Compaq iPAQ H3950

Compaq revolutionised the Pocket PC world with its first iPAQ, but since then we've seen only minor evolutionary tweaks. For example, the 3900 series of iPAQs is almost identical to the 3800 series, so they're still just as big - 17mm thick, 200g in weight - and only include an SD slot. When Fujitsu Siemens packs in a Type II CompactFlash and SD/MMC slot into its Pocket LOOX, which weighs just 173g, it makes you wonder if the iPAQ has had its day.

But the first thing to strike you about these iPAQs is the plastic snap-over protective cover that's attached to a removable sleeve. Its surface is a nirvana for forensic scientists, as it retains every single fingerprint. Once this cover is released and the unit powered on, however, Compaq can be forgiven almost everything. The display is outstanding and better than all other PDAs in this Labs.

This new transreflective display has two benefits. First, the colour rendition is superb. It's only when you put the new iPAQs alongside earlier units that you realise how muddy the colours on the older iPAQs really are and that they're incapable of displaying a true black. Second, holding the units at a slight angle no longer finds you apparently staring into side-mounted fluorescent tubes. The downside is that the display is harder to read in daylight when the backlight is dim or off.

Another evolutionary difference between the 3800 and 3900 series is their processor. The 3950 and 3970 are both based on Intel's 400MHz XScale processor, which is all well and good, but these iPAQs feel no faster than their 206MHz predecessors.

Both models include 64MB of RAM for storing your downloaded apps and files. However, they do vary in the amount of ROM supplied, with the 3950 including 32MB to the 3970's 48MB. Uniquely among all these PDAs, the iPAQs can use the ROM to save your vital data in the event of the battery running dry - the 3950 has 5.9MB to play with, the 3970 20MB. Compaq also supplies Image Manager and Nevo, a home automation application that lets you use the iPAQ's infrared port to control domestic electronics devices. This is fun as a novelty, especially as you can set it to 'learn' from an existing remote.

The built-in Bluetooth of the 3970 - the main thing that sets it apart from the 3950 - has a comprehensive set of configuration tools, including options for receiving PIM objects, setting up a default passkey and the designation of a contact as a business card. There's also a file-sharing option that can be set to a specified folder. The Bluetooth menu on the welcome screen gives direct access to ActiveSync over Bluetooth.

Connecting to other Bluetooth devices involves navigating the confusing Pocket PC 2002 Connection Manager. However, once configured, automatically connecting to a Nokia 6310i to access email over GPRS worked faultlessly.

The supplied cradle (which isn't compatible with the 3700 series) has side bars that slide down to make for more secure docking of the unit when it's in a sleeve. Even so, the physical connection always seemed a little tenuous, and just tapping the iPAQ's screen could cause ActiveSync to become disconnected. Both serial and USB connectors are provided on the same data cable, and the iPAQ can be charged either through the cradle or by plugging the power lead directly into the PDA.

This ease of recharging is fortunate, as the iPAQ's battery life is nothing special. It only lasted for two hours in our general-use tests. One factor in the iPAQ's favour, though, is the vast amount of accessories available for it - GPS units, third-party keyboards and a digital camera, to name but a few. But these all add expense to an already expensive device. There's little doubt that the iPAQ's dominance is over, especially when Toshiba and Fujitsu Siemens are producing such fine devices.