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I read the customer comments here before I bought my Jornada 720 and found them useful. So I'll return the favor by writing my contain feedback for those collected shopping around.
Some of you are probably asking the same questions...Palm or Windows? Keyboard or handwriting recognition? Built-in keyboard or stowaway? E-mail or no e-mail? Compaq Ipaq or HP Jornada 720?
I cannot respond all the questions for you, but as a non-techie person, here's how I made my decision. Let's open with the easiest question: Keyboard or handwriting?
I contemplate most people are faster typists than they are writing long hand. This is why we went from drawing on cave walls, to writing on paper, to typing with a manual typewriter, to typing with computers, and to assert recognition. Do you notice a pattern here? It's called evolution. I peer handwriting recognition as going backwards. People catch that handwriting recognition works as smoothly as touted. It doesn't and it is terribly frustrating. Sooner or later, you'll need a keyboard, which is why most people with palm or pocket PCs quiet take keyboards. Judge about it. If you need to write more than one paragraph, say a 3-page article, letter, or record, would you rather handwrite or type? Ask the many writers who consume the J720 if they'd rather handwrite their stories and they'll deem you've gone nuts.
Okay, so you're one of those people who like handwriting too noteworthy to give up on it. Enter the J720's Inkwriter. It's like a pad of paper that you can scribble anything on and then set aside it. Even longhand. Procedure things on it (your house idea? ), or play tic-tac-toe on it, or scribble the rapid dictated phone number of the cute guy you objective met. Or pretend to manufacture handwritten notes to preserve awake during lifeless office meetings.
Next seek information from. Built-in or stowaway keyboard? If you follow the reasoning for wanting keyboard over handwriting, you'll realize the only arrangement to avoid the frustration of handwriting is to have a keyboard 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. And if you need it that grand, then it makes sense for it to be built-in. Of course, you could hold a Compaq Ipaq and carry the keyboard separately. But why punish yourself?
Palm or Windows? Personally, I detest learning modern ways of doing things unless they improve on how I already do it. I'm familiar with the Windows platform. I consume it in the office, I exhaust it at home, and I employ it on my PDA. I'm going for consistency. This OS rivalry reminds me of the Mac vs. PC and the Betamax vs.VCR (I'm dating myself) . If you recede abroad frequently, you will soon notice that the rest of the world has learned to go with a edifying bet. They will not kill small dollars on something that might be mature in a matter of years. You can call it cattle mentality, but they study it as safety in numbers (i.e., the millions of Windows users worldwide) .
Why not a laptop? Well, I already have a lightweight laptop at home which I conception to withhold. But there is no laptop in the market today that is lighter than a PDA. I can go anywhere with my J720 and do practically everything that I need my laptop for. The J720's instant on/off feature alone is enough to convince me to leave the laptop at home. Cheaper than a laptop, better battery life, no need to boot up, blazingly swiftly, extremely lightweight and portable, and easy to pack (not a residence hog) . I've had the J720 for almost two months and has brought it on trips already (bravely left the laptop at home) . The only thing I missed was the backache I would have gotten from lugging the laptop. Actually, compose that two. I missed the paranoid feeling that someone might rob my laptop when it's out of my seek because I can't stash it in a pocket, purse, or hotel estimable. In sum, I don't need a second laptop and the one I have will cease home from now on.
Pricewise, there's not powerful inequity between a Compaq Ipaq and J720 after you factor in the added costs (for Ipaq) of a separate keyboard and something else (modem? ) that the guy in the store told me but which I forgot. He said the J720 is about $100 more expensive than the Ipaq. And there are discounts if you want to utilize the time finding them. However, the J720 is not for you if all you need is a gadget to store addresses and phone numbers. It'd be the equivalent of buying an expensive sportscar only to drive it at a top run of 35 mph for a daily 5-mile commute. What a slay. Derive those cheap and well-liked calculator-like gadgets for $150. But if you want a PDA/organizer that can be a mini-laptop, this is it.
Sizewise, the J720 is slightly bigger than the Ipaq but unexcited petite enough to fit into a dinky purse. In fact, I was surprised at how cramped it was when I finally got it. I eyeballed the size based on the specifications given. It turned out to be smaller, which was what I wanted. If you engage a pocket PC or palm organizer and then carry the separate keyboard, the whole package will be bigger and bulkier than the J720.
The J720's conceal is almost twice wider than the Ipaq's or other pocketpcs. This eliminates the annoyance of having to scroll left-right-top-bottom when looking at documents. Not a noticeable contrast if all you do is observe up addresses or phone numbers. But when you're working on a Word or Excel document (PocketWord/Pocket Excel), reading e-mail, or browsing the web, you will be satisfied your J720 has a wider mask. And because the J720 has a clamshell form (the conceal closes/folds over the keyboard), you don't have to consume the extra $$ for a leather case to protect the cover.
By now - if you're composed reading - you're probably wondering if there's anything I despise at all about this gadget. Yes. It bugs me that the J720 doesn't have a latch to snap it terminate. Don't score me cross... it does terminate, but I miss the comforting "click" sound of a latch. I almost returned the darn thing. But I was assured that the hinge has a wheel mechanism designed to withstand repeated opening and closing of the lid.
Also, the keyboard seemed miniature at first, but after a week of typing on it, it felt very comfortable for touch-typing documents, spreadsheets, etc. But if you're planning to write your first gargantuan American new, you'll be pushing the limits of the keyboard (and your fingers) . Do yourself a favor and write your magnum opus on a desktop or full-size laptop. If you want to work objective a chapter at a time, the J720 will do. Peaceful leaps and bounds over handwriting.
Lastly, it bugs me that the J720 comes only in one wearisome, insensible, dusky blue grayish corporate color. I would have gladly chosen a more pretty-looking gadget (there's plenty out there), but the J720 beats them where it matters the most to me -- substance. The J720 is collected a bargain for what it delivers. But would it be asking too worthy to want it in red?
There's my 2 cents' worth. By the blueprint, I'm typing this on my J720's built-in keyboard. Would I handwrite this? No draw! Would you?
I wanted something that would proceed and let me withhold my business in order and allow me to write personel letters etc... But starting this review I want to be unprejudiced. The HP-720 is an expensive speciality map being neither laptop or pocket intention, but for what I wanted to do it seemed the only choice.(I didn't want to lug around all that laptop suitcase of bits and pieces...plus the battery life on the laptops get them approach useless if away from a wobble) . .... Anyhow to my thoughts:
PROS: It's runt, considerable, battery really does last 7-9 hours, does everything music,word processing( with spell check), surf the derive,calander,task,contacts,reveal recorder and as an excessory to my desk computer automatically syncronizes everytime I tumble it into the charging/communications cradle that it came with.Also when you hit the "on" button it's on moral then...no boot up time. Easy to spot up and accelerate...physically a tough runt machine.I can say with confidence that I do schedule and have access to more data when I need it than I ever opinion possible.It has freed me up noteworthy. I don't know if that will apply to everyone else as I am self employeed and out of the office alot, but for me it has actually done more than I understanding it could.
Cons:I bought 256 meg compact flash card (if you want lots of MP3 music you'll need it) so with that I'm at over a [price]. You could select a laptop with that.The keyboard IS NOT touch typeable!You can type and hasty, but it's with two fingers. I do type letters so it's ok, but I almost sent it aid when I got it because of that.Last they're not alot of extra programs out their for the HP_720. I'm no computer guy, but I have it has to do with the ARM processor. I have found games, JPEG viewers etc... as freeware ....but they were few and far between. So all that mountainous Palm stuff and CE software doesn't necessarily have a version that works on the HP-720.
Overall I would recommend it to anyone who needs the keyboard but doesn't want to be tied down with a laptop. For me I wouldn't trade it now that I've had and feeble it for a [price] laptop. And yes while the games and extra software is small. There was enough for me (10 games, a describe viewer and a book reader) .
The only advice I have about buying is that this machine is ample if you have the specific needs it can address. For me I would hold another because I value size and battery life over other features .
The HP Jornada 720 does everything I need to do for on-the-road computing. Checking and responding to e-mail, surfing the derive, taking meeting notes, drafting memos and other documents, and accessing all those usual organizer functions. I now leave my heavy and elephantine laptop brick at the office and remove the 720 instead when traveling for business or pleasure. Lots of bundled software tools are included making the Jornada 720 a versatile machine. It's flexible allowing for expansion and scalability. I especially like adding PCMCIA Type II, compact flash and lustrous cards. The audio recorder and built-in speakers are also nice. The standard 32 MB of memory is an improvement over the older 600 series models. The improved Windows for HPC OS will be very familiar to Windows NT/95/98 users and the sync capability makes the 720 a logical extension of my desktop machine. Some minor drawbacks: it is somewhat pricey compared to the Jornada 548 and other Pocket PC handhelds; the keyboard (although nice) is a bit small. I spend a two-finger or two-eraser heads poking technique to minimize keyboard errors. Substantial battery - 9 hours! I do like it!
