HP's Mini-Note 2133 Ultra Mobile PC (left) vs. the HP iPAQ 210 (right).

UMPC or PDA?

Hal, I'm an avid reader of your magazine and column, and I'd like your thoughts on something. I've been contemplating purchasing a Windows Mobile PDA, but Ultra Mobile PCs are becoming popular and a lot less expensive. For example, the HP Mini-Note 2133 can be had for about $500-700. By contrast, one of the latest Windows Mobile PDAs, the iPAQ 210, is approximately $450. The Mini-Note has an 8.9-inch screen—much larger than the 4-inch screen on the 210, yet the Mini-Note is still small enough to carry around.

Which one would you prefer and why? Why would someone pay $450 for a PDA as opposed to $600 for a small, but full-blown PC?

Burt Harris

Burt: I think the answer depends on how and where you plan to use the device. If you need an ultra portable, touch-typeable machine that can run apps designed for Windows Vista, the HP Mini-Note UMPC sounds pretty good. Initial reviews on the net are positive, and I'd like to try one. On the other hand, if you need a device that fits easily in your pocket with a screen that's large enough to do serious work, Windows Mobile is a reasonable choice and the iPAQ 210 is one of the best Windows Mobile PDAs available.

Note that the pricing is a little misleading. Like other Windows Mobile devices, the iPAQ comes with a built-in suite of apps, including Pocket Outlook and Office. It will cost you 100's of additional dollars to install desktop- equivalent software on the HP Mini-Note.

Hal Goldstein, Publisher, Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine