Product Reviews

Compaq's Aero was the first handheld to have a TFT colour screen, before the Palm IIIc was invented. It looks a little dated these days, as it runs Windows CE, now superseded by the new PocketPC operating system.

Ergonomics

The Aero's screen is sharp, but the contrast isn't as good as the Palm IIIc's, so it's harder to use in strong sun. Input is either via an on-screen keyboard or the Jot character recogniser. Both take up a third of the screen, leaving little space to work in. Screen updates are slow, and you spend

ADVERTISEMENT

a lot of time staring at the hourglass icon while it thinks.

Features

Windows CE has more features than Palm OS, but its 3D icons make things cluttered. The Aero runs the cut-down palmtop PC version, so you don't get Pocket Word or Excel. You do get a built-in digital dictaphone, though, which with the 16Mb RAM gives you about 15s maximum recording time. There's a Compact Flash slot for adding more memory, and a mono earphone socket, but it won't play MP3s straight from the box.

Portability

Although it's only slightly larger than the Palm and HP, the Aero's square edges make it feel chunkier. It has a separate case rather than a flip-top lid, adding to the overall size. It scores over the Palm IIIc in that its power supply can be plugged straight in to recharge the built-in battery.

Conclusion

The Aero has clearly been overtaken. By releasing PocketPC, even Microsoft admits Windows CE left a lot to be desired on handhelds. The extra ease of use and speed of PocketPC, Palm OS and Epoc mean there's really no way we can recommend the Aero.