Product Reviews

When Microsoft originally launched Windows CE over two years ago, it seemed like it would be only a matter of time before the software giant became dominant in yet another software arena. In practice, things have turned out somewhat more difficult for Microsoft. The first incarnation of Windows CE was roundly criticised and the company is still regaining the lost ground.

Despite a long list of hardware developers, there's been a dearth of quality kit. Many manufacturers don't seem to have noticed that the small side issue of usability is actually the most important one. HP's radical new CE device, the Jornada, looks set to change things. Like NEC's MobilePro 750C and Vadem's Clio (both currently only available in the US), the new Jornada not only presents the latest Professional version of Windows CE but it does so in a larger, more usable form factor. It comes in a case about the size of a slim hardback book, and the compact 246 x 178mm footprint is accompanied by a suitably low-weight penalty of 1.1kg. So, although you won't be able to slip it in your jacket pocket, carrying it around in a briefcase or bag shouldn't be too much of a shoulder-numbing experience.

The result is instantly more usable than any CE device I've used so far and even surpasses the Psion Series 5 when it comes to ease of typing. There are a couple of small niggles, like the undersized Tab and Backspace keys, some inevitable function-doubling and a slightly insubstantial feel. Apart from this, the Jornada's keyboard is a dream to type on compared to its cramped Windows CE brethren. Basically, it's like a shrunken notebook keyboard bar the useful application launch keys along the top.

Unusually for a CE machine, the Jornada sports a touchpad pointing device, shunning the stylus and touchscreen method of navigation favoured by most. I admit I wasn't looking forward to using it: the only H/PC to use a touchpad to date has been the GeoFox One (reviewed issue 40, p176) and it wasn't very good. Fortunately, HP has done a better job. The touchpad on the Jornada is both predictable and reliable in use. Usefully, it can be set to switch off automatically when you're typing.

Above the keyboard sits a sizeable 8.2in, 640 x 480, 256-colour CSTN (a variant of DSTN) display. Although it can't present the crisp picture of TFT, it's both bright and usable. HP's Screen Settings

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applet, for adjusting both brightness and contrast, means the screen can be made readable in all but the brightest of lighting conditions.

Investigating the peripheries of the machine reveals an impressive array of connections. On top of the standard Type II PC Card, serial and CompactFlash card ports, the Jornada sports USB, fast 4Mbits/sec infrared and integrated VGA-out ports. The latter will let you display up to 1,024 x 768 resolution in 256 colours on an external monitor when using Pocket PowerPoint. To round it off, next to the VGA-out you'll find an RJ11 socket betraying the presence of the Jornada's integrated 56K integrated V.90 modem.

Under the hood, the Jornada is equally well endowed, boasting a StrongARM RISC processor running at 190MHz, 16Mb of RAM and 16Mb of ROM, so there should be plenty of space for adding further apps. You'd imagine such a beefy processor would finally make using Windows CE a speedy and enjoyable experience and, when searching for contacts using the additionally bundled bFind software, this is certainly the case. However, although the Jornada isn't as sluggish as many CE machines have been in the past, launching and moving between apps wasn't as quick as I'd have expected.

So, while helping to blur the boundaries further between notebooks and CE-based systems, it's clear that the latest incarnation of Windows CE does little to speed hardware response times. What it does do is add some useful new features. Obviously, support for USB has been added, as has the ability to cope with higher resolution displays (up to SVGA) as well as different types of pointing devices. There's also the new database functionality, with Pocket Access and support for ADO (ActiveX data objects) now included. Possibly the most significant upgrade in this version, however, is that Microsoft claims it extends battery life.

Bearing in mind that HP's last CE machine drained its rechargeable lithium ion battery in around five hours, you could be forgiven for thinking that the ten-hour claimed battery life was a little on the hopeful side, especially considering the larger screen and a processor boasting more than twice the clock speed. Incredibly, the Jornada lives up to its claims, yielding almost exactly ten hours per charge.

This is nothing short of a quantum leap for CE battery life and is the Jornada's most compelling feature as standard Windows 95 and 98 notebooks continue to come down in size. Coupled with the excellent keyboard and large colour screen, it makes the Jornada ideal for carrying out basic tasks like reading and writing emails, as well as longer Word documents on the move. It may not be as powerful as Toshiba's Libretto 100CT (reviewed issue 45, p152), but it's bigger, more usable, has a longer battery life and, at £849, it's considerably cheaper. If you don't need the full power of a notebook or a truly pocket-sized PC while you're on the move, this is the best solution so far.