MSNBC columnist Gary Krakow has given us his impressions of the device everyone's going to be sick of by the end of the day, the hp iPAQ h6300 Pocket PC Phone! A slight error - the h6300 does not utilise Windows Mobile Second Edition as he implies, while all the other new iPAQs do - but otherwise, it makes for a good read.

"The best part about this device is the 3-way wireless capability. I didn’t have much Bluetooth to try but I immediately connected the h6315 to my 802.11g wireless router and to the T-Mobile network. (T-Mobile will be the ones actually selling the device; expect to pay $499 for the phone in addition to the cost of activating a phone-data service plan with the mobile provider.)

Blinking lights above the screen indicate whether you're connected and it’s fun to turn them all on at the same time. When connected, the GPRS and WiFi indicators blink green; Bluetooth blinks blue.

It’s also fun to seamlessly connect to one of my two WiFi networks in my home while being able to make and receive phone calls at the same time. This device is really quite a sophisticated road warrior when it comes to connectivity.

The one feature I couldn’t test as I have done in the past is the h6315’s wireless e-mail receiving capabilities. Because of strict new policies at MSNBC, receiving e-mail on handheld devices here is currently difficult. (As always, before buying any new device you intend to connect to your work computers, consult with your IT manager first. For his or her benefit, I'll add that all the new iPAQs are running Microsoft Windows 2003 Second Edition operating system for Pocket PCs.)"

Source: MSNBC