HP's Location-Savvy PDA

At $600, it's not cheap, but this gizmo offers GPS that works just as well in your hand as it does in your car

by Matt Vella

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Above-board styling, ease of use, fantastic navigation

The Bad: Limited GPS-PocketPC integration, basically just a super PDA

The Bottom Line: An elegant remedy for those disinclined to ask for directions

Reader Reviews

I wouldn't have guessed that one of life's most profound questions could be answered by a $600 gadget. But for me, Hewlett-Packard's new iPAQ rx5915 handheld device did exactly that.

Although it couldn't help me much with the metaphysical "Why am I here?" it did come through on the more panicked if less philosophical, "Where am I?" That's because this iPAQ packs a GPS receiver and well-designed navigation software from aftermarket GPS maker TomTom.

GPS is, without a doubt, the technology du jour. By way of sci-fi-caliber miniaturization, all manner of consumer electronics are becoming conscious of where they're going and, better yet, how to get there. The reduced size of GPS receivers allowed Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) PDA designers to entertain the what-if scenario that mated the two technologies into one device.

It's Fast

I'm glad they did, even if I'm not entirely sold on HP's pitch. The company has dubbed the rx5915 the "Travel Companion," and says it's targeted at highly active individuals who like to go on lots of trips.

To this end, HP masked the more hardcore Pocket PC functionality with a Quick Launch application that appears on screen when the device starts up. This simplified interface lets users select from a choice of options, including multimedia, travel and navigation, Web surfing, and typical PDA functions, like a calendar.

As a PDA, the iPAQ is everything you would expect from a modern handheld gadget running the Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC operating system. First of all, it's fast. It sports a 400Mhz processor, 64MB of SDRAM, and 2GB of flash memory. On top of that, it's equipped with Bluetooth and 802.11b/g for wireless telepathy of all kinds.

Even though the device has a secure digital (SD) memory-card slot, its small 2GB of space is unlikely to make it a multimedia jukebox anytime soon, especially since the maps of the U.S. and Canada that come preloaded take up more than half that space.

Sexy Red

Browsing the Web and syncing with a Windows PC or Windows Media Center PC to take TV shows or music on the go is a snap. The integrated speaker doesn't sound that great, but the unit has a handy headphone jack and is even compatible with HP's neat wireless, Bluetooth headphones.

At first glance, this iPAQ's case seems anonymous, swathed in glossy grey plastic with a lot of rounded edges. But there are a few nice details. Two of the four sides are concave and colored in a sexy iridescent red. This makes the unit easy to hold in one hand either upright or in landscape.

The real star of the show, however, is the integrated GPS receiver. Instead of reinventing the wheel, HP partnered with TomTom, installing that company's mature navigation software.

Select the Navigation function and the software starts up in mere seconds. If you've ever used a TomTom device or similar GPS system in a car, getting directions will come naturally. I found that entering text destinations was faster and easier than it is in a lot of dash-integrated systems offered as built-in options by most auto makers (see BusinessWeek.com, 8/28/06, "TomTom on the GoGo").

Live Dangerously

A nice side effect of having a GPS system that isn't integrated is that you can operate the system even while speeding along. Many built-in systems don't allow you to enter destinations while moving above speeds of 20 miles per hour. This means you—not a big corporation—get to decide if you want to live dangerously. Thanks, HP.

The user experience in a car, via the included accessories that allow you to attach the iPAQ to your dash or windshield, is identical to using any other aftermarket GPS system. HP included a speaker that does a good job of pumping out directions over road noise, telling you when and where to turn. All the nifty three-dimensional, flying animations are right there too.

The real enhancement, though, is that this unit is portable enough—it weighs only about 6 oz. with the battery inside—that it works equally well in hand as it does in the car. I particularly liked the feature that lists directions as a set of text instructions or series of images. This proved useful when I was studying a foot route while waiting in the subway.

Shop Around?

The screen is nice and bright and can be oriented either way with ease. But if you're going to use it as a GPS unit on a regular basis, prepare to live with landscape mode, which seems the most apt for navigating.

Certainly, $600 isn't cheap for a handheld these days. That's why, if the GPS integration is likely to be just a novelty for you, it's probably worth looking at another, less expensive model.

HP could do more to integrate its PDA functions with the GPS capability. As it is, using the rx9515 feels schizophrenic, alternating between PDA and GPS. But if you fit HP's active traveler profile or are looking for an aftermarket navigation unit that works in your car as well as in your hand, the rx5915 can't be beat.

Matt Vella is a writer for BusinessWeek.com in New York.