Review: HP Ipaq 210 Sucks

Je-ff · 09-05-08, 10:13 AM

I truly do not like this device. I bought it off ebay a couple days ago, and could not wait to try it out when my fedex box got dropped off. I opened the beautiful packaging, got everything turned on, and than the fun stopped. Here are my quickest reasons for why this thing is going right back on ebay and why I'm buying the Ipaq 110 or Dell Axim x51v instead:

Touch Screen: The bubble/screen protector feel that everyone describes doesn't really bother me, but it is a weird feeling when you tap the screen. Like it's a screen protector, than air, than screen. Not horrible, but it does feel unnatural or weird.

Up Button: The up button on the directional pad is a pretty big pain. It's not horrible, but it is one of those things you have to think about every time you push it. "Am I pushing it right? Oh man, I hit the center button again!"

Speaker: Now I was a little surprised by this. One of the main reasons I decided to buy this was I'd read on this site many times that the speaker sucks. Well, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Going from 1 to 100, I'd say the speaker has a power of about 60% of the power my Dell Axim x51v had, but that thing was LOUD. I mean, it's ok for a backwards facing speaker in a quiet room, but it's by no means anywhere near as loud as the x51V

Ergonomics: It's no fun on my sore hands. I do construction (but don't use pda's on the job) and my hands already hurt when I get home. I hold bricks at work, I don't want to come home and hold another one all night. It's just not well designed. No curves, just a big, blocky rectangle to hold onto.

LED Lights/Wifi and Bluetooth: If you need something to illuminate your kids ball field for a night game, these LEDs will suffice. These are so bright! Really, think of the screen at FULL brightness, than go another 1/2 a level brighter. It just pierces the eyes.

Stylus: It's just too small. I have big hands, and this is a big device. Not thick enough, nor long enough.

Well, I think that's about it. Like I said, you can get everything you need from the Dell Axim x51v (a little less power in some ways, no wireless G, and minor screen polarization aside). And if you really want to go with HP, I'd really recommend the Ipaq 110. It's smaller, the speaker is better, and I liked the buttons a lot more. No VGA, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do. Thanks for the great forums aximsite!

If anyone has any questions, I'll definitely answer them!

Mako230 · 09-05-08, 01:12 PM

Can I ask how much you paid for it? I think I've read about a rom update for it. Are you at the latest rev? What about selling it here instead of ebay. (Can't really justify it especially seeing I have a x51v @ wm6.1 but that nver stopped me before).

09-05-08, 02:20 PM

LMAO. Funny review Je-ff, and much of what you say has merit, but if that's the worst you can say about the 210, then it must be a great device. I'd call those criticisms picking nits, not serious flaws. Of if you really thought that those little issues made it a bad device, then you picked the wrong iPaq in the first place.

I agree the LEDs on these devices are too bright. The HX4700 has the same issue. I believe there is a way to disable this.
How to disable the WLAN blue LED! - Brighthand.com Smartphone and PDA Discussion Forums

What about the fact that it has the best screen you can buy in this sized device? What about the class leading CPU power so that you can play nearly any video without transcoding them, using Coreplayer, on that aforementioned glorious screen.

If all you want is something that feels good in your hand and has a big stylus, providing basic handheld functionality, there are lots of choices. If you want the powerhouse that can run anything you throw at it, in multiples, in high resolution, get this device.

Oh, and if you want it to feel better in your hand, get a nice case for it. They make a huge difference.

FrinkTL · 09-05-08, 02:27 PM

Based on what you wrote, I don't think you should buy an Axim (any model) either. For one thing, get used to the tiny stylus; EVERY make and model suffers from a ridiculously tiny (imho) stylus. That's why I use a pen-based stylus (like the Cross Matrix) for my stylus. Incidentally, using the bulkier pen-based stylus also eliminates the "weird" screen protector feel that the iPAQ 211/210 has.

If your hands are too sore to hold an iPAQ 210, they'll be too sore to hold an Axim X51v. You might be OK with the tiny iPAQ 110, but it, too, will have a tiny stylus (that's sometimes hard to get out)

As for the LED's, that's also a well-publicized truth. I have posted an external "fix" to that one that has been working well for me for several months: How to Dim the Battery/WiFi LEDs. I usually completely forget that I put it on there.

The one thing I don't understand from your post is that you list 5 (6 if the volume is a complaint instead of the observation it appears to be), each of which you cite as "not horrible." I have a longer list than that of non-horrible irritations I've either observed or read others citing, and I keep the device and rather like it for the most part.

What am I trying to say (not very elloquently)? Basically this: there is no such thing as a perfect device. That's the ONE thing I can GUARANTEE you; there is currently no perfect device out there. Any device small enough for you to wrap your fingers around that is trying to cover the wide range of needs that Mobile devices attempt to will, by definition, be a compromise. A compromise, by definition, means that there will be good things and bad (not so good) things about it, depending on how you plan on using the device.

Do not search for, nor expect to find, the perfect device. Instead, find the one that meets the bulk of your high-priority intended uses for the device. IMO, that's about as good as it gets in the handheld world.

Je-ff · 09-06-08, 01:01 AM

To Mako 230: I don't think I'd sell it on here because A) I like boosting my Ebay rating B) I get nervous outside of a safer environment like Ebay and C) I want the best outcome for everyone involved. But I will make a reply on this post (if it's allowed) when I officially post the auction on ebay.

To Gylman: I know I picked the wrong Ipaq; it's just that I've been looking at the 210 and reading about it since it came out and just now got up the cash to buy one and try it out. I already tried the Ipaq 110 out at Fry's and I thought it was quite a cool device. I was just hoping I'd like the 210 as much as the 110. True thing about the case; I got a silicone one to go with it (will be included when I sell it) and that did help out on grip-a-bility. Also, you're quite right about that nice, big VGA to look at. A+ for the screen for sure.

To FrinkTL: I've had the Axim before and I just ended up using a pen/stylus combo (like you) I bought at Office Depot. That helped a lot, would've done the same if I kept the Ipaq. It's just a design issue in my opinion, you know? Like, here's this big VGA handheld, and they give you this tiny tooth pick to poke at the screen with.

And I know you can fix the LED's, I just thought it was so odd how bright they are straight from the factory. I mean, it's like HP thought we'd be using it near a black hole or something.

The only reason I wrote this post is because I'm just a very picky, obsessive compulsive person with my gadgets. I just wrote the straight truth about what bugged me with this device to help people who have read all the bad stuff but wanted even more, lol.

It's ok that you like the device... But it's also ok for me to complain about it and give people more information as to why I don't like it. No, the perfect device does not exist. But without thoughtful criticism and various opinions from consumers like me, how would HP know what we want that could make their next device better than their last?

CodeBubba · 09-08-08, 10:52 AM

Je-ff,

Just because it didn't fit your situation doesn't mean the device "Sucks", though.

-CB