Review: HP iPAQ hw6915 handheld computer

The convergence between a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and mobile phone is just about complete in HP's new, all-singing handheld computer, the hw6915.

Not much bigger than a Smartphone and with quad-band reception built-in, you don't look foolish with it pressed up to your ear to take a call. It has a 1.3 megapixel camera built into its back, too.

The iPAQ hw6915 goes considerably further, though, with a 7.6cm colour screen which is fully touch-sensitive to the stylus provided. There's full Windows Mobile software built in, which includes Word, PowerPoint and Excel Mobile editions.

Below the screen is a physical QWERTY keypad which can be used with mobile applications and, of course, messaging and texting. Those with large fingers may have to resort to thumb and fingernails, but with a bit of practice it's probably easier than the onscreen keyboard and stylus, which is still an option.

The key feature of the iPAQ hw6915, which separates it from most of its competitors, is the built-in GPS receiver. There's no clip-on backpack to fit and not even an aerial to flip up.

HP supplies UK roadmaps and a detailed maps of cities and surrounding areas can be downloaded, both courtesy of Tom Tom. In practice, the GPS appears quite sensitive and can be used when walking as well as when motoring.

The iPAQ hw6915 comes with 192MB of memory, which sounds a lot, but may need supplementing if you install several maps. There's a mini-SD card slot in the side of the device for this and it can take cards of up to 1GB.

There's both iPAQ hw6915 comes with both Bluetooth and Wifi support, so connections with hotspots and pairing with headsets and earpieces are simple.

In essence, the iPAQ hw6915 really comes with virtually all the facilities you might want from a handheld computer.

Also consider
Memory Map Mio P350 Navigator
A less sophisticated handheld computer, but with integrated GPS and maps of your choice

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