Hand-Held Computers Are Starting to Pack Some Power
About two years ago, several hardware companies introduced a new type of hand-held PC that runs Microsoft’s Windows CE operating system. CE, which has a similar look and feel to Windows 95 and 98, is designed for devices that are typically smaller and less powerful than standard desktop or notebook PCs.
The version of CE for hand-held PCs comes with “pocket” versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook (e-mail and personal contact management), PowerPoint (presentation software) and Internet Explorer. Companies that build hand-held CE-based devices include Casio, Compaq, Ericsson, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, LG, NEC, Philips and Sharp.
The first generation of Windows CE hand-held devices whetted my appetite for a smaller, leaner and more efficient tool for writing and communicating on the road, but I wasn’t impressed with any of them. The problem was that manufacturers were so eager to reduce the size of the devices that they made the keyboards and screens too small. Because of the limits imposed by the size of the hardware, early Windows CE devices were basically expensive personal organizers.
Fortunately, that is changing. Companies are starting to produce new Windows CE devices that are larger, have more applications and are easier to use. In fact, I wrote this column on one of them. Although I’ve written about CE devices in the past, this is the first time I’ve been able to use one to write an entire column.
On my most recent trip, the machine I used was an HP Jornada 820 ($999). On the previous trip, I carried an LG Phenom Express ($899). Both come with a built-in 56-kilobits-per-second modem, a standard VGA monitor port and a serial port. The Phenom has one PC card slot and a parallel (printer) port. The HP has a PC card slot, a special slot for flash memory cards and a universal serial bus connector but no parallel port. The USB port can also be used to attach mice, keyboards, digital cameras and other devices.
All Windows CE devices come with a serial cable and software that allows you to transfer files to and from a desktop or notebook PC and to synchronize your calendar and phone book. Also, all CE devices can be turned on or off instantly; there is no “booting” as with standard PCs. To me, that’s one of the best features. Unlike with a notebook, you don’t have to wait two or three minutes to look up a phone number, jot down a note or record a business expense.
The HP Jornada, which weighs 2.5 pounds and measures 9.7 inches by 7 inches by 1.3 inches, is only a bit smaller than some of the new ultra-thin sub-notebook PCs, such as the Sony Vaio 505 or Toshiba Portege 7000. The keyboard’s spacing is about 92% of a desktop PC’s but it is nevertheless easy to use.
At first I found myself making a few more mistakes than usual, but I quickly got used to the keyboard. In fact, it’s about the same size as some of the keyboards used on sub-notebook PCs. The 6-by-5-inch (8.2-inch diagonal), 640-by-480-pixel color screen is more than adequate for anything that I want to do with a portable computer. Many of today’s full-sized notebook PCs (and even some sub-notebooks) come with 12- or 13-inch screens that, for travel use, can actually be too big, especially if you try to perch them on an airline tray table.
The Jornada is much too large to fit into a pocket, but it takes up very little room in a briefcase and could probably fit in a medium-sized handbag. The device gets “up to 10 hours” on the standard battery, which means that you can work almost nonstop from Los Angeles to London. It also means that you can take it with you on a short business trip without having to pack the charger. Standard notebook PCs rarely run for more than two hours between charges.
The Jornada has a touch pad-pointing device instead of a touch screen, distinguishing it from other CE devices. Most, including the LG Phenom Express, require you to use a stylus (or a finger if you don’t mind getting the screen smudged) as a pointing device to select text or pull down menus. The Jornada’s touch pad is similar to what you’ll find on many notebook PCs.
The Phenom took a somewhat different design approach. To begin with, it’s considerably smaller and lighter, measuring 9.3 inches by 5.9 inches by 1 inch and weighing 1.8 pounds. The Phenom’s keyboard, 88% of the size of a desktop keyboard, is slightly smaller than the Jornada but has a surprisingly good feel. I had no trouble getting used to it. The biggest difference is the Phenom’s screen, which measures only 8 inches by 3 inches with a resolution of 640 pixels by 240 pixels. That means you get the same volume of horizontal information as a standard VGA screen, but half the vertical. It’s fine for word processing and checking e-mail, but I found it annoying when visiting Web pages designed to be viewed on a 640-by-480 screen.
There are some advantages to the smaller screen. LG points out that it uses less power (it’s rated for 12 hours between charges) and, in addition to taking up less space in my briefcase, it seemed to be a bit less intrusive when I used it to take notes at meetings. For some reason, I felt less self-conscious with it than I do when I use my notebook PC.
The Phenom’s 56kbps modem was just as fast when downloading e-mail as the 56kbps modem on my desktop and notebook machines. However, when accessing the Web, I did notice slower performance due to the machine’s slower processor and graphics rendering. Whether that’s a major issue depends on how you plan to use the device. I would use it mostly for writing and e-mail, so this wouldn’t bother me much.
My 12-year-old son, Will, was impressed with both machines and asked if I would buy him one to take notes at school. Given the price tags starting at $899, I’m not about to get one for him any time soon, especially considering the likelihood of it getting lost, stolen or broken.
But once such devices are made a lot cheaper (which is inevitable), I can envision them in the hands of middle and high school students. Even at this price, they might make sense for college students to use for note taking, e-mail and even writing reports, especially if they have access to other computers for when they need more horsepower.
Lawrence J. Magid can be reached at larry.magid@latimes.com. His Web page is at https://www.larrysworld.com or keyword “LarryMagid” on AOL.
