First Look: HP's Thrice-Wireless PDA

Even the best wireless-enabled handhelds can't guarantee an Internet connection wherever you go, but Hewlett-Packard's new IPaq H6300 series at least gives you several bites at the apple.

Just announced as part of HP's fall lineup, these are the first Pocket PCs to integrate cellular, 802.11b Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth capability. These midsize handhelds will appeal to hard-core business travelers who are willing to pay top dollar for a personal digital assistant.

Easy Wi-Fi and More

I checked out a preproduction version of the first product in the line, T-Mobile's $600 (or $500 after rebate if you sign up for a new account) IPaq Pocket PC H6315. Running Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC-Phone Edition, the H6315 makes a great first impression with its compact, clean design. Its new IPaq wireless setup utility hooked up to our corporate Wi-Fi network in seconds--the easiest and fastest such connection I've ever made with an IPaq. Better still: When within range of both cellular and Wi-Fi networks, the unit let me talk on the phone via a wireless headset while downloading e-mail or surfing the Web.

The H6315 has a built-in camera with a digital zoom lens that can capture 640-by-480 images; bundled IPaq software lets you manage and perform basic edits on your photos. My indoor test shots looked surprisingly crisp and well lit compared to others I've taken with PDA-based cameras.

Also included are a snap-on thumb keyboard and a charging cradle with an extra slot for recharging an optional additional $50 standard or $100 extended-life removable battery. Depending on your usage patterns, HP says the H6315 should run a day or two on a standard battery, twice as long with the extended battery. Speaking of recharging, HP also throws in several plug adapters for use in overseas electrical outlets, a nice plus for customers who sign up for T-Mobile's world phone service.

Pushing Capacity

Another business-oriented T-Mobile offering, My E-Mail, can channel messages from several existing accounts--including POP3, Exchange, and Web-enabled Lotus Notes--into the H6315's inbox.

However, my overloaded Notes mailbox appeared to crash the inbox, and I was unable to set the device to retrieve only new mail as it arrived--problems that could limit the H6315's usefulness to some people. An HP spokesperson says T-Mobile believes the problem stems from my attempts to download messages during peak server usage times, but repeated attempts netted the same results.

Still, for the most part the H6315 lives up to its promise as a triple-threat wireless handheld, and is certainly worth considering if staying connected is a very high priority.