Is is worth buying HP IPaq?

iPAQ is a product line of personal digital assistants (PDAs) that were originally manufactured by Compaq. Since the acquisition of Compaq by Hewlett-Packard products are sold under the HP label.

The operating system is Pocket PC or Windows Mobile from Microsoft is used, which is similar to using the familiar Windows operating systems on desktop PCs. It is operated via a touch screen, often used applications are placed on separate hardware keys (such as calendar, contacts, etc.). Entering text via an on screen keyboard on the touchscreen or handwriting recognition. Some newer models also have a numeric or alpha-numeric keyboard.

Prior to the acquisition of Compaq iPAQs were delivered with an advanced interface.They made ​​it possible to extend the so-called PDA with sleeves (also known as jackets).The holders are, in which the PDA can be inserted and set the various functions. There were sleeves with Compact Flash slot and a PCMCIA slot (also supports dual PCMCIA slot) and two sleeves of each versions with and without integrated battery. Later versions with Bluetooth, VGA port, GPS, and other enhancements have been developed.

The operating system comes with the iPAQ Windows CE or Windows Mobile models from the hx2xxx used. Since the hx2190/hx2490 and hx2790 models is pre-installed Windows Mobile 5.0, which usually (as here) uses flash memory instead of RAM which the data stored on the device are no longer lost when the battery is flat.
Although installed in the original state, the operating system is Windows Mobile, there are ports to Linux as GPE Palmtop Environment, OPIE or Qtopia.

The iPAQ models were just thinking in the early days for professional use. Due to the large expansion opportunities, especially through the PCMCIA sleeve, this was underlined. Thus it was possible to use conventional technology to laptop directly into a PDA. Only the driver had to be adjusted. Some manufacturers still offer to devices to iPAQ devices, for example, directly with GPS, instruments, tactical (military) radio devices, wireless and modem to connect or upgrade to hard drives, digital cameras. Many of these enhancements are now available for other PDA. The iPAQ was not the first PDA, the variety offered by this extension, but it was the device that had first so widespread, that it was attractive to manufacturers. There are also manufacturers who pack the iPAQ inner life in industrial-scale housing and market under their own product. Thus, these devices are suitable for P54 or even suitable for hazardous applications.