Product Reviews

The release of Pocket PC earlier in the year prompted several companies to rework their palmtop offerings. The slick new interface gave rise to Compaq's excellent iPAQ H3630 (reviewed issue 71, p175) and from HP, the Jornada 545 (reviewed issue 69, p169). In the hope of a similar revamp on the handheld PC front, manufacturers have been holding out - reluctant to release new devices prematurely and the result has been an alarming lack of action - with no new devices being launched for some time. Well finally it's here, the first company off the mark is Hewlett-Packard and I've managed to get hold of an early review sample of its 720, the latest addition to the Jornada range.

At first glance, it doesn't look too exciting. I switched on the 720 expecting the sorts of radical changes seen in Pocket PC (reviewed issue 68, p172), but I was disappointed. Most of the changes in what Microsoft is now calling Handheld PC 2000 are under the hood; nothing at all has been done to change the look and feel of the interface.

The taskbar still occupies far too much screen real estate at the bottom of the screen, while menus still drop from the top just like Windows 98 and 2000, and the idea of the Desktop still remains as the backbone of the OS. Even on the applications front, little of note appears to have been added, with the now almost obligatory addition of Windows Media Player plus Yahoo!

ADVERTISEMENT

Messenger, an IR chat application and Terminal Server client.

Like the software contained within it, little has changed since the launch of the 680 and 690 devices. The keyboard is still excellent - the only one to come close to matching the quality of Psion's Series 5 keyboard - and the casing is just as robust and unsteady on its feet when you tap it with the stylus.

Thankfully, HP has fixed what we moaned about most in its previous device: its combined PC card and CompactFlash flap. This has now been removed, but compatibility with both formats has been retained. It has also added extra security in the form of a smart card reader, positioned just above the PC Card slot, and you can now connect via USB although you'll have to shell out for the cable yourself. Unfortunately, there's still no support for CompactFlash Type II, so you won't be able to take advantage of IBM's microdrive.

The Jornada 720 now sports a 206MHz RISC processor, aimed at banishing the hourglass for good. Alongside is an ample 32Mb of RAM, although if you plan to use the Media Player extensively, a CompactFlash upgrade will be in order. Unfortunately, things don't quite go to HP's plan. Although it feels perfectly responsive most of the time, switching between applications still isn't instant, and searching a contacts database with just 266 entries still took seven seconds, with plenty of hourglass spinning in evidence.

HP also claims that the new processor contributes to longer lithium ion battery life, extending it to nine hours compared with eight hours for the 690. But at the end of the day, there's no getting away from the fact that this is essentially a 690 in disguise. The processor and OS changes have made negligible impact on speed, while the redesigned chassis and improved security measures really aren't enough to warrant the extra cost. It's still one of the best all-round keyboard-based handheld PCs on the market, but don't expect anything radically new.