An IPaq in Black and White

Compaq releases gray-scale Pocket PC for budget-conscious IPaq fans.

If you've lusted after an IPaq Pocket PC, but balked at the cost--$499 and up--Compaq has created a new temptation for you: the $349 IPaq H3150. But there's a catch: This Pocket PC has a monochrome screen, not color.

The H3150's gray-scale display can show only 15 shades of gray. Though it offers good contrast and a backlight, it's nowhere near as bright or easy to read as the excellent screens on the color IPaqs.

My shipping unit came with just 16MB of memory--color IPaqs have 32MB or 64MB--but for most everyday uses that amount should be adequate. The other major difference: Instead of a docking cradle, the H3150 comes with a USB sync cable. The unit does have the same speedy 206-MHz Intel StrongARM processor as other models, and it's fast enough to handle practically any program you'd care to run on a Pocket PC.

The gray-scale screen reduces power use dramatically over a color one. According sto Compaq, the H3150's rechargeable battery will last for about 14 hours. Apart from the screen, the differences between this model and color IPaqs are minimal, and the price is attractive--though it remains higher than for many Palm-based PDAs, including the color Palm IIIc. On the other hand, if you're willing to sacrifice screen quality for a savings of $150, the trade-off may be worthwhile.

SUMMARY

IPaq H3150

PRO: Powerful Pocket PC-based PDA with long battery life.
CON: 15-shade gray-scale screen, limited amount of memory.
VALUE: Great for people on a budget who want a Pocket PC.

Street price: $349
Compaq
800/888-9909
www.compaq.com

Would you recommend this story? YES NO

Recommend:
0 Comments

Subscribe to the Smart Phone News Newsletter - weekly

See All Newsletters »

Lenovo Laptop Deals

IdeaPad U300s If there's a laptop that deserves the moniker "Ultrabook" it's the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s.
Buy now direct from Lenovo
ThinkPad X220 Fast and light, with great input ergonomics and battery life, this powerhouse ultraportable is best-of-breed.
Buy now direct from Lenovo
ThinkPad T420 Just about every IT person we know swears by the T series--for their clients and themselves.
Buy now direct from Lenovo

Name	City

Address 1	State	Zip

Address 2	E-mail (optional)