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Handhelds Hardware

HP's New iPAQ hx2755 Reviewed 101

Posted by CmdrTaco from the it-fits-in-the-oh-never-mind dept.
Brandon Miniman submitted a story that discusses the whole iPAQ line of handhelds and specifically looks at the newly released iPAQ hx2755 Pocket PC. This one is unique in that it has a biometric fingerprint reader.
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HP's New iPAQ hx2755 Reviewed More

HP's New iPAQ hx2755 Reviewed

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  • Does anyone know if these fingerprint thingies got any standardised protocol for verifiying data - or does all vendors have their own system?

  • Not new (Score:4, Informative)

    by opusman ( 33143 ) on Thursday January 13, 2005 @05:38PM (#11352731) Homepage
    iPAQs have had fingerprint readers for over a year now. 5550 was the first I think?

    • Re:Not new (Score:2, Informative)

      by slakr ( 604101 ) *
      The 5450. The 5550 was the update of that device with WM2003.
    • Make that 3 years now- but this is the first reasonably priced model to have it. IPAQs since the merger with HP can generally be divided into 4 categories: Phones, Early Adopter Wow Models, Business Usage Models, and Media Players. The 5550 was an Early Adopter Wow Model, the 4755 is it's direct replacement. The 2755 is the replacement for the business usage 2215.

      My question is- is slashdot getting paid for this, this is the second review in under two weeks for this particular IPAQ and I didn't learn a

  • Slashvertising? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by lucabrasi999 ( 585141 ) on Thursday January 13, 2005 @05:38PM (#11352732) Journal

    Ok, without having read the FA, I'll make a prediction about this article:
    1) The article reads like a press release from H-P.
    2) The submitter is just pushing traffic to his own site in the hopes he can cash in on some advertising revenue.

    Am I correct or am I correct?

  • Read The Friendly Article...

    "Like the HP iPAQ h5450 and h5550, the hx2755 has an integrated biometric fingerprint reader"

    My 5455 has a great fingerprint reader, had it foe a while...

    -MrLogic
    • if you know HP's ipaq numbering scheme, the 5450 and 5455 are the exact same model. Same goes for the 5550 and 5555.

      It really makes people wonder at my work when they asked for the 5555 and the box they got said 5550. That goes for most models of iPAQs.
      • AFAIK, the models ending in five were the business channel devices. The models ending in zero were the consumer channel devices. According to HP, they did this to make tracking of where the devices were sold easier, even though the models were identical.

  • hosted on the iPAQ (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    They are also hosting it on the iPaq...
    • If they were, it'd be running a lot better. Picoweb is a great little webserver. Small and fast. Doesn't script very well though. But because it's pulling it's pages from RAM, flash, or worst case scenario, microdrive it's really fast in comparison to a desktop box. Kind of like if you installed apache on a huge ramdrive.

  • Halitosis (Score:2, Funny)

    by oskard ( 715652 )
    Mine came with halitosis recognition. It only turns on for people with really bad breath. And THEN it does the fingerprint scan. Talk about security.

  • Muddy PDA world (Score:3, Insightful)

    by achacha ( 139424 ) on Thursday January 13, 2005 @05:41PM (#11352777) Homepage
    I've been trying to buy a PDA for a year and cannot find a PDA that has the features I need, every PDA has pros and cons, however the cons in almost every PDA make it a questionable buy. If you want to use the HP iPaq and have a phone plan you can only use TMobile which has horrible reception in my area, Cingular and Verizon offer their own versions but the PDAs they provide are very subpar and expensive to boot. Just with there was a great PDA avaialable with cellular provider of your choice, but that would be good for consumer and bad for the cellular companies...
    • Or you can just buy a separate cell phone and PDA. What's wrong with buying individual, specialized devices that are good at what they are specifically designed to do, instead of all-in-one devices that by definition have to be compromises?
      • Not to mention it would really suck to have a car accident at the same time your palmtop battery was at 0 (my Nokia Cell phone has 72 hours of standby- my HP2215 can barely handle 5 hours of usage or 24 hours of standby)
        • My P900 has >72 hours standby time and does everything I'd use an IPAQ for including note taking, voice recorder, web browsing (Opera), email, games, calendar, address book.

          Oh, and its a phone.

          Sam
          • Ah, but does it run PocketXML? Or mobile .NET? :-) Seriously though- the IPAQs have all the battery life of a full sized laptop- nothing good in that arena at all.
      • What's wrong with buying individual, specialized devices that are good at what they are specifically designed to do, instead of all-in-one devices that by definition have to be compromises?

        Having to carry around 2 bulky devices instead of 1? OTOH, I wonder if Wi-Fi will eventually make carrying a cell phone around the city superfluous.
        • My cellphone isn't bulky, in fact it's downright tiny. Now I would find that having to hold a brick to my head to make a phone call would be more offensive than just carrying around a cell phone and a PDA, but that's just me.

          You're also ignoring the fact that a lot of the time, what you (or at least I) talk about on your cell phone is what's on your PDA. People call me to schedule me for freelance work, and my schedule is, of course, on my PDA. If the PDA was my cell phone, well, that would suck immensel
    • I went for the dell axim x50v , built in 802.11 and BT left a CF and SD/MMC free for other uses. screen and video chip are just a bonus. I have successfully called mobiles and landlines with skypeout and my jabra BT headset. my phone now ( veritable n-gage ) only has GPRS , which is useful to connect my axim to the internet. As EDGE become more available , and phones incorporate EDGE and become cheaper I will upgrade my phone. WM2003se is not the greatest OS , but it is acceptable.
  • An improved screen? I mean if you're putting your fingers on it all the time, the screen could get pretty janky, and may not be able to read your fingerprint through all the crap and scratches. Or, bill/tom/dick/harry could get access with the fingerprint you left on the screen.

  • Dear Problems With Fingerprints (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Letter ( 634816 ) on Thursday January 13, 2005 @05:42PM (#11352788)
    Dear Problems With Fingerprints,

    There's much debate about whether fingerprints are the primary keys to human identity. Law enforcement has based over 100 years of work on the premise that no two humans, anywhere, ever, have the same fingerprints. Some people say this is hogwash. Let's leave out, for now, the fact that it's not possible to verify this claim at all: there's no way to test all living people and compare their prints. This is troubling, but a bit of a red herring. More troubling is the way fingerprinting is practiced. There's a case in Philly right now where a federal judge has prohibited [philly.com] the prosecution from testifying that two fingerprints "match" -- and Tom Ridge wants fingerprints added to U.S. passports. From this article [scafo.org]:

    But in 1993, a Supreme Court decision required judges to take a more active role in deciding what scientific evidence to admit. In the case of fingerprints, the so-called "Daubert" guidelines would lead to questions such as: Has the practice of fingerprint identification been adequately tested? What's the error rate? Are there standards and controls?

    The answers, respectively, are "no," "no one knows," and "no."

    Letter

    • Has the practice of fingerprint identification been adequately tested? What's the error rate? Are there standards and controls?

      Thank you for reminding me of a huge issue regarding fingerprints. You are correct and you bring up very valid points. Well done.

  • This is the one upgrade that might make me ditch my m505 for a newer handheld....

    None of the other new features were attractive enough to get my attention.

  • I'm a luddite (Score:4, Insightful)

    by jacobcaz ( 91509 ) on Thursday January 13, 2005 @05:44PM (#11352817) Homepage
    I have tried - multiple times in the last 5 years - to switch to a PDA. I started with a Newton 100, upgraded to a Newton 110 then a 120. Finally I settled for about 2 years on a Newton 2100. Then I got a hand-me-down Pilot, I rushed to buy a Palm III when it first came out. I upgraded to a Palm V because it was sleek-n-sexy. I bought an HP iPaq 1945 because I had tried PalmOS and thought maybe PocketPC was for me. Now, even my phone has PDA capabilities!

    And I still use a $0.89 Mead Composition book (UPC #043100090236) for my daily to-do and I keep it tucked inside a small calendar to track my "appointments". Why? Because it's just easier for me to grab a pencil and scratch an entry down. I was never able to get the entry down quickly with a PDA (despite using Rosetta, Graphiti, Jot and Transcriber). It's just not fast enough for me. As a plus I also get to use some of my nice fountain pens, they are a joy to write with. The calendar folds out to the size of a comp book when open (9.75"x15") and gives me an easy view of my month or my week. Flipping forward and back is a cinch and takes no time at all. I always hated hunting for appointments and tasks on a PDA because I could only efficiently see one day at a time no matter what the platform (though the Newton did it best, but was the largest unit).

    If I drop it on the way to a meeting it doesn't break, and I don't have to worry about batteries running down at the worst possible moment. Plus the comp books are literally $0.89 and the Calendar was about $11.99 and is refillable.

    Sure, I can't play super break out or solitare or freecell, but I don't care. At work I'm there to work and when I'm someplace waiting I'm usually reading a paper or adding notes and "todo's" in my book. Or I just put the damn thing down and enjoy the environment I'm in. I don't miss the games.

    I've converted...back to paper for good I think. I'm not planning on rushing out and upgrading with the next generation of PDAs (unless Apple does another one). I'll save that money and buy another Pelican or Parker or Delta fountain pen instead.

    • But how do you play minesweeper during meetings?
      • Feh, he already says he doesn't miss games.

        In defense of the PDA, I will mention full text search, alarms, backup, e-books.

        However, despite this, despite being a PDA fanatic myself, I must admit that I have, in a secret drawer, a beautiful notebook and fountain pen, that every so often I take out and look at regretfully.
    • I have to agree - I bought a Palm IIIx and then a first generation Handspring - but still ended up going back to a paper calendar and notepad within six months. I couldn't take notes fast enough with graphiti to not need a notepad in meetings - and trying to sketch designs just isn't feasible.

      I keep thinking about trying the lastest PDA, but I just don't think I'd use it past the first couple of months and given the price I could buy myself any number of nice foutain or rollerball pens (liquid ink is SO

    • I'll bite (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Crag ( 18776 )
      You can't easily synchronize a Mead notepad with your central database over a wireless connection in a coffee shop.

      You can't do an automatic search-and-replace on a notepad.

      You can't write in various computer languages and then have the notepad render or compile the language to its target format(s). Think web design, for example.

      You can't passphrase-protect your notepad.

      The notepad has zero levels of undo.

      The question is not whether a PDA is useful, but whether the uses it has are ones you want when y

    • Re:I'm a luddite (Score:3, Interesting)

      by angle_slam ( 623817 )
      I had a Palm (Clie, actually) but found that I never used it. But when my employer gave me a Blackberry, I realized that a PDA can be useful. Pushing email is rather Blackberry specific, but a lot of other features are available on other PDAs:
      • Syncing between computer address book and PDA. I have my full address book with me at all times. And if I add a new one, it automatically gets entered into the computer.
      • Writing notes to myself. I'm a bit ADD. If I wrote a reminder to myself, I'd probably forget about
    • I'd have to ditto this sentimate. I get my composition book from Walmart, usually $0.87 or cheaper. And when you need ultra portability, there is a mini-composition book which fits in your pocket quite nicely. I love my fountain pens, and find I write a lot more frequently now that I've gone to pen and paper.

      I don't have the fold out calendar, I still use the computer for most appointments, but that's about it.

      My wife had a Clie for a while, the flip-n-twist model with the keyboard. She loved it. She upgr
    • And I still use a $0.89 Mead Composition book (UPC #043100090236) for my daily to-do and I keep it tucked inside a small calendar to track my "appointments".

      +5, Insightful?

      Maybe +5, Ignorant.

      Who tries to replace a pad of paper with a $500 PC.

      If that's all you wanted then it was dumb to try it in the first place. Nevermind 16 times as you claim.

      "It isn't just a tip calculator!" - Jerry Seinfeld

  • Here is my question about biometric fingerprinting (Score:4, Insightful)

    by antifoidulus ( 807088 ) on Thursday January 13, 2005 @05:45PM (#11352822) Homepage Journal
    on mobile devices. These devices can get tussled about a decent amount, what happens if the device breaks? Do you have to pay for an expensive repair just to get access to your files?

  • Pocket PC's are dead (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Szentigrade ( 790685 ) on Thursday January 13, 2005 @05:48PM (#11352853)
    I just read a recent report that said smartphones with pocket PC capabilities, sale numbers rose an average of 120% while smartphones have only gained about 6% growth. IMO pocket PC's wont be around much longer, it just makes more sense to include the features in cellphones, i really dont want to pay $300+ for somthing im most likely going to keep notes and addresses in. And i think its clear which side the public is on. Death to pocket PC's, long live the smartphone!
    • While that report may be true- I personally would want the devices separate, but linked. To that end, when my next phone contract is up in march, I'll be getting a bluetooth enabled phone. The PocketPCs do a hell of a lot more than just keep notes and addresses- just take a look at the bundled software list sometime. And while it certainly is nice to have a "convergence" device, PocketPCs with color, backlit screens on quite a bit, just don't have the battery strength I'd want in a cell phone (my cell ph
    • Every smartphone I've used has been a pile of shit.

      I have a Kyocera 7135 with Palm OS. Sometimes it crashes when the phone rings, you go to answer it and see "seg fault" and the thing frozen up.

      The battery life is absolute shit. I'll charge it all day at my office, leave today about 6PM, and the battery will be nearly dead by the time I get in tomorrow at 9(ish).

      For the first couple of days I had fun playing with it. But realistically, it's not useful for anything. I write notes and schedule on paper
    • Your .sig quote is actually

      When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.

      and can be attributed to Henny Youngman. Please dont pass off others work as your own
      • I read it in a chain E-mail and thats the way it was written. It didnt have an authors name next to it but im sure it was from the same quote you are writing about. But since the words are different does that not make it a different "quote"? Also i never claimed that i wrote it, so don't tell me im "passing others work as my own", it was an honest mistake. however i like the actual quote better, im going to change it to that, thank you for pointing it out.

    • Re:Pocket PC's are dead (Score:3, Insightful)

      by hobbs ( 82453 )

      recent report that said smartphones with pocket PC capabilities, sale numbers rose an average of 120% while smartphones have only gained about 6% growth .... Death to pocket PC's, long live the smartphone!

      Do you see the basic fallacy in these remarks? The part that makes the phone smart is the PDA capabilities, and whatever report you cited specifically mentioned PocketPCs, so there is no death for PocketPC as a platform.

      Also, how much longer before the thumbprint reader is included on smartphones to

      • Do you see the basic fallacy in these remarks? The part that makes the phone smart is the PDA capabilities, and whatever report you cited specifically mentioned PocketPCs, so there is no death for PocketPC as a platform.

        The report mentioned "Pocket PC Capabilities", which I take as code for "Blackbery and Treo rich devices".

        I do know that around my workplace, Blackberries are almost standard now.

  • $500 (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    and it even has a better screen than the Mac Mini.

  • In the age of the budget PC (Score:3, Insightful)

    by digitalgimpus ( 468277 ) on Thursday January 13, 2005 @05:52PM (#11352891) Homepage
    When will these things become a bit lower in price?

    It's either clean out my wallet... or get a dinky cheap PDA.

    At least with cell phones the price may be super inflated... but at least they get subsidized with a plan.

    Perhaps it's time for 802.11b hotspot providers to subsidize PDA's? Get a plan for 2 years, and get a cheaper PDA?

    Most likely would get geeky PDA's in more consumer hands... more customers.
  • Am i the only one to whom the idea of a device you hold having a fingerprint reader for security seems a little... silly?
    • Don't knock it 'till you've tried it. My iPaq 545x can be held in the palm leaving the thumb free for swiping. Do it all the time.

      And to those complaining about leaving prints on the screen... the scanner isn't on the screen. It's the white bar below the 4-way "joystick".

      -MrLogic
      • I think you miss my point. I'm suggesting fingerprint scanners on devices like this would be the same as having your password written all over them...
  • HP's New iPAC h4x0r3d
  • Fingerprint recognition can only be a backup to an alternative login method. After a heavy weekend of DIY or on my boat, I suspect my fingerprints are at least temprarily degraded beyond recognition. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

    But in any case in my last pda evaluation I once again ran up against an annoyance factor that doesn't go away. I do not like Windows for PDAs, in any shape or form. I like Palm OS much more. But Palm make it hugely difficult to change the battery, even though the basic battery i

    • Fingerprint recognition can only be a backup to an alternative login method. After a heavy weekend of DIY or on my boat, I suspect my fingerprints are at least temprarily degraded beyond recognition. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

      You're not wrong. A friend of mine is a carpenter, and was an early adopter of the HP5545- never did get the damned fingerprint reader to read his heavily scared thumb the same way twice. I finally advised him that if he wanted to use security, to use the numeric PIN method i

    • But in any case in my last pda evaluation I once again ran up against an annoyance factor that doesn't go away. I do not like Windows for PDAs, in any shape or form. I like Palm OS much more. But Palm make it hugely difficult to change the battery, even though the basic battery is just an ordinary LiIon. Why? Even the T5, which has flash memory and so can survive battery change, has a battery that requires watch-like dismantling to change. I do not like relying on a device which is only as reliable as a n

    • I run Familiar linux on my h3800, with the Opie [handhelds.org] environment. It combines everything I liked about PocketPC (the PIM apps, mainly) with everything I liked about PalmOS (interface & stability) with a healthy toss in from Linux (GPL'ed software in droves). It has it's own quirks, but if you have an officially supported PDA, release 0.8 oughta "just work". And, it's binary compatible with Debian on ARM and the Sharp Zaurus. Sure, the screen is small, but with a folding keyboard it's enough to do almost

  • We're still ways to go in battery technology.

    I actually have a friend that carries 2 phones, one is the latest and greatest palm based one and the other is a regular phone and he switches the smart chip between both.

    I personally want a phone that just works and has a long battery life. No color displays, no pictures, just signal strength, clarity, battery life and portability.

    Once we make progress and we can store contacts, appointments and sync by just being close to our bluetooth PC then we'll be read

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