HP's iPaq 210 shakes off numerous delays, finally available

The holdup is still a bit of a mystery, but HP is finally offering up its iPaq 210 PDA for sale. Due to be released in October, a "supply issue" put the handheld on a mysterious hiatus, but no longer. You can snag one of these Windows Mobile 6, 624MHz units for $450.

[Thanks, Joaquin C.]

[Robert Clark @ Jan 31st 2008 12:09AM]

I currently use both a Palm T5 and a cell phone. I would prefer one device, but I have yet to find a cell phone with at least a 640 resolution screen. The screen size on cell phones are just too small to view PDFs, Word docs, Excel spreadsheets. I also extensively use ebooks on my PDA and the smartphone screens are just too small to be able to read for 4 or 5 hours at a stretch. Smartphone screens are just too small to watch a video.

In a nutshell, the screen size and the processor power of the smartphones just don't cut it for all the apps that I use my PDA for.

[Philip Spitzer @ Mar 19th 2008 7:11PM]

Why am I so interested in this device? Price. $450 for device without a phone. Thats right, and its only $450. No monthly fee. No 2 year contract. Today my device costs $450 and your's costs $300. 2 years from now mine costs $450 and yours costs $300 + (24 * $50).

[Dankoozy @ Jan 17th 2008 4:37PM]

too bad no linux version :(

[MonteVale @ Jan 17th 2008 8:14PM]

Hey HP overthere!!!
Would you please resurrect your HP Jornada instead!

[Newsom02 @ Jan 17th 2008 11:20PM]

It doesn't matter what this is running. If it is from HP you should be running from it.

HP does not support their products. You will see no software updates and will not see many if any patches. I have had a couple HPs and despite a nice design and sometimes a plethora of features they could not pay me to use another one of their PDA/Smartphones. Buyer beware.

[Electromodo @ Jan 18th 2008 12:09AM]

@Newsom02

Completely agree. I own old HP iPAQ PDA and was really pissed off when I have found out that HP did not support firmware upgrade to newer Windows version. Too bad. Other devices (HTC for example) provide upgrades but not HP.

The hardware is really good though. They usually include CF or SDIO interface, WiFi and screen is bright (expensive models have 640x480 resolution).

No phone in the $450 is, hm... too bad. You can get HTC PDA phone for this price, or iPhone.

[Scott Thatcher @ Jan 17th 2008 4:56PM]

The iPhone factory must have been busy with backorders... screen and main button there look sorta familiar.

[austin @ Jan 17th 2008 5:15PM]

no they dont...

[ThePengwin @ Jan 17th 2008 5:57PM]

oh yes, considering hp and compaq were making PDA devices well before iPhones.

[Zach @ Jan 17th 2008 9:30PM]

pompous butthole

my 1/50th of a dollar..

[bags @ Jan 17th 2008 4:44PM]

dont count on it, yesterday the shipping date was 1/18 today it says 1/19 ... seems all to famailair

[Arthur Nonamiss @ Jan 18th 2008 4:01PM]

Yeah... I ordered 20 of these on 9/28/2007. It said "Shipping 10/1/2007." I ended up cancelling my order on 10/15 or so.

I hope it wasn't my 20 that put them over the top. :)

[Paul @ Jan 17th 2008 4:52PM]

I am surprised to see myself writing this but I think I would actually prefer an EEE PC to one of these.

[austin @ Jan 17th 2008 4:53PM]

people still use pdas?

[Shawn @ Jan 17th 2008 5:21PM]

yes

[david @ Jan 17th 2008 11:01PM]

That's the first thought I had: why would someone carry a phone AND a PDA? I'm not someone who would (I get pissed when I have to take my phone AND laptop on a trip), so someone out there who carries both a phone AND a PDA please chime in. Don't you find it incredibly annoying? Or does the PDA replace the laptop for you in my earlier example?

[Ipaq3115 @ Jan 17th 2008 6:00PM]

You don't?

[austin @ Jan 17th 2008 6:13PM]

no. i use my ipod touch. it has just about everything this has

[decypher44 @ Jan 17th 2008 6:35PM]

Just thinking the same thing. You would think that those that need a PDA would just get a smartphone - osx-lite, WinMo or Palm.

[DaCheez @ Jan 17th 2008 7:18PM]

"no. i use my ipod touch. it has just about everything this has"

Um, hello. The iPod Touch doesn't have dual memory card slots. The iPod's screen is half the resolution of the iPaq 210's. The iPaq has a microphone but the iPod Touch does not. The iPaq has a user-repaleable battery. The iPod Touch may have a slicker interface and better web browser, etc., but the iPaq still has quite a few features that your precious little iPod does not.

[austin @ Jan 17th 2008 7:34PM]

what do i need with dual memory card slots? i already have 16GB which is all i need (other people may want more, but i dont). i dont need more screen resolution, my screen looks great. the ipod touch does have a microphone, a "legal" one will come with the SDK. why does it matter if i can replace the battery? i would just be putting in the same battery

[DarkLightConnection @ Jan 17th 2008 7:53PM]

Uh, austin, batteries don't last forever, and if it has replaceable battery, you are not limited to the battery time... if your Touch goes out-of-juice, you have to wait until it's fully charged again, or use it with wires, wich, of course, being a handled, sucks... on the other side, with replaceable batteries, you just buy an extra battery and have it charged before leaving to your trip... went out of juice? no problem, pop empty battery out, pop full battery in, and INSTANTLY you have a few more hour of processor-intensive applications to go..

And yes, your Touch has a lot of things this has... in HARDWARE, but on the iP-od/hone you barely have 3rd party apps... while on the PPC you can make 3D objects out of the void on a CAD software, make an animation out of them, add synthetized sound and compress it to DivX right on the palm of your hand... good luck doing that with your Touch

[DarkLightConnection @ Jan 17th 2008 7:54PM]

Uh, austin, batteries don't last forever, and if it has replaceable battery, you are not limited to the battery time... if your Touch goes out-of-juice, you have to wait until it's fully charged again, or use it with wires, wich, of course, being a handled, sucks... on the other side, with replaceable batteries, you just buy an extra battery and have it charged before leaving to your trip... went out of juice? no problem, pop empty battery out, pop full battery in, and INSTANTLY you have a few more hour of processor-intensive applications to go..

And yes, your Touch has a lot of things this has... in HARDWARE, but on the iP-od/hone you barely have 3rd party apps... while on the PPC you can make 3D objects out of the void on a CAD software, make an animation out of them, add synthetized sound and compress it to DivX right on the palm of your hand... good luck doing that with your Touch

[uiop @ Jan 17th 2008 8:31PM]

@DaCheez
Okay, so what if he replaced "iPod Touch" with "iPhone"? Uh huh. Yes. PDAs are dead. Smartphones are not. I don't think many (with the exception of you) are going to pay $450 for an HP PDA.

[Bilgin Ozkan @ Jan 18th 2008 8:21AM]

I've been struggling with the whole convergence thing as of late. The only reason why I am not is because of bulk. I like my PDA, I use it for reading ebooks and watching tv shows on public transport and while cycling at the gym. I have a dell x51v which has a vga screen (one of those things that once you have you can not go back) and the screen resolution and size is perfect. There's a plethora of choice for applications that do a plethora of things (do you have the choice with the iphone or itouch??)

If I am going out, I don't want to carry the bulk of a smart phone. I have a w880i which is thin and fits snugly in my pocket. I make calls with it and forget it is there when I am not using it for what it was designed for (ie. making calls :)

i am actually considering buying this for the above reasons. I want a big screen, fast processor and lots of memory with options (SD/ CF) but I want it in a size that won't bother me when I am going out. Don't think so.

[Dave @ Jan 18th 2008 8:35AM]

I still carry a Smartphone and a PDA, but I don't necessarily want to.

I carry a Treo 700WX and an iPaq hx4700. I use the iPaq for things that require screen real estate like watching video, reviewing MS Office docs, etc. The tiny screen (and low memory) on the Treo is no good for this at all. I also have a BT keyboard and mouse (that I use on both) a CF/NIC, and WiFi on the iPaq. I use the Treo for calls, PIM, email, and web (I'm not paying a tether fee to use the iPaq, nor am I wanting to hack my Treo).

It's a decent combination, but there's just no single convergent device that does everything that I want it to do.

[DaCheez @ Jan 18th 2008 8:53AM]

uiop,
The iPhone still doesn't offer the iPaq features that I mentioned. It's still just an iPod Touch but with a phone and camera and better software (oh, and less storage space, too). I don't like paying cell companies for phone service that I don't need on my PDA (besides, what smartphone can meet the screen size/resolution and other hardware specs of the iPaq 210 for a similar price range?).

[Chris @ Jan 17th 2008 5:10PM]

Anyone know how much storage this thing comes with? The iphone is actually starting to look like a pretty good deal.

[Bob @ Jan 17th 2008 5:17PM]

It's the first item mentioned in the list:

Memory

Memory: 128 MB SDRAM
Flash memory: 256 MB Flash ROM

Also of interest, the Display information: 4.0-inch Transflective color TFT 480 x 640 pixel touch screen with LED backlight.

[Naveed @ Jan 17th 2008 7:30PM]

yeah that screen is sweet and i considered getting this over a PDA phone a couple months ago but the size of the thing, in a video review i saw, was just too big for my tastes

[Dave @ Jan 17th 2008 5:25PM]

add GSM and I might actually consider buying it.

[Captain Obvious @ Jan 17th 2008 5:25PM]

I used to be a big iPaq fan, and have probably been through a half dozen different models. But I just can't imagine using a PDA in this day and age that isn't also a cell phone. It just seems so limiting.

[DarkLightConnection @ Jan 17th 2008 5:37PM]

Long live non-phone devices..

HP - Count my order in :-D

[Superrrguy @ Jan 17th 2008 5:33PM]

128 MB SDRAM lash memory & 256 MB Flash ROM. Two types of memory for $450! Take that iPod Touch and your 16gigs of one type of memory for $400!

[Naveed @ Jan 17th 2008 7:25PM]

yeah, i just dont get it. how long are they gonna go on with this 64, 128, aand 256 ram/rom crap. i mean damn, look at the size of this thing vs the touch, im sure they could have put in a hard drive

[bachviet @ Jan 18th 2008 12:02AM]

So what's your point? My Nokia N800 could do a lot more than your iPod Touch can for less ($340 = $200 for a N800 + $140 for two 16GB SDHC cards).

Can you tether, IM, SSH, VNC, play games, view web pages with flash using your iPod Touch? So stop comparing your locked down device with an 3rd-party apps friendly one.

[DarkLightConnection @ Jan 17th 2008 5:33PM]

YAY!! Finally, I've been waiting years for this.. (ok, months.. but it's still my almost-perfect device)

And yes, I use standalone PDAs.... rank me low, but I hate phones... I REALLY hate phones (not for being phones, but for making the companies almost stop making non-phone devices)... some of us have serious 1-man business where a powerful (ie. not just to watch videos and edit documents) yet pocket-sized device is required, and are not looking for another contract to pay (I don't have anyone to talk with either)

So until UMPCs fit in my pocket as easily as my palm LifeDrive, screw smartphones, welcome PDAs like this :-)

[Ellianth @ Jan 17th 2008 9:45PM]

Swing by my place after work. We can talk...



..among other things. =D

[Itchy Pajamas @ Jan 17th 2008 5:33PM]

I'll have to check it out and see if it offers any significant benefit over my hx4700, which I still use a lot at home. I use it mostly for doing the New York Times crossword puzzle, playing Sudoku and Freecell, and displaying photos. The 640x480 screen is very nice.

I no longer use the PDA for PIM stuff. That's all done with my Blackberry 8830 and my iPhone. I hope within a few months of the release of the iPhone SDK I can retire the Blackberry.

The iPaq 210 looks great. If it could only be a phone -- with 3G. And iPhone interface.

[jmd @ Jan 17th 2008 5:44PM]

I used to use PDAs as a portable media solution, be it ebooks, audio, and video. But ever since the 400mhz arm cpu, PDA innovations droped like a rock. The screen on this one looks nice enough.. but everything else about PDAs is the same old shit. No 3d standards so no breakthrough in 3d chipsets. Auido quality is dodgy from pda to pda. Built in memory is an absolute joke.. 128megs? 256megs? my video card has 4x that. Battery life still sucks. Button patterns are still pretty much the same and really they don't allow for a good feel for use in any games.

[Brian @ Jan 17th 2008 5:59PM]

Intel has just finished their latest mobile processor for handheld devices. Stay tuned.
(Someone has also just finished their design of a tiny hsf (err... no fan) for these processors, as well)

I tried, in vain, to find links to these articles, but I was unable to find them. You'll have to search for yourself :/

[Brian @ Jan 17th 2008 5:59PM]

Intel has just finished their latest mobile processor for handheld devices. Stay tuned.
(Someone has also just finished their design of a tiny hsf (err... no fan) for these processors, as well)

I tried, in vain, to find links to these articles, but I was unable to find them. You'll have to search for yourself :/

[Brian @ Jan 17th 2008 6:00PM]

Strange, a double post using internet explorer.

[Ipaq3115 @ Jan 17th 2008 6:08PM]

Who cares about this... Where is the 912?

[ark_v2 @ Jan 17th 2008 6:28PM]

It's nice, but the processor sucks.

[DarkLightConnection @ Jan 17th 2008 6:42PM]

It's the processor one of the things that rocks..

Have you ever looked at the processors of the other PDAs/smartphones? Most are slower

Heck, this is even 4MHz faster than the iPhone.. (and has the same ARM architecture)... (yes I know, 4MHz means nothing on this age.. but if you respect the iphone, you better don't blame this :-P )

[Matthew Nelson @ Jan 17th 2008 7:00PM]

$450 for a PDA with no phone built in? C'mon, are they joking? I no longer prefer non-smartphone PDAs, but some still do. They just need to price it where if belongs.

I resisted the change from PDA to smartphone, thinking that a BT PAN was sufficient, but once I got my first smartphone, there was no looking back!

[Naveed @ Jan 17th 2008 7:22PM]

see your point, but what wm6 phones have 4.0" vga screen and a 624mhz proc

[Erick @ Jan 17th 2008 7:23PM]

Yet many flood to iPod Touch even though it does less.

[Za @ Jan 17th 2008 7:38PM]

Okay, so some people will buy a non-phone PDA. However, how many of you would be willing to pay $450 for it? It just doesn't seem to make sense to me if you already have a cell phone, and if you don't have a cell phone, what the hell do you need a PDA for?