HP iPaq 912 Business Messenger

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It has been a year since HP announced the iPaq 912 Business Messenger. Between then and now, companies like HTC, Samsung and, most notably, Apple, have released and started selling numerous devices which have all received quite a bit of attention. While the specifications of the 912 seemed above average last year, the fact that it's only available now makes it seem a little dated. What has changed though is the design, but unfortunately, we didn't think it was for the better.

Design

When it was announced, the 912 was completely black. If you look at the comparison image, you will notice that HP has added silver edges and redesigned the buttons below the display. The chrome edges really don't work for the 912 as they take away from the business feel of this iPaq and make it look cheap. This is further exacerbated by the overly glossy black plastic around the screen and keyboard--a look usually reserved for more consumer-oriented devices.

The old design (left) compared to the new (right).

One good thing that has come out of the design change is the improved keypad. While the keys on the earlier design were more attractive, we lamented that they were hard to press. The present 912 keyboard is well spaced-out and each key's surface is curved so your fingers don't mistake one key for another. We did find the spacebar a little too narrow, but overall, it makes for a good thumb-typing experience.

The directional pad on the front is also quite effective. Nothing fancy there, but it just works fine. To complement it, there is also a scroll wheel on the right which can be depressed to select items, adding another option for those holding the device using the right hand. Aside from these, various shortcuts are found along the sides including a camera button on the right and volume control on the left. Also on the left are the microSD card slot and mini-USB port. These are protected by a rubber dust protector when you don't need access to them.

Around the back, the 912 has a black, soft-touch finish battery cover. Above that you'll find the 3-megapixel camera with an LED flash and a preview mirror for self-portraits.

We may not like the aesthetics of the 912, but one thing worth mentioning is the stylus. This is a telescoping variant that extends to the length of the device and isn't toothpick-thin like some others we've seen. It would have been better if it was heavier, but all things considered, this one is much better than many of the other styli around.

While the screen on the 912 has a standard QVGA (320 x 240) resolution, it has a diagonal size of 2.46 inches which we found too small for our liking. On the bright side, while other comparable Windows Mobile devices like the Palm Treo Pro and Samsung Samsung i780 opted for square screens, the 912's standard resolution display makes it easier when you want to install and use third-party applications.

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