An Excellent Multi-Functioned Device

Author's Rating:

Pros: Battery Life GPS/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth! Ergonomics/Sleek Design Powerful OS Character Recognition Software (3 kinds)

Cons: Few if any

The Bottom Line: 
An excellent choice for a variety of users, including travellers, businesspeople, students and gadget freaks.

Author's Review
My PalmOne Zire 72 died just about the time my cellphone contract was expiring, so I was shopping for an all-in-one device to replace the previous two. I searched a variety of websites and came up with overall mixed- to unsatisifed reviews of Treos, the Motorola Q, Blackberries, the works. Part of my problem was that I'd gotten hooked on the GPS software that came with my Zire 72 special edition even though the GPS receiver was a stand-alone unit, not built-in to the Palm device.I gave up on the all-in-one idea and started shopping around for a new PDA. This isn't as easy as it sounds, as most companies seem to be moving away from stand-alone PDA's. Then I took a closer look at the new IPAQ RX5910. Once I got one in my hand, I was hooked.The unit is everything I'd wanted, and then some. To begin with, it has a built-in GPS receiver with pre-installed Tom Tom software and pre-installed maps of North America. These devices take some time to find themselves the first time they're booted up, but after a few minutes the Travel Companion as the 5910 is named worked like a charm. It's even an improvement over the Zire GPS software (an earlier version).In addition, the unit comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. I've sat outside Future Shop and Best Buy outlets and connected to their free Wi-Fi, sending messages and surfing the Internet, which is very cool. Also, the Blue Tooth found my new cellphone and allowed me to beam contacts to it, after a few false starts and tries.I've been very impressed with Windows Mobile, which I find vastly superior to the very dated and limited Palm OS. Some say Palm is on its way out and judging from the functionality and usefulness of Windows Mobile, I very much agree. I've owned three different Palms and I wonder now why I waited so long to migrate to a Windows device. The character recognition software alone, three different kinds in addition to the virtual keyboard, blow PalmOne out of the water.The Travel Companion also comes pre-loaded with WorldMate Standard, which includes weather for up to 4 cities, currency conversions updated any time you synch the TC with your desktop, packing lists, conversion tables for size, area, etc., and clothing sizes in different parts of the world. All very useful if you're travelling.Power use is always an issue with this type of device. So far, the battery has been excellent, even using the GPS or Wi-Fi features. It will go for days without needing a re-charge, at least based on how I've used it so far.Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with this unit. The only thing it lacks (maybe) is a camera, but this is easily overcome with the camera on my phone anyway. Also, the price is a bit steep, but seeing as I got a full refund for my old Zire, the bite didn't hurt as much. If you're looking for a full-functioned PDA with lots of extra features, a cool design and lots of power, consider this unit at the top of your list.