Thursday, April 17, 2003

iPAQ h5450 to be released in Japan mid-May

Now this makes the market interesting. Here's what I see as the advantages and discadvantages over other Pocket PCs on the market:

ADVANTAGES
Built-in WLAN and Bluetooth
Finger print recognition security feature built in to directional pad
Comptible with iPAQ jacket and other accessories
Powerful IR for using as remote control
Great screen
Removable battery and backup battery
User accessible ROM for permanent storage (even after hard reset)
iPAQ h5450
DISADVANTAGES
Same model was released in the US in November so the technology is already at least 6 months old
PXA250 processor whereas the latest processor is the PXA255
Only one SD card slot. No CF slot without jacket
Relatively large and heavy
Only 64MB of RAM
Limited number of bundled applications

Overall, the in-built WLAN and Blutooth are really great features for anyone who makes use of them a lot. If you really need an in-built CF slot in a jacket-less device this probably isn't for you. I imagine a purchasing decsion would come down to these two factors for many buyers. It's good to see Compaq back in the Japanese market and hopefully they can reduce the localization cycle and keep Toshiba on their toes so the market continues to grow and develop.

As always see Windows CE Fan for the latest links to press coverage and manufacturer home page. There is a good review of the US version on Pocket PC Passion.

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