Best Buy in handhelds

Pro

1 April 2005

Handheld PCs have been growing in popularity ever since the introduction of the Psion Organiser back in 1984 and while they’re unlikely to ever rival the latest notebooks in terms of processing power, they’re a lot easier to carry around.

The first handhelds were really only for those with more money than sense. Not only were they expensive, they were also limited in what they could be used for. However, today’s handhelds have a lot more going for them. As well as being a great work tool, you can also use them to listen to music, record voice data, read e-books and play games.

At present there are three operating systems that count in the PDA market: The Palm, which has lead the market ever since the first Palm Pilot appeared in 1986, Microsoft’s Pocket PC, which replaced the much maligned Windows CE and Psion’s EPOC 32 operating system. Deciding which handheld is best for you is dependent on what you plan to use it for. To help you make a decision we’ve rounded up some of the best PDAs on the market and tested their applications, robustness, remote connectivity and design. Here are our results.

Toshiba Pocket PC e570

The e570 marks Toshiba’s first entry into the handheld market and it’s an impressive debut. The e570 is a smart looking device that’s attractive to look at and less clunky than some other handhelds. It also offers plenty of Expandability options for those who want to add on extra peripherals.

We were impressed with the e570’s simplicity. The software that came bundled with it, made it incredibly easy to get up and running. In fact, within five minutes we had successfully synchronised data between a desktop and the PDA through the USB connection. In addition to this, it’s also incredibly easy to synchronise between the handheld and a mobile phone using the e570’s infrared port.

As well as looking smart and being easy to use, there’s plenty of processing power here. The e570 is powered by a 206MHz Intel StrongARM CP and comes with 64Mbyte of SDRAM and 32Mbyte of CMOS Flash memory. As if that’s not enough, Toshiba has kindly included two built-in expansion slots for memory, modems or other peripherals and these are for both CompactFlash and Secure Digital cards.

It uses Microsoft’s Pocket PC 2002 operating system which means that it’s much more than just an organiser. As well as being able to jot down diary dates, contact details and tasks, you also get pocket-sized versions of essential programs such as Internet Explorer, Excel and Word, as well as being able to read e-books, listen to music and take voice recordings. Despite this though, Toshiba haven’t really much in the way of additional software and it would have been nice to see a couple of extras thrown in for good measure.

The e570 boast a bright, easy to read display which is front-lit so that you can take it outside into the sun and still get a good picture. As with all handheld computers, freehand writing with the stylus is difficult unless you’re prepared to spend weeks learning how to do it, but it also comes with keyboard option that’s handy for anyone who has got used to sending SMS messages on their mobile.

Sound was reasonable, rather than exceptional, but other than this, we could find very little wrong with the e570.

If you’re looking for something that’s more than just a glorified filofax, then this handheld is definitely worth considering. It looks great, is easy to use and has plenty of Expandability options.

Ease of use 8.5
Design 8
Software 7.5
Expandability 9
Value for Money 7.5
Total 40.5
Euro785
Where to buy BMS: +353 (0)1 450 5277

HP Jornada 568

Having previously reviewed one of HP’s Jornada Pocket PCs just under a year ago, we were interested to see if the 568 would be very different from its predecessor. However, we were surprised that little had change. Like the other models in the Jornada range, the 568 is well-designed with a flip-top lid to protect the screen and a stylus that’s cunningly hidden at the back.

It offers a sparkling, 16-bit colour display that can be adjusted depending on whether you’re indoors or out and overall, we thought it was a smart looking piece of kit.

However, we were less than impressed with the Welcome Page which was cluttered and not especially easy to navigate, particularly when compared to other Pocket PCs. We also found that set up was a bit messy and not really user friendly.

These are minor faults though, because once you’ve set it up to communicate with your desktop PC, things become a lot simpler. Downloading contacts from an Outlook folder was child’s play and getting onto the Internet was also easy.

Furthermore, we were impressed with the number of applications that came with this handheld. As well as the Pocket PC programs such as Word, Excel and Internet Explorer, the Jornada had a number of extra apps including Microsoft Money, Music Match Jukebox, StreetMaps Finder and Vindigo – a similar program which allows you to find places to eat, shop and play.

Of course, to run such programs, you need to have a pretty high spec processor with plenty of RAM and luckily, the Jornada has both. It’s powered by a 206Mhz 32-bit Intel StrongARM processor and comes with 64 Mbyte of RAM. In addition to this, there’s also 32Mbyte of ROM, and a 103 Mhz memory data bus. This should be more than enough processing power, but if it’s not, then there’s also a CompactFlash expansion slot.

Users can transfer data from their mobile phones using the Jornada’s IrDA infrared port as well as synchronising with a desktop PC. When it came to imputing data, we also found this pretty easy, in part, because the Jornada has a sturdy stylus that is less flimsy than some others we have come across.

In many ways the 568 is the perfect handheld: it looks and feels good and has plenty of processing power and applications. However, HP could do with revamping the welcome screen and making it a bit more user friendly.

Ease of use 7
Design 7.5
Software 8.5
Expandability 8
Value for Money 7.5
Total 38.5
Euro749
Where to buy HP Ireland: +353 (0)1 615 8200

Handspring Visor Prism

Those who are interested in buying a handheld for work as well as play are probably best off avoiding Handspring devices because this is a serious work tool that doesn’t offer much in the way of thrills and spills.

The Prism is very old-school in its design and while attempts have been made to jazz it up a bit by giving it a nice midnight blue colour, it still remains slightly clunky looking. Furthermore, the clip-on-cover is a big no-no, both in terms of design and practicality.

However, it does have a nice crisp 16-bit colour display that’s easy to read and when it comes to finding your way around, there’s no messing about here. While you can easily get lost with Pocket PCs, the Prism runs on the Palm operating system, which is incredibly easy to use.

In terms of software, there’s little to get excited about, because apart from the standard Palm features such as memo pad, inbox and address book, there’s a world clock, an advanced calculator and that’s about it. So while the Prism is easy to navigate and easy to use, it’s a bit dull.

What’s more, it’s lacks processing power and memory. The Prism is powered by a 33Mhz processor and comes with 8Mbyte of RAM which is fine for addresses and memos, but not really sufficient for anything else. The main selling point of the Prism is that it’s very easy to add modules for digital cameras, GPS receivers, phones and music players; but for that you’ll have to pay more.

Another problem is that Handspring products aren’t freely available in Ireland, so that while it might be easy to purchase the handheld, buying the extras may prove difficult.

If you’re looking for a simple organiser for storing addresses and memos then the Prism may meet your needs, however, most people expect much more from a handheld these days and with that in mind, it seems fair to say that the Visor Prism doesn’t really deliver.

Ease of use 7.5
Design 7.0
Software 6.5
Expandability 8
Value for Money 6
Total 35
Euro565
Where to buy www.handspring.co.uk

Handspring Visor Edge

The Visor Edge is a slinky little PDA that looks more like a cigarette case than a handheld. But while we were impressed by the fact that it was super slim in appearance and weighed very little, this PDA does have its drawbacks.

Take the flip-top cover for example. A flimsy piece of metal that looks as though it would snap with a quick tug. Or what about the stylus, which is practically glued on to the side and is hard to remove?

It should be noted that the Visor Edge is at the budget end of the market and so people may be prepared to put up with its design faults in return for a reasonably priced PDA that will do all the essentials. If that’s what you’re after, then you won’t be disappointed, because the Visor Edge does all the basics quickly and competently. Like the Visor Prism, this device uses the Palm 3.5 operating system and comes with 8Mbyte of memory. However, unlike any of the other handhelds we tested, this was the only one that came with a monochrome rather than a colour screen. Some may find this troublesome but we actually didn’t mind because this is a bare bones type of palmtop and so colour isn’t really essential. The lack of extras also means that once you’ve charged the battery on the Visor Edge, it should last for a few weeks without running out of power. There is also an expansion slot for those who want to add on more memory.

Other than that, there’s really very little to say about the Visor Edge. Synchronisation is straightforward, it’s inexpensive and easy to use and it does what it’s meant to do.

Ease of use 7.5
Design 7.0
Software 6.5
Expandability 8
Value for Money 8
Total 37
Euro275
Where to buy www.handspring.co.uk

Sony Clie

The new Sony Clie is a smart looking device that looks like a cross between your standard Palm powered PDA and a Pocket PC. What we liked about it was that as well as being a powerful organiser, the Clie is also a mini entertainment system with great sound and sharp images.

It runs on Palm OS 4.1, the latest and greatest Palm OS and so configuring the Clie is incredibly easy. You just load the applications on to your PC, connect the PDA via the USB port and before you know it, synchronisation is complete. The Clie is powered by the Dragonball VZ 33MHZ processor and comes with 8Mbyte of DRAM and 4Mbyte of flash memory. In addition to this, there’s also a 32Mbyte memory stick included which allows users to swap data with other Sony products.

Writing notes was pretty simple because the 16-bit colour screen seems more springy than other handhelds and the 320 x 320 pixel display was crystal clear. While the Clie contains the usual Palm applications that allow users to store important information, we couldn’t quite get over the feeling that the Clie is more of a toy rather than an organiser. This is due in part to the inclusion of a set of funky headphones with remote controller and an MP3 player. The sound is great and there’s even a Jog dial at the side for adjusting volume, but this did lead us to see the Clie as an entertainment system rather than as a working tool. This product seems as though it’s aimed primarily at the youth market, rather than at busy professionals on the move.

Our only problem with the Clie was the flimsy, protective cover, which not only looked cheap, but didn’t seem as though it offered much in the way of protection either. But apart from this, there was little to be offended by.

The Clie is definitely one of the best looking handhelds we’ve come across and there were plenty of oohs and ahhs in the office when we took it from its packaging. While we wouldn’t have minded seeing a bit more memory and applications, other than that the Clie is a winner.

Ease of use 7.5
Design 9.0
Software 7.5
Expandability 8
Value for Money 8.5
Total 40.5
Euro569
Where to buy Sony: +353 (0)1 413 1700

Compaq Ipaq H3870

The Ipaq may not be the lightest handheld on the market, but it’s certainly one of the most distinctive looking. In terms of design, this is a classy looking handheld, that will have your friends and colleagues seething with jealousy. But the Ipaq has brains as well as beauty and it also has a lot of firepower too.

Like other Pocket PCs, the Ipaq is powered by a 206Mhz Intel StrongARM processor and it comes with 64Mbyte of RAM and 32Mbyte of ROM for storage. In addition to this there’s also an expansion slot for either a Secure Digital or Compact Flash card for those wanting to add on extras.

Once the Ipaq is powered up, the usual Pocket PC screen greets the user, but once you start looking around there are a few notable differences between this PDA and its competitors. For example, unlike the others, the Ipaq is Bluetooth-enabled which means that it’s easy to link it up with other Bluetooth peripherals such as mobile phones. If that’s not enough, there’s also an infra-red port and a USB plug and play connection.

This tasty handheld boasts a brilliant TFT screen with a resolution of 240×320 which is capable of a maximum of 65,536 colours and fair play to Compaq for including a spare stylus, something that’s a godsend to those of use who tend to lose things easily.

In terms of software, there’s a whole feast of goodies. Not only are there the regular Pocket PC applications such as Internet Explorer and Word, but Compaq has also included a number of extra programs on the Ipaq’s companion CD. These include the Via Voice speech recognition application which allows your handheld to talk back to you. The iPresentation Mobile Converter program lets the user play PowerPoint presentations on the Ipaq. A file encryption program and Sega’s Virtual Game, which allows you to play Sega games, are also included.

In terms of software, the Ipaq packs a powerful punch and together with its cool design and support for Bluetooth, this handheld rates as one of the best on the market. However, you’ll have to be prepared to part with a large sum of money if you want to get your hands on one. We think it’s worth the money if you’re looking for a handheld that comes closest to a notebook PC for power and functionality.

Ease of use 8.0
Design 9.0
Software 8.5
Expandability 8.5
Value for Money 7.5
Total 41.5
Euro960
Where to Buy Compaq: +353 (0)1 8385433

BEST BUY !!! >>> Palm M505

Many handhelds claim to be small enough to fit into your pockets, but very few actually do in reality. However, that criticism can’t be levied at the Palm M505, which compared to other handhelds, is a mere slip of a thing.

As well as being incredibly thin and dinky, the M505 only weighs a teeny 128g. Yet despite this, Palm has come up with a cracking handheld that’s a joy to use.

The M505 runs on Palm’s latest operating system, 4.0 and while it only offers 8Mbyte omemory, it does comes with a Secure Digital/MultiMedia expansion slot.

As you’d expect from a Palm, ease-of-use is paramount. Synching up between the device and either a Mac or PC is so simple you don’t even need to look at the instructions. Inputting data into core applications, such as the address book, is as easy as writing it in a filofax, especially if you’ve got used to the graffiti alphabet. The Palm m505 also has a clean colour screen that offers support for 54,536 colours, making it easy to read text or view images and it also has a host of great software.

The arrival of the Pocket PC had begun to make the Palm look a bit dull when it came to software. But Palm has included a number of great applications with the M505 including Documents To Go, which allows users to view Word and Excel documents, Avant Go for viewing Internet content, MGI PhotoSuite Mobile Edition for images and the Palm Reader for reading e-books.

As if that weren’t enough, Palm has also included a Mobile Connectivity Software CD ROM in with extra applications including one which allows users to send SMS messages to mobile phones.

With the M505, Palm has insured that it’s still running the show when it comes to manufacturing great handhelds. Not only does it offer plenty of great applications, it’s looks great and wins hands down in terms of ease of use.

Ease of use 9.0
Design 9.0
Software 8.0
Expandability 8.0
Value for Money 8.5
Total 42.5
Euro561
Where to Buy www.palmdirect.com

Psion 5mx

Now here’s something completely different. There may be many people who would argue that the Psion isn’t really a handheld because of its size and in fairness, the 5mx is a monster of a thing. In fact, it looks more like a notebook that’s shrunk in the wash, rather than a palmtop.

What’s more, it doesn’t have nearly as many fancy applications as those you’ll find on a Pocket PC and that we think, is the whole point of the Psion. Put bluntly, it’s a handheld for those of you that find handhelds a nuisance.

Now let’s get one thing clear, there ain’t no way you’re ever going to be able to slip this in your pocket and head off to town, because it’s too big. However, this will fit into your bag and is a handy piece of hardware to have with you. This is in part because its so simple to operate and while it may not be pretty, the 5mx does have a clear monochrome screen that’s easy to read, not least as it’s much bigger than normal handheld screens. Furthermore, the inclusion of a full keyboard as well as a stylus, is nothing short of heaven for those who don’t think they’ll ever get the hang of writing graffiti style.

The Psion is powered by the 32-bit RISC-based ARM710T CPU and runs at 36Mhz. It has 16Mbyte of memory and a CompactFlash slot for extra storage. As well as allowing you to access regular handheld applications such as the memo pad and jotter you can also record audio notes and work on spreadsheets and word documents.

You can also send and receive e-mail or surf the Internet via a mobile phone or through the Psion 56k Travel Modem. While this may not be one of the most glamorous handhelds on the market, we found it to be one of the best because if you’ve ever been near a PC, then you’ll know how to use this.