HP iPAQ H1910 review

The world is a curious place. While traditionally sleek Palm devices are getting bigger - just look at the Sony NZ90V - traditionally fat Pocket PCs show signs of regular visits to Weight Watchers. The MiTAC Mio 338's big selling factor is its slimness - just 12mm - but it's HP's H1910 that steals the limelight thanks to a width and height that are significantly smaller than the Palm m500.

As a piece of engineering, we can't argue with the H1910's brilliance. It fits snugly in the hand and feels like it could survive a good few years of punishment before becoming battered. HP even bundles a pair of earphones to emphasise the H1910's MP3-playing ability - they sound good too, which is fortunate as they use a proprietary connector so you won't be able to use your own earphones.

Plus, with 64MB of RAM, there's plenty of space for your favourite tracks. Or so you might think. In fact, there's just 46.74MB of memory available for programs and storage, because HP includes only 16MB of ROM. In contrast, the MiTAC Mio with its 32MB of ROM and 40MB of RAM has 36.45MB for programs and storage.

Bizarrely, HP doesn't even install Windows Media Player on the iPAQ, so you have to sacrifice another 1MB of space before you can play MP3s (without using a third-party player, that is). HP also jettisons the Terminal Services Client, removes the spellchecker from Pocket Word and doesn't include any extras like backup tools. Thankfully, there's an SD/MMC slot at the top of the iPAQ for memory expansion, but beware that many programs only load into RAM.

HP makes a couple of physical sacrifices with the H1910 too. There's no jog dial for cycling through and selecting programs, and the infrared port is positioned on the left-hand side of the unit. What buttons remain are also smaller than usual.

In addition, not only has HP failed to include a carry case, but there's no docking cradle, just a USB synchronising cable. This is a shame, as the optional docking cradle offers the excellent feature of a slot for charging up a second battery, because HP has made the eminently sensible move of making the supplied 900mAH battery removable.

This is particularly fortunate, as the iPAQ didn't last for long in our battery tests. Just like the MiTAC, also powered by a 900mAH battery (but this time integrated into the unit), it survived for two-and-a-half hours over a four-day period. We tested using standard applications - reading email, viewing AvantGo pages and the occasional game - with the backlight set to medium. HP estimates a four-hour run-time, while MiTAC quotes an unrealistic eight hours.

You may be wondering who MiTAC actually is. Although the name isn't familiar, its products most certainly are - it manufactures a hefty percentage of notebooks we see in PC Pro, including some big-name brands. The MiTAC Mio 338 is its budget PDA offering, which is reflected in a cheaper plastic finish, although the blue metallic fascia and slim dimensions make it attractive to look at and easy to hold. There are some nice touches elsewhere too. For instance, when you switch it on, the buttons light up briefly, and MiTAC includes utilities for backing up data and viewing pictures.

Unlike HP, MiTAC also includes a USB docking station and a carry case. The case is only there to stop the screen getting scratched, though, as there's no padding to protect against a direct hit.

Both the iPAQ and the Mio use a transreflective TFT display, and - although the MiTAC's screen is physically larger - their viewable area is identical at 53 x 71mm (W x H). Both are 16-bit colour screens, but they show colours slightly differently. The iPAQ's are a little more true to life and blacks look blacker, but the difference isn't enough to affect any buying decision.