HP 910 Business Messenger arrives

It has finally come to that moment when I have opened the box of a brand new HP 910 Business Messenger device which will be my new permanent phone...and I am drawing promising conclusions upon comparing it to the Nokia E71 review unit from WomWorld.

Immediately I notice that while the Nokia has more metal in its overall build, this HP takes more to plastics. The front panel is dominated by glossy high-grade plastic with a chrome-like bordering on sides and top while the back panel has a soft touch texture. The margins are of regular black plastic with a scroll wheel, rubber flaps for external GPS antenna/miniUSB/microSD ports, a reset button and chrome control buttons for volume, voice, power, OK and camera. While I don't really mind the plastics of the HP 910, I am a bit bothered by a creaking sound on the lower left corner when it is pressed. This is neither a major concern or a dealbreaker, but in an age where solid build quality is near commonplace (E71, E90, E51, iPhone) it is nonetheless disappointing.

The glossy qwerty keyboard buttons are simply amazing on this device with their curved tops and are as great as the Treo 750 to type on if not better! The closest resemblance to the way these buttons are made is the keypad on the Motorola Q9 Global from AT&T..the HP buttons only seem to have a little less height. The feedback is just right since there is a balance between the subtle clicking sound and the right amount of softness in tactile feeling when pressing each button. Qwerty dimensions that aren't too overreaching make this HP very sufficient for one-handed use like my old Treo 750, so navigating menus can be a breeze. On the other hand, the HP 910's d-pad is not as pronounced as the Treo's but still has a slightly protruding 4 point ring around a chrome selector key which provides more sensing area than the flat d-pad on the Motorola Q9. Home buttons surrounding this navigation pad are the usual soft keys on either side with the Start menu and OK keys. At the left margin are the Call and Calendar keys while the right margin holds the End and Messaging keys. These home buttons are glossy and flat and have a vertical seam separating them from one another as well as a horizontal chrome bar running along the front face of the phone. This of course is a perfect segway! On the front face of the HP 910 there are five horizontal chrome bars positioned parallel to each other. While the uppermost bar provides bordering for the home keys the lower four provide the same for the qwerty keys. I think that this is a very nice design element that really complements the chrome bordering of the front panel and adds an upscale flair to the glossy black. Backlighting is of a bright white illumination that is enough for dark environments. The function key along with its symbols are all accented by a cool blue color which once again seems to be inspired by the Motorola Q9.

In regards to the ergonomics of this phone I must be honest and declare that that it isn't the most comfortable to be held in one hand due to its width. Unlke the Treo 750 with its curved and tapered shaping, there is an awkward brick-like feeling in holding the 910 to my ears in the middle of a voice call. But this width, which harkens back to the old days of when I owned the Nokia E62 and E61i, provides a great foundation for efficient qwerty typing for extended periods of time. Unlike the E71 there is no fiddling from my supporting fingers at the back of this HP to try and find a comfortable position.

I shall provide some more entries telling of my life will soon benefit from the feature set of this very promising device. In the meantime I have already planned to soon ship off my Nokia E71 review unit to WomWorld.

TRENT
Sent from my HP 510 Business Messenger