Review on HP iPAQ 5455 Pocket PC: Ultimate Performance and Portability by Doug Hook

I've had the Ipaq 5455 for about a month and after a tough first week I'm loving it it and use it regularly without experiencing the crashes most people mention. Why It's Great: (1) Durability: This ipaq is very well built. The included carry case allows me to toss it in my backpack with ease. Hold the 5455 in one hand and a competitor's product in the other and you'll feel the difference. (2) Utility: I like what I can do on this platform. It's great to have pocket versions of Microsoft products readily available. While waiting for an appointment, I can work on spreadsheets, make lists, enter receipts into Pocket Money, or spend time playing games. (3) Expandable: Ipaq products are definitely the best choice if you are interested in a truly expandable product. Unlike Dell where you have to buy all Axim peripherals from them, Ipaq peripherals are widely available. Ultimately, this saves money as suppliers compete for your business. (4) Portability: The Ipaq may not be the lightest handheld computer, but it appears to be the most portable due in part to its ruggedness. Other lighter handhelds tend to be mostly made of brittle plastic that's subject to wear and tear (making them more likely to be left at home). With a beefy SD card and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, I don't need a compact flash storage expansion pack and this treasure stays lightweight. (5) Power: This portable device is very powerful. It feels like a real computer and the programs run fast. With expanded storage, it's almost like having a mini laptop. Some stumbling blocks that could be improved with better documentation (including tips): (1) Very poor documentation. The lack of detailed instructions makes the Ipaq quite difficult to get hold of and not for the faint of heart. I was fortunate that a friend of mine, a technical account manager at Microsoft, set mine up for me. (2) Wi-Fi was finicky at first. In order for the Ipaq to work with my wireless Linksys 801. 11g network works, it took a hack (which my friend did). ADVICE. Be sure to check online sources before purchasing to ensure compatibility. Also, make sure to turn off Wi-Fi when you don't need it. Not only will this save you valuable battery life, but it's also a good habit to use on system resources. (3) Memory management was initially inconvenient, requiring a soft reset and a hard reset. Luckily, a friend of mine showed me the Ipaq's lesser-known TIP: In Settings, click the System tab, then click the Memory control panel. In the Storage Control Panel, click the Running Programs tab. Select Stop All. This will close all running programs and virtually eliminate the need for a hard reset and soft reset. ADVICE. Get a big SD card and store all non-system files and programs on it. This will change the world. I bought a 256MB card from a big store for next to nothing and haven't had memory issues since. (4) Less than battery life. ADVICE. By lowering the screen brightness and turning off wifi and sound when I don't need them, I can (4) Less than battery life. ADVICE. By lowering the screen brightness and turning off wifi and sound when I don't need them, I can (4) Less than battery life. ADVICE. By lowering the screen brightness and turning off wifi and sound when I don't need them, I can