Review: HP 360LX (Flashback)

It has been a while since we had a flashback review here on the site. If you are new to the site, a flashback review is a review of an old piece of Handheld PC memorabilia that is specifically reviewed through the lens of the modern user - in other words, a look at a device as a owner in 2024.

In this latest review, Angel Ramos dives into the community favourite, the HP 360LX to assess the real world possibilities of a 27 year old device that runs on just two AA batteries.

As ever, please read the review and let us know your thoughts on the legendary HP 360LX here in the forums!

Review: HP 360LX: a taste of a past future?

Sorry for being the first to reply, but, I wish to thank Chris, and all the HPCfactor team for helping me writing the review, edit all the photos I've sent, and fix the ton of mistakes I've done, and to put my words in correct English to make this review readable. Without their help, it surely remained as a total mess!! Now it's perfect.

Edited by ABBADON 2024-03-26 7:31 PM

Thank you very much for the review!

It's interesting to read a more personalised point of view according to our days.

I love my 360LX. But i did finally move on after 20+ years of using it to the 680e and 690. I have to create a new list of Palmtops i have for sale, the 360LX is on that list. I wish more of the grey scale units used the white back light, sooooo much easier to read. I owned quite a few different palmtops back in the 90s and when i finally found the 360LX i stopped bothering with newer units overall. I did buy a used 620LX off a buddy back when they were actually still quite new but wasnt a fan of it. The color units that only do 256 color just dont do it for me. Being able to update the 680e and 690 beyond the 256 color was the selling point for my eyes for sure.

If anyone needs a docking station for a 360LX let me know, free. Just pay shippin. I have an extra that i was given a few years ago and i dont have a use for it. I long sold my 300LX and 320LX units.

Thanks for the review, brings me back to a different age in computers. I miss the 90s and early 00s for sure.

Lately I have found that it is quite easy to add backlighting to almost any device.

I've put it on a Psion 5mx and a jornada 690.

In Aliexpress they sell mobile backlights; if you add a pba voltage driver and a MOSFET to control it, you have everything you need to do it.

I have a tutorial pending, but I'm a bit short of time.

I don't know if the links will work...

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005004046729984.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.28d2194d0qkA3l&gatewayAdapt=glo2esp

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005001570640935.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.36.28d2194d0qkA3l&gatewayAdapt=glo2esp

This was a really good article and since I don't own the machine, I learned much about its ins and outs.

Many thanks and I appreciate the difficulty of writing in a second language,
Jake

Good article, makes me want to use it as my daily driver again for Excel needs (SpreadCE). I just leave mine at home because HP360LX looks fragile and I am unable to use any 3Com EtherLink Card that I got to try it on, long story. So far the Casio A20 with A-B10LT (recell) battery pack works for me even at work when I connect it to LAN; enjoying 68k.News, Frogfind.com and IRCCE.
Printing or preview prints using JetCet works in Casio A20, which I need to print an Excel sheets (slow IR printing to an HP LaserJet 2100 and it works!). But the HP360LX print preview displays blank; troubleshooting to no avail. The Casio A20 displays print preview ok and prints WYSIWYG.

Playing PalmGB in Casio A20 is better and has less hiccup than the HP360LX.

Three things that HP360LX beats the Casio A20 for me is the white backlight, that Sky Commander TV Remote and the hp VGA Out Card is nice to have for the HP 360LX.

No hijack intended.

Edited by archival36 2024-03-28 8:38 PM

@archival36 if it is any consolation, none of my 3c589's would work the last time I tried them either.

Great article, thanks for sharing. I have never had or seen a HP360LX, but wonder if the grey (or black & white) screen facilitates being viewable outdoors. With all the newer devices with grey screens out there (kindle, boox, remarkable, etc), it appears this capability is sought for. I wouldn't mind having a device that I can use to work with office documents outdoors (my J720 is not good for that use case particularly). Thanks again!

Tell me where you live, and I'll give you my 360 for you to backlight it!!

Dime donde vives, compañero y te mando mi 360 para que lo "ilumines"

In Malaga, but hey, the operation is dangerous. :-)

You scare me, man...

But, if it look like yours... I'm in!
Plus, the 360 look simple in comparison with the Psion

Me has acojonado... pero si se ve como el tuyo... Me apunto. Además, el 360 parece más simple que la Psion...

Edited by ABBADON 2024-04-09 6:48 AM