For the paranoid among us - and those with corporate data to protect - HP unveils the security-conscious iPAQ hx2750. Anthony Newman bribes the bouncer for a look.
Review summary of the HP iPAQ hx2750:
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 Although aimed squarely at enterprises, the hx2750 is a great Pocket PC for any market. With dual slots, dual wireless, a big battery and plenty of speed and memory, it’s a powerhouse, while its excellent design and build-quality (three cheers for the return of the flip-cover) make it perfect for the pocket. With the very useful fingerprint scanner thrown in too, the only downsides are the lack of a VGA screen and the high enterprise price tag. Price: $550.
Pros: Truly excellent specifications and design; usable and strong security
Cons: No VGA screen; pricey for consumers
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Full HP iPAQ hx2750 Review:
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The hx2750 is at the top of HP's new trio of enterprise-targeted Pocket PCs, and as a result it plays to the preoccupations of corporate customers - security and availability. But is it good value for its enterprise-level price tag?
Design
The iPAQ hx2750 is a handsome devil in gun-metal grey and black, and won't look out of place in meetings. At 119 x 76 x 16 mm, and weighing 164 g, it's chunky, wide and hefty, but this gives more an impression of solidity than bulk. Rubberised sides make this a very comfortable handheld to hold and use.
Covering the front of the unit is a smoked-grey flip-cover, reminiscent of the lovely old Jornadas. This is both practical and stylish, and reflects the rugged construction of the device - it won't need a case.
Underneath the flip cover is the 16-bit TFT QVGA display, which is of high quality. Some may wonder why it's not VGA, like in other high-end devices; the answer must be that VGA is still a novelty with a primarily media-led focus and with the current version of Windows Mobile 2003 isn't utilized to its fullest, and as such HP opted for a more cost-effective solution.
Above the screen is a front-mounted power button, twin LEDs for notifications, wireless status and charging. Below the screen sit the buttons: a four-way d-pad with separate enter button, in silver, and four grey plastic application buttons. All are easy enough to use but aren't outstanding.
Just above the buttons are speaker and microphone grilles, and the centrepiece of the unit: a fingerprint scanner. This does cramp the buttons somewhat, but is easy to use and unobtrusive. We'll come on to its functionality later.
On the left side of the unit is a rubberised record button, while the right side is devoid of features. The bottom holds a standard iPAQ socket (for use with the rather nice included cradle) and the reset hole, while the top features the IR port, headphone socket, stylus silo and both CF and SD card slots. Finally, the back of the unit holds the battery-access hatch. Readers will notice the absence of a camera - hardly a priority in an enterprise environment.
Connectivity
As well as standard IR and serial connections, the hx2750 does well in the connectivity department, featuring Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Both are controllable from the usual HP management application, and feature the usual range of profiles, options and security features, including WPA, WEP, 802.1x and LEAP. Performance was just fine, as expected.
An SDIO-capable Secure Digital slot is provided, as is a Compact Flash slot, meaning there's plenty of opportunity for expansion and additional memory with the widest range of accessories.
Specifications
Believing the enterprise market to have the desire for only the best - and the bank balance to afford it - HP haven't skimped on power. An Intel PXA270, running at 624 MHz, powers the unit to very high performance results and an overall feeling of speed. In the memory department, a whopping 124 MB of RAM is complemented by an 85 MB file store for plenty of storage all round.
The battery is a removable 1440 mAh Lithium Ion, which with normal usage of the extensive feature set can struggle on for some 5 hours - quite impressive. There's a Ni-MH battery as backup to make sure sensitive data survives.
Software
HP has loaded the hx2750 with Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Second Edition, meaning screen rotation and other improvements are supported. In terms of software additions, HP has focused on utilities and other functions relevant to the enterprise - like security.
To power the fingerprint scanner, HP has provided ProtectTools, which are easy to set up with a PIN, numerous fingers, secret questions and suchlike. Every time the device is turned on, a PIN or finger must be provided, or the device stays locked and encrypted. Optionally, if the wrong answer is provided too many times, the software can hard reset the device.
Encryption is customisable to cover data, and includes a variety of strengths from AES through Triple DES and Blowfish to 'Lite'. It's clever, quick and easy to use (essential for security), and in our distinctly non-expert tests couldn't be bypassed. Even consumers will love this feature in the age of misplaced devices. For enterprises, it's a necessity as the regulatory landscape gets more defined.
Other software includes HP mobile printing, iPAQ Backup, iTask, Print Manager, How Do I, HP Image Zone and Terminal Services client - all of which are familiar from recent iPAQs and are good applications. Further additions include a system-monitoring today screen plugin, which is useful, the standard iPAQ audio settings, and a clever settings tab for configuring profiles, as on mobile phones. These cover alerts, backlight, power and wireless settings for different situations.
So, not a huge software package, but for the intended audience applications such as Nevo's universal remote control software are hardly a priority.
Availability
The HP iPAQ hx2750 is at the time of writing available in markets worldwide for a recommended price of $550 USD.
Price and availability
The HP iPAQ hx2750 will start selling for $550 () in November 1999.
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