NEW IPAQ's

[sseligson]

Hello,

I currently have a Handspring Visor and I decided after 3 years it is time to make the switch.

I am in the process of price shopping. I think I want to get an IPAQ because of the expandability.

I originally was going to get the 3970 but I was in compusa today and the guy behind the counter told me that compaq was comming out with a brand new line of IPAQ's after the new year and this new line will be far superior then the existing line.

My first question is, Does anyone know anything about the new line of IPAQS or have you heard any gossip about it.

MY next question is shoud I A) Wait for the new line, B) buy a 3855 series now and sell when and if the new line comes out and is worth it, or C) Just buy the 3900 and take my chances on the new line.

Money is always a consideration. I found the 3955 for $500 and the 3835 for about $300.

Thanks

[sseligson]

Yesterday I posted a message looking for information on the IPAQ 5000. I found some. This is taken from the infosync web site let me know if anyone else hears anything.

Rumors have long buzzed about HP's new iPAQ H5000 series; now - in another infoSync first - we show you the line-up in hi-res and dish out the first bits of top-secret information.


Few handheld manufacturers are as high-profile as the post-merger HP, which is the biggest Pocket PC player and has the largest handheld market share in the world - next after Palm, that is. With interest spiking as wireless connectivity is becoming increasingly common in handheld devices, it is therefore no surprise that information would eventually surface about HP's new iPAQ H5000 series where wireless is key.


Ill: infoSync


Slated for release either late this year or early in 2003, the new iPAQ H5000 series - still branded under the Compaq name - will according to infoSync's sources be comprised of 6 models whose exact specifications remain a mystery. We've however been able to acquire some general information indicating that one model will feature integrated GPS, another integrated WLAN and a third integrated GSM/GPRS - and it's also likely to expect a model with integrated cellular connectivity targeted at the U.S. market utilizing CDMA, and perhaps even support for CDMA2000 1xRTT.

Bluetooth is another technology expected to be present, since Compaq/HP so far has brought the H3870 and H3970 models to market with integrated support for that wireless technology.

As is evident from the picture, some models will also feature biometric finger print scanners for increased security - a feature which is likely to be found in models targeted towards the enterprise. The last piece of information available so far suggests that some models will come with 128 MB RAM integrated, while others will have 64 MB to keep price down.

[sseligson]

HP to release two new iPaqs


By Richard Shim and Ian Fried
Staff Writers, CNET News.com
October 2, 2002, 12:05 PM PT


Hewlett Packard plans to release two new iPaq handhelds for the holidays, including its slimmest model yet and a high-end model with built-in wireless networking.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company will use the low-end model to go after the $200 to $400 midrange market, which accounts for half of all handheld shipments, according to Cindy Box, a marketing director for handhelds at HP. Like its predecessors, the device has four buttons, a brushed-metal case and a color screen. However, the new device is far thinner and smaller, and also includes a Secure Digital expansion slot. In an interview, Box briefly demonstrated the device. However she declined to provide specifications and pricing for the new models.

HP is also aiming at corporate users with the high-end device, which includes built-in 802.11b wireless and Bluetooth capabilities along with a built-in fingerprint reader that can be used to give a device owner exclusive access to the machine. The high-end unit will be priced in the $400 to $650 range, a niche that Box said accounts for a third of all handheld shipments.




Future versions of the high-end unit will include the built-in ability to connect with cellular networks, starting with the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network.

"We're broadening our market reach and will address a range of price bands…we want to continue to innovate as we have in the past," said Box.

On Monday, display company ViewSonic announced its first Pocket PC 2002-based handheld, which will be available Nov. 1, priced at $299. The midrange market is one Microsoft and its Pocket PC 2002 OS hardware partners will pursue aggressively in hopes of growing the market and their share of it.

"As our market base grows, we have to move into different price bands to grow the market and offer a complete portfolio of products to customers," said Ed Suwanjindar, a spokesman for Microsoft. "Attacking the low- and midrange tiers is absolutely a priority for us."

Suwanjindar added that with its 29 licensees, Microsoft will seek to address all market niches with several different partners in each.

In addition, Dell Computer has announced its intention of selling a handheld and is said to be targeting the low-end of the device market. Palm is also moving to address lower segments of the market with a $99 device, expected to debut Oct. 7.

"With more price points, more people are likely to use Pocket PC devices, which will help to grow the market," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with research firm Jupiter Research. "Pocket PC (devices) have not really been able to play in the midrange in the past, so this should help them to compete better."

Gartenberg added that as more niches appear, the high-end is not likely to be affected dramatically. The situation will instead gives manufacturers the option to build more high-end features into devices, such as fingerprint and other biometric readers.

"Security on handhelds is a particularly big issue, as is getting people to use the security features," said Gartenberg. The easier security features are to put to work, the more likely business workers are to protect their devices with them, Gartenberg added.