Hewlett-Packard’s latest smartphone is designed to help busy executives take their office on the road with them as they move between meetings – even if they aren’t as proficient at typing with their thumbs as BlackBerry users.
The iPaq 500 Series Voice Messenger has a VoiceReply feature that lets users reply to e-mails without typing. Instead, they can dictate their e-mails straight to their phones (though the accuracy may not be the same as the bygone days of dictating letters to secretaries).
Even if the dictated e-mails aren’t the most accurate, users can still use 20 voice commands for hands-free operations.
The smartphone also allows users to create customized shortcuts so they can more easily access the feaures they use the most.
The phone not only connects to Microsoft Exchange through POP3 or IMAP, it also gives execs access to mobile versions of Microsoft programs through its Windows Mobile 6 OS interface.
The smartphone boasts 6.5 hours of talk time, according to the vendor – though this is only under the best network conditions. A built in Wi-Fi lets users take advantage of voice over IP services if available.