Thursday, August 14th, 2008
Ok, from the start; I couldn’t actually get one of these devices to review so I had to go and stand in a Car Phone Warehouse store for about 2 hours playing and testing. Lots of questions from the staff especially once I started taking photos (they came out pretty crappy so I used a stock image for this post).
The image shows the Web Book running Windows XP but the model I played with was an Ubuntu based UMPC - good news for me as I’m a massive Ubuntu fan.
Ok, let’s go.
Design
I have to admit that when I first saw the Orange Web Book it looked very cheap, not the robust feel you get with the likes of the MSI Wind. The model I’m reviewing features a silver chassis which, to be honest, just didn’t look the part. In fact, the first impressions were a real turn off. However, the Orange Web Book has a really sturdy feel to it (aided, in part, by the weight - 1.3 Kg). Although the screen panel did flex, it’s not enough to make you worry about the breaking this netbook (I’ll stick to netbook for the sake of sanity - too many names flying around now!). One thing that I did notice was the lack of branding on either Orange’s or CWP’s part. The only logo you’ll find is from Elonex, located to the right of the track pad. Are they ashamed of this netbook?
The Orange (Elonex) netbook features a 10.2″ screen - resolution and image rendering was actually pretty good although the panel seemed a little dim. Maybe it was a worn out display model. I don’t know but I couldn’t seem to improve this. That said, the display was adequate for day to day use.
The keyboard, as with most netbooks was fiddley. Just to small for my fat fingers. Typing at any real rate was hampered by the clunky feel of the keys (actually, feel and sound - the keys made an audible clicking when pressed) and I was never quite convinced that I’d actually typed a letter - not good for touch typing .
The left and right mouse buttons were much the same; clunky but responsive. No problems there. The track pad was ‘ok’ - my own personal experience was that you had to apply a little more pressure to the pad when scrolling otherwise the pointer failed to move.
The Web Book that I used came with Ubuntu and Open Office pre-installed - favourites of mine. The OS ran more than adequately on the VIA 1.6 Ghz CPU and 512Mb of RAM although Open Office was a little slow starting up but that’s always been the way. If you want OOo to run faster there are plenty of tuning tips on the web that you can use to boost the speed etc.
The battery life of the Web Book is around 2 hours. I managed to test this by unplugging the PSU cable and setting off my stopwatch!! Just under two hours later the low battery warning came up. This isn’t the best battey life around and I’m sure Elonex could improve this with a larger capactiy battery. Although I didn’t get the chance to test media, movies etc I imagine that intensive apps will reduce this time significantly - make sure you’re near a power outlet if you’re going to be doing any heavy duty work.
If you’re after an Orange Web Book, you have two options - free with a 24 month subscription to Oranges Mobile Broadband service (USB dongle included) or £219 for the Web Book. To my surprise, the mobile broadband worked without a hitch - there’s a first for Linux!
Conclusion
Ok, it’s not the best review in the world but it’s a starter. The Web Book is actually a pretty good piece of kit if you look past the tacky silver exterior (there is a model in black). The price for the standalone model is pretty competitive when you consider some of the other options out there. Although the performance was adequate I’d suggest upping the memory if you buy one as OOo likes to eat memory as do certain websites.
Specifications
- Wi-Fi Connectivity
- Processor: VIA C7-M
- Clock Speed: 1.6Ghz
- Battery Life: Up to 2.5 hours
- RAM Memory: 512MB
- Hard Drive 80GB
Downside
Have I said it looks tacky? Also, something needs to be done about the screen panel - like I said, it flexes a little too much. Sorting this out would give the Web Book a far sturdier feel. It would also be good to see a little more memory in the stock device. I know, I know - they’re trying to keep the price down.
Posted in Elonex | No Comments »
Friday, July 25th, 2008
It seems there’s a lot of interest in Elonex’s ONEt. Although it’s an ugly beast people seem to keen to get an idea of what it’s all about.
The whole idea behind the ONEt was to create a UMPC with a low price tag (£180ish - discounts for education workers and students). There are other variants with a higher spec that sell for a higher price but we won’t be looking at those today.
Ok, ready to take a look at what Elonex have to offer in the UMPC market space?
Design
You’ve seen the images so I guess you already know that some versions of the ONEt will never win a beauty contest. If you really want to get noticed choose the green, pink or scarlet options otherewise stick to black or white.
The ONEt follows the Asus Eee PC mold; clamshell design with dimensions of 210mm long x 140mm wide x27mm deep and weighs in at .58kg (1.3 lbs for us old timers). You’re looking at a UMPC that measures about the same as a paperback book and weighs less than most Sunday joints (to avoid any confusion; beef joints!)
The keyboard, like any other in the UMPC range, was a little fiddly at first. I know I should be getting used to this by now but I always write my reports on a desktop with its full sized keyboard. That shouldn’t an issue though as you’ll be able to connect a keyboard through one of the 3 USB connectors when you’re chairborne.
The touchpad is ok. It responds well unlike some devices we’ve tried although the mouse buttons are a little clunky and noisey.
The Elonex ONEt has a range of connectors that should keep all but the most ardent lover of peripherals happy.
The 7″ monitor is surprisingly clear giving crisp images but the major letdown here are the speakers. Audio output is a bit tinny but I can live with that.
The ONEt comes with a Linux distro pre-installed. You’ll get the usual bags of goodies such as media player, photo viewer, calculator plus Word and Excel compatible productivity tools (only up to Office 2003).
Battery life is pretty much par for the course; you’ll get about 3 hours out a new battery with normal usage. Switch on your WiFi, watch a movie etc and you’ll see this drop rapidly. We got just over two hours once we cranked up some applications and started eating processor time. Make sure you have a mains supply nearby if you want to watch some movies.
Conclusion
It’s certainly cheap and the Elonex ONEt gives you a lot of features in a small box. This will be an ideal UMPC for mobile workers and students especially if you’re mainly interested in web browsing.
Specifications
- 3 USB ports
- microphone/headset jacks
- 10/100Mbps Ethernet port
- WiFi
- external battery charger socket
- an SD card slot - up to 32GB. We recommend you buy a memory card as the OneT only has 1Gb SSD
- 128MB RAM
- 400Hz processor - couldn’t find any specifics on the Elonex site but the word is that the ONEt is powered by an Ingenics CPU The keyboard is surprisingly good, with a reasonably conventional layout for a laptop and a fair key response.
Downside
Memory - ok, it’s a basic machine but it really does need more. Disk space is also a letdown. As I said, there’s on a 1Gb SDD, of which 320 Mb is taken up by the OS install.
Posted in Elonex | 23 Comments »
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
I’ve got one! The Apple iPhone 3G has been prodded by me for a few hours now. What’s it like? Well, to be fair, it’s ok. Not the world changing device you’d expect based on the pre-launch hype but it’s still pretty bloody good.
The first to note is this: all men, if not already a techie, are closet techies - so who needs an instruction manual??? Err, I did. Yes, the iPhone is pretty easy to use out of the box but you’ll still need to check the manual for some of the finer points. Trust me, it’s well worth it once you’re up and running with your snappy new Apple iPhone 3G. That said, a number of sites out on the web are already offering free help if you get really stuck.
Design
As you would expect, the iPhone 3G is a very attractive piece of hardware - it make the original iPhone look dated. The rear of chassis is curved making the iPhone 3G comfortable to hold. Further improvements can been seen in the ringer switch, volume buttons, and the sleep/wake button which all have a metallic chrome finish. The only problem with this layout is the ringer switch which is a little stiff when the handset is fresh out of the box. A really good piece of news is the change to the headphone jack - no more adaptors needed as the jack is now flush with the case. The 3G and WiFi features in the new iPhone make it more than worthwhile to upgrade (I did have some problems with 3G connectivity initially but this seems to be ok now).
The GPS capability is fantastic - a huge improvement over the old ‘Locate Me’ application which used WiFi (what good is a GPS feature that gives your location to the nearest x000 metres?). Using AGPS makes the iPhone 3G very accurate. A nice touch here is the display; when you’re ‘found’ you the circle will pulsate, followed by a blue pinpoint indicating your location. After a brief pause, arrow closes in on your location.
The screen seems clearer than the last iPhone but that could just be me being loved up with the iPhone 3G. There is a slight tint to the screen but this makes the display easier to view (a bit like those shooting glasses everyone used to have).
Call quality is simply amazing - crisp, audible tones even on 3G. Nothing more to say here!
Email support has seen a massive improvement with the ability to connect to Microsoft Exchange server which will make the iPhone 3G very appealing to companies using MS products.
App Store is effectively a suite of applications available to all iPhone users. Simply browse the store for applications, read the user reviews, install (you’ll be billed for this) and continue to use - nice and easy.
The camera is a bit of a let down - it’s only 2Mpxs. Some people have reported crisper images in the camera but I didn’t really notice the difference - come on Apple, you can do better than that.
Battery life has been improved. You’ll get about 8 - 10 hours life when using EDGE but be warned; 3G eats batteries so turn off 3G when you don’t need it.
The iPhone 3G comes with a range of other features that will appeal to both businesses and day to day users such as support for PowerPoint, Numbers, Keynote, and Pages attachments (you can only look at these docs, not edit them).
Conclusion
I love the iPhone 3G. Ok, there are a few things that Apple could do to improve the device but, on the whole, I’m very impressed.
Downside
It’s only available with an O2 contract, there’s no Flash or Java. Finally, the most annoying point - you can’t replace the battery yourself! Ah well, can’t have it all.
If you’re looking for more reviews on the iPhone 3G, you could try looking over at Test Freaks.
Posted in Apple | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
You have to admit that the Asus Eee PC is a pretty impressive device; email, web browsing, document management and more for around £200. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough for some people who want MS Vista and Office running on their UMPC.
The Vye mini-v S37B answers those calls for more. The S37B is packs a harder punch than the Eee PC inside of a similar sized chassis (at 227 x 170 x 25mm - WDH). If you’re looking for a contender that will plugin into your Windows network or simply let you use familiar MS tools this may be the one for you.
Design
Like I said, the chassis is the same size as the Eee PC with a tough and not unattractive black finish. But take a look under the bonnet and you’ll see the differences. The S37B is powered by an 800Mhz Intel A110 CPU with a 120Gb platter disk and 1Gb of RAM. Impressed? I’ll leave the price until later.
The 7in 1,024 x 600 resolution screen provides a perfectly adequate viewing experience which allows you to rotate the lid in the same way as a table PC. In addition, the screen is touch sensitive. You can use your fingers (not a good idea if you have fat fingers like me) or the stylus which is housed in the lid. The touchscreen features were actually pretty responsive compared to some of the devices we’ve reviewed. That said, there were a few instances of frustrated screen stabbing!
The keyboard. What can I say? The usual gripe; size. Like most other devices, I found this to be a little fiddly at first due to the small key size. After a couple of hours use I was fairly comfortable only occassinally pressing two keys at once. I won’t grumble too much, the Vye S37B is a UMPC. What was I expecting?
The touchpad, although small, was smooth and responsive. The only downside is the lack of scrolling but that’s to be expected considering the S37B’s size so no real complaints.
Battery life is good. The Vye S37B comes with an extended life battery which protrudes from the S37B which may not sound great until you look at the running time - over 5 hours away from a mains supply. Once I started running some seriously intensive testing (video, CPU time etc) this dropped to just over 3 hours - more than enough time watch your favourite movies.
Connectivity is good. You get an Ethernet port as well as two USB ports, a VGA output for powering an external monitor, SD and CompactFlash memory card slots. On the front of the S37B is a pair of 3.5mm audio sockets (headphones and mic) and a switch for the wireless and Bluetooth adapters. Sadly, there’s no HSDPA features - disappointing considering the price (yeah, I’m getting to it).
Conclusion
I really like this device. There a couple of minors moans but they’re exactly that; minor. The S37B is a device I would seriously recommend buying if you have about £800 floating around! Yeah, it’s expensive but it’s good and if you really need a Windows device this may just be the one for you.
Specifications
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Edition or XP Pro SP2
800Mhz Intel A110 CPU
1Gb PC2-3200 RAM
7.0 “ WSVGA TFT (1024 * 600) - Touchscreen
LAN - IEEE 802.11 b/g, Ethernet 10100
Bluetooth 2
Wake-On-LAN support
1.3Mpxs Camera
Memory Stick / SD card / MMC
CF - Type-I & I/O card support
Downside
The price. Like I said at £800 odd this isn’t cheap but the S37B has been designed to fit in with specific requirements. The Vye mini-v S37B doesn’t have room for an optical device either so you’ll need transfer data using USB. Finally, the S37B could do with a processor upgrade. The 800Mhz A100 gets by but really needs one of the CPU’s from AMD or Intel that are designed for UMPC’s.
Posted in Vye | No Comments »
Friday, June 27th, 2008
Let me start by saying that I’m a big fan of the iPhone. I know there are some minor bugs but Apple seem to be the only company that have managed to nail the touchscreen features. I know there are a number of devices out there that have the same functionality but for me the iPhone ‘just works’.
HTC have been working hard to topple the iPhone for some time now and the HTC Touch Diamond represents the fourth crack of the whip in the attempts to knock Apple off of the top spot. So, is this ‘The One’ for HTC? Let’s have a look and see what the Touch Diamond has to offer.
Design
The HTC Touch Diamond is a stunning handset. Simplicity and beauty combined. The smooth lines and slightly recessed directional pad make the Touch Diamond comfortable and easy to use. On the plus side, HTC didn’t create an out and out copy of the iPhone controls. The round directional pad shows some original thinking on HTC’s part.
Something I found slightly annoying is the screen size which, at 2.8″, is a little small. There’s plenty of room for a 3″ touchscreen which makes a huge difference when using touch activated features on the Touch Diamond. Talking of being responsive, the HTC Touch Diamond still suffers from ‘Sunday afternoon driving’ syndrome - the UI can be quite sluggish which is very surprising considering the 528Mhz CPU and 192Mb RAM!
Another nice addition to the Touch Diamond is the inclusion of AGPS which allows you to use the device with applications such as Tom Tom or Google Maps.
Depending on your view of Operating Systems the next point will make you love the HTC Touch Diamond or hate it: Windows Mobile Professional 6.1. A disappointment for the armies of Linux fans but you have to remember that HTC are aiming for general consumers as well as businesses which, in most cases, means a Microsoft Windows infrastructure. The usual features for Windows apply:
- MS Office docs support
- Internet Explorer
- Windows Media Player
In addition, there is a nice little weather forecasting application that can be set to your locale. Very helpful apart from the animated windscreen wiper that back and forth across the screen if rain is forecast!
The HTC Touch Diamond is certainly not trailing in the area of connectivity. The handset supports 3.5G, WiFi, EDGE and GPRS - the 3.5G alone is enough to make me want to buy this handset. The Touch Diamond also comes with USB and BlueTooth connections so there’s no problems transferring data back and forth.
A major issue for me is the battery. At only 900 mAh you’re only going to get about 4 hours talk time on GSM and 2.5 hours on 3G. Pretty poor for a modern handset.
The USB audio connector means you lumbered with buying proprietary cables for the Touch Diamond - this usually means greater expense.
Conclusion
I like the HTC Touch Diamond. Small, light and very attractive. I know HTC have copied the iPhone to a degree but sometimes that’s what it takes to break into a market. There are some irritations but that certainly wouldn’t stop me buying one an HTC Touch Diamond.
Specifications
Windows Mobile Professional 6.1
Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528MHz CPU
192MB RAM
2.8″ Touchscreen (480 x 640 pixels)
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 + UMTS 900 / 2100
GPRS, EDGE, UMTS (3G), HSDPA, HSUPA and WiFi
AGPS
3.2 Mpxs camera
Downside
The HTC Touch Diamond can be a little slow to respond at times and the TouchFLO interface looks like a copy of the iPhone UI. Battery life is limited - 2.5 hours on 3G, very poor. The real kicker for this handset is the price - £400 which is not cheap.
Posted in HTC | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
I promised we’d do it today, so let’s go.
As I said yesterday, the Samsung i780 looks very much like a Blackberry but does is cut the ice?
For a start, this is definite move by Samsung into the pocket PC market. Previous products such as the i600 were smart phones. The i780 represents a move that could entice users to switch from Blackberry to Samsung.
Design
Simpley put; very Blackberry. The i780 feels very comfortable, not at all bulky considering the size (61.3 x 115.9 x 13.3 millimetres). The Samsung SGH-i780 features a full QWERTY keypad plus Windows ‘Start’ and ‘Ok’ keys. Samsung really are trying to make this device appeal to Microsoft users. Just about all keys are dual function allowing you to invoke a different function or symbol using the Fn key. Along the bottom row are two nice additions: dedicated GPS and Message buttons which simplify the ease of use. In all, the keypad is actually very easy to use one handed when sending texts or composing emails.
Below the screen is an optical mouse. This is a marked difference from Blackberrys trackball which can easily clog up with dirt and become unresponsive. No such problems with the i780. The optical mouse was a breeze to use although we did find that dirt left on the pad made it a little jerky. That said, the Samsung mouse is considerabley easier to clean than Blackberrys trackball.
The i780 320 x 320 touchscreen display is more than adequate for a device of this size. The are two issues here:
- the screens reflective finish made the screen difficult to see in bright sunlight
- touchscreen sometimes took a fair amount of pressure, or even double taps, to register an action
On the left side of the SGH-i780 is a volume rocker and on the right a flap under which you’ll a socket for the USB cable of headphone jack. A microphone socket is located on the bottom of the device. All fairly standard.
On the back of the i780 is a 2 Megapixels camera. “Only 2 Megapixels?” Yes, that’s right but we’re not talking poor images here. Pictures taken using this camera are clear and crisp. Note to other manufacturers: Why can’t you do this?
The Windows Mobile 6 Professional is as you’d expect. A full productivity suite from Microsoft which is aimed squarely at the business sector. There are some nice extras such as a mini player which allows you to play media without invoking the screen hogging Windows Media Player. Also, you get the Opera browser. I’m biased here. I like Opera and I’m really pleased to see it being shipped with the i780.
The GPS device is a really nice touch. And it’s fast. This is, in part, due to the Assissted GPS (AGPS) feature. Data can be downloaded even if you don’t have a data card. The device can even use ActiveSynch for downloads. Very nice.
Battery life is good. Samsung claim 7 hours of talk time on a full charge. We got pretty close to this; 6hrs 50 mins maximum. No complaints there.
Conclusion
I like the Samsung SGH-i780. There were some minor niggles but these wouldn’t stop me from buying an i780 even at a rough price of around £300 - it’s definitely cheaper than some of the options out there and better by far.
Specifications
Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional
624 MHz Marvell CPU
256 MB ROM / 128MB RAM
2.5 ” 320×320 TFT Touchscreen
GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS2100
CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
Built-in QWERTY-type keyboard, 37 keys
microSD card slot
Bluetooth 2.0
WiFi: 802.11b/g
Built in NMEA 0183 GPS
2.0mp camera
Downside
I have to be fair, there was nothing that would stop me buying this device. True, there are some things that could be improved such as: the keypad has a slightly cramped feel and the reflective display is difficult to see in bright daylight. The most annoying feature is Samsungs use of proprietary connecctors - lost cable replacement isn’t cheap.
Posted in Samsung | No Comments »
Thursday, June 19th, 2008
San Francisco-based OQO have been in working in the UMPC market for about eight years now although their initial offering, the OQO Model 1, wasn’t launched until 2004. Since then OQO have made huge strides in the UMPC field.
The latest model, the OQO e2 was launched in the UK market since September 2007 so we decided it was time to review the device.
Design
From the go, we were impressed by the OQO e2 looks. This is a stylish UMPC. The aluminium frame features a jet black finish giving the OQO e2 an assuringly expensive feel. Don’t be confused. The e2 is not heavy, weighing only500g.
The OQO e2 features a full Qwerty keyboard with a Function key that assigns every key a secondary function. Unfortunately, typing on the OQO e2 is fiddly due to the small size of the keyboard. Typing relatively small strings of characters isn’t overly difficult but we wouldn’t recommend using the builtin keyboard if you want to write an essay.
Another irritating design feature is the trackpoint. The OQO e2 trackpoint is located under the right thumb position with the mouse buttons under the left. Even though the trackpoint was very responsive we never really got used to this layout. It was simply too cramped.
The OQO Model e2 ships with a 5″ display. True, it’s bigger than many PDA’s on the market but this really isn’t suitable for a device that claims to be a UMPC. A plus point for the the OQO e2 is the display. Although resolution is only 840 x 480, the image quality is fantastic. Viewing movies on the OQO Model e2 was a delight. The screen gives a crisp, bright display that easily outranks many of the competitors. The Model e2 does allow you enhance the resolution to 1000 x 600 and 1280 x 720 by using the zoom buttons under the mouse. This feature has been designed to let you set prompts that are otherwise hidden offscreen rather than allowing you to permanently raise the resolution.
The performance of the OQO e2 is adequate. The device is powered by a 1.5Ghz VIA C7-M. This CPU is fine for running Windows XP but probably won’t be good enough for Vista should you decide to try an upgrade. OQO do offer a Model e2 containing a 1.6Ghz CPU but don’t think this will save the day. An extra 100Mhz is nothing when compared to resource hungry Vista. It would seem logical to suggest that OQO will fit a processor such as the Intel Atom or an AMD Turion in the next version.
The 60Gb disk gives you ample storage, wether a business or general user.
Connectivity is adequate with 11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth which will get you online at hotspots or via wireless synchronisation to your mobile phone. There is a 3G/HSDPA variant but this add another £100 to the price of the OQO Model e2.
The OQO Model e2 sells for around £1000 which is rather expensive compared to many of the UMPC’s currently on the market. A high price but, in many areas, the OQO Model e2 is setting the mark.
Conclusion
Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, there were some aspects we didn’t like. Given the price, I wouldn’t rush out to buy an OQO Model e2. However, if OQO can bring the price down by a couple of hundred pounds and improve the keyboard…I’ll be off to the shops with cash in hand.
Specifications
VIA C-7M CPU
1Gb DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz
60Gb hard disk
Display 5″ (840 x 480 with zoom functionality)
Downside
The price. The keyboard was also irritating when we attempted to use it for typing large documents. The processor was another area that needs addressing. Surprisingly, the OQO Model e2 is still running a single core VIA C-7M. Admittedly, the Intel Atom wasn’t around when this device first shipped but it would be good to see OQO selling the e2 running an Atom or AMD Turion.
Posted in OQO | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
I know the HP iPAQ 214 has been around for a while but we’ve only just managed to get our hands on one now.
HP have dubbed this PDA an ‘Enterprise handset’ and, based on first impressions it certainly does look to have the goods. HP and many other vendors know they face stiff competition from an advancing army of UMPC’s and need to deliver what the customer wants. So, let’s take a look at the HP iPAQ 214 and see what this PDA has to offer you and me.
Design
The iPAQ 214 looks vaguely similar to the to its smaller cousin the iPAQ 110 but with a chunkier, more boxy feel created by the squared edges. The chassis design makes the iPAQ 214 feel…well, not uncomfortable…just chunky.
The case features a very attractive black gloss coating. The only annoyance was that smudges and fingerprints show up very clearly on the casing.
The external layout of the HP iPAQ 214 hides the range of features available. Just below the screen are four front buttons and a directional pad. The two inner two buttons are used for the Start menu and OK/close buttons with the soft keys providing access to calendar and messaging functions. A nice feature here is that these two buttons are mappable. This allows you to set up the iPAQ 214 for one handed use.
The thick, metal stylus is definitely a step up from the toothpick-like offerings that ship with certain other devices.
The iPAQ 214 weights 6.8 ounces. Not light by anyones standards but, oddly, it doesn’t feel heavy. This may well be due to the fact that the weight is spread over the large area that makes up this PDA (5.0″ x 3.0″ x 0.63″).
The screen really is fantastic. The 4″ LCD gives a good, crisp display which renders complicated web pages exceptionally well for a device of this size. A sensor built into the iPAQ 214 allows the PDA to automatically alter the backlight to optimise for lighting conditions and we found this to be pretty effective. The only minus point here was the touchscreen. You have to apply a fair amount of pressure to the screen to register an action. We did recalibrate the screen a couple of times but no change.
The speakers were a disappointment. Even a full volume it was difficult to hear some of the audio output.
The 624 MHz Marvell XScale PXA310 gave adequate performance. I was surprised that HP didn’t opt for a higher specification 800Mhz model but may have chosen the current CPU in order to keep costs down.
The HP iPAQ 214 ships with Windows Mobile 6 Classic without Microsoft Outlook - pretty standard. I would expect future versions of the iPAQ 214 to ship with Windows Mobile 6.1 or 7, when it’s released.
Now we come to the really interesting part. Expansion and connectivity. The HP iPAQ 214 excels. A CompactFlash and a separate SDHC card slot allows to this device to use a 32 GB memory card in each slot for a maximum total of 64 GB of SSD storage.
This device features 802.11G Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 so you’ll have no problems hitting hotspots or connecting to your mobile phone. The iPAQ 214 also features a 24-pin connnector port and min-USB which both allow you sync and charge the device.
Battery life is good coming in at around 8 hours when used under an average load. Once we cranked up some applications, media and WiFi access this fell down to about three hours thirty minutes. I know it doesn’t sound great but I really did abuse this PDA.
Conclusion
I have to admit that I’m a great fan of Windows but this PDA rocks. Yes, there are a few annoyances but given the features and capabilities of the HP iPAQ 214 I’m prepared to forgive especially when you consider the price: about £220.
Specification
624 MHz Marvell XScale PXA310 Processor
128 MB RAM; 256 MB flash (185 MB available)
4.0″, 640 x 480 touchscreen LCD
CompactFlash slot; SD slot with SDHC and SDIO support
24-pin iPAQ connector; Mini-USB connector
802.11b/g Wi-Fi (supports WPA2), Bluetooth 2.0/EDR
Downside
Poor sound quality from the speakers. Slow startup when WiFi is enabled.
Posted in HP | No Comments »
Monday, June 9th, 2008
HTC have been promising a UMPC for quite some time now. The Shift X9500 was initially unveiled last October but only became available as of March 2008. Was it worth the wait? We think so.
Traditionally, UMPC’s uptake has been hampered by aspects such as keyboard size, battery life and performance. Fortunately, manufacturers such as Samsung have listened to consumers and worked hard give us what we want. Have HTC?
Design
On first inspection, the Shift X9500 looks good. It’s not the lightest or smallest of the UMPC’s (size 207 x 129 x 25mm, weight 790g) but the Shift X9500 has many things in its favour. The keyboard is fairly large and the 7″ screen makes for easy use. It looks like HTC got this part right. The Shift X9500 fits nicely in your palm with the trackpad and mouse buttons being mounted in a position that allows you to easily navigate with your thumbs. The only downside was that the trackpad was a little jerky when trying to do precision work. A slightly larger trackpad wouldn’t go amiss.
The hardware keyboard folds away under the screen. When you need to type simply fold out the keyboard and it locks into position at a 45 degree angle to the screen.
The 7″ screen features a native resolution of 800 x 480. Not great for a device running Windows Vista. But don’t panic; a button the side of the screen will switch to a resolution of 1024 x 600. Still not the best we’ve seen but better than the default.
They keyboard is about the same size as the Asus Eee PC but we found that typing was not as easy on the HTC Shift X9500. That said, the Shift X9500 keyboard has a nice feel when typing. A nice touch by HTC is the ability to attach a full sized keyboard and mouse to the Shift X9500 when working at a desk as the device ships with a mini USB hub.
The HTC Shift X9500 is powered by an Intel A110 CPU. We’ve spoken about this before in other reviews. Unfortunately the Intel Atom wasn’t available when the HTC Shift X9500 was being built so you’re stuck with the A110 for now (rumours are circulating that the next version will feature an Intel Atom processor). Performance isn’t great. The CPU is just good enough to run the installed Windows Vista Business Edition.
Disk space was adequate. The HTC Shift X9500 features a 40Gb platter disk which should be more than enough space for your documents and media.
Connectivity is good. The HTC Shift X9500 features:
- 3G modem
- 802.11b/g
- Bluetooth
- Gigabit Ethernet
- 1 x USB 2.0
- VGA
No complaints there.
Battery life was an issue. We managed about two hours thirty minutes on normal usage. Cranking up some additional applications (WiFi, media player etc) and CPU time pushed this down to just over one hour thirty minutes. Not great if you intend to do some heavy duty video playback sessions. HTC know that battery life is an issue. To counter this they have included SnapVUE. This stripped down version Windows Mobile allowing you to check on Outlook emails and send/receive text messages. Using SnapVUE only on the HTC Shift X9500 will massively increase your battery life but reduces productivity associated with UMPC’s. It’s an approach but I’m not sure it will catch on unless SnapVUE is opened up to allow more third party apps.
Conclusion
The HTC Shift X9500 is one the the best UMPC’s we’ve seen. If HTC can improve SnapVUE then they may well have a real winner on their hands (if you don’t mind the price tag of around £900). I look forward to seeing the Shift X9500 with an Intel Atom CPU and enhanced SnapVUE capabilities.
Specifications
Intel A110 (800GHz)
1Gb RAM
Graphics Intel GMA 950 (integrated)
Hard disk 40Gb
Display 7″ touchscreen (800 x 480 default)
Other Fingerprint reader, webcam
Downside
Battery life could be better by far. SnapVUE is a very nice feature but needs more applications. Finally, it would be a real plus if HTC could release the next version with the Intel Atom processor.
Posted in HTC | No Comments »
Sunday, June 8th, 2008
When first released, the Q1 did not receive rave reviews. The general attitude amongst many hardware vendors seems to one of ‘we know best’. This approach by the manufacturers simply doesn’t good business sense. Would you build a product and then refuse to listen to the consumer? I didn’t thinkso.
Fortunately, Samsung made the right descision and took the time to listen to consumer criticism and make good. But how far did they go? Actually, comparing the version, a very long way. Let’s take a look.
Design
I admit, the original Q1 looked good, really good. It was enough to set heart racing of even the most cynical technophobe. But there were problems from the outset. Looks are simply not enough to entice customers to buy. Usability is key. This was the original Q1’s downfall. The non-existent hardware keyboard made the device a nightmare to use, just like the Nokia N800 (but resolved in the Nokia N810). When adding a hardware keyboard to the Q1 Ultra, Samsung took a slightly unusual approach. The QWERTY keyboard is split in half and positioned on either side of the screen. At first, typing with just your thumbs seemed a little odd but, af ter a little practice, we actually found this to be very easy. An ideal layout for the ‘text generation’, I think.
Manipulation of the pointer has been massively improved. The original Q1 featured a joystick for cursor movement whilst the point was moved using the touchscreen - infuriating. The Q1 Ultra now sports a joystick that acts just like a trackpoint - why Samsung didn’t build this into the original version I’ll never know. That said, if you like the original design of the Q1 you can simply select the ‘mouse’ button located above the joystick and you’re back in cursor key manipulation mode. In addition, the Q1 Ultra features a virtual keyboard laid out in either corner of the screen. This is accessed via the ‘Dial key’ mounted below the joystick.
Below the joystick, on the right hand side you’ll find a four-way rocker and an Enter button. The rocker can be configured to carry out tasks based on your preferences i.e. web browser scrolling attributes can be tailored to your needs. Underneath the rocker you’ll find the left and right mouse buttons.
The 7″ touchscreen dominates the Q1 Ultra. Native resolution resolution of the original Q1 was 800 x 600, very poor. Once again Samsung listened. The Q1 Ultra screen resolution comes in at 1024 x 600 but playback of some movie formats wasn’t great i.e. HD. Mounted above the screen are four buttons: volume up and down, UDF for configuring the rocker keys and a menu key. When pressed, this last button brings up an on-screen menu where you can scroll through options such as screen rotation, mute, WLAN activation and battery charge level. A nice addition.
The two microphones mounted below the screen provide adequate quality capabilities to internet-based calls. Unfortunately a standard microphone jackis not fitted so you’ll need to use a USB based headset for privacy.
The D-SUB port, Ethernet port and USB 2.0 port are mounted on the right hand side of the Q1 Ultra under a flexible plastic flap. The power socket is also fitted on the right. A headphone socket, 2nd USB port and SD slot are fitted on the top of the Q1 surround. On the reat of the casing is a folding stand; ideal if you want to watch movies. Below the stand is the battery housing. This will accept the standard 4 cell battery or a highter capacity 6 cell battery. In testing, the 4 cell battery gave about 4hours life with the 6 cell providing 6 hours uptime. Quite impressive.
The Q1 Ultra features two cameras: one front mounted above the screen for apps that use a webcam and one on the rear panel for taking photos - but only at 1.3megapixels.
The Q1 Ultra is both shorter and slimmer than its predecessor (227 x 124 x 24mm) and, with the 4 cell battery fitted, lighter at 685g.
The low power, low heat Intel A110 processor (800Mhz) is an ideal CPU for the Q1 Ultra. Not the fastest processor in the world but more than adequate. Who knows, maybe we’ll see the next version of the Q1 sporting an Intel Atom. The Q1 Ultra is fitted with 1Gb of RAM - great if you’re using Windows XP but this variant comes with Vista installed. Hint - don’t enable your pretty 3D graphics features in Vista on this device as performance is poor.
What we really like is the hard disk - 60Gb platter. Plenty of storage although an SSD would be nice (are you listening Samsung?).
Connectivity is very good. 10/100Mb Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 are all there. Rumours of a HSDPA variant were circulating but hasn’t been included in this model.
Conclusion
I’m impressed. Samsung really have listened to consumer views and made huge improvements to the Q1. If Samsung listen to future feedback and incorporate more requested features I think they’ll be onto a real winner.
Specifications
Intel A110 processor 800Mhz
1Gb DDR II SDRAM - 400 MHz - PC2-3200 memory
60Gb hard disk256Mb flash memory
Screen 7″ 1024×600
1.3 Megapixels camera
Ethernet 10/100Mb
WLAN a/b/g
Bluetooth2.0
USB2
Headphone socket
Downside
Playback of HD movies leaves a little to be disired. The 1.3 Megapixels camera really isn’t up to scratch; you’d be better off taking photos with your mobile phone. Keyboard layout - but this won’t take long to get used to especially if you regularly text. The price - at around £800 this is not a cheap device. Hopefully Samsung can emulate the Asus Eee PC and bring down prices in the next iteration.
Posted in Samsung | No Comments »
