Hewlett Packard Jornada 525 Color Pocket PC

Other products by Hewlett-Packard

Product Details

Product Manual [3.39mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 3.1 x 0.7 inches ; 12.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005AWBI
• Item model number: F1868AABA
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #88,742 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Pocket PCs aren't known as the budget PDAs of the handheld world--these fast, high-color machines are the ones you'll usually find in the $500 range, offering TFT displays and speedier processors than their less costly brethren.

But HP's Jornada 525 sells for under $400, nearly down to the range of the basic PDAs while still offering a lot of the upper-echelon goodies. The Jornada 525 ships with only 16 MB of integrated memory--normally a sizeable amount that gets eaten into quickly by Windows CE and its multimedia capabilities (we were only able to put a couple of MP3 files on the Jornada as it shipped). But you can add up to 128 MB of additional storage with a CompactFlash card. By boosting the storage, the MP3 playback actually becomes a viable option--for patient users.

The patience comes in with the serial connection of the Jornada. This is fine for normal synchronization of notes, e-mails, and other text files, but we found it painfully slow with multiple megabytes of MP3s. Playback of the music files was crisp through the stereo headphone jack and loud even via the built-in speaker. The Jornada ships with serial connection cable, but you can pick up a serial cradle. It also offers infrared transfer, if your PC or notebook offers the connectivity.

Weighing in at only 8 ounces, the Jornada fits snugly in the palm, with indented grips on the rubber sides, and offers four hot keys for quick access to the home screen, contacts, calendar, and tasks list. There's also a voice recorder built into the Jornada, accessible via a thumb button on the left side of the PDA.

Some flaws mar the overall design package: the flimsy CompactFlash slot cover feels like it could snap off easily and the rubber pieces on the top of each side look like they're meant to peel off (they're not) and do so with little resistance. The Jornada 525 also lacks a stylus slot on the device itself (the stylus is stored in the case that houses the Jornada), and the stylus could use a bit more heft.

Nitpicks aside, the Jornada provides a lot of kick from its 133 MHz processor--applications popped open quickly and we were able to multitask with little slowdown. The bright, 8-bit color screen was easy on the eyes and is also sensitive enough to allow touch manipulation.

Running Windows for Pocket PC and shipping with Microsoft Outlook 2000 also means that your Word, Excel, and e-mail files transfer to the Jornada seamlessly. The Jornada also runs on a rechargeable battery (although we didn't quite get the promised eight hours of life), saving on the cost of battery replacement.

While a redesign would definitely add to the Jornada's appeal, as it is it's a respectable Pocket PC for an excellent price. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Inexpensive for a Pocket PC
• Light and sleek
• Bright color screen

Cons:

• Some design flaws
• Slow serial connection

Product Description

Here is a PC that fits your pocket and your life. The HP Jornada 520 series color Pocket PC lets you work where and when you need to. Not only will it help you stay organized, you'll be able to work away from your desk. With pocket PC versions of Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel you can edit a spreadsheet on the plane, work on a Word document while listening to your favorite MP3 or record a voice memo instantly when that great idea hits.Plus, it is a wireless Internet-ready solution so you can connect to the Web to check stocks, pick a restaurant, or read your e-mail when you're on the road. Even free time is fun - the vivid color display enriches reading electronic books, playing games, and surfing the Web. And when you're ready for more, HP makes it easy with the built-in CompactFlash expansion slot to add memory and accessories.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the price, November 13, 2001

By	I. Peters "Miezekatze" (Carrollton, TX USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

For almost three years I had exclusively used a Jornada 820 (Windows CE handheld with built-in modem and keyboard) as a portable device. And while I still love to take the 820 along on trips, there was one drawback: It was always just a little too big and heavy for my purse. This is why I recently bought a Jornada 525 Pocket PC.

The main reason for deciding on a 525 was its price, but I was also pleasantly surprised by its great functionality and design. The device fits well into my hand and exudes a sense of quality - no thin plastic body but substantial metal with rubber coating on the sides for a better grip. It looks pretty cool.

Of course there are a few compromises compared to higher-priced Pocket PCs: The 525 does not come with a cover, although one is available separately; the stylus cannot be stored in the device itself, although there is a slot for it in the included protective glove. Also, this Jornada has only a 256 color display, and no USB interface, however, a serial cable is included for synchronization. Another thing that's missing is a docking station, but again this can be purchased as an accessory. The 525 has only 16 MB memory, and not the fastest processor (SH3, 133 Mhz).

But all these things do not bother me too much. I synchronize via infrared anyway (which you CAN do with this device), and I have already purchased a cover - the silver-colored one looks quite good with it! Sure, the 16 MB memory is not great, but luckily the 525 has a Compact Flash Card slot. With prices for these cards plummeting, I put in a 128 MB CF card and I'm loaded for bear.

If you are like me - and I would dare say like most of the Pocket PC users - you will probably use such a device mainly for storing contacts and appointments, for playing Solitaire or read an eBook while waiting at the doctor's office, or for listening to MP3 files when the wait gets REALLY long. Also for storing other information like credit card numbers, passwords and PINs, and for keeping track of projects, orders, etc. With the optional camera module, one can even take pictures and view them.

All these things work on the Jornada 525, and work well. I would urge anyone who is in the market for a Pocket PC to really think about what he/she wants to do with it, and not blindly go for ads that make you want to spend hundreds of dollars more for a little more speed, contrast, and built-in memory. The fact is that all these devices have a very short shelf life, and what is top-of-the-line today, will very likely be gone by this time next year. Unless you are one of those rare power users who really live and breathe this technology, I believe the Jornada 525 will more than meet your needs.

The reason I didn't give 5 stars is that in my experience its battery life is not the best - I've learned to never stray too far from an electrical outlet. But again: This also depends on what kind of applications you are running, and how many at the same time... Nothing to gripe too much about.

83 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very satisfied, April 27, 2001

By	DAN M CABLE (Painesville, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

I have been using the Jornada 525 for about week, and I am very satisfied with the quality of this product. The unit has a nice solid feel, and there are rubber grips on each side to make it easier to hold. The leather case that is included works well, and has a sleeve inside for holding the stylus.

The 12-bit (that's 4096 colors) 240x320 display is surprisingly detailed and sharp compared to other similarly priced products. The Jornada is also equipped with a built-in speaker and a stereo headphone jack. The "up to 8 hours of battery life" for the rechargable battery usually turn out to be around 5-6 hours on low power use settings. The screen responds very well to touch, but I would recommend buying screen protectors to prevent scratching.

There are thousands of third party applications and games out there to load onto the Jornada as well. Installing programs is very easy- you just have to download the installation file, sync the Jornada to your PC, and run the installation file. The program will take a minute or two to transfer depending on the size.

Here are a few of the things I like/don't like about the Jornada:

GOOD:

- Performance vs. price (compare to Palm IIIc, Handspring Visor Platinum, other Windows CE handhelds)

- Sharp, colorful, well lit display (fully adjustable brightness/contrast)

- Fast. Very few delays while opening programs or navigating menus.

- Included items: A/C adapter, serial sync cable, carrying case

- Easy to use. Windows CE should be simple to pick up for anyone familiar with windows 9x/NT.

- Shortcut buttons. You can access your calendar, daily tasks, etc. with one touch of a button instead of navigating menus.

BAD:

- Short battery life compared to less powerful handhelds.

- The included stylus is very light. (Most people prefer heavier, more solid ones)

- The rubber pieces on the sides of the device (the smaller ones near the top) are too easy to peel open (they are not intended to be opened) They push easily back into place, though.

- The cover to the expansion slot is a little flimsy.

- Windows CE bugs. I have encountered a couple bugs, but all I had to do was reset the OS with the red button on the back of the unit to put things back to normal. This does not erase your data.

I would recommend the Jornada to anyone who wants a powerful handheld computer for keeping notes and appointments as well as playing games, viewing pictures, working on word/excel documents, and listening to music. For people who just want to keep calendar dates and simple notes, I would suggest buying a less powerful handheld with a longer battery life.

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really awsome, especially for the price, April 19, 2001

By A Customer

This little PDA must not be advertised much. I bought one in the store after trying a lot of them, and for the money, this does just about everything! It is a Pocket PC, so it has Word, Excel, money management etc. It doesn't have World time, which I liked on the handspring and is a little heavier than some, though it is still a very portable size, not as big (or heavy) as some of the other pocket PCs. Voice recording is cool. I just got it and keep playing around with it. It's definitely not as user-friendly as the Handspring or Palm, which is why I gave it 4 stars, but it does have a great color screen and more memory and features than the other ones. You can also eventually buy a modem for it if you really want and play MP3s on it. Some other Jornadas (higher numbered ones) didn't get so great a review on Consumer Reports, so I was hesitant to buy this one, but so far, the sync capabilities with my machine are great. I think this is just one overlooked little machine.