New to PDAs advise please on a HP IPAQ HX 4700

Hi thanks in advance on any replys, I am looking at this model basically for the screen size,so when on Hols and on night shift, I can watch films /tv series etc.... also want to ues it for GPS in car, and would realy like to use in the mountains for walking, here and abroad, this is the bit I am unsure about ? what do you think ! is this a good model, or would I be best with another .
Thanks Phil

[mikealder]

Its a great device, with it having a VGA screen it can display maps with far greater detail, putting something like Memory Map on the device for the OS Topo maps is a great way to use the unit. You will need a GPS receiver though as the 4700 doesn't have one, you could use either Bluetooth or a CF card receiver, I use a Holux CF GR-271 receiver with the 4700, it seems to use less battery power than with the Bluetooth switched on!

Consider a waterproof case to house the device and protect against drops/ knocks and bangs, the 4700 fits inside the Otter Box 1900 case very well, they even make a specific screen membrane for the case when using it with a 4700.

Whilst the 4700 is by now quite an old PDA it is still one of the better units, most more modern devices have smaller screens which isn't great when you want to use it for mapping. - Mike

[Martin Laverty]

The 214 replaced the 4700.
Buy HP iPAQ 214
Similar specification but with Windows mobile 6.

We should be getting some Loox N560's over the next 2 weeks. Its a similar spec to the 214 and 4700 although its a 3.5" VGA screen. The GPS receiver is built into this one though so you dont need a separate unit. Ours also come with a hi capacity battery.
Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket LOOX N560 Specs | Technical Specifications | PDAdb.net - Comprehensive Database of PDA, PDA Phone, Smartphone, PNA & Handheld Computers Specifications

I second mikealder--the hx4700 is great. Besides the screen's size, it's especially bright, making it much better than anything else I've seen for use outdoors or in a car. It's also got a little light-level detector and automatic dimming (so it won't blind you in the car at night). It's quite solid and reliable.

I recommend a bluetooth GPS with the SiRF III chipset--you'll spend less time waiting to get a signal and see less bouncing around on screen when you're in areas where the signal might be affected by nearby tall buildings. Plus, if you get one with a built-in datalogger, you can carry it even when you're not using the PDA and record where you've been to do things like geotag your digital photos. Finally, vs. the ones that fit in the CF slot, it's a lot easier to carry the iPAQ in a protective case in one pocket and the GPS in another than to carry one big ungainly combo that doesn't fit in a protective case and is too fragile to even think abot putting in a pocket.

The one weakness of the hx4700 is in the switch that detects whether the battery door is open. It only affects you when changing the battery, which is something that 95% of users never do (if your iPAQ has this problem, you have to use the built-in backup program to make a backup before changing the battery, then restore from that backup afterwards--so you can still change the battery without losing anything, but it takes five minutes instead of 30 seconds). To see if an iPAQ has this problem, when it's fully charged, turn it off. Wait 10 seconds or so. Slide the battery cover lock switch to the unlocked position, then wait another couple of seconds. Now remove the battery for a few seconds, then put it back. Slide the battery cover lock switch to the locked position. Push the power button. If the switch worked, you'll get a blue screen as the iPAQ reboots, and after 30 seconds or so you'll be at the normal today screen (if the switch is still working after all this time, it'll probably keep working--seems to be a matter of either getting a good one or a bad one from the factory, not of wearing out over time). If the switch didn't work, nothing will happen when you push the power button--you'll have to hit the reset button on the bottom and then have to set the OS up again, starting with calibrating the touchscreen. Again, most people never change the battery, so even if the flaw is there they'll never know it, and most people who do buy an extra battery change it only rarely, so the extra time to make and restore from a backup are only a rare, minor inconvenience--so unless you really expect to take a lot of 6 hour hikes with GPS on all the time, don't reject an iPAQ because it has this problem--instead, if the problem is there use it to bargain the price down (I sell a dictionary system based on the hx4700, and I sell the ones with the switch problem for $100 less).