HP's new Pocket PC comes with built-in GPS and plenty of file storage space
Recently, I had the opportunity of testing the new HP iPAQ rx5900 Travel Companion. Using this slick new device was definitely one of those "way cool" moments. As the name suggests, it's geared toward those who travel—the hardware and preloaded software can aid both road and air travel.
The first thing you notice about this iPAQ is the completely different look. Rather than the traditional portrait layout, this device is designed to operate in landscape mode. The square, harder angles of other iPAQs have been replaced with a sleek, smooth design that looks nothing like its other HP siblings. This travel companion is designed to help you navigate, get connected, and be entertained.
Plenty of internal storage; unique button layout
The rx5900 sports a 400 MHz Samsung processor and 64 MB of SDRAM memory for running applications. The most impressive spec is its internal file storage—2 GB of flash ROM. About 1.5 GB of this is used to store the OS and other built-in software, including TomTom Navigator 6 and maps. That leaves about 500 MB of storage space for documents, videos, user-installed programs, and more. In addition, the device has an SD-IO compatible card slot, allowing you to add even more storage.
The button layout is much different than other Pocket PCs. To the right of the display is a 9-way navigation button. Below this is an OK/close button and a Start menu button. On the right edge of the device, there are 4 quick-launch buttons and the power on/off button. From top to bottom, they are HP Quick Launch, Navigation, Windows Media Player, Rotate Screen, and the Power on/off button. The left edge of the device has three ports: one for an external GPS antenna connector, a stereo headphone jack, and a mini-USB connector for the sync cable.
The navigation button launches the TomTom navigator program and turns on the GPS receiver. The device is designed to stay on (not time out) when the GPS is active, and this can drain your batteries. It comes with a slipcase that leaves the left-edge buttons exposed. On two occasions while carrying the device in my pocket, I accidentally pressed the navigation button and turned on the GPS receiver. When I realized this several hours later, my battery was almost completely drained. I remapped that button to another program to avoid this problem.
The rx5900 button layout, (top) compared to the more traditional layout on the Cingular 8525 (bottom) Pocket PC Phone Edition device.
Built-in GPS navigation
The best feature of the rx5900 is the integrated SiRFstarIII GPS receiver. It's an amazing feature, able to find and lock in satellites in the most adverse conditions. I sat in the middle of my living room, turned on the GPS function, and was able to get a lock onto 7 satellites. From the same location, my other GPS receivers weren't able to see any satellites.
Unlike some other GPS-enabled devices that do not ship with navigation software, the North American version of this device ships with TomTom Navigator 6 and North America maps preloaded in the flash ROM. While I've tested several navigation systems, this was the first time I got to try TomTom. One of the nice features is that it is designed to be used with your fingertips rather than requiring a stylus. After using TomTom, I also realized that the rx5900 screen is fingerprint resistant! Nothing bugs me more than having a smudged screen, but that isn't an issue with the Travel Companion.
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