HP's IPaq Falls Short Ergonomically

By David Colker

Oct. 30, 2005 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

Take a quick glance at Hewlett-Packard Co.’s new smart phone -- the iPaq hw6515 -- and you might think you’ve seen it before.

With its miniature qwerty keyboard, touch screen and five-way navigation button on the front, the iPaq -- available starting this week -- looks a lot like Palm Inc.’s popular Treo 650.

In addition to their similar designs, each can be used -- with varying degrees of success -- as a phone, address book, appointment calendar, e-mailer, Web surfer, camera and video player.

Of the two, the iPaq has a bigger screen and it also sports a feature lacking in the Treo -- an on-board GPS function.

But it’s not necessarily better. After testing the iPaq for several days, I prefer the Treo, mostly because of its superior keyboard and overall ergonomics. And because it just looks cooler. (OK, so I’m shallow.)

Here’s how the two competitors stack up:

Price: The iPaq costs about $450 if bought with a two-year cellphone service contract. For its debut, it will be offered only by Cingular Wireless.

The Treo costs $300 to $450, with a contract, depending on discount programs and which of the several cell providers you get it from.

Operating system: The iPaq uses Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile software for several functions including its address book and calendar.

The Treo currently comes with the Palm operating system, which is especially favored by Macintosh fans because it can communicate with their computers as easily as it does with Windows PCs. And early next year, the Treo also will be available in a Windows Mobile version.

Also coming for the Treo in 2006: the option of adding Research in Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry service that’s all the rage. It features push technology that lets you know whenever an e-mail is received. So far, Palm says this option will be available only on the Treo models that use the Palm operating system.

Internet: On both phones, Internet access is done through cell networks, which require data plans from cell providers. Neither phone is equipped for Wi-Fi.

You can configure either phone to get your home or office e-mail, but don’t be surprised if you need some help from a tech support person to get that function going. And keep in mind that on the small screen of a smart phone, sending and receiving mail via a website (such as Yahoo or your company’s site) is difficult at best.

As for surfing the Web in general, don’t plan on going much beyond text. I found it most useful for reading short news stories on sites that have a configuration specifically for smart phone use (Yahoo, for one). Also, it was handy for getting driving directions from MapQuest.

Camera: The iPaq gets the edge in this category because it can capture images at a resolution of 1,280 pixels by 1,024 pixels, while the Treo’s highest available image quality is at 640 by 480. (The more pixels, the higher the image quality.) The iPaq also has a built-in flash that can be used in low-light situations.

Even with the higher quality and flash, however, the pictures shot with the iPaq, like the Treo, usually are not much more than fuzzy snapshots.

Global Positioning System: Available only on the iPaq. With Microsoft’s Pocket Streets software, available as a free download, the GPS function can be used (after a search for visible satellites that can take several minutes) to pinpoint your position in the U.S., down to the street address. The iPaq also will show nearby restaurants, museums and other attractions.

But given that the screen is only about 3 1/8 inches (measured diagonally), it’s difficult to get much of a sense of the surrounding area. Old-fashioned paper maps are a far better solution.

The iPaq also can use its GPS capability to give driving directions, but that requires the additional purchase of a turn-by-turn navigation program such as iPaq Navigation Maps and Software, which costs about $130.

If used in a car, the iPaq needs to be mounted with a good view of the windshield or other window to catch the satellite signals. HP does not offer a car holder specifically for the device, so you have to improvise. (I used a towel to prop the iPaq into the wedge where the windshield meets the dash. Hardly a graceful or permanent solution.)

Ergonomics: Here is where the Treo shines.

The qwerty keyboards on both phones are so small they have to be used with the thumbs -- an adaptation that’s surprisingly easy to make if you’re a touch typist.

Even though the iPaq is wider than the Treo, the Treo’s keys are larger, making them much easier to use. The keys also feature much larger lettering, which is a comfort, especially when getting used to thumb typing.

And whenever the Treo is in use, the keys light up quite nicely.

The keys on the iPaq are not much more than little bumps on the surface. The lettering is small and the lighting is dim.

Finally, although the Treo is slightly heavier (6.2 ounces vs. the iPaq’s 5.9 ounces) and thicker, it feels better in the hand -- more like a classic walkie-talkie. The iPaq’s wider body allows for a slightly bigger screen but is also a bit unwieldy, especially when typing.

With its little antenna popping out of the top, blue edging around the screen and keyboard that is anything but subtle, the Treo looks like it could have been designed by comic book artists of the 1950s who imagined the communicator of the future.

Not that I’m going to buy a Treo -- or any smart phone -- anytime soon. Until someone comes up with a less bulky, less expensive model, I’m sticking with a separate, not-so-smart cellphone for my pocket and a rudimentary personal digital assistant for my backpack.

That means I am not able to get my e-mail on the run. Which is another good reason for sticking with a dumb phone.

Eventually, I’ll probably have to give in and go the smart phone route. Maybe when my trusty PDA or cellphone finally breaks or becomes too outmoded for practical use.

If that time has come for you, the Treo is a solid choice. But there’s still plenty of room for improvement -- and, one can hope, falling prices.

BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX

Smart phones

iPaq hw6515

* Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard Co.

* Available through: Cingular Wireless

* Operating system: Windows Mobile

* Price: $450, with two-year cell contract

* Pros: GPS capability

* Cons: Too wide to hold comfortably in hand; keys too small and not well lighted.

Treo 650

* Manufacturer: Palm Inc.