Hewlett Packard Jornada 720

It may be stretching both the imagination and shirt pocket seams to call the Jornada 720 a truly pocketable PC, (Hewlett Packard refers to it as "handheld"), but for the power user who needs more than just an average PDA, HP's offering might well be the perfect partner.

The range of Jornada handheld PCs is extensive and Hewlett Packard has been receiving accolades for the series since its inception. The 720 sits stockily in the gap between true palm-sized device and sub-notebook level. Weighing in at just over 500g, and with dimensions of 7.44 x 3.74 x 1.3in, slipping the 720 unobtrusively into the inside jacket pocket might be somewhat of a struggle. With the unit on the lap or desktop, however, the sheer practicality of a keyboard outshines any other method of input, even Microsoft's own cursive scribble translator Transcriber.

The keyboard itself is 3/4-sized, with an action that is about as comfortable as could be expected although touch typists may well be slightly frustrated by the necessarily small keys.

The top half of the clamshell is taken up by a 640x240 pixel touchscreen boasting an impressive 65k colours. This large screen is readable in practically all light conditions (although in direct sunlight some adjustment may be necessary). Moreover it proves to be immensely practical for use with the built-in applications: web pages can be browsed, word documents typed and spreadsheets altered all with a minimum of scrolling. Such a large screen however does take its toll on the lithium battery, which offers around nine hours of operating time per charge.

The Jornada 720 is built around Windows for Handheld PC 2000 version 3.0. This operating system is a world away from previous incarnations of Microsoft's pocket OS, which were heavily criticised for being clunky, slow and less than intuitive. This next-generation OS is streamlined in both looks and performance and takes full advantage of the 720's fast 206Mhz strongarm processor to produce an exceptionally quick and capable platform for applications.

The sheer functionality of the Jornada 720 is impressive with 32Mb of RAM, in-built sound and voice memo facility, and an internal 56K modem which negates the need to carry a separate unit or rely on the rather sluggish 9600 baud connection afforded by other PDA/mobile phone combos. Add to this feature list a comprehensive suite of proven Microsoft applications, and you have a PDA that will sail through any challenge you set.

The pre-installed software includes Pocket versions of Word, Excel, IE4, Outlook, Powerpoint and Access, all of which seamlessly convert and handle files and attachments generated on the desktop versions. With such a powerful suite, however, it is easy to overlook the fact that this PDA is more than capable of handling the more mundane tasks such as calendars, to-do lists and address book management.

The real jewel in the 720's crown, however, is its connectivity. With on board Smartcard, Infrared, Type II PC card and Compactflash Type I sockets, the Jornada 720's links to the outside world have been kept well and truly open. With a serial connector on the main unit and USB port on the docking cradle, integration and synchronisation with a desktop PC is both straightforward and speedy.

At this price point, the Jornada 720 is an expensive way of keeping track of contacts and meetings but for the business user who needs a keyboard, large bright screen and exceptional connectivity from a mobile platform, HP's offering might well be the ideal solution.

Contact Hewlett Packard
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