HP iPAQ 5550HP made its entry into the world of PDA’s a while back; with the high price of R&D they appear to have shelved the idea a while to focus on other components of their more successful business models. But the Summer of 2003 saw the introduction of a new model, the iPAQ 5550; heralded at the time as ‘excellent’ and everything the previous model should have been and more. Unfortunately the squeeze of too many products in the market place saw the discontinuation of the HP iPAQ 5550; but let’s have a look and see what this model PDA brought to the table.iPAQ 5550 ran on Pocket PC 2003 OS (Windows Mobile) and included an Intel Xscale processor which ran at 400MHz. With 128 MB RAM, it ran at double what most of the deluxe pocket PC’s run at still. All that RAM may have been found to have been too costly or prohibitive in some other way; people still love their computers, after all; make the PDA too effective and they may never sit down at a terminal again. iPAQ 5550 model also comes equipped with a SD slot which supports SDIO; unfortunately for the user, there was no CF slot which may have further inhibited the growth of the iPAQ 5550 model PDA. The SD slot which was included did the trick though; with high marks in memory card access and write times. There was also the built in benefit of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the 5550, making it virtually accessible and portable anywhere a wireless signal can be had. With it’s transflective 65K color screen as well as the 3.8” LCD screen, the iPAQ 5550 was not only easy on the eyes but also brought vibrant color to the Pocket PC. Games, alarms, as well as MP3’s all were ‘loud’ – that is, they could be heard, which continues to be a problem with some PDA’s. The iPAQ 5550 also comes equipped with a voice recorder; you won’t be hanging up any Grammy’s for a cappella PDA recordings (though I’ll rue the day when that award IS handed out) but the voice recorder gets the job done. Some may think it’s foolish to talk about the ancillary functions of a discontinued PDA, but if you’re still walking around with a 5550 iPAQ, you want to know the basics. There are numerous sleeves, protectors, and cases available for your use. If you head to any store that sells the PDA’s, you should be able to easily locate an applicable case to protect your unit. Cases for the iPAQ 5550 should still be available. Look no further than your retailer for a wide array of HP aluminum cases that add that little bit of extra protection on your new unit. If you’re still a user, you’d also need to power up your unit. Like your morning cup of java, power is the essential piece to the complex puzzle of digital communications. Without the juice, connection will be lost so it’s a wise idea to investigate your power source type and availability before you get your PDA. While not a lot of information is available on the iPAQ 5550 battery anymore, if you head on over to your electronics retailer, they should be able to help. Especially at a discontinued CPU store or online, spare batteries for extended life may still be available. While HP and Compaq continue to make great products, the PDA is something they seem to have struck out on in this round. But don’t count them out; like the great prize fighter, the wayward sway of the computer industry loves a comeback.
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