6. HP iPAQ H5450

HP's latest offering has the brightest display of the group, 127 cd/m2, which actually makes this display brighter than some modern CRT monitors. Not only that, but its 3.8" display is generous for a PDA. To help reduce power consumption, there is a fine adjustment for brightness. Unfortunately, this adjustment is also quite necessary, as the 5450 has a battery life of just three hours and 24 minutes, even at 50 cd/m2. A plus is the fact that the battery can be swapped very easily. With a spare battery on hand, you can effortlessly double your usage time.

The comprehensive specifications, which include infrared and WLAN interfaces as well as fingerprint recognition, are reflected in the above average weight of 210 g. The fingerprint recognition is not of the usual optical system; this one measures the differences in heat emission between the grooves of the fingerprint. Since scanning a fingerprint requires a number of attempts, we would recommend owners use a combination of fingerprint and password/ PIN to avoid being locked out.

The Ipaq 5450 combines high performance with good ergonomics, excellent specifications and very good build quality - a highly successful blend in a most attractive case. Only the average life of the removable battery and the high price mar the positive impression we had of the Pocket PC group test winner.

The fingerprint scanner of the Ipaq H5450 - you draw your finger along the small slot.