IBM WorkPad z50 Handheld

When I first saw this product come into the client site that I was working I was a tad bit skeptical. First of all I heard mixed reviews from my colleagues as to how good Windows CE is. I used to have a Palm III (until it got stolen) and really enjoyed it. It had a lot of battery life and did what I needed it to do. So I must admit that I was a very critical user of this box when i got my hands on it.

Overall the z50 is a nice little laptop. It is fairly big, but not too big. Granted it is not pocket sized like the Palm series, but still very nice. There is no external storage device...the only way to get data off of it is to connect to a pc. There is a PC Card slot that you can put a network card into for networking at the office. There is a modem built in (33.3).

The keyboard and pointing device are actually not bad. They are too cramped and you can acutally type. The pointer is a standard IBM Trackpoint, which depending on personal preference is good or bad. Personally I like the pointer better than touchpad. The display is rather cramped, but it is color and easy to see. The case itself is sleek, and the device comes with a small carrying case and all the essential cords.

As for functionality Win CE is not too bad. The best part about it is the instant on ability of these devices. I loved that on my Palm and loved it on the z50. Why can't this be more standard on PCs? The device comes with a built in dialer to get onto IBM's ISP service. When connecting through the phone line at the office we had no problems. As for battery life it is the usual. All CE devices have crappy battery times and this is no exception. They are rated for 8 hours for standard, 16 with the optional battery. With the standard battery we got closer to six hours before a recharge.

Overall this device is a nice little product. A great desktop companion that is cheaper than most notebooks, and great on the plane. I have also heard that HP's Jornada is very nice so you may want to check that out as well. One thing you need to figure out though is how much more would it be for a decent full blown laptop? Not much more and with a laptop you get everything you would need. These devices are somewhat gimicky, but they definitely have their uses.