News

The first HP-branded iPaq is launched - ships December

HP has decided the iPaq name has more friends than enemies, and has announced the first HP-branded hand-held to carry the iPaq label. But the name could expand onto other products - like projectors, even - in an attempt to stop these toys becoming cheap commodities ... as Dell smashes the price barrier.

The latest iPaq is the first of the 5000 series of machines, distinguished by having both Bluetooth and WiFi wireless standards built in. But although it's a truly mobile machine, it is still missing one component - a GSM phone. And its timing - coinciding with the launch of Dell's first pocket PDA - marks the beginning of the "commodity era" in hand-helds.

"The PC h5400 series is the first device to integrate wireless LAN, biometric fingerprint log-in, bluetooth technology and universal remote control in a single device, offering the highest level of security, functionality and expandability for the professional user," says the official release. In the UK, these words are attributed to Neil Dagger, "senior category manager, Smart Handhelds" - who describes it as "a true office in your pocket."

It's big enough to be one. It weighs nearly half a pound - a fifth of a kilo - and you have to carry a phone around as well. And it has a replaceable, rechargeable battery - an essential feature of these modern, fast-cpu, high luminosity screen machines - but it all adds to the weight.

However, the trend towards separate phone and PDA is probably illusory.

There are those in the market who believe that the ideal mobile office will have multiple units, linked wirelessly. Who wants something the size and weight of this PDA held up to your head for a phone call? And who wants something with a screen as small as that on the typical mobile phone, if you're reading email?

However, it's almost certain that the next iPaq will be a variant of this one, with a Phone Edition configuration - to rival the XDA and the Jornada. We expect it around February.

Dell's rival Axim X5 hits the headlines the same day, at $299 in the USS, and $199 for the budget version. No wireless at all in the Axim - but the iPaq is priced at £600 (including VAT).

Both machines have the same 400 MHz Intel processor (the Dell is described as StrongArm by some sources, and XScale by others) and similar memory capacity at 64 megabytes. The Dell takes plugin Secure Digital or Compact Flash components for expansion - so does the iPaq.

Response from the Palm camp was anticipated last week by Palmsource CEO David Nagel in an interview with the NewsWireless Net.

Nagel remarked: "This is going to be a very competitive market - and frankly, I hope this will be true for a long time. I hope it doesn't go the way of the PC. I don't just mean in terms of the way they look, all the same style of box. I mean the style of use. If you don't like the way that Windows works, it's really difficult to find anything else."

But, Nagel said, the danger was that the PC would have its influence once Dell launched. "Dell is going to have an impact on the hand-held computing space. Their differentiation is how you buy things from them and their build-to-order system that they've really defined to be better than anyone else's. They will bring Pocket PC pricing closer to where the Palm pricing is. Even so, we think Palm vendors will still have a signficant advantage in terms of the cost of hardware."

He doesn't think HP can compete in that commodity market. Selling something for twice the price of a rival may be the way to escape the commodity marshes, of course; but only if people reckon Bluetooth and WiFi are worth the extra money.

To make sure it backs both horses - pricey and commodity, both - HP has also launched the H1910 model; small, light (almost half the weight) and a more Dell-like price.