additional programs such as Paint (ideal for doodling).

The whole device is well put together, the unit feels strong and resilient when closed. It is a tad heavy but can be carried within your jacket pocket without too much of a struggle.

Expansion is via the Compact Flash Type I slot in the base and Type II PCMCIA slot in the side of the unit. Additional tweaks have been thought about, such as an easily accessible section for storing the pen used for the touch screen.

Also preloaded is Microsoft's Media Player for playing music. The speakers aren't brilliant for this (but are adequate) though the sound is much better when you plug headphones/speakers into the audio jack. For convenience, volume/play controls are positioned within easy reach while the lid is closed (useful when using the 720 as a walkman).

Synchronisation with your PC/laptop is also a doddle using the supplied docking cradle and Active Sync. The unit is supplied with a serial cable but you have the option of USB-synchronisation as well (so get yourself a standard USB cable to speed things up).

The 720's fast 206MHz processor really does feel fast and, combined with"instant-on", makes this a very nippy machine. Take it out of your pocket, press"ON" and you're ready to type. It's as quick as that.

For something that does almost everything, the HP Jornada 720 is like a dream. Everyone I have shown it to has been well impressed with it. Hardly anyone could believe that so much can be done with such a small box.

Other applications include a note-taking program (not handwriting-recognition) which allows you to write on the screen and save your work. This is a little tricky due to the proximity of the keyboard but it's a useful addition. Don't feel like writing? Then record your notes by using the 720 as a voice recorder. Everything you need is supplied.

Depending on what you read, battery time is 6-8hours but you generally get more than that because it's unlikely you'll use the 720 non-stop for 6-8hours and power-management kicks in.

The only downside is the price (generally £560+VAT) and the weight. But for what you get in return, this is a good alternative to lugging around a 3-4Kg laptop with you everywhere. One other minor niggle is that the keyboard on the 720 is American - having symbols such as @ and" in the wrong place is quite annoying, but it is just an annoyance.

There isn't too much software around for the Jornada 720 but as everything you need is preloaded, you'll don't really need much else. You can obtain things like an eBook reader and books which provides a useful alternative to carrying half a library around with you on long journeys.

The 32Mb of memory is ample for most purposes, but if you intend to carry a lot of music with you, filling the Type I Compact Flash slot with either a 32Mb or 64Mb Compact Flash card will go a long way to enhancing your music experience.

I consider myself very lucky to have"struck gold" with the Jornada 720 first time out. Expensive as it is, I wouldn't have liked to have chosen a lesser (cheaper) device only to be disappointed.

simple to use

Set up a little taxing with some problems syncing with microsoft mail. Easy set up configs for different machines including work network. Syncing all files/folders simple. Buy SD card to improve memory. Great timewaster called Bubble Breaker!

mio a701

Very good all round phone /gps / pda
good for info storing and using, I use a tomtom nav 6 for gps which works well,
not easy for a texting or camera phone,
but then again, i dont use it for those features!!

This is not the product you get!

Be very careful when buying this product. Although the photo and the description belong to the original HTC car charger, this is not what you get. You get a generic USB car charger instead of the HTC model announced!!!

Don't buy it for VOIP - or as a reliable phone

I've had these since summer '07. HP seem to ignore all the problems.

I've got -

- unusable volume for VOIP
- appalling battery life
- random 100% discharges
- Problems seeing/connecting to WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK networks
- irritating start-up jingle

Overall, a huge waste of money - and more importantly time. This is Beta hardware at best.

disappointed

disappointed with this purchase, only the strap and thin strip round edges are leather.Remainder of case consists of zip and clear plastic.