Hewlett Packard Jornada 720 Handheld PC

by HP

Product Details

Product Manual [1.63mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 3.7 x 1.3 inches ; 1.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004ZEPB
• Item model number: 1816A
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,976 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #28 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > PDAs, Handhelds & Accessories > PDAs & Handhelds
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 10, 2000

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

One of the nice things about Windows CE devices is that manufacturers don't have to stick to a specific design. They can make large screens or small screens, add keyboards or rely solely on the touch screen for input, and basically do whatever they want. Hewlett-Packard decided to make a do-anything device when they designed the Jornada 720, and on most counts they have succeeded.

The device sports a keyboard just large enough for comfortable touch typing and a large 640 x 240 screen that makes Web browsing and document editing much easier than is the case with a smaller device. This useful combination means that most people will be able to use the Jornada 720 as a notebook computer replacement. However, if you're looking for the ultimate in portable handheld computing, you'll have to look elsewhere.

The 720 is about as loaded as a Windows CE device can get; it comes with an integrated 56 Kbps V.90 modem, docking station for easy connection to a PC, AC adapter, and rechargeable battery. It's outfitted with 32 MB of RAM and a 206 MHz StrongARM processor that really makes applications fly. On the multimedia side you get an integrated speaker and stereo headphone jack for audio playback, and one of the most beautiful TFT active matrix displays we've seen. It can mix and match more than 65,000 colors at once, renders very crisp text, and never had trouble keeping up with our input like inferior passive matrix screens do.

The very thing that makes the Jornada 720 so useful--its relatively large size--is also its biggest drawback. Its weight can make it unwieldy, and there's no good way to get a grip on it when there isn't a flat surface to use it with. We ended up accidentally pressing keys far too often when holding the unit with one hand, though with a little practice juggling becomes much easier.

If you are graduating to the Jornada from a smaller handheld (such as a Palm) instead of slimming down from a notebook, prepare to be underwhelmed by its portability. Expect to be impressed, however, by its zippy performance, generous display, and expansion possibilities. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Large, colorful display makes working with large documents practical
• Keyboard is large enough for touch-typing, albeit at a slower rate than a full-sized keyboard allows
• Comes standard with so many features that you likely won't have to buy upgrades for some time

Cons:

• It's heavy and too big for most pockets
• Difficult to use without sitting it down on a flat surface

Product Description

The HP Jornada 720 Handheld PC package includes the following items: HP Jornada 720 (HP F1816A) Docking cradle, ac adapter and serial sync cable Lithium ion rechargeable battery Guides: HP Jornada handheld PC user's guide HP Jornada accessories guide Software: One Microsoft (R) compact disc containing Microsoft ActiveSync and Microsoft Outlook 2000

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

328 of 332 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My 2 cents, July 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Hewlett Packard Jornada 720 Handheld PC (Office Product)

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 own feedback for those still 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 answer all the questions for you, but as a non-techie person, here's how I made my decision. Let's start with the easiest question: Keyboard or handwriting?

I think 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 voice recognition. Do you see a pattern here? It's called evolution. I see handwriting recognition as going backwards. People assume 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 still buy keyboards. Think about it. If you need to write more than one paragraph, say a 3-page article, letter, or report, would you rather handwrite or type? Ask the many writers who use the J720 if they'd rather handwrite their stories and they'll think you've gone nuts.

Okay, so you're one of those people who like handwriting too much 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 save it. Even longhand. Draw things on it (your house plan?), or play tic-tac-toe on it, or scribble the hastily dictated phone number of the cute guy you just met. Or pretend to make handwritten notes to keep awake during boring office meetings.

Next question. Built-in or stowaway keyboard? If you follow the reasoning for wanting keyboard over handwriting, you'll realize the only way 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 much, then it makes sense for it to be built-in. Of course, you could buy a Compaq Ipaq and carry the keyboard separately. But why punish yourself?

Palm or Windows? Personally, I hate learning new ways of doing things unless they improve on how I already do it. I'm familiar with the Windows platform. I use it in the office, I use it at home, and I use 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 travel abroad frequently, you will soon discover that the rest of the world has learned to go with a safe bet. They will not waste limited dollars on something that might be obsolete in a matter of years. You can call it cattle mentality, but they see 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 plan to keep. 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 fast, extremely lightweight and portable, and easy to pack (not a space 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, make that two. I missed the paranoid feeling that someone might steal my laptop when it's out of my sight because I can't stash it in a pocket, purse, or hotel safe. In sum, I don't need a second laptop and the one I have will stay home from now on.

Pricewise, there's not much difference 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 spend 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 speed of 35 mph for a daily 5-mile commute. What a waste. Get those cheap and common 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 still small enough to fit into a small purse. In fact, I was surprised at how small 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 buy 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 screen 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 difference if all you do is look 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 glad your J720 has a wider screen. And because the J720 has a clamshell design (the screen closes/folds over the keyboard), you don't have to spend the extra $$ for a leather case to protect the screen.

By now - if you're still reading - you're probably wondering if there's anything I dislike at all about this gadget. Yes. It bugs me that the J720 doesn't have a latch to snap it close. Don't get me wrong... it does close, 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 tiny 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 great American novel, 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 just a chapter at a time, the J720 will do. Still leaps and bounds over handwriting.

Lastly, it bugs me that the J720 comes only in one boring, unimaginative, dark 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 still a bargain for what it delivers. But would it be asking too much to want it in red?

There's my 2 cents' worth. By the way, I'm typing this on my J720's built-in keyboard. Would I handwrite this? No way! Would you?

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost returned, now I'm a big user., August 30, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hewlett Packard Jornada 720 Handheld PC (Office Product)

I wanted something that would travel and let me keep my business in order and allow me to write personel letters etc... But starting this review I want to be honest. The HP-720 is an expensive speciality device being neither laptop or pocket device, 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 make them near useless if away from a plug). .... Anyhow to my thoughts:
PROS: It's small, powerful, battery really does last 7-9 hours, does everything music,word processing( with spell check), surf the net,calander,task,contacts,voice recorder and as an excessory to my desk computer automatically syncronizes everytime I drop it into the charging/communications cradle that it came with.Also when you hit the "on" button it's on right then...no boot up time. Easy to set up and run...physically a tough little machine.I can say with confidence that I do schedule and have access to more data when I need it than I ever thought possible.It has freed me up considerable. 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 thought 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 buy a laptop with that.The keyboard IS NOT touch typeable!You can type and fast, but it's with two fingers. I do type letters so it's ok, but I almost sent it back 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 believe 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 great 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 used it for a [price] laptop. And yes while the games and extra software is limited. There was enough for me (10 games, a picture viewer and a book reader).
The only advice I have about buying is that this machine is great if you have the specific needs it can address. For me I would buy another because I value size and battery life over other features .

68 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast, compact, light weight and full of features!, November 17, 2000

By 

Brian Suen "Doting Uncle" (Reno, NV United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hewlett Packard Jornada 720 Handheld PC (Office Product)

The HP Jornada 720 does everything I need to do for on-the-road computing. Checking and responding to e-mail, surfing the net, taking meeting notes, drafting memos and other documents, and accessing all those usual organizer functions. I now leave my heavy and bulky laptop brick at the office and take 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 smart 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 tiny. I use a two-finger or two-eraser heads poking technique to minimize keyboard errors. Great battery - 9 hours! I do love it!