HP rejuvenates the iPAQ line

HP announced no fewer than 56 products yesterday at a press event in NYC, most of them refreshing the flagging iPAQ line.  Up front we find five devices:

1. iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger – 3G phone with QWERTY keyboard
2. iPAQ 600 Series Business Navigator – A two-in-one 3G phone and navigation device
3. iPAQ 300 Series Travel Companion – Handheld GPS device for business and personal travel featuring graphics acceleration and available 3D maps
4. iPAQ 200 Series Enterprise Handheld – Powerful, large screen PDA with Wi-Fi that is well-suited to run a broad range of business applications
5. iPAQ 100 Series Classic Handheld – Big screen, simple synchronization with personal content, and Wi-Fi connectivity make this sleek, affordable PDA an ideal phone companion

In addition to these devices HP also unveiled some software packages for enterprises:

• HP Enterprise Mobility Suite – Provides mobile device management capabilities that ease device deployments and management within the enterprise
• HP iPAQ Custom Touch – Small lot iPAQ customization conveniently preloads iPAQ devices with custom applications, themes and settings for enterprise customers
• HP iPAQ location-based services – A web destination where users can personalize their trip plans, map content and update device software
• HP Total Care – A suite of services to help iPAQ customers design, manage and implement business mobility, with application mobilization, one-stop help desk, and leasing and lifecycle management
• HP iPAQ Mobile Broadband Connect – Access the Internet on an HP notebook or PC through a tethered iPAQ 3G phone for high-speed mobile broadband connectivity

Full press release after the jump.

NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2007 – Extending the HP iPAQ handheld lineup with the largest product launch in the brand’s history, HP today unveiled 56 iPAQ-related products.

Because it takes more than a mobile device to make a business mobile, HP introduced five mobile devices, five mobile software programs, 12 mobile services and almost three dozen handheld accessories.

The new devices offer an array of mobile features tailored for business and personal use and include a pair of 3G mobile phones, a personal navigation device and two personal digital assistants (PDAs). The new services empower IT organizations with mobile device management, software customization, location-based services and HP Total Care.

“This unprecedented expansion of iPAQ product and services demonstrates HP’s dedication to the mobile space and to the needs of its business customers,” said Dave Rothschild, vice president, Handheld Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Businesses need IT companies to deliver fast, flexible and reliable mobility, and HP delivers on these needs with our new products, services and solutions. Business is about outcomes and iPAQ is about business.”

The expansion of the iPAQ product line features the following:

·          HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger – 3G phone with QWERTY keyboard

·          HP iPAQ 600 Series Business Navigator – A two-in-one 3G phone and navigation device

·          HP iPAQ 300 Series Travel Companion – Handheld GPS device for business and personal travel featuring graphics acceleration and available 3D maps

·          HP iPAQ 200 Series Enterprise Handheld – Powerful, large screen PDA with Wi-Fi that is well-suited to run a broad range of business applications

·          HP iPAQ 100 Series Classic Handheld – Big screen, simple synchronization with personal content, and Wi-Fi connectivity make this sleek, affordable PDA an ideal phone companion

·          HP Enterprise Mobility Suite – Provides mobile device management capabilities that ease device deployments and management within the enterprise

·          HP iPAQ Custom Touch – Small lot iPAQ customization conveniently preloads iPAQ devices with custom applications, themes and settings for enterprise customers

·          HP iPAQ location-based services – A web destination where users can personalize their trip plans, map content and update device software

·          HP Total Care – A suite of services to help iPAQ customers design, manage and implement business mobility, with application mobilization, one-stop help desk, and leasing and lifecycle management

·          HP iPAQ Mobile Broadband Connect – Access the Internet on an HP notebook or PC through a tethered iPAQ 3G phone for high-speed mobile broadband connectivity

Handhelds with business services

HP’s newest mobile phones offer mobile email, voice and access to critical enterprise applications, making it easy for busy professionals to stay on top of their work.(1,3,5) Users of the feature-packed HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger and HP iPAQ 600 Series Business Navigator can make calls and access the Internet in places around the world via tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/EDGE wireless technology, while integrated Wi-Fi allows for hot spot connectivity and VoIP capabilities.(1,3,5,6)

On-the-go professionals also will appreciate the long battery life and turn-by-turn navigation via Assisted GPS. Both devices feature HP iPAQ Device Connect software, simplifying high-speed connection to the Internet with a notebook PC anywhere high-speed cellular data networks are available.(1,5) In addition, built-in Voice Commander features, such as HP Voice Reply, enable hands-free emailing.(7)

The HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger features an alphanumeric QWERTY thumb keyboard and a predictive text tool for fast typing.

The HP iPAQ 600 Series Business Navigator features a 12-key design and is optimized for single-handed use. Its unique Smart Touch navigational wheel, embedded in the keypad, uses a simple circular motion of the thumb to scroll through email, zoom in and out of maps or browse file lists. As a two-in-one phone and navigator, the HP iPAQ 600 offers available maps and car kit for travelers needing to get places fast.(2)

The HP iPAQ 600 and 900 Series both run the Microsoft Windows® Mobile 6 Professional operating system and boast a 3-megapixel camera and a bright touch screen. They also feature quick upload to Snapfish, the leading online photo service. Users can upload photos taken with an iPAQ directly to their Snapfish account over-the-air.

The HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger and HP iPAQ 600 Series Business Navigator also support HP’s mobile device management solution, the HP Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS), for easy setup and over-the-air manageability. EMS 4.0 is now shipping and will shortly be fully integrated with HP Enterprise Discovery Software to provide customers with unified asset management of their iPAQ handhelds, desktops, notebooks and server devices.

With HP’s new iPAQ customization service, HP can deliver iPAQ devices configured to comply with key enterprise policies right out of the box, such as network and registry settings, content and preloaded applications.(4)

HP also is working with software companies to ensure essential business applications such as email, customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM) and mobile IP telephony applications are certified and supported.(3,6,8)

Personal Navigation Tour Guide

Ideally suited for business or personal travel, the HP iPAQ 300 Series Travel Companion’s high-resolution, 3D immersive navigation experience(2) comes complete with a premium entertainment system, Bluetooth™ phone connectivity(3) and web-based trip planning services(3) to help travelers make the most of the journey and the destination.(3)

Featuring a brilliant 800- by 480-pixel, 4.3-inch widescreen display, the HP iPAQ 300 provides resolution equivalent to full DVD-quality video. HP also has created a completely new exclusive user interface that offers fast and simple navigation. An online trip planning web portal debuting later this fall assists in tailoring travel itineraries, researching destination information and uploading routes and content to the iPAQ.

Customers can also connect to a Bluetooth phone and talk hands free. In addition, customers will enjoy playing MP3 music, videos and photos and pre-installed games.

PDAs for enterprise and personal productivity

The powerhouse HP iPAQ 200 Series Enterprise Handheld, with its big VGA 4-inch touch screen, sets a new standard for enterprise PDAs. The HP iPAQ 200 Series has the processing power to run a variety of enterprise applications or third-party vertical business solutions. With integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the device offers convenient mobile connectivity and can be used as a VoIP handset.(3,6)

HP extends the classic PDA tradition with the sleek and affordable HP iPAQ 100 Series Classic Handheld, just 13 mm thin. The ideal companion to a mobile phone, this elegant new PDA is designed to fit comfortably in the hand. Its large display makes content easy to see, as it shares and synchronizes Outlook Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and media. With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the latest Windows Mobile 6 operating system, the HP iPAQ 100 Series provides personal productivity and wireless connectivity – all at a great value.

Pricing and availability

Device price and availability will vary by country and region. For more information visit www.yourlifeistheshow.com  . More information on these HP iPAQ handhelds and other HP mobility solutions is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/Mobility2007  .

Comments

[cr0ft]

On the one hand, I really like that there is a pure PDA in there, with VGA no less. I figured that segment of the market was pretty much dead. Then on the other hand, I'm depressed that the more connected devices are all dragged down by QVGA.

The darn GPS gets the best screen, when that could easily have gotten by with QVGA (albeit probably not as prettily.)

I'm left wanting a combination of all those... a communicator with the 800x480 screen, a slide-out keyboard and built-in GPS.

Hang on, that's the HTC Omni, assuming it will match the rumors. Hmmm.

[Brian]

Going to put on the Great Karnak's turban (how's that for placing ones-self on the mobile device timeline?) for a second and pontificate uselessly;

The lineup looks good - assuming this was what the earlier post regarding feedback concerned?

For some reason though, a quote from a rather famous business leader concerning the great unwashed never needing anymore RAM than what he was willing to design for and offer popped into my head.

I did not find any mention of A/V out in the specs on the units - oversight on my part?
With such small screen/pixel real estate, the inability to drive larger displays seems like a deliberate repeat of that arrogance.

On top of that, WMP 6, more capable than ever, is still companion software for more significant offerings than a true stand-alone open self replicating OS.

The echoes from some important muckity muck making the following pronouncement pops into my head:

"Who would ever want a simple, elegant, expandable interface Phone/GPS/Camera/Long battery life/WiFi enabled Computer/Storage device that would be a true PDA that drives larger low-cost terminal solutions when they could have what we're offering?"

The real reason still and yet for the slow (relatively) rise of the truly personal computer would continue to be cost and market share dog-fighting.

Whoever successfully pierces that paradigm veil without the curse of the first (bankruptcy, lack of sustainable, enduring popular and historical credit) is going to own a huge portion of tech real estate for some time to come.

What this release of contenders appears to be is simply more safe jockeying amongst manufactures who each hold a piece of the market puzzle for a seat at the table than an outright attempt to take over the chairman's position.

Going out on a limb here but some of the DIY e-book reader developer kits quietly making the rounds are turning up interesting results that may yield up boutique solutions for individuals.
Making the leap from the hackers bench to widely available popular products still follows the same rules of chance that govern the genetic evolution of superior sports but it does happen so hope springs eternal in the breast of this consumer/tinkerer.

[Mike Cane]

James, do you intend to get that iPag 200 to play with -- er, study? Doesn't that have the same CPU as the HTC Advantage? Too bad I can't find price!