HP Jornada 720 Pocket PC
It is true that the world has started to search for state-of-the-art handheld devices. Though the expectations of performance are large, it is a common notion that when things get smaller and smaller, they lend a helping hand to people who always need something that can save their time and reduce their work load in an extensive manner. Thus, Pocket PCs came into existence, as people have their reservations of carrying laptops with them on the go. And now then HP has come out with a new innovation namely the HP Jornada720 Pocket PC that intends to please all the users with its whole range of exciting features. The following review tells us how this Pocket PC demands its worthiness.
Design:
Attractive Display:
The display of the HP Jornada 720 is extremely pleasant with a 6.5 inch LCD colour display screen, capable of showing 65,536 colours which makes the texts and videos highly eye-catching. However, it is found to be tricky, tracing it in sunlight. It comes with a 2D graphic card that allows the user to view texts and graphics in a comprehensive manner. The HP Jornada 720 is built with 18.9 x 9.5 x 3.5 cm in size and is about 1.1 lbs in weight. In case of an extended battery, it may weigh up to 1.8 lbs. It has a resolution of 640 x 240 half-VGA pixels which is a certain improvement over the previous configuration of Jornada which had only 480 x 240 screens.
Smart Keyboard:
The keyboard of the HP Jornada 720 Handheld PC is small, with a thickness of about 15mm but it is found to be great when it is put to work. The top row keys act as single touch hotkeys in order to facilitate various functions such as Excel, Word, Power Point, Pocket internet Explorer and other such applications just by a single touch. It is a quick process as the user need not search for a start menu each and every time to open up a task. This saves time when the user handles multiple applications. However, these keys could be customized as per the user’s needs instead of default applications.
Buttons and Controls:
The top right hand side of the screen consists of four tap buttons. These buttons allow users to perform various key functions such as HP settings which help in customizing the Display profiles, Volume profiles and provide the details regarding Free Memory and Battery life. The HP back up application allows users to back up data from the HP Jornada 720 to a Storage card slot. The HP Dial Up application helps in connecting to the Internet through a built-in modem and the control buttons for Windows Media Player.
The front side of the HP Jornada 720 comprises Stylus storage and a Microphone controller. These buttons have the facility to get locked up in order to prevent the keys from inadvertent touches.
The left side of the HP Jornada 720 Pocket PC has the head jack, Smart Card Slot and PCMCIA Type II card slot. The right hand side has the power battery charge, power jack and the integrated 56K v.90 modem for connecting the HP Jornada 720 to the Internet network through a dial up connection.
The rear side of the HP Jornada 720 exhibits the Main battery, serial port and IR port. The alarm light is used both as the switch on and switch off set.
The underside of this Pocket PC has Compact flash (type I card) door, speaker holes and battery latch. The flash door is found to be robust. Just beneath the door is the CR-2032 backup battery used mainly for storing data for a few hours. Therefore it is always recommended to power up the main battery to the maximum.
Features:
Applications:
Certain applications are updated in order to make life easier out of the application prime settings and configurations. The major controls on these settings are from the Control panel, where they are basically from the desktop version of Windows. The users can manually adjust the display settings, Internet options, customize HP hot keys, adjust volume controls and check the battery backup. One of the predominant applications of HP Jornada 720 is the HP Security, where users can set up their device password, as no third parties could use the device illicit. However, these are not up to the mark when it is stolen. The data and applications have the propensity to get deleted in case a hard reset is equipped.
Pocket Office:
Contacts, Tasks and Calendar:
HP has updated the application viewer, formulated by the addition of HP applications such as Contacts, where the user can share the data and applications with a copy of all the contacts in the desktop outlook. It includes the Calendar, where the HP Jornada 720 allows users for a multiple view occupying the 640 x 240 display screen. This application is outfitted in four aspects including Day view, Week view, Month view and Year view. When the Day view is selected, the user has the option to view the monthly calendar just on the right hand side edge of the screen with the current date highlighted by a small square box. If the user has updated schedules for any given date, those schedules are provided when the user taps that particular date.
World Clock:
One of the most appreciative applications in the Control Panel is the inclusion of the World Clock. This enables the user to view the date and time of the current location and also the time of the location where the user is yet to visit. It also gives the information of the sunrise and sunset, airport code for the current location which is a three letter code and the distance from the home city and visiting city.
Pocket Internet:
The Pocket Internet Explorer comes with a ROM image like the desktop applications. The Pocket Internet Explorer has a 4.01 build that is much efficient and is similar to the desktop applications. On the other hand it is unsecured because a greater build is required in order to have a secured transaction. The HP Jornada 720 also has numerous drivers consisting of wired and wireless LAN adapters in its ROM that allow users to use LAN cards and other similar means to connect to the Internet.
Pocket Word:
Pocket Word in the HP Jornada 720 is not as influential as that of the desktop application where it has certain basic limitations such as creating a word file and editing it. It seriously lacks some basic formatting options like inserting a table and some graphical methods using the data. More over this is a major shortcoming as its limitations become very perceptible in case of challenging word processors.
Pocket Excel:
Like the Pocket word, the Excel also lacks some basic functionalities of what the Microsoft Spreadsheet application otherwise does. Most of the advanced formula cannot be formulated and we found it difficult to represent charts and graphical methods for our data.
Pocket Access and Pocket Power Point:
The Pocket Access of HP Jornada 720 also has some limitations in running its database applications. The Power Point allows the user to change the slide order, view the slides and present assignments, however creating and editing slides is a bit tricky. This feature has been integrated in the upcoming version with the Windows Mobile 5.0 edition.
Omni Solve:
One of the most interesting features of the HP Jornada 720 is the “Omni Solve”. It is nothing but a Landware used to convert interests, cash flow calculators and the percentages. It can also be used to convert temperatures and distances. The user may find this application interesting to work with.
Performance:
Operating System:
The HP Jornada 720 is incorporated with the Windows CE 3.0 core with a Handheld PC 2000, which is a modified version of Pocket PC world. It is much user friendly and thus provides a platform for a well versed application.
Sound Quality:
The speakers are located at the bottom end of the HP Jornada 720, a bit disappointing aspect as the sound quality is much lower when it is being played on a desk. However, this problem can be easily solved when a headphone jack is used.
Windows Media Player:
The Windows Media Player on the HP Jornada 720 is similar to that of the 7.0 version of the desktop player. It is capable of playing WMA files and MP3 files with an exterior stereo quality.
Processor and Memory:
The HP Jornada 720 Handheld Pocket PC comes with a 206 MHz ARM SA1110 microprocessor and comprises a memory of 32MB SDRAM. There is a drastic improvement in the speed of performing tasks, as this device utilizes the most updated version of microprocessor. The memory is basically for Storage Memory and Program Memory that can be adjusted manually in the Control Panel application.
Battery:
The battery life of HP Jornada 720 with a standard battery is 9 hours and an extendable battery is for 24 hours. It weighs up to 1.1 lbs with the standard battery and up to 1.8 lbs with the extended battery. Both the batteries are made of Lithium Ion. The extended battery is considerably much big and at the same time stabilizes the unit when it is on task.
Connectivity:
The HP Jornada 720 comes with a Serial Cable and this is something unsatisfactory. It would have been a great deal, if a USB cable has been placed instead of the serial cable. The 56K v.90 integrated modem intends for a faster connection of Internet network through a dial up connection.
In the Box:
The HP Jornada 720 comes with an AC adapter, back up battery, rechargeable battery made of Lithium Ion, serial cable, Active Sync/Outlook 2000 CD-ROM, UTP telephone cable, user manuals and warranty documents.
Verdict:
The HP Jornada 720 is an astounding Pocket PC with a perfect design and built-in quality. The selling point of course is the speed, where HP has integrated a higher version of microprocessor and significantly, the user might not have to wait for a long time when switching on to various applications. It has a compact, fine keyboard. It has a wonderful catch up on its hot key touch and shortcut key methods. The sound quality is comparatively good while the location of the speaker is quite disappointing. It has a package of all the Office suites and hence it is a good pick for those who really need a worth of it. This pocket PC weighs only about 1.1 pounds and so it suits the carry pack very well. However, the price of the HP Jornada 720 puts it off when it comes to the purchase power of the customers. But those who really insist upon a challenging performance with a handy box, the HP Jornada 720 is obviously reasonably built to rely on.
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HP Jornada 720 Pocket PC – Product Specification Table
| Manufacturer | HP |
| Model Name | HP Jornada 720 Pocket PC |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 189 x 95 x 34 mm |
| Weight | 520 g |
| Display Screen | 6.5 inches |
| Display resolution | 640 x 240 H-VGA pixel |
| Display features | Displays up to 65,536 colours |
| Memory | 32MB SDRAM, Storage memory and Program memory |
| Card Slots | PCMCIA Type II Card slots Smart card slot Compact Type I Flash Slot RS232C Serial port IR Serial port |
| Operating System | Windows CE 3.0 Core with 206 MHz ARM SA1110 Microprocessor |
| Keyboard | 15mm keyboard |
| Built-in-applications | Pocket Internet Pocket Word Pocket Excel Pocket Access Pocket PowerPoint World Clock Contacts, Tasks and Calendar Omni Solve |
| Modem | Integrated 56K v.90 modem |
| Sound Quality | Built-in- stereo speakers in headphone jack with 128k/sec |
| Battery | Lithium Ion Batteries 9 hours under Standard mode 24 hours under Extended mode |
| Package Contents | AC adapter, back up battery, rechargeable battery (Lithium Ion), serial cable, Active Sync/Outlook 2000 CD-ROM, UTP telephone cable, user manuals, warranty documents |
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