HP iPAQ HX2400

First off this HP iPaq HX2400 was my first PDA so I'm not an expert (or at least was not one at the time I'd bought it). All I can share are the impressions I have of it after 8 months of intensive use.

Let's get started shall we?

1. Battery life is another thing that needs to be mentioned as it is awesome for the price range of the 2400 series. I got about 14 hours of mp3 playback with the screen off no wifi or blutooth and volume to 75%(just enough to do my homework to). Under normal conditions (a little office, a little gaming, some wifi surfing) I got about 8 hours. Additionally you can overclock it or under clock it to suit your needs (min 200, max 700; you need additional software for this and it might void your warranty).

2. Size does matter and I think HP have done a great job this time. While by no means slim or tiny the hx2400 does fit snugly in the palm of your hand and there's no big problem getting it in a pocket (or a purse?).

3. Connect 4... everything or just about. It has USB 2.0 (and 1.1) support, infrared, blutooth, wifi, SD/MMC, CF and all the other acronyms we've gotten so attached to over the years. So if the critics say that the 192 MB of memory that come with the model are not enough I say that the 8GB on CF + 4GB on SD you can add sort of make up for that particular lack don't you think?

4. As far as design goes I'm not exactly sure I like the look that HP choose. It's a bit to laid back and business like for my taste but some people will appreciate exactly that and all modesty aside the device does look nice.

5. The speakers aren't the greatest and not because they lack quality but because of the ridiculously low output volume. If you plan to use the PDA in a noisy environment, don't, just walk away sighing "Those damned speakers!". If, on the other hand you use a set of headphones that particular problem just fades away and you discover a great sound system that fits in your shirt pocket.

6. "The Screen", the most important part of any PDA is one of the best (again for it's price range). Bright, clear and not easily scratched (although I've had time to try) it's worth it's weight in gold and really makes the device shine when watching a movie or just playing a video game. It's really too bad that HP didn't incorporate a 3D card with this model, since the screen (320x240 at 3'5in) could have been even better.

7. The software package isn't great, in fact it just plain isn't. You get a coupon for 1 or 2 programs online (depending on what you choose) but that's about it. The fact that Windows Mobile 5.0 is the OS you get when buying it makes up for that lack but not entirely.

So to sum it all up: great device with a couple of bugs (mainly the speakers) still to be worked out. For it's class and price I think it's a great deal. In fact the only two reasons for not buying it are if you work in a noisy environment or you want to play the latest and greatest games that require 3D acceleration.