Childrens Toyshop
Welcome to The Childrens Toyshop, here you will find all the latest and traditional toys in our toyshop. You can search and locate the best selling Toys Games & Puzzles to purchase online and have delivered to the door. We have a large selection of Electronics with reviews.
Back to Home Page > Go back a page
Electronics : HP iPAQ 214 Pocket PC
1 2
Rating: 
- Works well but no advantage over a Smartphone
I have been using a PDA of some kind for at least 12 years but it is now a dying product. The bottom line is that the IPAQ 214 offers no significant computing advantages over my 3 year old O2 XDA II Smartphone. I have also found that because PDAs are getting less support from the manufacturers I have had problems in getting accessories such as extra stylus pens. Having said this, after a few months use it has worked fine with no need to reset as yet. My only negative comment is that it feels quite delicate in construction and that it would break if dropped (as opposed to my O2 XDA that is built like a tank).
The bottom line is that I can't really recommend PDAs any longer because some of the Smartphone are as good as PDAs, if not better. But if you really want to buy one then this is a good and reasonably priced model.
Rating:
- Great Standalone PDA
This is my first PDA so I do not have any prior experience for comparison. However, if like me you were/are on the lookout for a standalone PDA (without phone) then this is the product for you. Below I have highlighted a list of pros and cons from my perspective.
Pro
* SCREEN (4" transflective TFT, 260K colours, 640 x 480 pixel touch panel display with LED backlight) - fabulous, I love it! ...this is definitely one of its best points. The colour is very good and image is sharp.
* Battery life - It is better than other PDAs out there. Personally I use it a lot and find it isn't enough (2200 battery) so I am upgrading to the monster 4400 battery.
* Set up + installation - easy enough.
* Operating System- Windows Mobile 6
* Expansion - both a CompactFlash and a separate SDHC card slot allows this device to use a 32 GB memory card in each slot for a maximum total of 64 GB of storage......now that a lot of memory!
* Connectivity (Integrated Wireless Integrated WLAN 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR)- I have only used WLAN, which was easy to setup and use.
* Cables and Connectors - AC adapter and mini-USB Port. The AC adapter allows you to both sync and charge the device.
Cons
* Speakers (audio) - poor volume. There are two speakers, but they do not work together at the same time. I hope iPAQ will fix this issue, as it is a major disadvantage of this product. As far as GPS goes, you can forget about (IMHO).
* No cradle
* D-pad -some have commented this is poorly designed. Personally, I do have an issue with it.
* Compatibility issues - It has come to light on many forums that CF cards put a huge drain on the system and some people have gone as far as not even using CF cards and only using SDHC cards. Also, others have found problems with software. Personally, I have not had any trouble with the software I have installed.
* Slip case - this will do if you just want something to protect the product while not in use. However, I prefer something that opens out, so I had to invest in a PDAair case.
* No handbook - minor point but for something that costs this much I would have liked a hard copy. You have to go to the HP website to download the handbook
* Cost of other products - for the first timers among you, remember in evaluating the overall cost you need to account for things like software (in my case medical software, backup software e.g. Sprite, today screen e.g. spb pocket plus (the one installed is very basic), Styletap (so one can use Palm software, as a lot free medical programmes are in Palm format, although many are now doing windows), Opera software if you do not like internet explorer...etc...the list is endless and the sky is the limit); ? new case; screen protectors...etc. The cost of things soon adds up.
Overall, I would recommend this product to others. It is a top of the line standalone PDA, where the strengths outweigh the weaknesses (apart from the audio that is!!). I hope this review helps other novices like me.
Rating: - Good but not great.
I bought the iPAQ214 to replace my iPAQ1940 which I dropped (boo hoo). It's an impressive looking piece of kit with all the functionality you'd expect from an HP product. The screen is excellent and remains useable even in bright sunlight. The 214's wireless connectivity is a big step up from my old PDA and seems to work well (it's interesting to see just how many unsecured networks there are out there!). There are some negative points though. The first thing that struck me was the size; it's a lot larger than the 1940 and doesn't fit in the hand as snuggly (and I've got monster hands!). It also won't fit in my shirt pocket. The second thing is the touch sensitivity of the screen. My old PDA responded to even the lightest touch but the 214 seems to need quite a firm press which can make entering lots of text a bit of a chore. Lastly, the battery seems to run down quite quickly.
Overall though, it's useable and reasonable value for money.
Rating:
- Nice clear VGA screen but annoying hiss
I bought this to replace my dead iPAQ 2210 and I was impressed with its very clear display very good for reading pdfs watching DVDs, however there is a loud background hiss which is very annoying when listening to something quiet. Unfortunately Im not the only one to spot this, this is a common problem with this device and hp have provided no resolution, so I had to return mine as faulty. But thinking about buying this again when the problem is sorted I dont think I could be bothered for over £200 for what I paid for it you could spend the same and get twice the functions e.g. MWg Atom V. The only positive it has is its screen size, but who cares when Laptops are getting so cheap now, to me this device is BORING and nothing new from my 2210 which is 4 years old. I wouldnt pay more than £130 for this paper weight
Disappointing HP invest in R&D next time.
Rating: - iPAQ 214 review
The iPAQ 214 has its quirks. The buttons I find too low in the device. If they were a little prouder it would be easier to change pages while reading e-books in bed at night. It is also not so comfortable in the hand as my older iPAQ h1930 running windows CE 4.20. I have only had the iPAQ214 for a few days but one thing that does irritate is the seemingly missing ability to scroll to the next page in a large documents. It scrolls to the next highlighted word, but that is not the same thing.
I tried a 4gig SD card to view the 3.3 gig Wikipedia I purchased but it would not work. But on the compact flash card it works a treat, so I am very pleased, as my old h1930 could not see anything over 2 gigs.
The larger screen is a nice bonus, and makes it suitable for night reading. The battery life is impressive, after reading for an hour and a half I still had 85% power left, way better than my old PDA.
Windows mobile 6 take a little getting used to, but I am sure it will be fine. Internet connecting could not have been easier. It is a nice bit of kit, not so convenient to handle as the 3.5 inch, but worth it.
I thought long and hard before buying this, and I am glad I did. Amazon were incredibly quick to deliver post free. It arrived the very next day after ordering. Apart from the low profile buttons which make it a little difficult to hold and manoeuvre the device without it slipping, I am well pleased. It does not feel as sturdy as my iPAQ h1930, and the back case is not so rigid. Also the stylus is a pain, the end piece that slots so neatly into the case when done, sticks into your finger when you write. Summing up. 7 out of 10.
- Works well but no advantage over a SmartphoneI have been using a PDA of some kind for at least 12 years but it is now a dying product. The bottom line is that the IPAQ 214 offers no significant computing advantages over my 3 year old O2 XDA II Smartphone. I have also found that because PDAs are getting less support from the manufacturers I have had problems in getting accessories such as extra stylus pens. Having said this, after a few months use it has worked fine with no need to reset as yet. My only negative comment is that it feels quite delicate in construction and that it would break if dropped (as opposed to my O2 XDA that is built like a tank).
The bottom line is that I can't really recommend PDAs any longer because some of the Smartphone are as good as PDAs, if not better. But if you really want to buy one then this is a good and reasonably priced model.
Rating:
- Great Standalone PDAThis is my first PDA so I do not have any prior experience for comparison. However, if like me you were/are on the lookout for a standalone PDA (without phone) then this is the product for you. Below I have highlighted a list of pros and cons from my perspective.
Pro
* SCREEN (4" transflective TFT, 260K colours, 640 x 480 pixel touch panel display with LED backlight) - fabulous, I love it! ...this is definitely one of its best points. The colour is very good and image is sharp.
* Battery life - It is better than other PDAs out there. Personally I use it a lot and find it isn't enough (2200 battery) so I am upgrading to the monster 4400 battery.
* Set up + installation - easy enough.
* Operating System- Windows Mobile 6
* Expansion - both a CompactFlash and a separate SDHC card slot allows this device to use a 32 GB memory card in each slot for a maximum total of 64 GB of storage......now that a lot of memory!
* Connectivity (Integrated Wireless Integrated WLAN 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR)- I have only used WLAN, which was easy to setup and use.
* Cables and Connectors - AC adapter and mini-USB Port. The AC adapter allows you to both sync and charge the device.
Cons
* Speakers (audio) - poor volume. There are two speakers, but they do not work together at the same time. I hope iPAQ will fix this issue, as it is a major disadvantage of this product. As far as GPS goes, you can forget about (IMHO).
* No cradle
* D-pad -some have commented this is poorly designed. Personally, I do have an issue with it.
* Compatibility issues - It has come to light on many forums that CF cards put a huge drain on the system and some people have gone as far as not even using CF cards and only using SDHC cards. Also, others have found problems with software. Personally, I have not had any trouble with the software I have installed.
* Slip case - this will do if you just want something to protect the product while not in use. However, I prefer something that opens out, so I had to invest in a PDAair case.
* No handbook - minor point but for something that costs this much I would have liked a hard copy. You have to go to the HP website to download the handbook
* Cost of other products - for the first timers among you, remember in evaluating the overall cost you need to account for things like software (in my case medical software, backup software e.g. Sprite, today screen e.g. spb pocket plus (the one installed is very basic), Styletap (so one can use Palm software, as a lot free medical programmes are in Palm format, although many are now doing windows), Opera software if you do not like internet explorer...etc...the list is endless and the sky is the limit); ? new case; screen protectors...etc. The cost of things soon adds up.
Overall, I would recommend this product to others. It is a top of the line standalone PDA, where the strengths outweigh the weaknesses (apart from the audio that is!!). I hope this review helps other novices like me.
Rating:
- Good but not great.I bought the iPAQ214 to replace my iPAQ1940 which I dropped (boo hoo). It's an impressive looking piece of kit with all the functionality you'd expect from an HP product. The screen is excellent and remains useable even in bright sunlight. The 214's wireless connectivity is a big step up from my old PDA and seems to work well (it's interesting to see just how many unsecured networks there are out there!). There are some negative points though. The first thing that struck me was the size; it's a lot larger than the 1940 and doesn't fit in the hand as snuggly (and I've got monster hands!). It also won't fit in my shirt pocket. The second thing is the touch sensitivity of the screen. My old PDA responded to even the lightest touch but the 214 seems to need quite a firm press which can make entering lots of text a bit of a chore. Lastly, the battery seems to run down quite quickly.
Overall though, it's useable and reasonable value for money.
Rating:
- Nice clear VGA screen but annoying hiss I bought this to replace my dead iPAQ 2210 and I was impressed with its very clear display very good for reading pdfs watching DVDs, however there is a loud background hiss which is very annoying when listening to something quiet. Unfortunately Im not the only one to spot this, this is a common problem with this device and hp have provided no resolution, so I had to return mine as faulty. But thinking about buying this again when the problem is sorted I dont think I could be bothered for over £200 for what I paid for it you could spend the same and get twice the functions e.g. MWg Atom V. The only positive it has is its screen size, but who cares when Laptops are getting so cheap now, to me this device is BORING and nothing new from my 2210 which is 4 years old. I wouldnt pay more than £130 for this paper weight
Disappointing HP invest in R&D next time.
Rating:
- iPAQ 214 reviewThe iPAQ 214 has its quirks. The buttons I find too low in the device. If they were a little prouder it would be easier to change pages while reading e-books in bed at night. It is also not so comfortable in the hand as my older iPAQ h1930 running windows CE 4.20. I have only had the iPAQ214 for a few days but one thing that does irritate is the seemingly missing ability to scroll to the next page in a large documents. It scrolls to the next highlighted word, but that is not the same thing.
I tried a 4gig SD card to view the 3.3 gig Wikipedia I purchased but it would not work. But on the compact flash card it works a treat, so I am very pleased, as my old h1930 could not see anything over 2 gigs.
The larger screen is a nice bonus, and makes it suitable for night reading. The battery life is impressive, after reading for an hour and a half I still had 85% power left, way better than my old PDA.
Windows mobile 6 take a little getting used to, but I am sure it will be fine. Internet connecting could not have been easier. It is a nice bit of kit, not so convenient to handle as the 3.5 inch, but worth it.
I thought long and hard before buying this, and I am glad I did. Amazon were incredibly quick to deliver post free. It arrived the very next day after ordering. Apart from the low profile buttons which make it a little difficult to hold and manoeuvre the device without it slipping, I am well pleased. It does not feel as sturdy as my iPAQ h1930, and the back case is not so rigid. Also the stylus is a pain, the end piece that slots so neatly into the case when done, sticks into your finger when you write. Summing up. 7 out of 10.