Hewlett-Packard H5550

The iPaq has been the benchmark for PPC devices for the last 5 years. From the beginning, there have been a number of competitors, but up until recently, there have been none with the staying power of the iPaq.

As a professional nerd, I have been creating software for PDA devices off and on for the last 5 years. The iPaq has always been my machine of choice, and the one that I seem to always own at least one of. The screen is always the best, the battery life exceeds all others, and the general power and speed is always at the top of the list.

The H5550 is no exception. I have had my H5550 for nearly a year and still use it on a daily basis. I feel lost without it. The integrated Wireless B and Bluetooth are just too cool for words. Nothing like surfing the web for answers and reading email from nearly anywhere in the Bay area. I can be sitting in almost any restaurant, movie theatre, or other public place, and 9 times out of ten connect through a local wireless router. Not only is it incredibly handy, but also lends a fair amount of cool-factor.

Below are the things I like most about the H5550
· Gazillions of software titles both free and cheap
· Huge number of available accessories.
· Fantastic screen
· Reasonable battery life
· I own the bluetooth GPS unit and use it both in my car, as well as in the air in my plane (great software for both applications).
· I bought software for ripping DVDs to Windows Media files for viewing on trips (you can get 4 movies on a 1Gig flash card...).
· I have created numerous pilot programs for doing last minute calcs on the fly.
· I use the digital voice recorder for meetings.
· If you can do it on a PC, odds are strong you can find a way to do it on the H5550… anywhere!

Now for the downers...
· Unless you are a power user... think about whether you really need this device instead of a lesser model. You probably do not need 128M of ram… the faster processor… etc.
· The Bluetooth still will not work with your Bluetooth cell phone. I have talked with Verizon, and currently, there is no phone this unit will synch up to for connecting to the Internet in those rare places you can’t find a wireless router.
· A little clunky. Five years ago, I never thought I would say this… and yet… I am. Granted, a good portion of the size is the battery I praised above, but compared to PPC cell phones, modern MP3 players, and other handheld devices… this is like a brick. This unit still requires the amazingly nerdy looking belt pouch for carrying it around. It would be nice to have a pocket size unit that really fits in your pocket.
· Stability. This is not terrible, but still an issue. I still have to make sure I backup my unit at least once a week… or I chance losing everything.
· Battery leak – If you leave the unit unplugged and off for more than a couple days, the battery will completely drain, and you will lose everything.

In conclusion – unless you are certain you will be one of the 5% of us that actually is a true power user… save your money. Personally, I think most people are better off with one of the new PPC cell phones. These are not quite as functional, but will do 90% of what most people think they need a PDA for.