It was thought that the Handheld PC (HPC) had died off due to limited adoption and lack of software, but stronger chipsets like the Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm (now up to 1.3 GHz of processing power with graphics support) and the NVIDIA Tegra chips are reviving mobile operating systems like Android and Windows Mobile on a netbook, creating a more powerful and robust Handheld PC experience in a slightly larger form factor, such as the Mobinnova elan.

The lines are blurred between the traditional smartphone, embodied by the Windows Phone, netbooks like the Verizon HP Mini Note, and ultraportables like the OQO. In part, Microsoft has had its hands in that ultraportable market even before the Pocket PC days. In its early days of yore, Microsoft operated two platforms, the Handheld PC, also known as HPC, and the Palm-Size PC (which was rebranded from Palm PC after a trademark battle with Palm). The former paved the way for communicators like the E90 and modern smartphones like the Touch Pro2 with its keyboard form factor. The latter, the Palm-Size PC, evolved into the Pocket PC and later Windows Mobile.

The original HPCs of yore were smaller, probably a bit larger than the Touch Pro2. The designs for today’s HPCs use the netbook form factor, which is a bit larger and offer more functionality with nearly-full scale keyboards and larger screens, sacrificing a bit of pocket-ability. The latest entry to this category is a Mobinnova elan. Among its many impressive specs, the device runs on Windows CE, the core operating system framework that Windows Mobile is built on top of. In its favor, Windows CE, combined with the Tegra’s horsepower and graphics prowess, can play 720p high-definition videos and can last up to 5 to 10 hours on a single charge. Weighing just under 2 pounds and a screen size of just under 9 inches, the Mobinnova HPC is still light and portable.

The advantage of going with a mobile OS like Windows CE instead of Vista, XP, or a Linux variant is that the operating system is optimized to conserve battery. The Mobinnova supports Flash, web browsing, Office, and PDF viewing and editing. These are the basic and main features that people use their netbooks for anyways. Switching to a mobile OS will likely save juice. Unless you need highly customized programs, HPCs can be a worthy opponent to the netbooks of today.

Here are some more specs:

-5-10 hours of continuous HD video playback on a single charge (dependent on screen usage).

-Up to 24 days of continuous audio playback on a single charge (if screen not in use while listening to audio).

-8.9 inch screen size provides a rich viewing experience and full page web browsing.

-Ultra-light, compact design at 1.84 lbs (836g), 9.1 inches (232mm) x 7.3 inches (186 mm) x .8 inches (20.5 mm).

-NVIDIA Tegra-based platform that supports accelerated Adobe® Flash® animations and 720p high-definition video playback.

-Both Wi-Fi and 3G wireless connectivity, enabling you to check your email, social networking accounts, and do internet searches wherever you are.

-An innovative 3D graphical user interface.

-QWERTY keyboard and touchpad.

-Ability to view Microsoft® Office® and Adobe® documents.

-A webcam for sharing video.

-Fast, high resolution photo rendering, upload, and download.

-Fanless operation for a quite, cool experience.

-Advanced power management, allowing the élan to draw as little as 50mW during typical operation and 150mW during video playback, a fraction of most devices on the market today.

Would you consider an HPC over a netbook for your workflow while away from the desk?

(via: WMPowerUser)