Hewlett-Packard's iPaq 211 Enterprise Handheld is a PDA that is designed for the corporate user. These sleek, powerful devices are great for taking business documents on the go and checking your office e-mail securely.

Powered by a 624MHz Marvell processor and armed with 128MB of SDRAM, this PDA is among the most powerful handhelds you can find. Applications open quickly and you will have the ability to run multiple apps without noticing any slowdown.

The large 4-inch TFT screen features extremely sharp 480X640 resolution, so it is easy to read Word documents. The LED backlight also makes this screen visible in dark environments. You can manipulate onscreen menus by tapping the touchscreen with the included stylus or using the directional pad and the four customizable buttons below the screen.

The connectivity options found in the iPaq 211 are impressive. They ship with 802.11b/g wireless, so you'll be able to get online at any hotspot you come across. There's also support for WPA2-Enterprise security, so you can access secured wireless networks; this is something that your IT manager will no doubt appreciate. This PDA also features Bluetooth 2.0, so you can cordlessly connect devices such as headsets and printers, as well as synch with other Bluetooth-capable devices in order to exchange data.

Expansion slots are available for both CompactFlash cards and Secure Digital media; these allow you to beef up the rather limited default storage. The SD slot also supports SDIO devices, so you also can add high-speed peripherals to the iPaq 211 via this slot.

Additionally, you can use this PDA as a voice recorder thanks to its built-in microphone. If you do this, however, extra storage space becomes a must.

This PDA ships with Microsoft Mobile Office, which gives you scaled-down versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It also comes with Outlook -- which can be synched via USB or wirelessly -- so you will always have your latest e-mails at hand.

With the battery inside, the iPaq 211 weighs in at around 6.7 ounces, which is quite a bit heavier than most standard PDAs. Nonetheless, it's still small enough to fit into a jacket pocket comfortably, and most users likely won't notice the extra weight.

As with most HP PDAs, the iPaq 211 can be charged via USB, albeit not as rapidly as when it is plugged into a wall socket. This means you won't necessarily need to carry the AC adapter with you if you know that you'll have access to a USB slot during your travels.

HP includes a decent selection of accessories with the iPaq 211, including a slipcase to keep it protected when it's not in use.

If you need a robust, powerful PDA for work, the HP iPaq 211 Enterprise Handheld could prove to be just the device you're seeking.


Pros: Very powerful, large and sharp screen
Cons: Heavy

Warranty
1 year, limited