HP Photosmart Mobile 1.3MP
February 9, 2010 Digital Cameras, HP
HP Photosmart Mobile 1.3MP with PDAs sporting relatively speedy processors stretching all the way to 400MHz and beyond, they now offer the kind of speed and flexibility that seemed so unlikely just a few short years ago. Their flexibility with regards data input allows them to effortlessly handle a variety of options including the on-screen keyboard, snap-on thumb boards, handwriting recognition, voice recognition, graffiti and even projected “virtual” keyboards.
The merits of a camera for your PDA are obvious. From the estate agent wanting pictures to supplement his or her notes to friends and family just wanting to share memories, PDAs have the power, the screen quality and the storage expandability to be, in some respects the ultimate digital imaging platform. HP supplies all the software you’re likely to need to be able to share or print your images and to carry out some fairly basic image manipulation such as red-eye removal.
The small, ruby-tinted lens sits in a larger 12mm diameter barrel which must be rotated through a full 360 degrees in order to switch it from regular mode to macro mode. Being a focus-free device, regular mode is merely an infinity setting while macro mode proved to offer focussing down to a rather disappointing 9in or so. Even the worst dedicated digital cameras can manage better than this and it’s perhaps better to think of macro as more of a close focus option than a true macro setting.
As it stands, the Photosmart Mobile Camera is a well constructed unit with an articulated lens able to swivel a touch over 180 degrees. If we disregard the actual SD slot interface, the camera section measures a mere 50mm wide by 27mm high and 20mm deep (12mm if we ignore the lens). Although made from plastic it feels reassuringly rugged for such a small device that weighs just over 31.1g.
