When HP premiered the iPAQ h1910 earlier this year, I was impressed with its stylish appearance and compact design, but disappointed that it could not be used to communicate wirelessly. The promise of mobile devices is "information at your fingertips," and without wireless connectivity it's not possible to keep that promise. I waited patiently for HP to introduce a compact device that would.

The HP iPAQ h2200 Pocket PC

Fortunately, George Bold from HP had briefed me on the iPAQ h2200 long before the device was available. George described a small, stylish device that was obviously engineered with the mobile but connected businessperson in mind. He promised to send me one as soon as possible—I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! When it finally arrived, I tore open the box in eager anticipation.

Compact and light

At 4.54 x 3.0 x 0.61 inches this unit is just slightly thicker than its smaller sibling the h1910. This arguably makes it the smallest wirelessly enabled Pocket PC on the market today. It can easily be slipped into a shirt or suit pocket. I've often heard people complain of the "brick-like" characteristics of an iPAQ with an Expansion Pack. That complaint certainly doesn't apply to the h2200. It is sleek, stylish, lightweight, and easy to carry with you.

The rubber handgrips on the sides are a welcome change from the earlier iPAQ models. They make it easy to pull the unit out of the supplied nylon slip case or a shirt pocket, and give you a sure grip when you are working. The "voice record" button from previous iPAQ versions has been removed altogether and I must say that it's about time! I don't know how many times I've accidentally pushed that button while trying to extract my h3800 series iPAQ from its case and started recording a voice memo. If you like to create voice memos on the fly, you might not think this is an improvement. I think that the button on earlier iPAQs was poorly placed and really didn't need to be there. Now it isn't. Of course, if you really do want a button for voice memos, you can change any of the four front buttons on the h2200 to be your new voice record button.

Plenty of power and expansion capability

HP has equipped the h2200 with top-of-the-line components to make it a true player in the high-end Pocket PC market, without the high-end price tag. It comes with an Intel PXA255 400 MHz XScale processor, 64 MB of SDRAM (56 MB user-accessible), and 32 MB of ROM.

The built-in memory should be more than sufficient for the needs of the average user. However, hardcore users can add additional storage memory via the h2200's Secure Digital (SD) and Compact Flash (CF) expansion slots.

The SD slot accepts the same storage cards used on many digital cameras. For example, I used it to swap photos from my digital camera to the h2200. Then I used the built-in iPAQ Image Viewer application to show off photos of my kids. The SD slot on the h2200 conforms to SDIO specifications, which means that it can also be used to add digital cameras, GPS receivers, radios, and other SDIO devices to your h2200.

The h2200's Type II CF slot accepts file storage, Wi-Fi, GPS, digital camera, and other CF cards. I use a CF Wi-Fi card to wirelessly access my office LAN. I also use it to check my e-mail while I'm having a cup of coffee at my local Starbucks, which is equipped with a T-Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot. Finally, I use a Pretec 3 GB CF storage card (www.pretec.com) to carry around all of my GPS maps, which I display using PowerLOC's Destinator navigation software (www.powerloc.com). Because the h2200 has built-in Bluetooth capability, I'm able to use the Socket Communications Bluetooth GPS to receive position information (www.socketcom.com).

Built-in Bluetooth capability indispensable

Wireless capability is vital for connected mobile users such as myself, and while the jury is still out on the future of Bluetooth, I find it an indispensable technology. It lets me interface with my Bluetooth-enabled Sony Ericsson t68i mobile phone, keeping me connected everywhere I roam. As mentioned earlier, I also use Bluetooth to communicate with my GPS receiver in my frequent travels. Bluetooth capability makes it possible to listen to music through wireless headphones, access your LAN via a Bluetooth access point, send business cards and files to another person, chat with other people with Bluetooth-enabled devices, and much more.

Readable screen, replaceable battery

Because the h2200 has a smaller form factor, it cannot use the Expansion Packs designed for the larger h3000 and h5000 series iPAQs. However, with the combination of SDIO and Type II CF slots, and integrated Bluetooth, it has the expansion and communications arena well covered.

The h2200 comes with a 16-bit, 65,536 color, transflective display. The screen is excellent indoors, and although transflective TFT screens have been criticized for their outdoor performance, I found the screen to be more than adequate in bright sunshine (when turned to its brightest setting). Unfortunately, the h2200 does not have the automatic light sensor found on many earlier iPAQs. On previous models the light sensor would automatically adjust the brightness of the display as the ambient light changed.

The h2200 sports a standard 2.5 mm headphone jack for attaching a set of stereo headphones (not included). It also includes a 115.2 Kbps IrDA infrared port, which can be used to beam information to other devices. The infrared port is powerful enough that you can use your Pocket PC as a remote control for controlling your TV, stereo, and other home equipment. To this end, the easy-to-use Nevo Remote Control software comes preinstalled (Screen1). I tested it thoroughly with all my home entertainment gear and was very impressed.

Screen 1: the combination of a powerful infrared port and the Nevo Remote control software shown here lets you control your TV, VCR, DVD Player, and more with the iPAQ h2200.

It is powered by a 900 mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which can be removed and replaced by the user. HP has designed replaceable batteries into all their more recent iPAQs, allowing you to carry a spare with you and swap batteries when you run low on power. The h2200 has an internal backup battery that will maintain power to the RAM, preventing data loss while you switch main batteries. A nice addition to the battery information display on the h2200, h5100, and h5500 is the Standby screen, which gives you an estimate of the remaining usage time based on the current battery charge (Screen2). It also lets you set the "standby period" of the device—the amount of time the battery will keep the RAM memory alive after the Pocket PC receives the final "low power" warning and goes into standby mode. Displaying the amount of time left is much more useful than displaying a percentage of the total battery capacity.

Screen 2: The Standby screen in the battery information display gives you an estimate of the remaining usage time and lets you set the "standby period" of the h2200.

I used the h2200 as a typical user would for two days straight without recharging. I checked my e-mail, ran software programs, and wrote and read Word documents. It wasn't continuous usage, but I believe I mimicked reasonably heavy business use. It was nice to see that I could make it through a couple of full business days without receiving the "low power" message.

The unit comes with a new style of sync-and-charging cradle, which can power the h2200 and charge a spare battery at the same time.

Windows Mobile 2003 software for the Pocket PC

The iPAQ h2200 (along with the h5100 and h5500 described on page 23) comes with the latest version of Microsoft's operating system and applications for handheld devices, officially known as "Windows Mobile 2003." It includes version 4.2 of the Pocket PC OS and "Pocket" versions of Outlook (Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Inbox), Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer. It also includes Pocket PC versions of MS Reader, Windows Media Player, File Explorer, a couple of games, and a number of utilities to help you configure the Pocket PC. You will also find MSN Messenger, Pocket MSN, and Terminal Services client for connected use. A complete listing of the Microsoft applications that come with Windows Mobile 2003 devices can be found on page 47 of this issue.

A review of Windows Mobile 2003 that focuses on the improvements made to the OS and the built-in applications can be found on page 14. It's worth mentioning that the new OS has been streamlined in many ways. It now includes the runtime engine for .NET Compact Framework, Microsoft's replacement for eMbedded Visual Basic (eVB) as the development language of choice for the Pocket PC. If you need to run Pocket PC applications that use .NET, you no longer need to load the framework. Unfortunately, the new OS no longer includes the eMbedded Visual Basic runtime engine, which many popular Pocket PC applications are based on. The first time you try to install a Pocket PC application that uses eVB, you will get a message saying that the runtime engine must be loaded. Fortunately, Microsoft provides the runtime engine free of charge on their Web site (www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/downloads/evb/evbEULA.asp). Go to the Web site and download the necessary .CAB file, copy it to your Pocket PC, and tap on it in File Explorer. It will automatically install itself. Windows Mobile 2003 also includes a greatly enhanced Connection Manager, making it much easier to keep your Pocket PC connected via a wireless connection.

To be able to sync an h2200 or any Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC with a desktop PC, the PC must use ActiveSync 3.7, which is included on the software CD that ships with the new Pocket PCs. You can also download it from Microsoft's Web site (www.microsoft.com/mobile). If you have a previous version of ActiveSync already installed on your desktop PC, you will be prompted to upgrade when you attempt to sync your h2200.

Extensive suite of additional software from HP

The iPAQ h2200 comes with an extensive suite of additional software from HP and third-party vendors. Some of it is already built into flash ROM, but most of the programs are found on the software CD that ships with the h2200 and must be installed by the user.

Built into the h2200 are a number of iPAQ specific tools from HP:

• iPAQ Task Manager—lets you launch and close applications easily.

• Bluetooth Manager—lets you set up and monitor Bluetooth connections.

• iPAQBackup—a utility to back up to and restore data from main memory, a storage card, or the iPAQ's File Store. The File Store is a portion of flash ROM that can be accessed by the user to store data and program files. (iPAQ Backup uses the Sprite Pocket Backup engine reviewed on page 40.)

• Nevo Universal Remote Control—lets you use the h2200 to control your TV, VCR, and other appliances.

• iPAQ utilities for adjusting audio settings, monitoring power, and adjusting power conservation modes.

• iPAQ Image Viewer—lets you view images and create slide shows.

The iPAQ Image Viewer is great for carrying around my personal photo album (Screen 3). If you are in a business that makes extensive use of images, such as real estate or insurance adjusting, you will find this application very handy. Please note that the iPAQ Image Viewer is in addition to a similar but not quite as feature-rich Microsoft application called Pictures. Also, the built-in Bluetooth Manager found on the h2200 replaces a similar Microsoft application that comes with Windows Mobile 2003.

Screen 3: The HP application iPAQ Image Viewer lets you bring a digital photo album with you on your h2200.

Areas of improvement

The new device does have a couple of shortcomings which, although minor, should be mentioned. As I noted earlier, the h2200 lacks the automatic light sensor found on previous iPAQs. That was a handy feature and I think it was a mistake not to include it.

The other problem I discovered may actually be a Windows Mobile 2003 issue and not specifically related to the h2200. I had my IMAP4 e-mail set to check for new mail every 15 minutes, wirelessly through a Bluetooth connection. I found that when it would connect, the process of checking the message headers and starting the synchronization consumed virtually all of the h2200's CPU power, stopping me from running other applications.

Turning off the "automatic checking for new messages" option corrected the problem. However, whenever I attempted to sync Inbox, I couldn't do anything else on the h2200 until the process was complete. Given that this unit has a 400 MHz processor, I would think it should be able to multitask, syncing my Inbox in the background while I look at other e-mail, respond to messages, or run other applications. Having said this, I'll just note that my device is a pre-release engineering sample, and the final release product may not have this problem.

I have two other minor details I would like to see changed. First is the unit's thickness. It would be nice if the h2200 could be as thin as the h1910. It would be easy to slip into the pocket of a dress shirt that way. Given the current thickness, it is now best carried in the breast pocket of a suit or sports jacket.

The second has to do with the supplied case. I have yet to see a Pocket PC ship with a case of decent quality. The h2200 is the best so far, with a nice nylon case that fits snugly and is very functional. However, the case lacks a belt loop, and without one it serves only to protect the unit from scratches. I am a heavy user and like to have these things on my hip for fast and easy access. Give me a belt loop and the supplied nylon case becomes truly usable.

My Pocket PC of choice

It takes something significant to make me change my device of choice. I upgraded from my iPAQ 3760 when the 3870 came out with embedded Bluetooth. Neither the 3970 nor the h5450 were compelling enough to make me switch. The new HP h2200 iPAQ is a rock-solid unit that is more compact and more functional than any previous iPAQ. It is ideally suited to the mobile businessperson and executive. This is now my Pocket PC of choice and will become my standard equipment. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the strongest endorsement I can give.

The HP iPAQ h2200 has a suggested retail of $399.00. It is available from HP or from your iPAQ supplier of choice.