From The Naked PC issue #5.11...

Sic Transit Jornada

by Al Gordon
May 23, 2002

Speaking of updates, a TNPC favorite has become a casualty of the HP-Compaq merger.

HP's Jornada 560 series was my recommended handheld for Pocket PC 2002. Not by a big margin. Compaq's iPAQ 3600 series had the clear edge for the initial round of Pocket PC products, and was still strong for the second wave releases. However, I thought HP's 560 series was a slightly tidier package than Compaq's 3700s and 3800s.

Jornada link:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/511/tr.cgi?al3

iPAQ 3600 link:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/511/tr.cgi?al4

However, that's now irrelevant. In announcing its post-merger product plans, HP disclosed that it would discontinue the Jornada and re-brand iPAQ as an HP. No surprise there -- the iPAQ had a substantially higher market share than Jornada and much greater support among corporate users. But it does leave open questions about the availability of accessories for Jornadas.

HP did not respond to a request for comment on the issue. I contacted such major suppliers of handheld accessories as Fellowes, Targus, and Belkin. Their spokespersons all said essentially the same thing: products that have been released for Jornada will stay in production so long as demand continues. But don't expect any new items.

So, a few recommendations:

1. As with any other discontinued product, Jornada support likely will go away at some point. HP, however, is obligated to honor existing warrantees and service contracts. One immediate threat is that the Pocket PC specification required upgradeable flash memory to permit upgrades to future operating system versions, and it is not clear whether HP will make such upgrades available to Jornada users.

2. If you own a Jornada, this would be a good time to stock up on cables, screen protectors, chargers, and the like. Availability surely will diminish as time goes by.

3. I would not recommend the purchase of a 560 at prevailing prices. But note that HP in the past has sharply marked down older Jornadas when new models have arrived, so bargain hunters probably should keep their eyes open.

(c) 2002, Al Gordon
You can reach Al Gordon at:
mailto:al@TheNakedPC.com

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