The HP iPaq H6340 is far from the first 'convergence' gadget we've seen that excels in many areas, save perhaps for rounded practicality.

HP has managed to cram in a portable computer, music player, digital voice recorder and mobile phone, and there's even an optional clip-on digital camera module.

However, multifunction products usually compromise in some areas, and so it is with the H6340. While it's irrefutably a great Windows Mobile-based PDA, it's flawed as a mobile phone.

As a handset, it's unshapely and a tad too weighty to be comfortable in use, while using the phone control pad on the touch-sensitive display feels odd. The tri-band GSM/GPRS capability affords maximum reception and connectivity the world over, but the weight/comfort is not caller conducive.

Don't think we're down on the HP Ipaq H6340 as a whole, though. This is a great machine and we'd be proud to own one (assuming we could scrape together the £468 asking price).

On top of the usual Windows Mobile goodness that you've doubtless read about a dozen times or more, it's the little touches that make us like the H6340. The battery pack, for example, is detachable, meaning that travelling users can pack fully-charged spares.

In addition, the device can be recharged via a USB socket. It also has Wifi, Bluetooth and infrared built in.

The H6340 offers 64MB of SD-Ram and 64MB of flash Rom, with 55MB of the latter available to the user. There's the option to use up to 20MB in conjunction with the supplied iPaq File Store software to perform backups of important files and information, and if you need more, the SD slot will accommodate SD, SDIO and MMC media of up to 1GB capacity.

Price:
£468.83 (£399 ex VAT) depending on airtime contract

Contact:
HP 0845 270 4222
www.hp.co.uk

Specifications:

• Windows Mobile 2003
• Texas Instruments 168MHz OMAP 1510
• 64MB SD-Ram
• 64MB flash Rom
• 3.5in TFT screen at 240 x 320pixels, 65,000 colours
• SD slot
• Charging/ communications port
• Headset connector
• Infrared
• USB ports
• Wifi
• Bluetooth
• 190g
• 75 x 18.7 x 119mm