iPAQ Rocks With The 111

I've had the iPAQ 111 for almost 1 1/2 months, but I've been putting off writing this review for one reason.... there's just so much to cover! So, I decided I'd give it a try and cover the basics and some of the cool features. First of all, this is the third pocket pc I've owned, the first was an iPAQ 3135 (black and white), then I had a Toshiba e335 (my introduction to color) and now this, the iPAQ 111. By far, this is the best of all for numerous reasons.

Size
The size of this thing is great and can easily fit in a shirt pocket, pants pocket, etc... The dimensions are 2.71" (w) x 0.54" (d) x 4.49" (h) and weighs only 3.68 oz. The 3 1/2" screen (diagonal) with 240 x 320 resolution is the perfect size and can even be used for personal viewing of movies.

Today Screen
The "desktop" and main homepage of any pocket pc is the Today Screen. Therefore, this screen becomes the most important and should maintain a nice, clean look and feel while still providing the vitals. Between Windows Mobile 6 and HP's added features, the Today Screen has everything I could need. Besides the typical day, time and owner information, the iPAQ Wireless line provides you with a shortcut to enable/disable Bluetooth and/or WIFI as well as jump to the windows to configure these features. The next line displays your battery life, memory available, space available on the device and on the optional SD Memory card, and finally a slider to adjust the brightness of the screen. Next, when configured with your pop3 email account, you can view your the number of unread emails you have and then simply tap it to begin reading them. Finally, it shows you any upcoming meetings, appointments and tasks you may have. I personally found the Today Screen to be excellent, however after installing the "MohairSofa Calendar +" program (a free download) it made it perfect!

Technical
This little baby comes with the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic operating system, a 624MHz Marvell PXA310 processor and 64MB of memory. Now, if that's not enough, no big deal... The expansion slot is capable of taking a 4GB SDHC (high capacity) memory card which is great for storing all your digital pictures, mp3's, movies, etc! UPDATE: Thanks to npeabody for the clarification, the iPAQ 111 is capable of taking even larger memory cards than 4GB! His comment states he's using a 8GB SDHC.... SWEET!!!

Battery life on the iPAQ 111 varies based on a lot of different things. For example, if you have Bluetooth or WIFI on, this can easily drain from the battery and quickly run it down. However, I only turn these on when needed and I use it for typical business use (checking email, appointments, games during those long, boring meetings, etc..). With that said, the battery lasts me a couple days and definitely through the weekend before I have to recharge it.

Wireless
With WLAN 802.11b, WLAN 802.11g and Bluetooth integration, what more could a person want? The WIFI allows me to easily connect to any wireless network, and I do mean ANY! This thing is like a basset hound, sniffing out any and every wireless network. Once found, a message appears with the option to either connect or reject. If it's your own wireless network at the top of the preferred list, then it just automatically connects and doesn't even ask.

The Bluetooth integration allows me to sync files back and forth between my computer, cell phone and other Bluetooth devices with ease. However, one of the best features is the ability to select a phone number from my Contacts and automatically dial the phone number on my cell phone. Besides sounding cool, this looks even cooler when you're in a meeting and have to call someone without dialing a single number!

Extras
Microphone- The built in microphone allows for easy voice memos and is easily accessible from a button on the side of the pocket pc.

5-Way Navigation - One thing I love about the iPAQ's is the 5 way navigation pad. This is great if you have a page with a lot of scrolling or if you want to play some games (like Tetris, Pac-Man, etc...). Trying to navigate some of those games with a stylus can be a real pain!

Audio - As I mentioned above, I purchased a 4GB SDHC memory card and have all my mp3's installed on it. Using this, with the Microsoft Media Player has GREAT sound quality! I use this to play music while I'm on the train, bus, at my desk, etc... Due to the delicateness of the PDA, I wouldn't recommend working out with this as your source of music, but if you're in one place and want to watch a movie or listen to music, it's great.

Programs - Some of the programs that come with the iPAQ 111 include: ActiveSync, BT Phone Manager, ClearVue PDF, EMA, File Explorer, Internet Sharing, Messaging, Windows Messenger, Notes, HP Photosmart Mobile, Pictures and Videos, Tasks, Windows Live, Windows Media, Internet Explorer, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, Word Mobile, Bubble Breaker, and Solitaire. HP did a great job with taking the already wonderful WM6 and beefing it up a little bit with a couple of their own programs.

In the box
Out of the box, the iPAQ 111 includes a USB Sync Cable, a black Soft Slip Case, AC power adapter, Power Cable, owners manual and CD's.

Final Conclusion
I could go on forever talking about all the different features this model has, but I think you get the picture. After owning three Pocket PC's over the past 6-7 years, iPAQ has continues to be the top of the line in my book. Everything is easy to use, navigate and customizable. I have already recommended this product to several people and will continue to recommend it in the future.