HP iPAQ RZ1715 Pocket PC

I recently purchased the iPAQ rz1715 in the store. It was so new that I couldn't find any reviews on the item, but I took the risk anyway. I reviewed prices online but I wasn't sure what capabilities this product had in comparison with the higher priced hp models. I was afraid that since it was a "Mobile Media Companion" that it wouldn't have the same functionality and wouldn't serve all of my needs. Don't let the marketing gimick fool you, this is the same as the other pocket PC's.

There are two major differences between this model and the higher priced models, it does not have built in wireless capability (you can use an SD wireless card if you need to add this functionality later)and it does not have as much build in memory. This is the main reason for the $100 to $150 price difference. Since external memory is so cheap and I have no use for the wireless technology it was the perfect choice for me.

It has the exact same functionality despite being marketed as a media PDA. It comes with pocket Excel and pocket Word, both of which I really needed as well as all of the other standard programs. It also does not come with the Nevo (I think that's what it is called) universal remote software.

This is the perfect pocket PC for someone who doesn't need built in wireless and wants a top of the line PDA for a reasonable price. I am extremely happy with my purchase and would recommend any of the HP pocket PCs over any of the available Palm models.

I consider myself an advanced computer user knowing how to do basic stuff to learning new software, yet very limited on programming abilities. I bought the rz1715 for a great price and I love it. I cannot live with it now!! I have my work and my personal life all together in one neat little thing. Plus there is SO much useful freeware out there that you can download!! I purchase for $15 software for my pocket pc and desktop where I can keep up with my checking acct and all I do is download it onto my desktop. I love the games I can get and all the reminder options since I am a post it note queen!!

I would highly recommend this for anyone who needs more organization in their life. As far as getting on a wireless technology with it, I'm clueless but that is something that I would probably never use anyway. You have to look at what is important to you. For me it was Contacts,Calender,useful software and not sure useful(but fun!), games, ebooks, pocket word and excel plus advantgo where I can download webpages and read them at my leisure anywhere. Get one, I don't think you will regret it!

Buy HP iPAQ RZ1715 Pocket PC Now

It is truly amazing what the people have been saying about this PDA. It is slow, only 32Mb RAM(!!), poor battery, etc, etc, etc...

It was voted as the worst PDA of the year by PC Magazine, in their last Top 10 Worst Products of the year.

There are many other options in this price range that are much better: In Pocket PC camp, there is the Dell X30, in Palm camp there is Zire 72. Both offer so much more for less money.

Read Best Reviews of HP iPAQ RZ1715 Pocket PC Here

I recently purchased the RZ 1715 through Amazon, after a thorough online search and reading many reviews posted here. Thankfully Amazon is giving us the option of purchasing this type of entry-level unit, as all my local electronics stores seem to have ignored it in favor of dedicating shelf space to the much more expensive top-level products.

After two weeks with the product I can confirm that the other reviews are spot-on with one exception: the on board memory. At only 25MB, this can be very limiting for all but the most casual users; anyone considering this for business purposes (not requiring WiFi) should be cautioned the software requires that all on-board processes and databases be run from the on-board memory, not the SD cards. SD cards are where you store your music, photos, files, etc., imported from the PC, but synchronized databases from Outlook can and will quickly gobble up that 25MB space in a hurry. These databases cannot be run from the SD card. Users with contact databases in software such as ACT, Salesforce.com, etc., would be well advised to look at the next higher model, which I believe roughly doubles available memory.

I'm going to try to exchange the RZ 1715 for something with more horsepower. Sure hope I'm not too late, or this was a very expensive lesson learned...

Want HP iPAQ RZ1715 Pocket PC Discount?

The harsh reality is that anyone who got this was sorely ripped off. I've been following Pocket PCs very closely for over two years, and the specifications and the molassas slowness of this unit is a real shame for the technology that is capable of being produced today. For the same amount of money used to buy the RZ1715, you can get a 624mhz Dell Axim with 64mb RAM, 64mb ROM, integrated WiFi, integrated Bluetooth, and respect from the online PDA community. There is absolutely no reason to buy this unit because 1) It is not a bargain PDA. You can get other PDAs with much better features for even less than this unit is worth, 2) It has less than the bare minimum of features. Anything under 300mhz is considered a dinosaur of PDAs past. Why this unit was produced in 2004 is beyond me.

If you are looking for a Pocket PC to give as a gift to someone, don't pick this one. I guarantee it is a ripoff and an insult. You can get a really great Pocket PC for even less.