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Tech Review
From: stork (stork@flash.net)
Wed, 12 May 1999 14:19:04 -0500
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- Next message: Laurence C. Brevard: "Re: Tech Review - HP Jornada 680"
- Previous message: Mark Gaither: "FYI: Neat scaling idea: "Silicon TCP""
- Next in thread: Laurence C. Brevard: "Re: Tech Review - HP Jornada 680"
- Reply: Laurence C. Brevard: "Re: Tech Review - HP Jornada 680"
>Ed
>
>t
>>Head:
>>THE MOST AMAZING TOOL SINCE THE STETHOSCOPE!
>>
>>Summary blurb:
>>Hewlett-Packard's new 680 Jornada sets the keyboard standard for
>>pocket-sized Handheld PCs.
>>
>>By Ed Zabrek, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
>>
>>Have you ever dreamed of a computing device (medical data keeper, web
>>browser, E-mail, etc.) with a more natural feeling keyboard? I'm not
>>talking about one of the big "mini-notebook" Handheld
>>PCs, but a real handheld; one you can easily hold in your hand and
>>actually slip into your pocket. Well dream no more! The engineers at
>>Hewlett-Packard Company (http://www.hp.com/handhelds) have given us the 680
>>Jornada, a pocket-sized powerhouse with a 76% full-size keyboard that
>>you can actually use! I'm writing this review using my 680 and I may
>>never pull out my laptop again.
>>
>>The Jornada 680 is one of Hewlett-Packard's two new Handheld PC Pros.
>>The H/PC Pros use the latest version of the Windows CE operating system
>>(2.11) and the latest set of the built-in "Pocket" applications (Pocket
>>Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and now Pocket Access and InkWriter).
>>Unlike the larger HP 820 Jornada, the 680 slips easily into the breast
>>pocket of a suit jacket (purse, briefcase, lab coat, etc.). This makes
>>the 680 easy to take and keep with you wherever you go. But there are
>>other small Handheld PCs available. What sets the 680 apart from them is
>>its keyboard. There is no question in my mind that the 680 has the best,
>>most typeable keyboard found on any of the smaller, pocketable handheld
>>devices.
>>
>>Deep purple case packed with features
>>
>>The Jornada 680 has a traditional clamshell case, deep purple (almost
>>black) in color with silver accents. The 680's spring-loaded case hinges
>>keep the clamshell from flopping open accidentally without needing the
>>usual latch to keep it closed. Controls for the 680's voice memo
>>recorder are found on the left front edge of the case, and now include
>>an "Audio Lock" to prevent accidental recordings. The pop-out stylus is
>>stored in a slot on the right front edge of the 680. The PC Card slot is
>>on the left side of the case and the phone plug and power input on the
>>right. The serial port and a security cable slot are found on the back
>>
>>The Jornada 680 sports a speedy 133 MHz, 32-bit Hitachi SH3 processor.
>>The 680 comes with 16 MB of SDRAM (upgradeable by the user to 32 MB) and
>>16MB of ROM (also user upgradeable). The 680 has a 6.5" diagonal ½ VGA
>>(640x240), 256 color touchscreen. The screen is large enough to view
>>Pocket Excel spreadsheets, type business reports, term papers, and this
>>review. It's even pretty good for viewing Web pages. You can use the
>>680's built-in 56k, v.90 modem to connect to your Internet Service
>>Provider, download your E-Mail (including attachments!) and browse the
>>Web using Microsoft's Pocket Internet Explorer 2.0, also built into the
>>ROM of this Jornada.
>>
>>The 680 is slimmer and lighter than its predecessors (the HP 620 and
>>660LX). It measures 7.4 x 3.7 x 1.3 in, and weighs in at mere 1.1
>>pounds. A row of 11 shortcut keys is found on the top row of the
>>keyboard. These launch the major software programs found on the Jornada.
>>These are actual keys, not the membrane hotkeys found on the older
>>600's. The right margin of the screen has four "soft" keys (HP calls
>>them "hard icons") that let you quickly access the 680's HP settings
>>application, page up and down, and switch between tasks. To make room
>>for more important keys, HP made the shortcut keys ½ normal size. Note
>>also that the keys on the number row, immediately below the quick launch
>>keys, are just little narrower than the letter keys. On a standard
>>keyboard, the zero is above and to the left of the P key. On the 680,
>>the zero is above and to the left of the O key. A few other compromises
>>were made in key placement to keep the most important keys as large as
>>possible. A touch typist will need to adapt to these changes.
>>
>>You can use the HP Hot Keys utility, accessed from the Control Panel, to
>>re-program the shortcut keys or the hard icons to launch the application
>>of your choice. For example, I have reprogrammed the 3rd
>>(microphone/memo-record) key to activate Pocket On-Schedule
>>(http://www.odysseyinc.com), a third-party contact manager I personal cannot
>>function without. (Editor's Note: Odyssey Computing is just completing a
>>major revision of Pocket OnSchedule. An upcoming issue of Handheld PC
>>magazine will be reporting on the next version of this exciting program.)
>>
>>Handy and safe Voice Recorder controls
>>
>>Voice Recorder is the feature that lets you record short voice memos and
>>play them back at a later time (like a tape recorder). So if you're
>>running to a meeting and someone shouts, "Don't forget to call me!" you
>>can pull out the 680, hold down the record button and say "Call Janice
>>ASAP." This feature is built into most Windows CE devices, but HP
>>improved the positioning of the Voice Recorder controls by placing them
>>on the front edge of the case and including a locking button that makes
>>it impossible to accidentally start a recording. The controls on the
>>left edge of the case are similar to a tape recorder controls, and
>>include (from right to left) the Audio Lock, the Record button (hold it
>>down and speak, let it up to stop recording), the Play next and Play
>>previous buttons. The last two buttons let you replay recorded messages
>>without opening the 680 - a very handy feature. Recording and playback
>>is a breeze. HP did away with the annoying white "memo-record" button
>>that kept getting accidentally pressed on the 620/660LX. Actually, the
>>LED is still there and flashes red to remind you of pending
>>appointments. HP just eliminated the record feature of this button.
>>
>>Unfortunately, the 680's speaker is small and on the bottom of the unit.
>>With the sound turned up, playback is reasonably audible but is rather
>>tinny sounding. If you keep your 680 in a briefcase or leather case
>>(like I do) these sounds are muffled and easy to miss, even with the
>>volume turned all the way up. I realize you can't put a super-loud,
>>high-fi speaker in something this size, but HP might want to put a
>>little attention on the placement of the speaker for the next version of
>>the 680. Even a mono or stereo headphone jack would be a welcome
>>addition on future Jornada's utilizing this form factor. It would
>>provide better listening quality for memos. It might even let you enjoy
>>the new MP3 standard of recorded music. (A Windows CE MP3 player is
>>available from XAudio, Web: http://www.xaudio.com/wince/).
>>
>>Be careful with the ingenious PC Card / CompactFlash slot
>>
>>The 680 comes with a Type II PC Card slot, that lets you add storage
>>memory and use PC Card I/O devices such as Ethernet LAN adapters,
>>wireless modems and more. At first look, I could not find any
>>CompactFlash slot on the 680. On closer examination, it's there,
>>piggy-backed onto the full sized, type II PC Card slot and is accessed
>>from the bottom of the case. You have to open a hinged
>>trap door to get access to the slot. It's a rather ingenious
>>arrangement, but a little difficult to use. It also looks and feels a
>>little fragile, so handled with care and make certain you carefully read
>>the instructions on how to use and access this feature.
>>
>>When you slip the larger PC Card into its slot, the whole Compact slot
>>arrangement expands down out of the bottom of the 680, leaving a small
>>protrusion about the size and thickness of a PC Card on the bottom of
>>the 680. With a PC Card in the slot, the 680 no longer rests evenly on a
>>flat surface. You have to flip down a small support piece on the
>>opposite end of the unit to stabilize it.
>>
>>I was mildly disappointed to find out that the Compact slot is a "Type
>>I" slot. This means that it will not accept the newer Type II Compact
>>cards coming out. For example, IBM has developed a 540-megabyte Type II
>>compact "Hard Drive" card; Motorola has created a two-way Paging card
>>that will turn you PDA into a complete 2-way communications device;
>>SanDisk, Pretec, and other developers are coming out with super high
>>capacity CompactFlash cards. Fortunately, the 680's larger PC Card slot
>>is Type II (CF+) compatible. You can use a Compact-to-PC Card adapter to
>>insert any of the newer CompactFlash Plus cards into the larger PC Card
>>slot. (Interesting note: Hewlett-Packard seems to have fixed a problem
>>associated with applications installed on memory cards. When you reboot
>>or reset an H/PC, one of the first things it tries to do is display the
>>H/PC desktop, with all the icons. It tries to do this before it reads an
>>external memory card. You can get a message indicating the H/PC can't
>>find the application(s) installed on the memory card, and the desktop
>>icons do not appear properly. The 680 Jornada did not have this problem.
>>
>>Additional hardware improvements
>>
>>With any electronic device, and especially computers, one of the surest
>>and simplest ways to fix a problem that just won't go away, is to turn
>>the device off and back on again. With the 680 Jornada (or any Windows
>>CE device) this means pressing the "reset" button. Conveniently, HP
>>placed the 680's reset button on the keyboard, right next to the "Q"
>>key. It's recessed so you won't accidentally press it, but it's right
>>there when you need it.
>>
>>HP improved its docking cradle from previous 600s. The Jornada 680
>>snaps in quickly and easily into this sturdy base, letting you power
>>your 680, recharge its batteries, synchronize your data with your
>>desktop PC, and install third-party software on your Handheld PC Pro.
>>The cradle will accept a 680 Jornada with the standard (7-hour) or
>>optional (21-hour) rechargeable battery. The 21-hour rechargeable
>>battery sticks out the back of the 680's battery compartment, adding
>>about an inch to the width of the Jornada. We found the 21-hour
>>rechargeable battery available in the U.S. for $109.95, at Mobile Planet
>>(http://www.mobileplanet.com). It should be available through HP dealers world
>>wide. (Note: 600LX series batteries are NOT compatible with the Jornada
>>680.) For day-to-day use, you probably wouldn't want the width and
>>weight of the 21-hour battery, but it might make sense if you take long
>>trips.
>>
>>The 680's AC power adapter is a little larger than previous models,
>>consisting of a "power brick" and two separate cords. Note that the AC
>>adapter from the 620LX and 660LX work with 680 and are smaller, simpler,
>>and more portable. If you want to purchase a spare AC adapter for the
>>680, you might consider that. The synchronization cable included with
>>the 680 is identical to those used with the Jornada 420, 820, 680, and
>>the 620/660LX.
>>
>>The stylus, housed in a slot on the front of the unit, and has a unique
>>spring release mechanism built into the "chrome" head of the stylus. The
>>stylus is released by pressing on the front of flat portion of the
>>chrome head extension. The stylus has a clip on one end, and clips into
>>your shirt pocket just like a pen.
>>
>>H/PC Pro software from Microsoft
>>
>>The Jornada 680 uses the Microsoft Windows CE 2.11 operating system and
>>Microsoft's Handheld PC Professional Edition "Pocket" applications.
>>These include Pocket Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Internet Explorer,
>>and Outlook (with Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Inbox). Also built in
>>from Microsoft are a host of accessories, utilities, communications
>>features, Windows Explorer, and a new application called "InkWriter",
>> which lets you make and store handwritten notes and
>>simple sketches. The big change with the built-in applications is the
>>addition of Microsoft Pocket Access, a diminutive version
>>of Microsoft's popular desktop PC database program. Users can create
>>Access databases on either their desktop or H/PC and keep the data
>>synchronized between platforms. Pocket Access can store it's data on
>>external storage devices (like PC storage cards), making it possible to
>>access very large databases from small devices like the 680 Jornada.
>>
>>HP bonus software adds breadth
>>
>>As nice as the above applications may sound, you'll find them on
>>Handheld PC Pros from any of a number of manufacturers. What
>>differentiates the 680 is the add-on software that HP included. This
>>includes the following:
>>
>>HP Backup - this comprehensive built-in backup/restore
>>utility lets you can quickly and easily back up your entire 680, or just
>>the Pocket Outlook data onto a PC or CompactFlash storage card to have a
>>portable fail-safe method of protecting your data. (The older 600LX
>>series also came with this utility. You can use this backup/restore
>>feature if your upgrading from a 620/660LX to restore data backed up
>>from the older device to the new 680 Jornada.) Unfortunately, this is an
>>"all or none" proposition. Other than the ability to only backup Pocket
>>Outlook data, there are no provisions for other partial backups and/or
>>restores. If you need such capability, I highly recommend bSQUARE's
>>backup utility (http://www.bsquare.com; see review, page 22, Mar/Apr 99 issue
>>of Handheld PC Magazine). Whatever method you use, I always recommend
>>that you backup often!
>>
>>HP Backup lets you backup and restore
>>your entire 680, or just the Pocket Outlook information. As shown here,
>>you can use HP Backup to save data to a PC or CompactFlash storage
>>card.>
>>
>>HP Dialup - HP simplifies the ordeal of setting up your Internet service
>>provider (ISP) and e-mail account with this application. HP Dialup is a
>>step-by-step "wizard" that takes you through this rather detailed
>>process, making it painless and virtually foolproof. Of course, you must
>>first have an ISP and know the appropriate dialup numbers for your area.
>>(If you do not have a dedicated ISP, now may be the ideal time to try
>>one out.) Once the HP Dialup is completed, you can connect to your ISP
>>with the 680's internal 56k modem and retrieve your e-mail using Pocket
>>InBox, or browse the Web with Pocket Internet Explorer. HP Dialup does
>>not help configuring your 680 for AOL, CompuServe, or Prodigy.
>>
>>HP Quick Pad - an incredibly useful program lets you
>>quickly enter random information for later "through-put" to Calendar,
>>Contacts, Tasks, Pocket Word, or as an e-mail message. For example,
>>let's say I want to send a memo to Rich Hall about an article I want to
>>write for Handheld PC Magazine. I open Quick Pad and start writing the
>>memo. When it's done and I'm ready to send it to Rich, I forwarded it
>>from Quick Pad to InBox, address the message and send it off. I could
>>have forwarded it to Pocket Word and printed it out, or forwarded it to
>>my Tasks list for later action. This is an incredibly useful program
>>that will have you asking, "Why didn't somebody think of that sooner?"
>>
>>The HP Quick Pad lets you take quick
>>notes and save random information. You can later forward your quick
>>notes to Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Pocket Word, or InBox.>
>>
>>HP Viewer - provides a single screen to view and
>>navigate between Pocket Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks. HP viewer opens
>>up with a detailed month-at-a-glance view of your Calendar. While Pocket
>>Calendar has a similar view, it does not list specific appointments. I
>>did have problems viewing my extensive contact data with the HP Viewer.
>>I have about 1000 contacts, and when I try to access the HP Viewer's
>>Contact view, my 680 goes into terminal "hourglass" mode, forcing me to
>>reset the machine. HP Viewer replaces the calendar view icon found on
>>the task bar of 620/660LX.
>>The HP Viewer provides a single screen to
>>view and navigate between Pocket Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks. The HP
>>Viewer month-at-a-glance Calendar view is shown here. Tap on the icons
>>on the left to access Contacts and Tasks.>
>>
>>HP Hot Keys - as mentioned above, the hard and soft icons are
>>"re-programmable" to suit the needs of the user. This is possible on
>>many H/PCs by editing the Windows CE registry, but that can be a risky
>>proposition. This makes customizing the hot keys a breeze.
>>
>>HP Settings - this utility lets you change many of the 680's settings
>>and configure a system-wide password - whenever you power on your 680
>>you're asked for the password. (Note: Pocket Word, and Excel have
>>options for encrypting a specific document.) Many users avoid using
>>password protection because the H/PCs power down automatically to
>>conserve battery life. New to the password protection utility is a delay
>>feature that suspends the activation of password protection for
>>user-definable length of time.
>>
>>HP Macro - The 680 Jornada comes this built-in macro
>>utility, along with a number of pre-recorded macros. A macro is an
>>automated sequence of keystrokes that is activated by pressing a couple
>>of keys, or taping on the macro name in a list. For example, if you
>>press the Ctrl-Shift-B (at the same time) you run a built-in macro that
>>backs up your Pocket Outlook databases. Press Ctrl-Shift-A to do a
>>complete system backup. The HP Macro icon is present on the taskbar (it
>>looks like a tiny green house with a red roof). Tap on the icon to
>>display a list of macros. Tap on the desired macro to run
>>it. At the bottom of the list is the "Macro Control" option. Select
>>this, and then "Macro List" and you get a more detailed list of the
>>macros.
>>Tap on the HP Macro icon in the
>>taskbar to display a list of macros. Tap on the desired macro (or use
>>its shortcut keys) to activate the macro.>
>>
>> >From this view you can also create your own macros by selecting "New
>>Macro" from the Edit menu. HP Macro uses the HP Macro
>>Programming Language to create the macro "scripts." You can write the
>>macro using macro commands, or record the macro on the fly. The
>>documentation in the manual is virtually non-existent, and the on-board
>>help files are not much better. Hopefully, HP will post additional
>>documentation in the near future. This is potentially one of the most
>>useful utilities to come with the 680, and one that will probably be
>>very popular with the more technically-oriented users.
>>
>>The HP Macro utilities "New Macro"
>>screen lets you use the HP Macro Programming Language to create or
>>modify macros. You can also record macros on the fly.>
>>
>>Additional software of third parties
>>HP includes six additional programs with the Jornada 680. Some of them
>>are built into ROM. Others come on CD ROM, to be installed while your
>>680 is connected to your desktop PC. The user installable programs
>>include TrueSync 2.0 (StarFish; Web: http://www.starfish.com; for downloading
>>Pocket Outlook date to the Franklin REX card, /http://www.franklin.com/rex/),
>>Image Expert CE (Sierra Imaging; Web: http://www.sierraimaging.com; a digital
>>camera linking program); Outside In (Inso Corporation; Web:
>>http://www.inso.com; an e-mail attachment viewer); and Pocket Quicken (more on
>>this below). Three additional programs are built into the 680: bFIND and
>>bFAX Pro (bSQUARE, http://www.bsquare.com; see review, page 22, Mar/Apr 99
>>issue) and OmniSolve (Landware; Web: http://www.landware.com; a financial
>>calculator that provides the same features as HP's popular business
>>calculator.
>>
>>OmniSolve is a forms-based financial
>>problem solver that includes amortization, currency and unit
>>conversions, data calculations, retail percentages, and investment
>>analysis. Shown here is OmniSolve's calculator screen.>
>>
>>Pocket Quicken (from On Go Software, http://www.onthegosoftware.com)
>>This Pocket version of Intuit's popular Quicken program lets you track
>>your personal finances on your 680 and "synchronize" your Pocket Quicken
>>data with your desktop Quicken to keep your accounts up to date
>>I use the word "synchronize" loosely, because much of it is
>>a one-way transaction. Any transactions entered into Pocket Quicken will
>>synchronize (upload) to your desktop Quicken, but the only data that
>>"synchronizes" from your desktop PC to the 680 are the account names and
>>final balances of each. The transaction history does NOT transfer down
>>to your Pocket Quicken. This arrangement would work if you use your 680
>>as your primary input device for Quicken, but that's not how I use
>>Quicken. I have recommended to On the Software that they consider a more
>>complete two-way transfer of data from desktop Quicken to Pocket Quicken
>>and vice-versa. Pocket Quicken is due for solo release sometime in June,
>>1999; and according to a source at On the Go Software, it may be
>>somewhat different than the version that is currently shipping with the
>>680.)
>>
>>A Pocket version of Intuit's popular
>>Quicken program lets you track your personal finances on your 680 and
>>"synchronize" your Pocket Quicken data with your desktop Quicken.>
>>
>>[Note about Microsoft PowerToys 2.0. I tried to install the whole thing
>>on the 680 it kept crashing control panel. The problem seems to be with
>>the "Control Panel Annunciator" application in PowerToys. I advise you
>>not to install that application. The rest of PowerToys seems to work
>>fine.]
>>
>>Shop around
>>
>>Hewlett Packard has never been far off the top of any list for service
>>and quality. I expect that this machine will continue that trend. If you
>>need help with the HP 680LX you can call a 970 number (toll call) for
>>support and service or 1-800-443-1254 for automated toll-free pre-sales
>>information. The HP Jornada 680LX comes with a limited one-year
>>warranty. The warranty doesn't cover backup battery and does not apply
>>if the 680 has been damaged by accident or misuse. The warranty is also
>>voided as the result of a service or modification by other than an
>>authorized Hewlett Packard service center.
>>
>>Hewlett Packard has priced the HP 680LX at $899.00. It is available
>>through HP dealers as well as Office Depot, CompUSA, and many catalog
>>and Internet purchase sites. I was able to find the best price on the
>>Internet at buy.com (see additional information below.)
>>
>>HP's Jornada 680 is one of best, most innovative computer products to
>>hit the market since the introduction of Windows CE. Its small stature,
>>small but typeable keybaord, bright beautiful color touch screen and
>>enhanced functionality make it a natural for handheld users that want a
>>pocketable device with a small but useable keyboard.
>>
>>BUY.COM!!
>>
>>Getting a good price online
>>
>>Hewlett Packard has priced the HP 680LX at $899.00. It is available at
>>Office Depot, CompUSA, and many catalog and Internet purchase sites. I
>>was able to find the best price on the Internet at buy.com (http://www.buycom).
>>If you shop their Website, you will notice that their price will vary
>>from day to day. (I have seen it go from $711.99 to $747.99 in one day.)
>>I talked with someone in buy.com's management and they explained that
>>they shop for the lowest prices every 6 hours or so, and adjust their
>>posted prices accordingly. If buy.com lowers its price after it ships,
>>you are not price protected. All of their products are fully warranted
>>with the U.S. warranty (if purchased for U.S. usage). BuyCom's support
>>and return policy is very consumer-friendly and hassle free. I strongly
>>recommend that you check out this site for your Internet purchases. At
>>the very least, it will give you an idea about the price range of a
>>product.
>>
- Next message: Laurence C. Brevard: "Re: Tech Review - HP Jornada 680"
- Previous message: Mark Gaither: "FYI: Neat scaling idea: "Silicon TCP""
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