The h4355 also has a voice recorder button on the top left side and a headphone jack and a Secure Digital card slot (which can also take Multimedia Cards) on the top. A thumb-operated jog dial would have been a nice addition, especially for browsing through long Web pages.


iTask, iPAQ's Handy Switching Program

The device runs off a 400-MHz Intel XScale PXA255 processor, which is plenty fast for most tasks. It was the fastest Pocket PC processor out when the unit debuted, but the speed limit has already been raised by a few hundred megahertz. The h4355 also has 64MB RAM. The screen seems large at first glance, but that's only because of the length of the PDA. The screen is only a 3.5-inch, 240 by 320 pixel display, which is small compared to others on the market. It's capable of 64,000 colors and produced good color saturation in our testing.

One drawback to the h4355 is that it was introduced before Microsoft Windows Mobile 20003 Second Edition was released, so it still runs Windows Mobile 2003 Premium. That means the user misses out on the niceties of the updated OS, including the ability to view the screen sideways (in landscape mode) or the option to have Internet Explorer rearrange Web pages into one long column. The new OS may not have any must-have features, but they still make the experience easier.

We like the h4355's dock, which not only connects to your PC, but also charges a spare battery (available separately) while you power up your PDA. The battery is a bit larger than standard and holds a bit more charge. We got over four hours even with some wireless use. Having a spare battery would ensure that you'd be typing and tapping away for a whole work day, if you like.


iPAQ in its Charger

Besides the previously mention iTask, the software bundle includes a few other iPAQ extras, such as iPAQ Backup and iPAQ Image Zone, for viewing pictures. Image Zone is more than a viewer, and also lets you attach sounds or voice notes to pictures, giving you an easy way to create a simple presentation on your handheld.

Besides those titles, you'll find Pocket PC essentials like pocket versions of Word, Excel, Messenger, and MSN, as well as Microsoft Reader, the usual contact and calendar tools, and a few time-killing games.


Side

The keyboard is the first thing you'll notice with the HP iPAQ h4355, but it has a lot more than that going for it. If you never warmed up to a stylus and you're looking for a powerful Pocket PC for real business tasks, we say the h4355 is a great choice.