Review : HP iPAQ hx4700

Author : Chris Leckness
Vendor : HP
Price : $649
iPAQ hx4700 FAQs : Click Here

VGA!
This past year, the most anticipated PocketPC feature was a VGA Screen. From late July when other new iPAQs were announced to now, it seemed that the hx4715 (model number early reports had labeled the 4700/4705) created a big fuss. Preorders everywhere and no official word from HP to tell us when it was to be officially released. The wait was killing many members of iPaqHQ.com as well as others, some even gave up and went other routes. Finally, they are stocked at online outlets and stores. Was it worth the wait to me? Yes. While its not likely to become my everyday PDA, it is packed with some great features and has a marvelous screen.

The iPAQ HX4700/4705 series is one of the first PocketPCs with a VGA Screen. The ASUS A730 is the only other PocketPC available in the United States and it has a 3.7 inch screen. The Toshiba 830 and the VGA version of the Loox are available in Europe and the rumored Dell Axim X50 is expected to be released in the US soon.

VGA?
A picture can answer that question better than I can!

Photo taken with same light, same distance , and max brightness

Be advised, I am not a great Photographer, but this illustrates the point well.

More available viewing area.

What do you get?

The HX4700 does not come with a whole lot of extras. No case, no extra stylus, no price break.

• HP iPAQ hx4700 Pocket PC unit
• AC adapter
• Plastic flip cover
• Stylus
• Getting Started guide
• HP iPAQ Pocket PC Companion CD
• USB Cradle

Specifications

Software

The first thing that stood out when I started playing with my hx4700 was that they included a full working version of Pocket Informant. I have used both Pocket Informant and Agenda Fusion, but I normally use Agenda Fusion. They are both great and Pocket Informant has made some big changes since the last time I gave it a spin.

HP includes a snazzy Wireless utility that makes managing Bluetooth and WiFi a snap.

Data encryption from HP ProtectTools powered by Credant provides enhanced protection for both your data and device

Bluetooth® Manager - A nice new utility that allows you to set up a Bluetooth Connection with your phone.

Personal Dockware (Left) is a screensaver with a calendar overlay on your images
Settings for Navpoint Touchpad (Right)

Clearvue Suite (PowerPoint and PDF)

HP Mobile Printing (Left)
Check out the Today Screen Plug In Below "No upcoming appointments". (Right)
It is HP’s knock off of Omega One’s Battery Pack and SPB Software’s Pocket Plus.
Too bad it does not include a launcher as well.

The software package is full of applications that cater more to the business user. Overall I am impressed with the HP included applications/utilities as well as the full version aftermarket applications.

The Design
It is bigger than the average PocketPC, it’s not a pretty as last years models, but it is a solid powerhouse. Housed inside a magnesium-alloy casing, it is solid and well built. The two-tone grayish colors make it look quite unique. The sexy curves are gone, but I can honestly say that this boxy look that I complained about with the Axim X30 and has been applied to the new iPAQ models is growing on me.

The hx4700 has a removable, plastic cover that is begging to come off as soon as I get a case. The cover is nice, but gets in the way in daily use. Notice in the below picture, the plastic cover is not too thick, but does offer great screen protection.

At the bottom, you have (from left to right) Reset Button, Battery Door Lock, Activesync Connector,
Fast Infrared Transmitter/Receiver, and Battery Door Release.

Even though the buttons are flush with the trackpad, they are there still. Like other PocketPC’s, we have Calendar, Contacts, Inbox, and iTask Buttons. In the middle is the trackpad which can be used as a touchpad or as your standard up/down left/right buttons.

On the left side, you have the record button and the removable screen protector mounting.

The top is where we get back to the Axim X5 and iPAQ 2215 Days. Re-Enter the dual memory slot. As you see there is a slot for CF and SD memory cards and accessories. In addition, you have the stylus slot, headphone jack, and the power button.

The 1800mah battery is loose and fits into a tray that slides into the back.

The hx4700 sitting on its cradle.

The cradle uses HP’s universal cradle connection (Left). The cradle can be taken apart and the sleeve for other HP PocketPCs can be attached. The power cable (Right), has an attached sync connector for charging without the cradle.

Not pictured is the iPAQ 55xx series that is almost identical in size.
The height is between the X5 and the h5555.

Features
Features that really stand out here are very obvious, the 4 inch VGA screen and the Touchpad. The hx4700 also brings back a popular addition that many who have owned the Axim X5 or iPAQ 2215 loved, Dual memory slots - CF and SD. And what modern PocketPC would be compete without the WiFi/Bluetooth combo?

• Built in WiFi and Bluetooth - This has become a standard now it seems. Leaving WiFi out of a top level PocketPC seems taboo now.
• Dual Memory Slots - When the Dell Axim X5 came out, many were spoiled with dual slots. The iPAQ 2215 followed suit in a smaller form factor and we got even more spoiled. Then… Dell and HP both pulled the rug out from underneath us. SD only on both companies following offerings. Now the hx4700 brings this back. What does it mean? Well, more memory expansion than you know what to do with!
• 4" VGA Screen - VGA color display provides better viewing of documents, images, and web pages in portrait and landscape modes.
• Integrated touchpad navigation - Once you get used to this, it can make simple navigation more simple. This operates very similar to the touchpads on today’s laptops. The included utility allows you to adjust the sensitivity and go between the 2 navigation modes. See Demo on how this technology works and how it is used.

Performance
The screen is VGA and you would expect to see 4x the pixels than the QVGA screen you are used to, right? Wrong, It is possible, but Microsoft did not build the support for true VGA into the OS. There is already an aftermarket application to enable true VGA called SE_VGA, It can be downloaded from Pocket Gear. I will not dip into it here in the review, but Mike Lohsl has given it a first look here.

Audio - I did not notice a huge difference in speed or responsiveness from the Axim X30 to the hx4700. This unit was not designed as a "MultiMedia" machine, but it handles video and audio wonderfully. Playing audio tracks ripped from CDs at a 128k rate, the sound was full and crisp with a set of cheap ear buds. Obviously, the bass response was lacking, but overall the sound was as good as any other PocketPC I have tested. The internal speaker was nothing special. It sounds ok, but I can only imagine it being used for system sounds and daily use. The hx4700 comes packaged with Windows Media Player 9.

Video - Video is flawless using BetaPlayer and PocketTV. I played a 450k MPG movie with PocketTV and experienced no delays and no skipping at all. It was a great experience. I also played a DIVX encoded AVI with BetaPlayer with the same results.

BetaPlayer Benchmark of Shrek 2

Web Surfing - The combination of WM2003 SE and VGA makes the PocketPC Web Browsing experience much nicer. You can adjust settings to achieve some real good results and minimize your vertical scrolling a bit. Refer to the screenshots below. Image 1 shows iPaqHQ.com Mobile in default settings in horizontal mode. By tweaking the settings (images 2 and 3) you can achieve a better display as seen in image 4. While the images are resized in proportion to the screen resolution, they do not change depending on the text settings.

PIE IMAGE 1

PIE IMAGE 2

PIE IMAGE 3

PIE IMAGE 4

Screen - The screen is very bright and looks like a perfectly painted picture. Icons and graphics designed for QVGA seem to be a little pixilated though. I have hear complaints from users that the screen is mushy. I have also noticed that it has a bit of give and if the stylus is pressed TOO HARD down on the screen surface a shadow-like effect happens. It is similar to running your finger over you LCD Monitor. Normal use will not yield this effect.

Touchpad - Very freaky. It takes some getting used to, but using the cursor mode is nice. I prefer to use my stylus though. I would rather see a conventional navigation setup here and consider this a con.

Benchmarks using SPB Software Benchmark

• Battery Life - Battery life was average for a unit with WiFi and Bluetooth built in. The big strain seems to be VGA screen. It obviously pulls more current and makes quick work of the 1800mah removable battery. I did not run any simulated tests over my time with the hx4700. With a 100% charge each morning, I kept a log of time used and what was being done during that time.
  • Continuous WiFi browsing resulted in a 15% charge after 2 hours and 15 minutes.
  • Good News : My average use yielded 4 hours and 15 minutes before hitting 15%. My average use consisted of 30 minutes of WiFi Browsing, a 15 minute Bluetooth Session with a Bluetooth GPS receiver running Pharos Ostia, 1 hour 15 minutes of video watching and music listening, 1 hour of game testing, and 1 hour 15 minutes of non WiFi testing and tuning of the settings. (Checking this thing out!) Now this was not all continuous, but 4+ hours is more than I use the PocketPC in a day normally.
• WiFi - WiFi performance was super as well. The range was just as good as any other device I have tested. I can roam all corners of my 1/2 acre lot through my brick walls without losing a signal. The speed is great and I have no complaints at all.
• Bluetooth - Tested only with the Pharos Bluetooth GPS and had not troubles.

Conclusion
If want VGA and prefer HP, this is the model for you. If you are a budget PPC’er, this is not for you. I am trying not to call it an overpriced gadget, but it is hard knowing pricing on other VGA models. If you want dual memory slots and a whopping 4" VGA screen, then the price is justified in my opinion. Yes, there are cheaper models out and to come, but the hx4700 is a solid performer and is almost the perfect PocketPC right now. Shrink it and lower the cost a bit and it is perfect. Even though it has a stellar CPU and the frame rates are very nice, I NOT RECOMMEND THE HX4700 TO GAMERS. The navigation pad makes this unit a tough gaming unit. (I am sure HP did not design this one for the gamers anyhow.)

Pros

• Super Nice 4′ VGA Screen
• Dual Memory Slots (CF/SD)
• Integrated Flip Cover ( I stated that it gets in the way, but is nice)
• 624 MHZ Processor
• Great Business Software bundle
• Largest battery of the new VGA machines

Cons

• Touchpad
• Price
• Size

Written by Chris Leckness · Filed Under Mobilitysite Reviews, PocketPC 
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