Sharp HC-4500 review

You also get Sharp's own Image Editor and Voice Recorder applets. You don't expect the power of Photoshop in a pocket app, so the fact that the functionality of Image Editor is quite limited won't come as any surprise. For quick annotations and edits of the images you've taken with the camera, before you send them off, it's ideal.

The HC-4500 runs on a single 2.4V NiMH battery, which recharges when the supplied mains adaptor is plugged in. According to Sharp, it should power the machine for between three hours in normal operating conditions, and six hours with the backlight dimmed. This diminishes considerably with use of the camera or other PC Card peripherals.

We haven't seen the perfect HPC yet, but the HC-4500 is extremely close. There's little to fault in the screen or keyboard, and the camera is just the sort of feature that turns a good handheld into a cutting-edge portable powerhouse. However, like all products at the cutting edge, you pay for the privilege.

Author: Stuart Andrews