Small, powerful and fun! (Compaq iPaq Pocket PC H3970)

Member Name: Wizross

Product:	Compaq iPaq Pocket PC H3970
Date:	08/07/03 (675 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hundreds of uses!, Top quality product, Good price for everything it can do

Disadvantages: You have to buy a SD card, Supplied USB charge/sync cable would have been good

Unlike the other review of this product I'll write about the Ipaq HP3970 rather than their customer support.

This is a Microsoft Windows Pocket PC 2002 handheld. It's features are many and varied and it's uses extensive.

Basic specs: 400MHz Intel PXA250 processor, 64K colour, 16 bit touch sensitive TFT screen, 64MB RAM, 48MB Flash ROM, 20MB free ROM (Ipaq data store).

Storage is via a SD (Secure Digital) card. It doesn't come with one as standard but I'd recommend you get one as they're pretty much needed. I got a 256MB one off Ebay for around £45 to go with it.

This is also bluetooth enabled so you can communicate with any devices that have it too. The standard infra-red is there as well.

Power is via a Li-Ion battery which is charged via the supplied AC adaptor. You also get a USB cradle so you can sync with your PC. Although I've purchased a combined charge and sync USB cable (around £10) which makes it easier. Cradle & AC Adaptor are now back in their box.

Built into the ROM you get the following programs:
Microsoft Excel & Word (for those business apps)
Microsoft Reader (for reading e-books, etc.)
NEVO (a cool program for control infra-red devices from your Ipaq -eg. TV, video, etc.)
Calendar, Inbox & Contacts (like Outlook)
ActiveSync (for synchronising the above)
Windows Media (for playing your MP3, video files, etc.)
Acrobat Reader (for reading acrobat files - as you'd expect)
Internet Explorer (for surfing the web)
Ipaq Backup (for backing up your Ipaq to a storage card or PC)
Ipaq Image Viewer (for pictures/digital photos)
MSN Messenger (like the PC version)
Notes (for scribbling things down or even recording talking - eg. in meetings)

The Ipaq 3970 is brilliant. I use mine all the time for notes, contacts, appointments, reading books, listening to music and watching downloaded video from my SD card.

Input
is via a stylus on the screen. You can choose from using the on screen keyboard, block recogniser/letter recogniser (like Graffitti on the Palms) and Transcriber where you write in your normal handwriting and it converts it into text. The transcriber works remarkably well, especially if you take time to program your own style into it.

There's plenty of expandability too, via expansion packs, etc. I brought a micro-thumb keyboard that plugs into the bottom although transcriber works so well I don't really use it.

You'll probably want to get a good case too as the one supplied isn't brilliant. I brought a nice zippered leather one that covers it completely but still provides access to the ports once the zip is open.

You can also download loads of programs/software for Pocket PCs off the web too!

I was so impressed with this that when my wife's Palm M100 died I brought her an Ipaq 1910 as a replacement which she thinks is great! And it is, just not a powerful as the 3970 and with less programs on ROM. But hey, I'm not reviewing the 1910!

Highly recommended and superb piece of hardware. Be sure to shop around though before buying. I saw some Internet shops selling this for £500! Mine cost £340 (www.rankhour.com - currently £330 inc. delivery & VAT - 8th July 2003) including VAT and delivery so check out the web before buying. Most accessories (SD cards, cables, cases) you're better off buying from the countless shops on Ebay.

Summary: