I know the built in wireless options are one of the biggest pulls for this PDA; the other being the screen (these are the 2 big ones that come to mind right now).

My BIG question is, if you already have a 3900, what is the compulsion to make the switch? Is it just the wireless and perhaps the biometric security, or is the screen on the 5400 BETTER than the screen on the 3900?

I am really interested in this PDA. I love my 3900; but I'm (finally, after about 2 years...) getting tired of carrying the PC Card Sleeve with it everywhere I go so that I always have my music. I'd like to find someway of leaving the PC Card Sleeve in the car (where I listen to most of my music). I'm also tired of my Targus CH300 wallet case being too skinny. I've got everything in my case (credit cards, $$ and receipts, check book, passport, business cards, and iPAQ. The case is, quite seriously, just slightly over stuffed (believe it or not), and I'm really wanting to use the Style Paq that came with the 3955 so that I can carry my iPAQ in my case without running the battery down (the application buttons keep getting pushed when the case is zippered shut and then belted closed with the velcro strap. As a result, the unit unknowingly gets turned on and remains on, draining the battery).

I use the PC Card Sleeve in the Office for 802.11b connectivity, but wouldn't need it with the 5400 because of its inheirant (SP) wireless connectivity.

So again, what is, if any, the big compulsion to switch from the 3900 to the 5400? If its all 4 wireless options (802.11b, BT, Serial IR and Consumer IR) the screen (because its even better than the 3900 screen) and the bio security, then this is a slam dunk and a no brainer. If the screen is the same in the 5400 as in the 3900, then I'm going to need to consider this a bit more before I purchase one.

If you could consider this during your review, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Kind Regards,

Christopher Spera

Chris,

Unfortunately, neither Judie or myself have a 3900 to compare screen quality. I'll try to find out if they do use the same screen. I do know that the screen on the 5455 is a billion times nicer than my 3800!

I'm planning on doing some major bonding with this new PDA over the weekend. I have both Bluetooth and WiFi setup at home, so I will enjoy testing out those features.

Cool. but as neither of you have a 3900, you're right. This is going to be a difficult comparison. There isn't a 5450 around Nashville to be seen in a retail setting yet, either; so I can't give you the information myself. My guess is that the screens are identical between 3900 and 5400 because they are both transflective, so the point may be moot.

From what Dale Coffing has said about memory and the interior of the 5400, its going to be difficult for Leonard and Pocket PC Techs to come up with some sort of memory upgrade strategy for the 5400 as well. It simply doesn't have the room that the previous iPAQ's have had. That means that hp either purposfully removed the ability for upgrades to be done (which I doubt) or that the memory type is different and the upgrade will either be a non-native upgrade, or expensive because it is a new/ different memory type, or both. :x

If both of these are the case tho, its going to cause me to give this purchase a serious reconsidering because I've grown accustomed to 128MB of RAM (not SD or CF) in my devices; and my compulsion to upgrade will have been slightly reduced since I already have most of what the 5400 offers via PC Card Sleeve and transflective screen...

Christopher

Originally posted by ChrisSpera
Cool. but as neither of you have a 3900, you're right. This is going to be a difficult comparison. There isn't a 5450 around Nashville to be seen in a retail setting yet, either; so I can't give you the information myself. My guess is that the screens are identical between 3900 and 5400 because they are both transflective, so the point may be moot.

From what I'm told, the 54XX screen is somewhat better than the 39XX, but not a big leap.

From what Dale Coffing has said about memory and the interior of the 5400, its going to be difficult for Leonard and Pocket PC Techs to come up with some sort of memory upgrade strategy for the 5400 as well. It simply doesn't have the room that the previous iPAQ's have had. That means that hp either purposfully removed the ability for upgrades to be done (which I doubt)

I wouldn't, given Compaq's history of massive, unabashed greed (non-replaceable batteries, sleeves, etc.). It really wouldn't surprise me if they designed it so that the only way to get more memory is to buy their next ludicrously overpriced device.

or that the memory type is different and the upgrade will either be a non-native upgrade, or expensive because it is a new/ different memory type, or both. :x

If both of these are the case tho, its going to cause me to give this purchase a serious reconsidering because I've grown accustomed to 128MB of RAM (not SD or CF) in my devices; and my compulsion to upgrade will have been slightly reduced since I already have most of what the 5400 offers via PC Card Sleeve and transflective screen...

Christopher

I have both the 3970 and the 5450 I can say for sure that the screens are different. The 5450 screen has the best looking ClearType font than any of the iPAQ's. On the other hand the color saturation/contrast/richness is far better on the 3970. It is actually a little disappointing.