If I’d have to use a single word to describe the 214, I’d definitely pick big. Very big. Insanely big, even. But big can also mean great - loads of expansion ports, strong battery, etc - can the 214 stack up?
The front of the device is dominated by the huge touchscreen. Other than that, there’s the power button, HP’s dual LED indicators, the 5way assembly and a light sensor. Surprisingly, HP refrained from messing around with the 5way buttons - all is excellently done here:
Unfortunately, HP positioned the speaker at the back of the unit. The back cover can be removed to reveal the huge 2200mAH battery(which, of course, is user exchangeable):
The top of the device houses the dual extension ports(protected with card dummies) and the stylus silo:
A 3.5″ headphone jack at the bottom allows you to connect your favorite headphones. Additionally, HP included a MiniUSB and a classic ipaq port - most existing peripherals(except for the classic sleeves) should be recyclable:
The sides of the device are very plain and contain a voice recorder button and a reset hole(that can be toggled with the stylus tip):
Finally, here’s a picture of the 214’s stylus next to a few others:
In the end, the 214 is an excellent handheld. Huge screen, dual expansion ports(including a lovely CF slot for things like USB and Ethernet) - and HP’s dev team even managed to refrain from screwing up the controls.
The only thing that could still kill the good impression is the screen - tune in soon to find out more…
