HP iPAQ 1945 Pocket PC

• A thin, light, and affordable Pocket PC
• Includes mobile versions of Microsoft Office: Pocket Outlook, Word, and Excel
• Integrated Bluetooth for wireless communication with other Bluetooth devices
• Great multimedia features
• What's in the box: iPaQ 1945, USB synchronization cable, AC Adapter, battery, charger adapter, audio adapter, iPAQ Pocket PC companion CD

The iPAQ 1945, also sold as the iPAQ 1940, is the first in a line of planned successors to the iPAQ 1910. HP has addressed many of the concerns that 1910 users had, namely that the 1910 was too slow and lacked hardware expansion options. The 1945 is powered by a new 266MHz processor from Samsung which rivals, and sometimes surpasses, the usable speed of many XScale chips from Intel. Other features of the iPAQ 1945 include 64MB of RAM (56MB of which are user accessible), a crisp, bright transflective color screen, onboard Bluetooth wireless, and a Secure Digital slot which can use SD flash memory cards and SDIO peripherals such as 802.11b WLAN cards.

Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC replaced Pocket PC 2002 as the most current Pocket PC OS in June 2003 and comes installed on the 1945. While the version of Windows Mobile 2003 pre-installed on the iPAQ lacks a few minor applications (such as Microsoft Reader), each can be downloaded for free. Because HP left the choice to the end-user, the iPAQ File Store unused space on the ROM has over 13MB free for software, files, etc.

As I mentioned before, the Samsung processor keeps the 1945 moving along very well. Having recently used an iPAQ 5450 (400Mhz PXA250 XScale), a Toshiba e755 (400MHz PXA255 XScale) and a Toshiba e355 (300MHz PXA255 XScale), I can say that, from a casual use point-of-view, the iPAQ 1945 surpasses the speed of the iPAQ 5450 and Toshiba e355 and feels basically on level with the Toshiba e755. One of the touted benefits of the Samsung processor is long battery life, and while I didn't get the eight hours that HP suggested I might, I got almost seven hours use out of the 1945 with the backlight on its lowest setting before I had to recharge; a very good result.

There is only one real drawback to the iPAQ 1945, as I see it, and it's relatively minor and completely fixable: the 1945 ships with only a USB Sync cable, not a cradle. While some might actually prefer this, I miss not having a cradle to rest the iPAQ in while it's not in use. The good news here is that there is a cradle available (the same cradle that works with the iPAQ 1910), and you can purchase if you want it.

All-in-all, the iPAQ 1945 is an amazing addition to the Pocket PC family. If you like small, light PDAs with oomph, the 1945 might be right up your alley.

Buy HP iPAQ 1945 Pocket PC Now

I felt compelled to write a review of this great device after reading a terribly uniformed review from someone that doesn't even own the device.

The good!

Size The smallest on the market. Fits nicely in your pocket without feeling like you're carrying a brick, unlike so many other PPCs.

Speed Many benchmarks rate this unit faster than the 2215, which uses a 400mhz Intel processor. Audio, video playback is smooth as can be. It is plenty fast.

Bluetooth Bluetooth(bt) allows this device to be every bit as capable and expandable as the larger and more expensive devices. Bluetooth applications include:

Link to bt GPS for real-time driving and mapping directions

Link to bt cell phone for mobile remote dial up

Link to PC for wireless sycing, printing, and browsing.

Expandable SD, WiFi, and even a combo card with WiFi and 256MG will be available.

Screen The best screen on the market (except for the 1910)

Battery Battery performance is adequate. You can by an additional battery for pretty cheap if needed.

Cons!

Non-standard headphone jack It comes with an adapter that works very well, but it is still a much bigger inconvenience than I expected.

Screen The screen puts a yellow tint on stark white when you tilt the unit away from you. I barely notice it, and don't think this is a big issue, but I've read where others are put off by it. The screen is still one of the best on the market.

No docking station Not a big issue for me, especially with the Bluetooth.

In summary:

With the exception of commercial grade infrared (the 1945 has IR, just not commercial grade) which would allow it to be used as a universal remote, there is nothing this PPC can't do that the bigger and more expensive devices do. It is the best PPC on the market in my opinion.

If size is important, you can't do better than the 1945. If a very compact size (and money) isn't important to you I suggest the 2215.

Read Best Reviews of HP iPAQ 1945 Pocket PC Here

The HP1945 is a very good idea, with some serious problems. I've just ordered my third one. The first one lasted a month, the screen cracked, and after arm-twisting, HP replaced it. The second one lasted 14 months. This one is out of warranty, so I didn't bother with HP. It appears that the power supply went and fried the circuit board. (At least the blazingly hot spot on the casing and the near-instantaneous power drain of the lithium cell makes me suspect that.)

So why am I ordering a third one. a) I'm an idiot, b) I'm an optimist, or c) The 1945 just happens to do exactly what you need a PDA to do, perfectly, with no extra baggage?

[sigh] I'm afraid it's all three. This liitle machine is compact, versatile, efficient, and does exactly what I need it to do. Then it breaks far to soon, and really ticks me off.

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Bought my 1940/1945 a month ago, and so far I have been extremely happy.

Pluses:

Small size. Wow, it is small, very small when compared with other Pocket Pc's. Love it. It actually fits in my pocket, even in the leather case I bought for it. Finally a pocket pc that is actually pocket sized.

Speed and Power: for the price it is exceptional. The benchmarking on the 266 Samsung processor have it beating or equaliing 400 Mhz intel x-scale processors in many areas.

SDIO: Being able to add an SD GPS unit, or an SD WiFi unit in the future will be really valuable.

Built in Bluetooth. Works like a charm, no need for an additional card taking up space.

Screen: Clean, clear and looks great.

Minuses:

The 4 way button on the front is a little stiff. Small headphone jack, but that is easily fixed with the included adapter. I bought two more adapters for $3 each at radio shack to keep in various locations.

Summary: I love it. I use it as an MP3 player (sounds great), video player (plays divx and mpeg tv shows and movies great!), eBook reader, organizor, game player, calender, etc etc. Wonderful piece of equipment.

This is definitly a great handheld. I got it to replace my two-year old 3000 series Compaq PDA. It's about half the size, with a much better screen, and expandability. Every application I've tried works well (no problems with PocketPC 2003). I'm waiting on my bluetooth adapter to see how well it's going to work. The battery life is good, and can be improved by turning off the bluetooth and infrared connections.

My only minor complaints are 1) Non-standard headphone jack, 2) no slip case included, and 3) SD card plug . The jack has a ring of plastic around it, about two millimeters thick. I cannot figure out why HP's engineers couldn't figure out how to put in a real headphone jack, but if you're looking to use this as a multimedia device (it works well) the non-standard jack is a pain. Sound quality is really good through headphones, though. My other complaint is that they didn't include even the most basic protective cover with it. Since the nice case I've ordered won't be here for a couple of weeks, I had to run down to my local gargantuan electronics store and get a big clunky universal slip case to protect it for now, a waste of about ten bucks. Oh well.

My final very tiny complaint is that rather than a hinged door, they supply a plastic filler piece for the SD card slot. I've already managed to lose mine, so now if I don't have the card in there's a gaping hole in the top of the PDA.

Overall, these minor complaints don't touch the fact that this device costs less, weighs a lot less, and can run rings around my circa2001 ipaq. Definitly worth the money.