An IPaq in Black and White
Richard Baguley
PDAIf 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.
| Buying Information |
IPaq H3150 Powerful Pocket PC-based PDA with long battery life. 15-shade gray-scale screen, limited amount of memory. Great for people on a budget who want a Pocket PC. Street price: $349 Compaq 800/888-9909 http://www.compaq.com |