HP iPAQ rx1950

The iPAQ rx1950 couldn’t look more different than the hx2790. HP designed this PDA for a completely different audience, and so the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system is about the only thing these two devices have in common. Where the hx2790 is thick and heavy, the rx1950 is small and graceful. It is far more compact, has a gorgeous finish with lots of rounded edges, and slides into your pocket like electronic butter.

What you get in this diminutive frame is a lot less PDA. The rx1950’s processor has only 300-MHz of processing power, and only 96MB of user-accessible memory (62MB ROM and 32MB SDRAM). HP opted not to include Bluetooth, so to pair this PDA with your phone you’ll need a Bluetooth card and a Bluetooth enabled phone,  but you can access the Internet with Wi-Fi. A single SDIO memory slot offers additional storage space.

To lower the price, HP omits the charging cradle; only a sync cable comes in the box. Like the other models, the battery is removable. With specifications like these, you’ll have to lower your expectations about the device’s performance. Both CPU and file system benchmarks were dramatically lower than what the hx2790 mustered. On the other hand, battery time was significantly better; eight hours, compared to no more than three for either of the other PDAs.

For those who value simplicity and portability over sheer performance, the HP iPAQ rx1950 should satisfy.