Customer Reviews

HP iPAQ hx2795 Pocket PC

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Pros
Great overall value for your money, especially if you buy online.
WiFi, Bluetooth, WM5, FAST processor!

Cons
Not SVGA, but I'm sure this helps the systems current performance! It's FAST! Might be a little pricey, but it fit my needs perfectly, and I'm willing to pay the higher end for a dependable device.

The Bottom Line
This device suites me perfectly. I understand that everyone has their own needs, but this has everything I need plus more. It's dependable when used as described.

Full Review
I have searched and read at least 15 websites for reviews on this product, and was not surprised to see several of these web-sites with the same two people giving it a bad review. It's my experience that many people start using the device and critiquing it only when they experience problems, and don't ever decide to consult the user manual to find specific instructions on how to perform the operation they desire.

The hx2795 is replacing an old 3600 series iPaq. I generally use mine for GPS related work and the hx2795 has performed better than expected for me.

Right out of the box, my battery had 94% battery life, and I used it off and on for two days after I bought it without needing to charge the battery (although the battery may not condition properly if you follow my example).

When not using my GPS, and use it moderately throughout the day, I tend to run at 20% battery life left after 3 to 4 days. Once I plug the charger in, it will have a full charge within 3 to 4 hours!

My IBM T42p laptop w/ bluetooth made for an easy and wireless ActiveSync. I synced my Outlook 2003 contacts, email, tasks and calendar without any hitch. I'm not sure why other people in the reviews of this device had problems, but as I stated earlier... read the directions. It's in there and tells you exactly how to do it, as well as tells you what to do if you do run into problems. Very detailed instructions, as well as on ActiveSync's website!!!

I have a linksys portable wireless router that I was able to configure the hx2795 against. Configuration was quick and trouble free. Internet seemed to be just as fast as using my home desktop computer.

I purchased Pocket CoPilot 6 w/ wireless bluetooth GPS receiver, and once again, worked flawlessely right out of the box.

Since I have had the device, I have had to soft reset only 5 times within a month and a half. And 2 of the times was because of incompatible Pocket PC 2002 software I was trying to load. This is very comparable to my Palm Treo 650 that I have had for a year as far as soft resets.


I did run out of battery a few days back for the first time. I bought a new RhinoSkin leather case and it didn't fit quite right, and was pressing down on one of the keys, leaving it on over night. But the persistent battery kept all my data safe, and didn't need to re-sync all my data. I turned on the key-lock after that incident.

Overall, this is a very good purchase! I would do it again.

I just bought this and have had it for a couple of days. At home I have XP Pro and at work I use Win2K. At work this worked like a charm. Just installed the packages from the CD and it was humming. However at home on the XP I had to play with it for 2 days to figure out how to get it to work and is still buggy.

After reading all the forums and removing firewalls and playing with the anti virus software and reinstalling ActiveSync several times and trying different versions (4.0 & 4.1) I finally upgraded to SP2 and even that didn't work and was close to reinstalling XP when I started playing with the network connections and it started syncing ! I had to go to network connections and when you plug in you iPAQ you will see a new connection. You have to enable it, in my case to DHCP to get ActiveSync 4.1 to recognize the PDA. Everytime I reboot the notebook I have to initialize the tcp/ip connections for the pda.

Yeah, who would have thought that you have to setup the network connections (TCP/IP properties).

I gave the fix to HP support. Not sure if they bothered putting it into their database. Here are couple of things you may need to do besides that:
Make sure you have outlook 2002
and
Upgrade to Windows Media 10

So its not a bad handheld but this is not a for the technically challenged. If it wasn't for HP's bad documentation and technically challenged support I would have given it 4 starts. As its more like a mini computer and there's a learning curve and requires some patience. I got it for pda and GPS but haven't got there as yet.

(Originally intended title was "It makes the iPod look like a complete waste of $$$...harsh but true")

I have been using my Ipaq hx2795b for a couple of months now, and at first it did have frequent freeze-ups and battery draining issues, especially when using the SD card. But once I updated the BIOS (ROM) to the latest version (you can find it at hp's website), everything works smoothly ever since. Also remember to use the latest version of ActiveSync (4.2 so far), and not the one that comes with the installation CD, and try to use the sync with MS Office Outlook 2003 instead of Office 2002 on your PC/laptop. For the above inconveniences, I'm taking one star off the rating. I believe that's about it, and you're all set to start installing tons of software on your Ipaq.

I use it literally for EVERYTHING (well, phone and camera excluded) -that is, agenda, customer database, ebooks, reference books, review powerpoint presentations, wi-fi, email, msn messenger, bluetooth, watch videos (you can watch entire DVD movies on it, after encoding of course), music (in my opinion it sounds even better than the iPod, was it the earphones?), games, anyway, you name it. I find the Windows Mobile 5 OS quite stable, and the interface feels pretty much the same as using the ordinary desktop Windows. The speed is impressive too. Battery life is good and it charges fast. The display is bright and clear, though I would have preferred a slightly larger screen. The fingerprint reader device is cool. I personally don't use it though, because it delays the otherwise instant power-on of the handheld, but it stands as a great security feature for sure.

Some recommended accessories to enhance your Ipaq are: SD card (i'm already using 70% of its 2GB storage capacity, so I'll soon be looking for an additional CF card; I think it's less cumbersome to have both cards simultaneously in the handheld than to have to switch cards using the same slot), an extra sync/charger/car adapter (I have the BELKIN Ipaq Sync Charger F8Q0003HP), a leather carrying case, and of course, screen adhesive overlays. Some useful or must-have software are: Adobe Reader for PPC, iSilo, Resco explorer, Resco photo viewer, Resco audio recorder, Resco radio, Clearvue presentation, spb Pocket Plus, Trancreative Magic Button, Touch Notes, Pocket informant, TCPMP the core pocket media player (it plays every format that the Windows Media Player doesn't, which are a bunch).

Overall, I'm very happy with my Ipaq hx2795b. For those thinking to own a handheld for the first time but have put off till now (like myself), this is the right moment to do it. The technology in handhelds, both hardware and software-wise, has reached to a level of reliable stability, that makes it worthy enough to try on one of these literally do-it-all gadgets.

This was my first PDA, and I wanted to purchase one mainly as a medical reference tool. Having no prior experience with PDA's, I carefully read the reviews on various websites on a number of high end Palm and PocketPC PDA's. I was in a quandry, because the reviews were so mixed. While the majority gave favorable or so-so reviews of the various models, many were greatly disappointed and described horror stories of wasting days trying to get the product to work properly.

In the end, I decided to take my chances with this top-of-the-line iPAQ model. (Actually, my model has a b at the end of the model number, which I think indicates that it has upgraded memory from the hx2795.) After owning the product for only a couple of days, I couldn't be happier with my purchase and can't understand the other reviewers who describe synching problems, difficulty learning how to use the product, etc. As I mentioned, this is my first PDA and within a day I had multiple programs installed and functioning properly, was using the WI-FI to connect to the Internet, and was playing music on the built in media player to name of few of the functions I had used. I bought a book on Amazon on using the iPAQ, and did not even need to use it to get this PDA to do everything I had wanted it to do. If you know how to use Windows on your PC, using the iPAQ with Windows Mobile 5 should be a snap because it is so intuitive and similar to the full Windows OS.

I bought a 2 GB SD card to use with the iPAQ, which is the only "must have" accessory I think you will need. The only cons I have found with the unit is that the sound quality with headphones is only mediocre, and the handwriting recognition (at least for me) was not to good. I prefer to input data with the on screen keyboard. After reading the problems described by other users, as a novice I was delighted to find out how easy and trouble-free it was to get this PDA up and running. Also, I had called HP customer service a couple to times to ask a couple of questions, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it did not take too long for a rep to answer and provide courteous and knowledgeable assistance. This PDA ranks near the top of the coolest and most helpful electionic gizmos that I own.

UPDATE: Although, as my review indicates, I really liked this PDA when purchased 5 years ago, I must now warn that it is seriously outdated and would advise against purchasing it if any are still available. Windows mobile 5 operating system is way outdated, and apps are no longer being programmed for the OS. The battery life is abysmal - about half an hour with WIFI on. (The WIFI is 802.11B, which is an indication of how outdated the device is now.) The current purchase price of over $350 is a joke for a 5+ year old device, as current competitors such as the iPOD Touch or the Samsung Galaxy 4 are in the $200 range. In short, when I first purchased this device, it was indeed a cool gizmo - now it is just outdated and ready for my drawer with other outdated devices I'll never use again. Moreover, it is my understanding that HP has discontinued its entire iPAQ line.

Ibought this one mainly for medical use. After paying I started looking for reviews and was horrified to find out that it had many OS problems
I am not a computer geek and did not want to spend time bughunting. When I received the device was above expectations. Had Palms b4 but and can easily appreciate this one is faster, with longer batery life, brighter colors and a easy intuitive menu. No problem setting up and easy to sync. No problems with the OS so far (1 month of use)

This thing is incredibly useful. with this pocket pc, you can have an SD and Flash cards. the applications are Pocket Word, Excel, calculator, Outlook, Windows Media Player, Calender, notes, MSN Messenger, and some other useful applications. I've surfed the internet and INstant Messaged people. It also has voice recording and reminders.

I've used it for reminders, writing homework documents, MP3 player, read Ebooks, read PDF files, chat with AOL and MSN, keeping track of a checkbook and appointments, and I've even ran SNES, NES, Atari, as well as Playstation games on this thing...which is murder on the battery life.
Recently I've found a way to listen to Sirius on this thing...you have to have a wi-fi connection and specific media player though.

basicly this thing can help you in every possible way in your professional life, or whatever. get this thing if you are a professional, or if you're like me with ADD and have a hard time with organization

the only thing I'm having a problem with is outlook....I cant for the life of me figure oout how to get it to work....if you know, email me

This is the third iPaq I've purchased in the last 5 years. It has all the bells and whitles of the previous versions with the newer version of Windows Mobile. other than better memory management (a lot better, I might add) the only other difference Win Mobile 5 added was PowerPoint.

The Bluetooth interface works better than previous versions. I was able to set up a secure Bluetooh HotSync partnership in less than a minute.

One issue I have to whine about is the fact that the wireless connectivity is still 802.11b. Come on, 802.11g has been out for years, and yes, it uses more power than "b", but this is a handheld PC designed for Power Users. I need the speed that "g" provides. And another thing, the wireless management software included with the iPaq shows my signal strength at under 30% when I am standing 2 fee away from my wireless access point. What is up with that?

In any case, this is a device that, if you're already familiar with iPaqs and Windows Mobile, has no surprises in it. It is dependable and solid. The complaints I have are generally cosmetic and have no impact on the device's functionality. I recommend this to anyone looking for a stable Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 5.

If I had to do it all over again, I would!

I really like this Ipaq. I am not a newbe to PDA's. I've had Palms and Casios and I still have a Ipaq 3800 series. This model is really handy. I bought a rebuilt got a good price and It has worked fine. Others complain about the batteries. If you put it in a drawer and something hits the on/off button guess what it will come on and drain the battery. Get some sort of case or a cover to protect the switch and screen. Also the USB type of charger will turn on the unit. So if your USB charger gets unplugged from the wall or the power goes off well your out of luck. Don't use a usb charger. The only thing negative I have to say is I don't much like the stylus storage and my other Ipaq came with software to do backups. The other Ipaq came with a lot more free software. I still like it I just have to get a little more software

About 4 years ago I switched from Palm to HP. I've owned several Ipaqs and the 2795 is the latest. I must warn you: this device has a variety of bugs, the most annoying of which is the fact that the battery periodically drains down, leaving you with Zero power.
You would think that HP would put a fix on line or would instruct its call-center staff on how to solve the problem. No such luck. The call center staff are unable to solve the problem; they keep telling ytou to install the latest BIOS, which I did immediately upon purchasing the device.
So, I have to say: unless HP fixes the various problems with this device, CAVEAT EMPTOR.
I'm about ready to buy a Palm, despite the high switching costs.

I bought this item primarily for a medical database. Even though I purchased the extended warranty, I had trouble with the issue of who is supposed to service it - is it HP or the company that offered the warranty. The power button would not work properly to turn the unit on or off. Neither party was too helpful.