HP's new iPAQ rx4000 goes widescreen

A quick glance at the spec sheet of HP's new iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion doesn't really show it as a force to be reckoned with, but a quick look at the device itself reveals it to be quite a new thing entirely for the iPAQ line. HP seems to be going after a consumer dollar with this device, with a $300 pricetag and cute PMP-inspired design, but the specs aren't terrible. The rx4000 features a 2.8-inch screen which runs in landscape or portrait mode, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and is naturally a full-fledged Pocket PC with support for VoIP software and Microsoft Office apps if you're feeling in a productive mood. Of course, the "Mobile Media Companion" moniker reveals the proposed functionality of the device, and between the media player support, nifty scroll wheel and decent screen the rx4000 shouldn't go far wrong there. Unfortunately, HP has so far only announced an October launch in Asia, so there's no telling when or if we might get this little guy in the States. There's also no word on internal storage -- a few gigabytes of flash memory wouldn't go far wrong here -- but we're guessing it isn't anything much if HP has decided not to mention it in their press release.

[Jordan @ Sep 4th 2006 11:23AM]

this looks so awesome, i'm so going to get this lil bugger!

[Teja @ Sep 4th 2006 11:33AM]

Reminds me of the sony ericsson Walkman range of phones.. the orange n white...!

[kei @ Sep 4th 2006 11:44AM]

looks like a smartphone/pda version of Sony's W800i

[Jan Schneiders @ Sep 4th 2006 12:55PM]

I'm currebtly using my Palm as schoolagende (using a dutch school program). It works perfectly, the only problem is that the thingy is old... No WiFi etc.

I'm not going to buy that new TX because I don't think that's worth the money (using T3 now, only difference is WiFi).

My question: Are there any good school aps for a pocket pc? Is it possible to use the built-in agenda?

At school, I have hours of 50 minutes...

[jmchez @ Sep 4th 2006 1:03PM]

If this thing has a compact flash or SDIO port there would be a better than 50% chance that I'll get one.

[Christopher @ Sep 4th 2006 2:29PM]

Is that a gps button I see there on the screen? Next to the bluetooth.

[eddie @ Sep 4th 2006 1:28PM]

im hearing 128mb of internal memory. i hope its more.

[Fraser Drew @ Sep 4th 2006 2:29PM]

I'm guessing simialar specs to my RX3715 (the last Mobile Media Companion), that i want rid of (well when i get a vPod or similar)...152MB available (probably be about 256?), and SDIO; Nevo software, which is useless, and a bundle of all the usual. This is of course a complete guess, but hey!!
it looks very nice though!

[Cristobal Negrete @ Sep 4th 2006 3:06PM]

What's the point of branding it a "Mobile Media Companion" if it were to have only a few mbs for storage?

Make it a 20gig+ pocketpc with a decent battery life for playing music and you're onto something. I like that they're aiming this pda at a younger audience though even if, as said, their chosen color scheme resembles sony's walkman phones.

[lucifix @ Sep 4th 2006 2:37PM]

Wow, thats a nice gadget.
Too bad it doesnt have a neat little slide out querty keyboard.

[Frank @ Sep 4th 2006 2:58PM]

VERY cool!
In general iPAQs aren't all that pricey.
I want one!

In my opinion the iPod design is outdated. This iPAQ design is similar to the more modern Sony Walkman mobile phones. Jummy!

Well done HP!

[http://www.myspace.com/itsallverbatim @ Sep 4th 2006 5:51PM]

That looks positively awesome.

I'm currently using a Palm LifeDrive in a similar fashion. But htis is BUILT to be a WM5 PMP! Fuckign sweeeet...
I shall "cop" this "biatch" when it "drizzops".

For shizzle.

[Kevin @ Sep 4th 2006 4:57PM]

I was excited at the idea of a $300 PMP-style pocketpc, but then realized the signifigance of the word 'style' and realized that this won't have a built in harddrive........

[xki @ Sep 4th 2006 5:22PM]

guys my tmobile mda or the cingular 8125 does the same as this thing and more (a built in phone!)..

what is there that maks it a moible companion

[Karel Jansens @ Sep 4th 2006 7:19PM]

I've already got one of those.

Thing is... mine has the letters N, O, K, I and A on it.

Oh, and it's black.

And come to think of it, it has a waayyy batter screen than the one in the picture.

[Scott C. @ Sep 4th 2006 11:25PM]

Comes with 1GB of onboard memory and TomTom 5 preinstalled.

[Scott @ Sep 4th 2006 11:25PM]

Correction 2GB on board, 1GB is being used by TomTom

[nak @ Sep 5th 2006 6:28PM]

i agree with everyone else, it looks great, scroll wheel and all. but i think im going to get a pocket pc soon with a full qwerty. im going to wait till the succesor of the ppc6700 comes out for verizon

[chris @ Sep 5th 2006 7:11AM]

What is the res of this beasty? Why don't reviewers seem to specify this important statistic. It's like a review of hard disk. It has 3 platters! and it is made of metal. Why not the capacity? Since the heading for this review is "rx4000 goes WIDESCREEN" you'd think the res would feature in the first line of the review?

[Dan @ Sep 5th 2006 9:05AM]

It's 320x240 (yuck) and I don't know where they got the idea it's widescreen. It's just landscape by default, which any other WM5 device can do, but usually they arrange the buttons for portrait mode.

Either get a PMP or VGA Pocket PC (like the axim x51v)

[sdsdv10 @ Sep 5th 2006 9:18AM]

@chris

Dan has go it right, res is: "2.8-inch QVGA display" or 320x240(from cnet.asia).

Please note, this is not a review in any way, shape or form. It is just a press release on a new device that will be out in October. Wery little details are given. Nonetheless, google is your friend. I found the screen res in less than 2 minutes, not much more time that it took to write you comment...

[Nakedgord @ Sep 6th 2006 2:43AM]

They gotta add more memory (atleast 8+) if they expect people to start buying PDAs again who have flocked over to the PMP market.

[arif @ Aug 3rd 2007 11:30AM]

i want iPAQ rx4000 prize in Pk Rupees