Windows Phone Thoughts: The iPAQ 100 Series Classic Handheld Video Review

Post-CES and post two-week-cold, having dug myself out of most of my back-logged email, it was time to get down to reviewing some of the hardware I have sitting around here. The iPAQ 100 Series Classic Handheld, running Windows Mobile 6, went on the video-reviewing block, and the resulting video is below (if you have a YouTube account, please rate the video and post a comment if you can).



All in all, as a strict PDA, it does the job well. But as I point out in the video, I feel it's priced too high, and surprising competition comes from a device such as the iPod Touch when you're at that $299 price point.

There were a few things I didn't mention in the video - the first is that while the iPAQ 100 uses a miniUSB plug rather than something proprietary (great job HP!), it requires a certain type of miniUSB connector (something about needing an extra wire). My PPC Techs Lil' Sync Pro cables charged it without a problem, but other miniUSB cables I tested wouldn't charge it which is something to be aware of - it's really unfortunate that HP didn't make it compatible with all miniUSB cables.

I also didn't mention that lack of hardware buttons for the soft keys. On a touch screen device without a keyboard, this is less of an issue because you'll probably already have the stylus out, but considering how focused Windows Mobile 6 is around soft keys, it would have been nice to see the hardware reflect that - especially since it would have enhanced one-handed use scenarios.

I just can't shake the feeling that someone who wants a stand-alone PDA probably doesn't need a 624 mhz CPU, or even 64 MB of RAM. If HP had kept the 300 mhz CPU from the iPAQ 1950 in there, and dropped the price to $199, I think they'd have a device much more focused on the "I just want a personal information manager" device crowd.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys mobile devices, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, and his sometimes obedient dog. He's can't wait for spring - it's cold here now!