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Introduction:::...
It's
a well known fact that great minds are extremely disorganized,
and although I'm not even sure if that's true it's what
I tell myself as I turn the house inside out looking for
that password that I scribbled on a scrap of paper before
leaving it "somewhere safe". I remember thinking
to myself that I couldn't possibly forget its location as
I put it away. Seems I was wrong...again!
The
problem with being disorganized is that it's a hard habit
to break. All the gadgets on the market sold in an attempt
to help you bring a little order to your life seem to need
a large handful of organized thinking before you can use
them properly.
The
problem is I don't live the kind of life that's easily pigeonholed.
I've had more of those cheap 128k organizers than I can
count, but the categories they insist I work with just don't
fit in with my lifestyle. You see I don't need sections
that only let me store my contacts by name, I also want
to be able to search by company, by location or by email
address.
I
don't need to track my dining or petrol expenses, but I
do want to track how much money the kids have screwed out
of me, or how much I have tucked away secretly for "critical
purchases".
For
me it's all about flexibility. Although I could use the
field titled "surname" to store a nickname or
use the "fax number" field to enter a little reminder
about whether this particular contact is a happy soul or
a truly miserable git, it kind of bugs me that I should
have to.
So,
in a desparate attempt to get my chaotic existence on track,
a couple of years ago I turned to the PocketPC, and in all
honesty I've never looked back. With a massive range of
software available from customisable forms and databases
to pocket Quake and all the puzzle and strategy games you
could ever wish for, the PocketPC is the ultimate, fully
configurable lifestyle companion for the hardened gadgeteer
or the methodically challenged.
When
I saw the specifications for the iPAQ 4100 series PocketPCs
I knew I had to try one on for size, so I got straight on
the blower to Scan
and they offered to ship one over for me to look at.
Here
are those specs:
| Specifications |
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| Integrated
WLAN 802.11b, Bluetooth® wireless technology,
IrDA |
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| Integrated
SD slot - supports SD/MMC type standard memory,
SDIO options |
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| Intel®
400 MHz processor with Xscale™ technology |
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| 64
MB SDRAM (55 MB user accessible) |
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| Transflective
3.5" TFT liquid crystal display with LED backlight,
64K colors 16-bit, 240 x 320 resolution |
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| Integrated
microphone, speaker, one 3.5 mm headphone jack,
MP3 stereo (through audio jack) |
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| One-year
parts and labor in most regions (one-year warranty
for rechargeable battery pack). 90 days technical
support for software in all regions. Optional
HP Care Pack available in North America for Next
Business Day replacement (at additional charge).
Extend
or upgrade your warranty. |
|
| Software
included with product (on ROM) |
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Microsoft
Window Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC, Calendar, Contacts,
Tasks, Voice Recorder, Notes, Pocket Word, Pocket
Excel, Pocket Internet Explorer, Windows Media
Player 9 (MP3, audio and video streaming), Calculator,
Solitaire, Jawbreaker, Inbox, Microsoft Reader
(eBooks), File Explorer, Pictures, Terminal Services
Client, VPN Client, Infrared Beaming, Clock, Align
Screen, Memory, Volume control, ClearType Tuner
HP specific: iPAQ Backup, iPAQ Image Zone, hp
Enroller, LEAP, iPAQ File Store, Bluetooth® Manager,
iPAQ iTask Manager, Utilities |
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Microsoft
Outlook 2002, Microsoft ActiveSync 3.7 (Desktop
device synchronization), Microsoft Reader eBooks,
hp Web Registration, hp Mobile Print Center, Westtek
ClearVue Suite, F-Secure FileCrypto Data Encryption,
Colligo Personal Edition, Adobe PDF Viewer, RealOne
Player for Pocket PC, iPresenter PowerPoint converter,
MobiMate WorldMate
Trials: Xcellenet Afaria Device Management Agent,
Margi Presenter-to-Go (requires purchase of additional
hardware), Illium ListPro, CommonTime Cadenza
mNotes
Links: NetMotion, Avaya IP Softphone, IP Blue
VTGO!, Cisco CallManager, Pocket Presence Running
Voice IP, Vindigo, Audible Manager and Audible
Player (Service plan required to download and
play Audible content), SingleTap, Handango, Pocket
Backup Plus |
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| hp
iPAQ Pocket PC h4150 unit, USB desktop cradle/charger,
AC adapter, slip cover, stylus, battery, getting
started poster, charger adapter, and hp iPAQ Pocket
PC Companion CD |
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For
me the headline feature is the inclusion not only of Bluetooth
connectivity but also 802.11b wireless. If, like me you
have a wireless network available at home or work, this
opens up all kinds of exciting possibilities such as internet
browsing, file and printer sharing and much, much more.
I
initially wondered why HP opted for 802.11b and not 802.11g,
the reason appears to be related to compatability and power
consumption. Seems reasonable.
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