HP Jornada 568 64MB Pocket PC

It has also, consistently done well with design.. The only real difference between the 568 and the Jornada 565 is that the 568 has 64MB of RAM.

The Intel StrongARM processor running at 206MHz is standard across all machines running Pocket PC 2002--it certainly provides a speed improvement over earlier Pocket PC hardware. Also standard is the inclusion of support for Compact Flash, though oddly, the Compact Flash support is only Type I. This is becoming less of an issue over time--manufacturers have recently announced a 1GB Type I card for example--but with other Pocket PC 2002 PDAs offering Type II support and in many cases also a MultiMedia Card slot, Hewlett Packard seems a bit behind. One plus point: you can remove the back of the slot cover, allowing support for larger cards such as LAN cards.

The screen supports 65,536 colours, and Hewlett Packard claims up to 14 hours of battery life. If you need more it can be swapped, just like a mobile phone battery, for a fully charged second one or an extended life one which can run for a staggering 28 hours. The removable flip cover is the best we've seen on a Pocket PC 2002 PDA--streets ahead of those offered elsewhere, being tough and durable. It protects the application shortcut buttons and the 4-way cursor control we see on most PDAs these days. Hewlett Packard goes one better than the rest here, though, and adds a "select" button beneath it, making it even more like a mouse to use than before. The two-tone grey and black is appealing, and everything feels like it will take some pretty hefty knocks.

Hewlett Packard has always been good at providing extra software, and the new Jornadas are no exception. The range includes a useful application close tool. Now that Pocket PC 2002 lets you shut applications while in them instead of through the Settings tools, this may seem less useful than it was before--but it does allow you to "close all" with a single click which can be very handy. Other supplied applications include an alternative icon driven menu screen and a facility to back up data to an 8Mb area of Flash ROM. This is very clever as you won't loose data if your battery fails, but don't require a memory card or any other medium to back up to.

The 568's 64Mb of RAM will be a real boon if you need to run a lot of third party software, but if your requirements are more meagre, then the Jornada 565 will be a more economical buy.--Sandra Vogel

I have tested it extensively as a music player and found that the quality of the sound is very good even with WMA at 32Kbps 22KHz (although using headphones is almost compulsory). Windows Media Player 9 immediately found it as a portable device and I could transfer music strait away. With the 256K Storage Card and an average of 850K per song I can fit about 300 songs or about 20 hours of music.

The screen is also very good for reviewing photos.. The stylus may be a bit fiddly and light but you get used to it. No problems with dust, backlight or anything else. All in all, the Jornada 568 a pretty good little gadget.


A bit of a problem for left handers but otherwise great.   August 11, 2002
M. REGAN (UK)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

I have been toying with the idea of buying a Pocket PC for some time. I wanted something which would manage my contacts, diary and to do lists as well as the ability to view excel spreadsheets and word documents and take notes at meetings I attend with my customers. After several months of indecision over which brand to buy and the concerns over the price I took the plunge and bought the HP Jornada 568.

The day I received the device was something of an anticlimax. I took it out of the box fitted the batteries and switched the unit on, it worked fine. After a couple of hours to charge the battery I loaded the software onto my Desktop and connected up the 568 through the cradle and followed the set up instructions, all without drama.

My impression of the 568 is that it comes fully loaded with most of the software I am ever likely to need with some useful additional software on the accompanying CD. It would be nice to have a cut down version of Microsoft Project so that I could view GANNT charts but other than that it does most of what I want to do. Add ons and peripherals seem readily available, although you have to look a little harder than you would for the Compaq, and the prices seem reasonable.

It took a few days to start to sort out how to operate certain functions as the user interface is subtley but significantly differant from that of a desktop. For example it doesn't seem to be possible to delete files when you are in file explorer and it took a couple of days to realise that you delete files by opening them and selecting the options menu. It also took a little while to work out where certain files and documents were kept and the handbook, while quite detailed, was vague about certain points.

The inclusion of Microsft Reader and Media Player as well as the ability to record audio notes and embed them in documents provides a whole new dimension of possibilites.

One area of significant disappointment to me and the only reason I have not rated this product with 5 stars relates to the handwriting recoginition features of the device. The user is presented with a number of options for inputing data, three of them are based on handwriting recognition. What became clear to me very quickly was that being lefthanded I form the shapes of certain letters differantly from those of a right handed person, so that my G's are seen as 9's my a's are seen as o's etc (The software looks for the way you form a letter not it's shape)There seems to be no way around this, which seems surprising but there you are. You should note that the Compaq probably uses the same software. For right handers the recognition software seems very powerful and works quite well.

To be fair using the stylus on the virtual keyboard is faster and less fiddly than you might think as the PC 'suggests' words for you to select as you write and I certainly managed a couple of meetings without too much problem. In the end though I invested in a Targus Stowaway keyboard for the few times when I needed to do some serious inputing away from a desktop. The 568 comes preloaded with the software to support the keyboard and it is possible to get a wallet which will hold both the PC and the folded keyboard neatly in a package little thicker than a small organiser.

The unit can go a full day of being used and still have plenty of charge left even if you have the backlight on. Mine has seen some quite heavy days without being connected to the charger but has never come close to running out of power.

All in a all a good product if you don't need a full blown laptop but need something more than a PDA. Expect to spend at least £200 on other bits, like Compactflash cards, key board, additional cradles etc


Changing from a Psion 5mx   August 6, 2002
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

My trusty Psion suffered a catastrophic failure and I needed a replacement urgently. The Jornada 568 appealed instantly due to its light weight, great colour screen and the very easy to use windows environment. Out of the box, software loaded (beware - it recommends installing the Outlook 2002 supplied - this created a whole series of errors with my ME installation and lost my calendar and contacts databases! System restore sorted that out, thankfully)and it worked. It has a seamless interface with Outlook on the desktop and is easily configured to suit - eg you can change the hot buttons to suit your program requirements. I think it is great - highly recommended.


Swappable batteries win the PDA race for HP!   April 1, 2002
23 out of 23 found this review helpful

I had my first PDA, a Psion Series II, in March 1988. Like the early mobile telephones, the Series II was better known as 'a brick with a battery'. I progressed through the Psion range with a Series 3, a Series 3a, and my Psion experience culminated in a Series 5.

With the demise of my Series 5, and the imminent demise of all Psion handheld computers, I was forced to widen my horizons. I considered the Palm m515 - nice screen, easy user interface, but ultimately limited in its potential. I considered the Compaq Ipaq range - nice screen, good interface, good expansion potential, but large, heavy, and unwieldy.

So to HP: I have to confess that I am already an HP fan having used HP printers since about 1981. I have owned HP printers since 1992 - I am now using a G85 (one of the first to be released in the UK) and I have owned a HP CD-RW 9210e since about 1998. I have found all my purchases to be reliable and economical to own.

However, in choosing a HP Jornada 568, the killer blow to the opposition was the ability to swap batteries. The main benefit of the old Psion range was that the computers ran on two 'AA' batteries. As long as you carried a spare pair of batteries, you could access your information. Until the Jornada 56x appeared on the scene, with other PDAs if your batteries ran dry - tough! No names, no addresses, no telephone numbers, no agenda, no MP3 to while away hours spent in airport lounges!

Until the Jornada 56x I would not have considered buying a new handheld computer because they only ran on non-swappable rechargeable batteries. As far as I could see this was a recipe for disaster. Imagine being stranded in a foreign country without the correct mains adapter and a depleted battery and not being able to remember the telephone number of your contact who hasn't arrived to collect you. What are you going to do? Probably panic - unless you had the foresight to write the critical information down on paper, which rather defeats the idea of having a handheld computer!

As well as having swappable batteries, the Jornada 56x range runs the standard Pocket PC 2002 software and comes with a good range of additional software. The ability to save a system backup to the 'HP Safe Store' is a particularly good idea. The quality of the design and construction is high and the built-in flip cover is appealing (I like clamshells - I have a Motorola V50!) The screen is bright and clear and the ambient light detector helps battery conservation. I have not experienced any of the problems with dust that have been mentioned by other owners, but I am alert to this possibility.

In summary: well done HP - the master stroke of swappable batteries has converted me and I can heartily recommend the Jornada Series 56x to anyone.


Software Problems   February 26, 2002
5 out of 10 found this review helpful

Having purchased what I thought would be a product that would enable me to syncronise my e mail, calender and contacts from my desk top PC I was dissapointed to learn that the software not only did not install the activesync software correctly so that I could use the Jornada 568 to send and receive mail but the outlook 2002 programe did not install and in fact deleted my version of outlook 2000. I have had the Jornada 568 now only for one week. It took me 3 days to enter my contacts and calender details and I really don't want to exchange the Hardware as I will loose all my data.

On a positive note the calender and contacts are easy to use.