The h4355's built-in keyboard provides easy, foolproof text entry.

The first time I ever wrote about a PDA (or "Personal Digital Assistant") was just a few years ago. In its day, that particular handheld organizer was on the "cutting edge," for a couple of reasons: (1) it supported additional memory cards, which meant you could infinitely expand the unit's storage capacity beyond its 8MB of built-in RAM, and (2) it was capable of displaying digital pictures…not that they looked all that impressive on the unit's greenish-gray monochrome LCD. It had no audio capability at all — MP3 playback was still a few generations of PDAs away.

Today, I'm writing about another cutting-edge PDA — HP's iPAQ h4355, which retails for about $500. This little handheld PC is a testament to just how far this genre of products has come in recent years. Even though it has many of the same basic organizer-type functions you'd find on PDAs of the past (like memos, to-do lists, a calendar, etc.), the differences between the iPAQ and that older model are, as you'd expect, striking.

For starters, it's got color (well, colors, actually — over 65,000 of them). It's got a built-in, backlit thumb keyboard for easy, intuitive text entry. With a 400MHz processor, it's speedier than the desktop PCs that many folks are still using, and it comes loaded with some pretty nifty Windows® Pocket PC software (including Windows Media Player 9, for playing digital audio and video files). But here's the coolest part: it's got built-in Wi-Fi® capability, which means it can automatically connect you to wireless networks in your home, at work, or down at the local coffee shop, allowing you to browse the Internet or send and receive e-mail.

Using the iPAQ
Like all PDAs, the h4355 features a touch-sensitive LCD panel (this one measures 3-1/2" diagonally). To input text, you can write individual letters or even whole handwritten words on the touch-panel with the provided stylus; the unit can recognize them and turn them into type. There's also a "soft" (virtual) keyboard mode, which lets you tap individual keyboard "buttons" on the LCD panel one at a time. Not surprisingly, the hard buttons of the built-in thumb keyboard provided the easiest and most foolproof way of entering text — this feature accounts for a $50 step-up in price within the iPAQ line, but folks who use this PDA for intensive writing, note-taking, or e-mailing will be glad they sprang for it.

For navigating through menus or text blocks, you can either once again tap away at the touch-panel with the stylus, or use the iPAQ's convenient 4-way cursor control button. Four additional buttons let you quick-launch commonly used programs. I found myself utilizing a combination of the various hard controls and touch-panel options.

LCD and battery life
As previously mentioned, the iPAQ's 3-1/2" rectangular LCD is capable of displaying more than 65,000 colors, and it has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. Text is easy on the eyes, and digital photos are nice and crisp (and HP's photo-handling software looks good and lets you easily zoom in and move around within a picture). The display's backlight has adjustable brightness — you can crank it up temporarily for better visibility while you're outside in the sunlight, then dial it back when you return indoors to preserve battery life. The lithium ion battery pack is removable; spare batteries are available from the manufacturer (at about $100 a pop). Generally speaking, the included battery gave a pretty robust charge that tended to last me several days.

Connecting to a PC
HP provides a cradle with a USB connector for "synchronizing" the handheld unit with your desktop PC — a process whereby the two devices share recent data with one another in order to keep your calendar items, task lists, and e-mail "Inbox" up-to-date in both locations. This USB connection also allows you to copy specific files (music, video clips, spreadsheets, etc.) from your computer to your PDA, or vice-versa. Conveniently, the cradle doubles as a battery charger, for easily freshening up your power pack before you hit the road.

System expansion
A top-loading Secure Digital® Card slot accepts optional SD and MultiMediaCard® memory, so the sky's the limit, storage-wise. The 64MB internal memory will probably be enough for some people — however, since the RAM is used both for storage and for running programs, you'll probably want to pick up an extra memory card or two, especially if you plan to take advantage of the iPAQ's digital audio or video playback capability. The SD card slot can also handle SDIO expansion cards (think PC Cards, only smaller). HP even sells a tiny digital camera with an SDIO interface, so you can use your iPAQ to snap, store, and view pics.

The supplied USB cradle allows the iPAQ to communicate with your desktop PC and also doubles as a battery charger.

Windows® to go
HP's iPAQ line of PDAs incorporates Microsoft®'s latest version of their Windows Mobile™ Pocket PC operating system. I'd never used Windows Mobile before, but I'd seen it get good ratings when compared against other mobile computing platforms. Actually, on the "Palm vs. Pocket PC" debate there seems to be an avalanche of opinion going in both directions — personally, I'll steer clear of making any value judgments. In a nutshell, Windows Mobile tends to be geared for higher-performance hardware, and supports multi-tasking, so, for instance, you can browse your calendar or task list and listen to MP3 tunes in the background at the same time. (The latest version of the Palm operating system, released earlier this year, also has multi-tasking capability.)

On the Pocket PC's desktop, or "Today" screen, you get quick links to commonly used functions like Date, Calendar, Inbox (e-mail), and Tasks (to-do lists). Just like on your Windows desktop or laptop PC, this screen has a somewhat uninteresting look by default, but is easily customizable with any number of "themes" you can download online (or even create for yourself). A familiar-looking Windows Start Menu in the upper left corner lets you navigate to other applications and settings.

Windows Mobile includes Pocket versions of some of Microsoft's popular desktop programs. Pocket Word, though a stripped-down version of its desktop cousin, is plenty of word processor for what most people will need in a PDA, and includes handwriting and drawing modes in addition to regular type. Pocket Excel is perfect for scanning or digging into spreadsheets while traveling to a business meeting. Microsoft's mobile e-mail client, Inbox, is basic but functional. (You still get add-ons from the full-featured desktop version of Microsoft Outlook, like Calendar, Notes, and Tasks, but these are all individual programs in Windows Mobile.)

The 2003 edition of Windows Mobile on the iPAQ h4355 comes with a couple of games, which are both potential airport time-killers: Solitaire (don't you love it when you win and the cards go flying all over the place?), and a newer game called Jawbreaker (this one feels like Microsoft's stab at that Holy Grail of mindless, addictive games, Tetris).

Portable music and video clips
The version of Windows Mobile included in HP's current iPAQ series also boasts Pocket Windows Media Player 9, for digital audio and video on the go. It handles all your MP3 and WMA tunes, as well as WMV (Windows Media Video) clips. Using a Windows XP machine equipped with Windows Media Player 9, you can easily select whichever songs and video clips you want to copy to your Pocket PC via the program's main "Media Library" interface, and the transfer process itself is simple and painless.

From my desktop PC, I copied over a handful of MP3s and WMAs, along with a WMV movie clip which I had originally shot in Mini DV, transferred to the PC, and then edited with Windows Movie Maker. All of these "tracks" were automatically detected by the iPAQ's Windows Media Player, and all played fine (even the video). The iPAQ's got a built-in mono speaker, which is mostly useful for playing back system sounds and voice recordings you make with the unit's built-in microphone — which is to say be sure to have a decent set of headphones with you for listening to your music. And, as mentioned previously, extra memory is a must if you really want to keep a decent selection of tunes on hand.

Wi-Fi workout
One of the handiest features of Windows Mobile 2003 is what Microsoft calls "Zero Configuration Wi-Fi." Your PDA automatically scans for wireless hotspots, and when it finds a new one, you're prompted for some basic information about the network: does it connect you to work or to the Internet? If your network needs a security key, what is it? Then your PDA saves the settings, making future encounters with that hotspot effortless.

To put this feature to the test, I went down to a local java joint that advertises free public Wi-Fi Internet access and jumped into the fray of intellectual hipsters and colorful-haired youths typing away furiously or staring intently at their laptops. I ordered some high-end coffee, the iPAQ did its thing, and before I knew it I was connected to the Internet, simultaneously getting wired and going wireless. (In a very low-profile, palm-of-my-hand sort of way, I might add.)

Browsing with Pocket IE
I had copied a list of PDA-optimized websites to the iPAQ's memory before I headed out the door. Anyone surfing the Web with a PDA will want to keep such a list handy — that's because the vast majority of sites out there are not particularly easy to browse on a 3-1/2" display. Still, Pocket Internet Explorer surprised me with how fast it loaded up content-heavy sites (like CrutchfieldAdvisor.com, for instance!). I was also pleasantly surprised by the smoothness and speed of the scrolling action.

It's not hard to imagine how this wireless connectivity would benefit a traveling businessperson who might need to send a quick e-mail back to the office or family — not to mention the possible entertainment value. As I sipped and browsed, I was spotted a few times by passers-by who made comments like, "Hey, check that out!" and "Cool!" I have to admit, it is pretty neat stuff for a PC that can fit in your back pocket.