Compaq Aero 1520

Compaq's latest palm-size PC is a break from the norm, at least when it comes to Windows CE devices - it's small. In terms of size and weight, it's about the first Windows CE device that can honestly take on the Palm IIIx and V in terms of portability. At just 79 x 130 x 12.7mm (WxHxD) and weighing in at a mere 143g, it's smaller than Compaq's previous offerings and weighs only 30g more than the Palm V.

The diminished stature has a lot to do with the 16-greyscale STN LCD display, which is a bit lifeless but perfectly adequate for a handheld PC. For those darker moments, as you might expect, there is an easily accessible backlight. Such a display needs a protective cover of sorts, and it's good to see that rather than plump for the ungainly plastic covers of the HP Jornada 430se and Palm IIIx, the Aero 1520 comes supplied with a leatherette case.

The 16Mb of RAM is par for the course, but can be increased through the addition of Flash memory - in this case, there's a CompactFlash slot.

The design itself is functional, with four customisable shortcut buttons, the backlight button beneath the display, and three sidepanel buttons - one for voice recording, one used as an 'Exit' button, and the other a mini-rocker button for scrolling and selecting.

The rechargable lithium ion battery has an estimated life of eight hours, and with the power supply connecting to the docking cradle, recharging is a simple matter of attaching the 1520 to the cradle.

The 1520 also synchronises with your PC seamlessly. This is largely due to the fact that almost all PCs run Windows, but Microsoft's latest sync software, ActiveSync 3.0, also seems to have made the process easier.

Contact Compaq 0845 270 4848