Ipaq 3970

After nearly 5 years I have traded my Psion Series 5 in for a more modern Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).  I wanted to have a colour screen, more memory and a GPS bolt on that didn't require me carrying around a laptop with Autoroute on it and miles of cable. 

I did quite a lot of research on the current PDA market and decided in the end for a Pocket PC rather than a Palm model.  My main reason here was that I felt that with the might of Microsoft behind it, it probably had better compatibility with my home pc running Windows XP.  In addition, I also felt that there would probably be more software for the Pocket PC platform than the Palm but I have no real knowledge of this - just a gut feeling.

The next decision was which model to buy.  Although there are a number of models on the market I liked the look of the Ipaq and also felt that Compaq has been one of the leaders in the PDA market for sometime.  I was also looking for a model with a fast processor, preferable 400 MHz and a lot of built in RAM, preferable 64MB of RAM and the Ipaq series had this.  In addition and probably the decider, was that I wanted to purchase a GPS system that wasn't bulky and didn't need loads of cable.  The Tomtom product (see Tomtom.com) was ruled out for me as it had a stick on window GPS antennae with a small cable running to the PDA.  They have however just bought out a Bluetooth GPS system so this might have swayed me if it had been available when I was looking.  However, if you wanted to use the system whilst walking in London say, then you would presumably have to carry two separate devises around.  The Navman system ( see Navman.com) on the other hand had a custom made jacket which is purpose built for the Ipaq series and best of all no cables.  Once the jacket is put over the Ipaq, the system basically becomes one so can be easily used as a handheld GPS system.  In addition, the Navman takes its power from the Ipaq, so if you wanted to recharge your Ipaq whilst driving, it will also power the Navman through the same cable.  The decision was made - it had to be an Ipaq. 

The two models I had narrowed my choice down to was the Ipaq 5450 and the Ipaq 3970.  Both models incorporate Bluetooth technology but the 5450 had a fingerprint security system and a few other bits I didn't think I needed and cost £100 more.  The major clinch for me was that I wanted to add the Navman system and in particular, the Navman 3400 which as well as displaying your route, also gives voice commands.  The Navman site at the time stated that the Navman 3400 model should not be purchased with the Ipaq 5450as it was not compatible.  The site does state however that Navman are working with Compaq to overcome this.

My final decision had now been made - an Ipaq 3970 and a Navman 3400.

Read the Specification for the Ipaq 3970

Read the Specification for the Navman 3400

Hardware Accessories I have Bought

Extra Memory

Having purchased my Ipaq 3970 and Navman 3400, I soon discovered that in order to fit on the maps that came with the Navman, I needed to purchase a Compact Flash card.  Although the CD Rom that comes with the Navman has maps for the whole of Western Europe, you probably only want to fit on your county's maps - in my case the UK.  To fit on the whole of the UK you need to purchase a 128 MB Compact Flash card.  This still leaves some space on the Flash for additional maps you may need if you go on holiday to other parts of Europe.  However, if you can't fit on all of France say, then just take off some of the maps from the UK and put on the whole of France.  Once you have completed your holiday just take off the French maps and put back on the UK ones you took off.

Once you start to download software from the Internet, you soon discover that the fixed memory in the Ipaq gets used up.  If this is the case then you may want to purchase some extra memory.  The Ipaq 3970 takes the Secure Digital (SD) memory cards and at present you can purchase cards of up to 256MB.  I purchased a 128MB card which is ample for backups of the system and loads of additional software.

Keyboard

Although the touchscreen keyboard is OK for short notes, it's not really up to the job for long documents or complex spreadsheets.  In this case I would recommend a foldable keyboard.  I purchased the Compaq Foldable Keyboard which is about the size of the Ipaq when folded away but unfolds out to 90% the size of a full keyboard.

Software I have Bought

The Ipaq comes with Word and Excel but no database program such as Access.  To overcome this I got a full working version of a program called Data On The Run.  This is a database program that is fully compatible with Access so you can download any Access databases into it.

After much searching of the Internet I have now downloaded and registered a number of excellent programs which you may want to check out.  There are:

FlexiWallet - This program allows you to securely store personal data such as bank account details etc., all in one convenient   place. This product is Shareware.

Calendar Plus - This program runs on the Today screen.  It emulates the standard Pocket PC Calendar plug-in exactly, except that it offers the ability to see multiple days, the ability to look a given number of appointments ahead, and multiple ways of displaying the various calendar fields. This product is Freeware.

Airscanner AntiVirus - As the name suggests this is a antivirus software for the Pocket PC.  This product is Freeware if you follow this link and it is for personal use not business use.

Space Reclaimer - This program frees memory and gets rid of defragmented programs that the reset button can't.  This program is Shareware.

Resco Ultility Package - This program suite includes File Explorer which looks exactly like Windows Explorer and allows you to hide files or programs and also allows you to encrypt files with a password if you don't want anyone except yourself to view that file.  The suite also includes Picture Viewer where you can view any type of picture file individually or in a slideshow. This program is Shareware.

Unit Converter - Unit Converter is a powerful tool for nearly any unit conversation. Unit Converter offers: Unit conversion of over 300 units, Currency conversion, and user defined units.  This program is Freeware although you can register for the full program.

Calc Note - This program is a calculator and a notepad in one.  The beauty of this program is that the little program icon can be moved to anywhere on the screen and will sit there when any program is launched.  If you want to jot down a note or do a calculation then just click on the icon and up pops a resizable window where you can capture that note.  This program is Shareware.

Battery Pack and Journal Bar - These two programs are excellent and sit on the main Today window.  Battery Pack shows the state of your battery, how much free memory you have etc. all at a glance.  Just connect to the Internet once a day and Journal bar can show you the weather in you area for the next 5 days, show you the latest stock market prices and much more. These programs is Shareware.

Avantgo - If you have every wanted to view useful information such as the latest news, film reviews, etc. offline then this is the program for you.  Just register free on the site and then pick the web sites that most interest you.  Whenever you connect to the Internet, the sites picked are downloaded to your Ipaq for you to read offline at a time that suits you.

Pocket Informant - This program replaces your built in Contacts / Calendar / Tasks applications with more powerful fully featured versions.

If you want to search for software that interests you, then some links you may want to follow are:

FreewarePPC.com

Handango

Pocket PC for You

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