iPAQ 210/iPAQ 211 after 1 week of use
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From: Roger 2008 on 27 Mar 2008 14:06 Note: the box says "HP iPAQ 210" but under the battery of the device it says "211". The positive features I've found with the iPAQ 211 are: 1. The screen resolution is great and once you view an Internet page in "High Resolution" you will probably be hooked on that feature just like I am. But sadly enough, the pages would probably look ever better with WM6.1 on the 211. 2. It has a fairly fast processor and I haven't found anything that I use that can slow it down yet. 3. The "iPAQ File Store" maintains it's memory even after a "Clear memory." This makes it a lot easier to reinstall your programs when you start over again which you will probably do a lot when you are testing things out. 4. If you have a cell phone with WM5 it will use that for it's Internet Connection via DUN and you will not need to use the "Bluetooth Phone Manager" ever or the "Bluetooth Manager" a second time after it has been setup once. As neat as that is, that feature is nothing new and it is just the way BT DUN worked before Microsoft started to phase it out. Now for the "Quirks" I've found in one week: Quirk #1 It only has one port that can be used for a BT GPS and you can't use the setting under "External GPS" to share that port either. If you want to use a GPS program for verbal directions and one GPS program for a "Satellite view" at the same time don't plan on it. It would have been neat if HP could have just added a GPS to the 211 themselves since you will find a lot of new devices come with GPS built in. Quirk #2 The Bluetooth manager has a few issues. 1. For some reason, after a "reset" and after a "clear memory" the "iPAQ Wireless" would not display anything about the Bluetooth. The only option I would see is the option for "WLAN." I had to recover from that glitch with a "Clear memory." If this happens again, I might exchange this unit thinking it is something particular to this unit. 2. I haven't tracked down what is causing this but under "Bluetooth Settings->Accessibility" it will change from "All devices" to "Paired devices only" all by itself. Where this is a problem is adding a new device. But that particular problem is pretty obvious something has changed when it doesn't ask for a passcode on a new device and the "new device" fails to work properly. 3. If you scan for new devices, it will not always show everything that device has to offer. a. I've found that if a device is "High Quality Audio" and "Hands-free" you have to run a second scan of BT devices specifically for "Hand-free" to find the "Hands-free." b. If a device is a "Network Access Point" and "FTP" you have to run a second scan of BT devices specifically to "Browse files on a remote device" to use the FTP service. 4. If you are using a WM6 device for the internet use the built in "Network Access Point" and stay away from using PDANET. If you use the BT DUN with PDANET it will work once and never again despite what you try. The only way I've found to correct that issue is to "Clear memory" and start over. Just restarting everything or deleting everything and reinstalling items does not help. Quirk #3 This is specific to the Slingbox software. The maximum resolution for the Slingplayer is only 320x240 and ends up looking bad on the iPAQ 211. It still looks OK but I think the "Slingbox" player looks a lot better on a device that is only 320x240. Quirk #4 No way to turn the device completely off despite what the manual on HP.COM says about holding the power button down: 1. If you hold the power button down it will turn itself back on as soon as you let up on the power button. 2. If you quickly depress the power button it will simply put it into "hibernate" mode and come back where it left off when you tap the power button again.. 3. If shut down all the programs, tap the power button and then take the battery out and put the battery back in it will start all over as if you hit the reset button on the side. While I can understand why they want it to be instant on for people that want it that way. What if someone doesn't use it all the time and wants to shut it completely off? ---------- I'm sure I will probably find more "Quirks" with this device since I've only had it a week so far.
From: GrahamU on 27 Mar 2008 16:23 I've had the 214 for about 6 weeks now and on the whole like it a lot. See my comments to each of your points below. Also note that if you use SPB backup I have found that a restore consistently kills the CF slot. A hard reset brings it back to life. I've switched to Sprite Backup for this reason but that means I can have an unattended scheduled backup as Sprite needs you to input the device password (if set). On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:06:54 -0600, "Roger 2008" <rwpcs(a)att.net> wrote: >Note: the box says "HP iPAQ 210" but under the battery of the device it says >"211". My box said 214 but the device identifies itself as a 210 > >The positive features I've found with the iPAQ 211 are: > >1. The screen resolution is great and once you view an Internet page in >"High Resolution" you will probably be hooked on that feature just like I >am. But sadly enough, the pages would probably look ever better with WM6.1 >on the 211. Agreed > >2. It has a fairly fast processor and I haven't found anything that I use >that can slow it down yet. Backs up about 68 MB in less than 1min 30 Sec to SD TV capture from the PC ('normal' def) plays with no stuttering. > >3. The "iPAQ File Store" maintains it's memory even after a "Clear memory." >This makes it a lot easier to reinstall your programs when you start over >again which you will probably do a lot when you are testing things out. Mmm... true but it's a bit small to put much on. I usually install to SD (2 GB card) > >4. If you have a cell phone with WM5 it will use that for it's Internet >Connection via DUN and you will not need to use the "Bluetooth Phone >Manager" ever or the "Bluetooth Manager" a second time after it has been >setup once. As neat as that is, that feature is nothing new and it is just >the way BT DUN worked before Microsoft started to phase it out. Yep, works very well > > >Now for the "Quirks" I've found in one week: > >Quirk #1 >It only has one port that can be used for a BT GPS and you can't use the >setting under "External GPS" to share that port either. If you want to use >a GPS program for verbal directions and one GPS program for a "Satellite >view" at the same time don't plan on it. It would have been neat if HP >could have just added a GPS to the 211 themselves since you will find a lot >of new devices come with GPS built in. I've had different GPS issues. TomTom 6 seems to work but once you start to move (car) the screen stops updating and won't show where you are until you flip to another screen and back. Detinator in Srif mode sets the system clock to an incorrect future date. Both the above comments apply to a CF GPS card. > >Quirk #2 >The Bluetooth manager has a few issues. > >1. For some reason, after a "reset" and after a "clear memory" the "iPAQ >Wireless" would not display anything about the Bluetooth. The only option I >would see is the option for "WLAN." I had to recover from that glitch with >a "Clear memory." If this happens again, I might exchange this unit >thinking it is something particular to this unit. No, it's not your unit. I have found that the issue is to do with the startup sequence (by default there is a link in the startup folder to start this app) If you remove the startup link and start it manually (only needed after a reset) it works correctly. I think the app is starting before the BT stack is properly initialised. > >2. I haven't tracked down what is causing this but under "Bluetooth >Settings->Accessibility" it will change from "All devices" to "Paired >devices only" all by itself. Where this is a problem is adding a new >device. But that particular problem is pretty obvious something has changed >when it doesn't ask for a passcode on a new device and the "new device" >fails to work properly. > Not had this on mine. >3. If you scan for new devices, it will not always show everything that >device has to offer. >a. I've found that if a device is "High Quality Audio" and "Hands-free" you >have to run a second scan of BT devices specifically for "Hand-free" to find >the "Hands-free." >b. If a device is a "Network Access Point" and "FTP" you have to run a >second scan of BT devices specifically to "Browse files on a remote device" >to use the FTP service. Yes, this quirk is very annoying. >4. If you are using a WM6 device for the internet use the built in "Network >Access Point" and stay away from using PDANET. If you use the BT DUN with >PDANET it will work once and never again despite what you try. The only way >I've found to correct that issue is to "Clear memory" and start over. Just >restarting everything or deleting everything and reinstalling items does not >help. Not tried this. > >Quirk #3 >This is specific to the Slingbox software. The maximum resolution for the >Slingplayer is only 320x240 and ends up looking bad on the iPAQ 211. It >still looks OK but I think the "Slingbox" player looks a lot better on a >device that is only 320x240. > No slingbox here. >Quirk #4 >No way to turn the device completely off despite what the manual on HP.COM >says about holding the power button down: > >1. If you hold the power button down it will turn itself back on as soon as >you let up on the power button. > >2. If you quickly depress the power button it will simply put it into >"hibernate" mode and come back where it left off when you tap the power >button again.. > >3. If shut down all the programs, tap the power button and then take the >battery out and put the battery back in it will start all over as if you hit >the reset button on the side. > >While I can understand why they want it to be instant on for people that >want it that way. What if someone doesn't use it all the time and wants to >shut it completely off? > >---------- Think you are right about this but power use in hibernate is minimal so does it matter? I also noticed that the CF slot is powered at all times regardless of the settings you choose. > >I'm sure I will probably find more "Quirks" with this device since I've only >had it a week so far. >
From: Todd Allcock on 27 Mar 2008 18:40 At 27 Mar 2008 20:23:27 +0000 GrahamU wrote: > No, it's not your unit. I have found that the issue is to do with the > startup sequence (by default there is a link in the startup folder to > start this app) If you remove the startup link and start it manually > (only needed after a reset) it works correctly. I think the app is > starting before the BT stack is properly initialised. If that's the case, you might "fix" it with Mortscript (a freeware app that lets you create complex executable batch files on the PPC.) You could create script that waits a few seconds (experiment to find the balance between long enough to work and short enough not to annoy!) then execute the connection manager link.
From: GrahamU on 28 Mar 2008 05:22 I'll give that a try, looks like an interesting tool, thanks. One other quirk worth mentioning is the backlight control. I have two issues with this: 1/ The ONLY today backlight tool that seems to work is the supplied HP one. I like a brightness control on the Today screen but hate how much size the (otherwise useless) HP Today Panel lite takes up. Tried various other plugins with no joy. 2/ The backlight 'battery timeout' keeps resetting itself to 10 seconds. I've been unable to prevent this and have ended up disabling the backlight inactivity switch off. Stuck with one extreme or the other it seems. On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:40:37 -0600, Todd Allcock <elecconnec(a)AmericaOnLine.com> wrote: >At 27 Mar 2008 20:23:27 +0000 GrahamU wrote: > >> No, it's not your unit. I have found that the issue is to do with the >> startup sequence (by default there is a link in the startup folder to >> start this app) If you remove the startup link and start it manually >> (only needed after a reset) it works correctly. I think the app is >> starting before the BT stack is properly initialised. > >If that's the case, you might "fix" it with Mortscript (a freeware app that >lets you create complex executable batch files on the PPC.) You could >create script that waits a few seconds (experiment to find the balance >between long enough to work and short enough not to annoy!) then execute >the connection manager link. > >
From: Roger 2008 on 28 Mar 2008 09:32
"GrahamU" <GrahamUnd_NoSpamHere(a)supanet.com> wrote in message news:sndpu35rodfg4j6h6p62bomj6pk3c9fe9b(a)4ax.com... > I'll give that a try, looks like an interesting tool, thanks. > > One other quirk worth mentioning is the backlight control. > I have two issues with this: > 1/ The ONLY today backlight tool that seems to work is the supplied HP > one. I like a brightness control on the Today screen but hate how much > size the (otherwise useless) HP Today Panel lite takes up. Tried > various other plugins with no joy. > > 2/ The backlight 'battery timeout' keeps resetting itself to 10 > seconds. I've been unable to prevent this and have ended up disabling > the backlight inactivity switch off. Stuck with one extreme or the > other it seems. Mine only goes to the 10 second timeout if it is "locked" from the "Today Screen" and returns to the 30 second time out when it is unlocked. |