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bargainPDA.com - A Palm Pilot / PDA Site Sitemap | Contact Us | Tell a friend '); //--> Click Here Home Price Watch Memory Cards Clearance PDAs PDA Reviews Discussion Software Resources pda search most popular pdas PDAs with most clicks in 5 days % share of 23,924 clicks / click count 1. HP iPAQ h6315 ( 13.3% / 3188 ) 2. palmOne Treo 610 ( 11.6% / 2772 ) 3. HP iPaq hx4705 ( 5.9% / 1413 ) 4. Dell Axim X30 Wireless (624MHz) ( 5.0% / 1193 ) 5. Motorola MPx ( 5.0% / 1189 ) 6. HP iPAQ h4150 h4155 ( 3.4% / 813 ) 7. palmOne Zire 72 ( 3.0% / 727 ) 8. Sony Clie TH55 ( 2.7% / 641 ) 9. Samsung SPH-i550 ( 2.3% / 547 ) 10. Asus MyPal A730 (Bluetooth) ( 2.3% / 546 ) latest pda discussion > pda for small mobile business > Tungsten T3 us version vs international ... > H6315 vs H6340 > Aeon of Discovery updated to v1.2 > re:Pocketpc on a budget > Handheld with WI-FI and Compact Flash sl... > FCC Reveals CDMA Version of the XDA III > PDA News - Verizon XDA, Wistron drops PD... > Charging PDA's > PDA and Tech Deals for 8/9/2004 - 8/11/2... got memory card storage? 512 MB SD Cards 256 MB SD Cards 1 GB CF Cards recent reviews 08/10/04 Dell Bluetooth GPS Review 08/10/04 HP iPaq rz1715 Review 05/18/04 Dell Axim X30 Wireless 624MHz Review 05/18/04 Dell Axim X30 Wireless 312MHz Review 05/18/04 Dell Axim X30 312MHz Review 05/16/04 Sharp SL-6000 Review 05/03/04 Palm Zire 31 Review 05/03/04 Palm Zire 72 Review 04/02/04 BoulderMaZZZe from Paragon Software (Palm OS) 03/29/04 Mitac Mio 168 GPS Integrated Pocket PC Review Digital Camera Reviews DigitalCameraReviewSpot.com see PDA Reviews at PDAReviewSpot.com Notebook Reviews at NotebookReview.com MSN Direct Watches at SPOTStop.com Add to My Yahoo! clearance pda and tech deals View clearance deals for: Accessories Audio Components Desktops Digital Cameras Electronics Graphics Input Devices Modems Monitors Networking Notebooks PDAs Printers Scanners Software Storage Buy.com Deal of the Day featured pda recent popular news > SanDisk Wi-Fi + 256MB SD Card ... 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(4,006 views since 07/28/04) new releases 7/19/2004 Garmin iQue 3200 PDA/GPS 7/19/2004 HP iPaq rx3415 7/31/2004 HP iPaq hx4705 7/31/2004 HP iPaq rx3715 7/31/2004 HP iPaq rz1715 8/1/2004 Samsung SPH-i550 8/1/2004 Dell Dell Bluetooth GPS 9/15/2004 Toshiba e830 9/30/2004 Motorola MPx100 9/30/2004 Motorola MPx 10/1/2004 Motorola MPx220 10/15/2004 Asus MyPal A730 (Bluetooth) 10/15/2004 Danger Hiptop 2 (T-Mobile Sidekick II) 11/1/2004 Daxian Telecom CU928 1/1/2005 Samsung Nexio XP30 REVIEW: Covertec Dell Axim X5 Leather Case Back to all headlines submitted by AdamaDBrown Tuesday, April 22, 2003 email article view recent articles by AdamaDBrown For high-class style, it's hard to beat a leather case. Covertec has been makingcases since before the birth of the original Palm Pilot, and given their quality it's not surprising that they're still around. The Covertec Axim case, like their other leather cases, comes in your choice ofblack, red or brown leather, each with light brown stiching along the edges. I recieved the black version. Don't be fooled by it's looks in the photos--it really is black, although it can take on a slight bluish cast in the right light. The front of the case is mostly plain, other than the discreet Covertec logo embossed in the bottom right-hand corner. The overall feel of the leather is quite soft and supple,with a layer of padding between the leather surface and what feels like a cardboard stiffener. The inside of the case is lined by what feels like a thin vinyl, unpadded and textured to resemble leather, and stamped at the top with the name 'Covertec'. front view of Covertec case Inside the flip-top lid are five pockets, three of them credit-card size, and two smaller ones. Unfortunately, the pockets are a bit too deep to hold memory cards unless you are willing to use tweezers to get your card back.Alternatively, however, the large upper pockets are perfect for a credit-card sized SD holder, or a PC Card to CompactFlash adapter, so if you wish you can carry your memory cards inside one of these enclosures with little to no trouble. I put a normal size PC Card in one pocket to simulate the use of a PC-to-CFadapter, and I quite comfortably carried around my Axim in the case with no crowding. CF pheripherals, on the other hand, would not fit either in the large pockets unless they have a straight-out profile, with no widening or thickening. Similarly, the case design doesn't permit keeping anything but memory cards in the Axim itself. above open view of covertec case At first glance, the fastener on the back of the case looks like a standard snap closure of the kind usually found on leather products, the ones that usually require quite a bit of force to get closed. On closer inspection though, it's not.What is it then? It's actually a magnetic closure with a very nifty auto-snap.When you let the tab flip down, it automatically grabs on to the base. Move the tab around a little bit, and it's knob will settle into the socket with a very satisfying 'click', holding the cover tightly closed. When you go to open the case, the closure provides just the right amount of resistance--not so much that it's hard to open, but enough that the latch doesn't feel weak. A real five-star closure design. back view of Dell Axim covertec case The left side is a simple band of leather attaching the back of the case to the rigid frame portion which holds in the Axim. Nothing particularly remarkableabout it save that it rides a little high, and obstructs some of the lower buttons.The reset button is totally covered, and the record button is partially covered,the extent depending on how tightly you seat the Axim into the bottom of thecase. It varies from about 1/5th to 2/3rds covered. It's not impossible to trigger it while in the case, but it is made more difficult. The right side is identical to theleft, except for the lack of buttons on the Axim. left side view of Dell Axim Covertec case The bottom of the case has cut outs for the sync connector and DC port. While it's possible to charge with the AC adapter while in the case, if you don't havethe Axim perfectly aligned the adapter can catch on the leather surrounding the cutout, preventing the plug from inserting correctly. If you want to charge whilein the case, a USB sync/charge cable would be much less troublesome,though you would have to open the snap to use it. Obviously, with the Axim in the case you will not be able to sync via the cradle. bottom view of Dell Axim Covertec top view of Dell Axim Covertec case For $40, the Covertec leather case isn't a typical end-user accessory, nor is it something that would likely be used by the average gear-bagger carrying theircables, spare batteries, and WiFi cards. But if you want a stylish case, and don't need to carry lots of accessories, it's a very attractive option for simpleprotection and good looks. Pros: High quality Snazzy magnetic auto-snap Cons: Obstructs record and reset buttons Difficult to use AC adapter while in case Bottom line: The Covertec leather case for the Axim is a very slick and well built case forbasic users who only need to carry around the Axim and a couple of memorycards, or who can put their accessories elsewhere. Click Here email story see recent articles by AdamaDBrown


bargainPDA.com - A Palm Pilot / PDA Site Contact Us | Tell a friend '); //--> Click Here Home Price Watch Memory Cards Clearance PDAs PDA Reviews Discussion Software Resources pda search most popular pdas PDAs with most clicks in 5 days % share of 23,924 clicks / click count 1. HP iPAQ h6315 ( 13.3% / 3188 ) 2. palmOne Treo 610 ( 11.6% / 2772 ) 3. HP iPaq hx4705 ( 5.9% / 1413 ) 4. Dell Axim X30 Wireless (624MHz) ( 5.0% / 1193 ) 5. Motorola MPx ( 5.0% / 1189 ) 6. HP iPAQ h4150 h4155 ( 3.4% / 813 ) 7. palmOne Zire 72 ( 3.0% / 727 ) 8. Sony Clie TH55 ( 2.7% / 641 ) 9. Samsung SPH-i550 ( 2.3% / 547 ) 10. Asus MyPal A730 (Bluetooth) ( 2.3% / 546 ) recent popular news > SanDisk Wi-Fi + 256MB SD Card ... (8,736 views since 07/28/04) > First Thoughts - HP iPaq rz171... (8,325 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq rz1715 Review (7,049 views since 08/02/04) > iPaq rz1715, iPaq rx3415, iPa... (6,028 views since 07/28/04) > HP's End of Life Plans for The... (5,610 views since 07/29/04) > PDA News - Treo Watch, Nokia r... (5,480 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq Devices Announced, iPa... (5,001 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Vaio U50 Review (4,127 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Ericsson Announces The P9... (4,103 views since 07/28/04) > PDA News - HP considers palmto... (4,006 views since 07/28/04) advertisement Click Here Review - Axim X30 Wireless (312MHz) Dell Axim X30 Wireless 312MHz Review by AdamaDBrown (5/18/2004) The Dell Axim X30 , Dell's newest Pocket PC and successor to the X3i, packs a 624 MHz PXA270 processor , dual wireless, and Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition into a single package, priced at an incredible $349. Left, Axim X3i. Right, Axim X30. From the outside, the X30 is literally indistinguishable from the Axim X3i. It's the same case, buttons, battery, screen, and all the rest. I assume that this is part of what makes the X30's price so low--zero cost for hardware re-engineering, other than the motherboard. Also like the X3 series, the X30s come in three different flavors--low, middle, and high-end configurations. In Dell's parlance, these are the 312, 312 combo, and 624 combo units. The "312" is priced at $199, has a 312 MHz processor (hence the name), 32 MB RAM, 32 MB ROM, and is otherwise nearly indistinguishable from the X3 series Basic unit, right down to the USB sync cable. The "312 combo" likewise runs at 312 MHz, but other than that it bears little resemblence to its cheaper sibling. Its price is set at $249, and the extra $50 buys 64 MB RAM, 64 MB ROM (30.8 MB user accessible) and dual wireless, Bluetooth and WiFi. The 312 combo also gains 5 grams in weight, and the slightly less than quarter-inch long antenna. As if the price point of the 312 combo weren't enough to get the blood pumping, the 624 combo gets things really interesting. It has the memory and dual wireless of the 312 combo, plus a cradle with a charging slot for a second battery, and Intel's newest and fastest processor available: the 624 MHz XScale PXA270. The 624 combo unit is priced at $349, a unbeliveable price point for such a loaded unit. Design Front and rear, the casing is smooth silver plastic, seperated by matte black plastic along all the edges. It's a standard 'tablet' style Pocket PC, nothing particularly unusual about it. The overall design is squared off and rather boxy, reminiscent of it's Axim predecessor, or one of the older Toshiba Pocket PCs. Personally I like the design and feel of the X30--it rests nicely in the hand, and has a pleasently compact feel to it, even though the edges aren't quite as comfortable for gripping as some others. It's best to let it sit in your hand, or to hold it front and back, rather than grip it by the edges. Bottom front are the six application buttons. By default, the first five of these are mapped to the 5 usual Pocket PC applications. The sixth, depending on whether you have a wireless model or not, either toggles wireless on and off or launches Windows Media Player. The buttons are the typical round, depressed Axim style, with a good key travel and tactile response. The two on the edges are a little more dodgy because of their design, but still quite usable for application launching and such. I quite like the design of the directional pad--it's firm, has good tactile response, and you almost never hit the wrong direction. Also, it fares pretty well in landscape mode as well. On top, from left to right, we see the stylus; wireless antenna, with both Bluetooth and WiFi symbols; SD card slot; and IR port. The stylus is the same as has been used on all the Axims, the 'skinny metal fish'. Just as that implies, it is entirely made of aluminum except for the writing tip, which is translucent white plastic. It's a good quality stylus, however the slight flattening may not sit well depending on how you like to hold it. The antenna is a translucent grey plastic nub, about a quarter inch tall, that houses both the wireless antenna and the activity LEDs for Bluetooth and WiFi. There's a blue LED that lights continuously as long as Bluetooth is active, and a green LED that flashes to indicate WiFi activity, each residing in the antenna under their respective symbols. The left side of the X30 holds the jog dial and headphone jack. I love this kind of jog dial--it's a 'lever' type, which means that you push it up or down rather than rotating it, and you can continue to scroll without having to readjust your fingers to keep cranking, as you would have to do on a wheel type. All three directions on the dial feel very solid, great tactile response, a real pleasure to use. On the back is the battery pack and latch, reset button, and speaker. Hardware Processor: Intel XScale PXA270 "Bulverde" processor at 312 or 624 MHz Operating System: Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Display: 3.5 inch 240 x 320 pixel 16-bit color transreflective hybrid LCD Memory: 64 MB RAM, 64 MB flash ROM, 30.8 MB user accessible (312 combo and 624 combo models); 32 MB RAM, 32 MB ROM (312 model) Size & Weight 4.6 inches long (4.82 with antenna) x 3.0 inches wide x 0.55" thick, 4.7 ounces (312 model) or 4.9 ounces (312 combo and 624 combo models) Expansion: One SD slot with support for SDIO Docking: 22 pin docking connector, identical to X3 series, for USB sync cable or cradle Communication: Integrated 802.11b WiFi and Class 2 Bluetooth (312 combo and 624 combo models only) Audio: Monaural speaker, internal microphone, stereo 3.5mm heaphone jack Battery: 3.7 volt, 950 milliamp-hour standard battery; optional 3.7v 1800 mAh extended battery Input: 6 remappable application buttons, 5-way directional pad, touchscreen Software: Dell WLAN utility, Resco Picture Viewer, Outlook 2002 Other: Consumer-grade IR for universal remote control Processor The X30's 624 MHz PXA270 is by a long ways the most powerful processor ever put in a Pocket PC. Besides the raw clock speed, the new PXA270s featured in the X30 series include better energy efficiency, Wireless MultiMedia Instructions (or 'WMMX') for improved multimedia performance, and a new 32 bit interface. All this adds up to a greater flexibility between low power consumption when wanted, and faster processor performance when needed. I put the X30's processor through two sets of tests: objective, and subjective. For objective testing and comparison to other units, I used SPB Benchmark to run the X30 through its paces, and compare it to competing Pocket PCs. As you can see, the X30 has a substantial lead in every category. It is, quite simply, the fastest Pocket PC currently available. My subjective testing was a little different. Just for kicks, I dropped some good-sized video onto an SD card and fired up Beta Player on the X30. The video I used was entirely desktop material--near DVD quality, 700 by 400 pixel and above DivX files encoded at 400+ kilobits per second. Stuff that would have made my antique 266 MHz laptop balk. The X30 played them. Not with total fluidity, but it played them. Noticible frame drops happened on high motion scenes, but this is to be expected with video that hasn't been at all optimized. Frankly, the fact that it could play them at all is impressive. I can't wait to see what the PXA270 can do when available video players have been rewritten to take full advantage of it, let alone what it'll look like paired with Intel's Marathon graphics chip. Somewhere else that you can see the raw speed of the PXA270 is in ordinary operations. Compared to my X3i, the X30 is noticibly faster in listing large directory contents, opening books, and all the other little things that you don't usually think of as processor intensive operations. In a word, this thing is fast, fast, fast. Operating System The X30 is the first handheld to come to market with Microsoft's newest operating system update, known as 'Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for the Pocket PC'. Rumor has it that they had to put landscape support into the OS just to be able to display the entire name on one line. The most significant features of SE are support for 480 x 640 pixel VGA screens, 'on the fly' screen rotation between portrait and landscape display orientations, and enhanced wireless security in the form of WiFi Protected Access, also known as WPA. Lacking a VGA screen, the X30 doesn't have much use for this component. Far more useful is the ability to instantly switch between portrait and landscape. It may not sound like a big deal, but for web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, or anything that depends on the available display width, it's a very big deal. The rotation is done through a new version of the Screen applet in the system settings, and it provides a choice between portrait, right-handed landscape, and left-handed landscape. Left and right handed landscape mean that it rotates the screen so that you would hold the stylus with your left or right hand, and operate the buttons with the other. Also, unlike some existing third-party screen rotation programs for prior OS versions, you don't need to soft-reset the device when changing from portrait to landscape or vice versa. Microsoft has also done an decent job in converting over all of the built-in system software for seamless landscape use. Unfortunately, most existing third-party PocketPC software doesn't have the advantage of being immediately compatible. Some applications seem to make the transition well, behaving the way you would expect them to. Others have problems ranging from minor to serious, many of which can prevent them from functioning properly, such as not realizing that the screen shape has changed, or not knowing how to redraw properly. And some simply refuse to run in landscape whatsoever, forcing you to soft-reset--at the least--before you can return to portrait mode. Besides that, operating in landscape mode seems to result in a very unusual number of lockups, many from things no more unusual that tapping the Start menu or opening the Settings. Sometimes I would get stuck in a loop where the device would lock up from landscape mode, I would reset it, then like that a few seconds after I had reset it. In fact, at least once while I was testing the X30, just such a problem caused by rotating the screen resulted in a spontaneous hard reset. As you might imagine, that was a very unpleasent discovery. So, my advice is this--if you plan to run existing third-party software in landscape, maintain current backups. I hope that this is some kind of haywire result from trying to use incompatible third-party software in landscape, and most of the bugs will disappear as applications are updated to take advantage of the landscape capabilities offered in 2003SE. Unfortunately, if it isn't, then SE's landscape mode isn't very useful. WiFi Protected Access allows more secure encryption and authentication than the basic functions supported by the WiFi standard. Not content to settle with this, Dell added a client for LEAP, PEAP, and EAP security standards. Add these to the pre-existing support for 802.1x, and with all the wireless security features it supports, the X30 would make an excellent enterprise unit, able to connect to just about any kind of setup you can imagine. The OS update also makes a lot of minor visual and aesthetic changes, as well as tweaks to the way the OS behaves. Nothing too major, but you'll notice a new Welcome screen, new default Today theme, changed handling of the "recent programs" list, etcetera. Overall, the changes are nice, adding a little more visual style and a more XP-esque look. The one thing that I do have a complaint about is that Microsoft reshuffled the connection management system, AGAIN--not enough to be a significant change, but just enough that I can't exactly duplicate the settings from one Axim to the other and be sure that they'll work. And lastly, as with Microsoft's last new OS, you'll need to update your copy of ActiveSync, this time to version 3.7.1. According to Microsoft, this version improves USB connection stability and recognition. Display The X30's display is a transmissive/reflective hybrid, sometimes called transreflective or transflective. This means that it can both transmit light from an internal backlight, as well as reflect bright ambient light, to make it usable both indoors and out. It's essentially the same screen used in the X3 series, with most of the same charateristics. Both share the same maximum brightness, 100 'nits'. (In case you were wondering, a 'nit' is defined as "A unit of illuminative brightness equal to one candle per square meter, measured perpendicular to the rays of the source." Or the eggs of a parasitic insect, but I'm pretty sure it's the former in this case.) The lowest settings on the X3i seem a little higher than the lowest settings on the X30, but that's just nitpicking, no pun intended. In any event, I like having a nice, low 'low' setting for using in the dark, so it's actual a plus. Left, Dell Axim X30. Right, Dell Axim X3i. When compared side to side, the X3i's whites look a little bit bluer, whereas the X30's seem more off-white. Color depth and definition is excellent, and the display itself is free of defects, streaking, and dead pixels. I would give the nod to the X30's screen as being a little bit better, just for the whites. Overall, it is an excellent screen. Memory The middle and high-end X30s have a pretty typical amount of memory. True, it's not over generous, but I much prefer having the additional internal flash memory over more RAM, since the flash doesn't need power and won't be lost in a hard-reset. The 32 MB on the 312 could definitely get cozy, however, even more so because it doesn't have the extra amount of flash ROM. A memory card would definitely be required for most things. Fortunately, the price of flash memory has been dropping lately. Size & Weight Certainly no source of complaints. The X30 is about as tiny as you can expect, and is a featherweight to boot. It fits easily into just about any pocket, and at 4.9 ounces for the 'combo' units, you'll barely even notice it's there. Expansion Nothing remarkable here. The X30 is equipped with a single SD card slot with 4-bit interface and support for SDIO. According to Dell's own specs, the slot will support memory cards up to and including 1 gigabyte. Docking The X30 series has retained the same 22-pin docking connector as the X3 family, so all the existing cables and cradles work perfectly. Similarly, the cradle for the X30 is exactly identical to the one for the X3, right down to the battery slot and ribbing along the sides. The connector provides a USB Device connection to a desktop or laptop PC, serial capabilities, and connection to an optional keyboard. Communication By default, when you first press the button to power on the X30's wireless module, it switches on both the WiFi and Bluetooth transceivers. To override this, and use only one radio at once, you can use the icons in the tray of the today screen to disable one or both. The only catch is that if you toggle wireless off then on again using the wireless power button, then both wireless modules will wake up. The X30 has a quite admirable WiFi implementation. Range was very good, even with power management enabled. Power consumption is excellent--you can easily get over 4 hours of WiFi on a single standard battery, and the 1800 mAh extended battery could last you through an entire 8 hour day of WiFi usage. Unfortunately, Dell opted to replace the excellent WiFi scanner/analysis program built-in to the X3i in favor of a new, less capable program. It's still fine for connecting to your network of choice, but not as good for 'sniffing' the area, listing nearby hotspots, and the like. That's okay, if you really want that there are third-party alternatives, but it was just nice having a capable sniffer built-in. The X30's Bluetooth module is a Class 2 transceiver, meaning that it has a maximum range of about 33 feet. It's based on the Bluetooth 1.1 specification, but Dell's documents mention a 'migration path' to Bluetooth 1.2, so we may see that in a future ROM update. Bluetooth 1.2 adds "Adaptive Frequency Hopping" to reduce interference, improves voice connection quality, and improves speed. None of these are terrible urgent items for the X30, but it's nice to that the potential is there. The X30's Bluetooth implementation also includes WiFi coexistence support, so that you can run the Bluetooth and WiFi radios simultaneously without them interfering with each other or other wireless devices around them. All the usual profiles are supported, such as file transfer, phone link, network access, object exchange, serial port, ActiveSync, PAN, and the like. It's a very nice implementation of Bluetooth, complete with a setup and management program that manages to be reasonably user-friendly without making it too simplistic for power users. Also, the PIM applications have Bluetooth context menu items, such as 'Send via Bluetooth' and 'Dial via Bluetooth'. The only oversight is File Manager's lack of a 'Send via Bluetooth' option for files, but I think that's more Microsoft than Dell. Audio The X30's audio hardware isn't really any different than any other Pocket PC. Internal microphone for audio recording, monaural speaker for notifications and alarms, and 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. Speaker volume is the same as the X3i, which is to say that it's good for alarms. Microphone quality depends on the settings used for recording, but if you crank the quality up to the top, it is excellent. It would make a great digital audio recorder. Battery For the battery tests, I stuck to SPB Benchmark. A little bit of explanation follows each test result, and as always, these tests are mostly pessimistic, intended to represent a minimum expectation of battery life. Maximum brightness, "standard usage" test: 3 hours, 10 minutes This test seems odd until you think about it. Less battery life with wireless off than with it on? Huh? Well, it actually does make sense. The SPB Benchmark definition of 'standard usage' is to repeatedly open a large document. Thus, the system is continually kicking in that 624 MHz of processor power to open it faster, and that takes some juice. In contrast, the wireless modules are very efficient in their use of power, even more so than the processor. Maximum brightness, WiFi on (auto-off at 25% remaining), Bluetooth on: 3 hours, 48 minutes Read that again and think about it. Almost four hours with wireless on, most of that with WiFi on, and the screen at maximum. It makes you wonder, how long would you get if you cranked the screen down a ways? At least, it made me wonder that, so I ran a test on that basis. 50% brightness, WiFi on, Bluetooth on: 4 hours, 31 minutes For dual wireless, this is nothing short of an exceptional result. It's even better if you remember that after the system forcibly deactivated WiFi at the 14% mark, the battery went for another 1 hour and 56 minutes with Bluetooth on, for a grand total of 6 hours and 27 minutes of wireless battery life at 50% brightness. In comparison, its competitor, the iPaq 4150, only managed 3 hours and 45 minutes on a similar brightness without any active wireless. Also in comparison, the original Dell Axim X5, renowned for its battery life, only lasted 7 and 1/2 hours at 50% brightness with no wireless at all. In addition, the extended battery option would offer nearly double the results shown here, easily offering 8 hours of dual wireless, 15+ hours of Bluetooth, or the ability to watch Gangs of New York on a long flight. Twice. The X30 can certainly compete, not just handily beating its competitors in the ultralight arena but going toe to toe with the best available Pocket PCs for battery life. Input Since I've already addressed everything except the touchscreen, I'll cover that by noting that it is of excellent quality, solid, with little to no undesired flexing. Software Dell has never been terribly generous with third-party software in its bundles, and this is no exception. As a matter of fact, aside from ActiveSync and Outlook 2002, the only full-version application bundled with the X30s is the rather marginal Resco Picture Viewer. Everything else is trial and demo versions, such as Scrabble, TotalRemote, HandyZip, Resco File Explorer, etcetera. No matter. I'd rather pay less for the unit and pick my own software than get lumped with something I don't need. I realize that this sentiment isn't universal, and that some new users might be better suited by being handed a ready-made stack of software, but I think Dell has the right strategy in keeping the price low and letting people get only the software they need with the money they saved. Remote The X30 also includes a high-power infrared port, making it suitable for use as a universal infrared remote control, in case you like to mix web browsing and home theater. I've never used this too much, but there's no denying that it's rather cool, particularly as a backup to losing a remote. To take advantage of the capability, you'll need appropriate software that can 'learn' your existing remote controls and replace them. Dell ships a demo of Total Remote with the X30 for this purpose, though there are others as well. While you can make an IR remote out of any handheld, the X30's high-power IR port makes it easier to hit your components from 15-20 feet away. Conclusion The X30 is a dazzling little piece of hardware for its mixture of capabilities and price. Aside from some non-critical software glitches that hopefully will be ironed out in time, it has just about everything that you can pack into a machine of its size. The only things that you could possibly say it lacks are a VGA screen and CompactFlash slot, neither of which would be easy to fit into such a tiny machine. I don't feel any hesitation in saying that the X30 is the new reigning champion of ultralight Pocket PCs. Pros: Exceptional pricing Thin and light Dual wireless Newest operating system Excellent battery life Cons: Serious software issues associated with landscape Intense processor usage can eat battery Bottom Line: Price, power, size, features, and longevity. In its weight class, the Axim X30 is very hard to beat. Price break down for Asus Axim X30 Wireless (312MHz) (click column headers to sort) prices updated: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 7:07:48 PM (GMT) Retailer Product Price + Shipping = Total Cost Dell Home & Home Office Dell Home & Home Office Dell Axim X30 (64MB, 312MHz processor, 2 yr warranty) $328.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $328.00 + $0.00 = $328.00 Dell Home & Home Office Dell Home & Home Office Dell Axim X30 (64MB, 312MHz processor) $279.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $279.00 + $0.00 = $279.00 Dell Home & Home Office Dell Home & Home Office Dell Axim X30 (64MB, 312MHz processor, 3 yr warranty) $358.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $358.00 + $0.00 = $358.00 Dell Home & Home Office Dell Home & Home Office Dell Axim X30 (64MB, 312MHz processor) $279.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $279.00 + $0.00 = $279.00 Dell Small Business Dell Small Business Dell Axim X30 (64MB, 312MHz processor) $279.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $279.00 + $0.00 = $279.00 Dell Small Business Dell Small Business Dell Axim X30 (64MB, 312MHz processor, 3 yr warranty) $358.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $358.00 + $0.00 = $358.00 Dell Small Business Dell Small Business Dell Axim X30 (64MB, 312MHz processor) $279.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $279.00 + $0.00 = $279.00 Dell Small Business Dell Small Business Dell Axim X30 (64MB, 312MHz processor, 2 yr warranty) $328.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $328.00 + $0.00 = $328.00 Recent User Ratings and Comments for Asus- Axim X30 Wireless (312MHz) © bargainPDA.com 2004 Privacy Policy | Advertising | bargainPDA News Feed


bargainPDA.com - A Palm Pilot / PDA Site Contact Us | Tell a friend '); //--> Click Here Home Price Watch Memory Cards Clearance PDAs PDA Reviews Discussion Software Resources pda search most popular pdas PDAs with most clicks in 5 days % share of 23,924 clicks / click count 1. HP iPAQ h6315 ( 13.3% / 3188 ) 2. palmOne Treo 610 ( 11.6% / 2772 ) 3. HP iPaq hx4705 ( 5.9% / 1413 ) 4. Dell Axim X30 Wireless (624MHz) ( 5.0% / 1193 ) 5. Motorola MPx ( 5.0% / 1189 ) 6. HP iPAQ h4150 h4155 ( 3.4% / 813 ) 7. palmOne Zire 72 ( 3.0% / 727 ) 8. Sony Clie TH55 ( 2.7% / 641 ) 9. Samsung SPH-i550 ( 2.3% / 547 ) 10. Asus MyPal A730 (Bluetooth) ( 2.3% / 546 ) recent popular news > SanDisk Wi-Fi + 256MB SD Card ... (8,736 views since 07/28/04) > First Thoughts - HP iPaq rz171... (8,325 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq rz1715 Review (7,049 views since 08/02/04) > iPaq rz1715, iPaq rx3415, iPa... (6,028 views since 07/28/04) > HP's End of Life Plans for The... (5,610 views since 07/29/04) > PDA News - Treo Watch, Nokia r... (5,480 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq Devices Announced, iPa... (5,001 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Vaio U50 Review (4,127 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Ericsson Announces The P9... (4,103 views since 07/28/04) > PDA News - HP considers palmto... (4,006 views since 07/28/04) advertisement Click Here Review - iPaq rz1715 HP iPaq rz1715 Review by AdamaDBrown (8/10/2004) Admittedly, when I first saw the specs on the HP iPAQ rz1715 , I wasn't impressed. Now that I've had a chance to play with it for a few days, I've gone from unimpressed to downright displeased. It's like HP suddenly lost all conception of what makes a decent PocketPC. Even the name seems to reflect this. "Are Zee seventeen fifteen" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, besides lacking the simple elegance of earlier iPaq names. Names like "nineteen forty-five" and "forty-one fifty" convey a certain sense of power and style. If someone you know asked you what you were holding, and you replied "Oh, it's my new aych pea eye-pack are zee seventeen fifteen," they might ask you if you'd suffered a recent head injury. Being low-end is no reason to condemn a product--many people buy low-end for affordability, expendability, and simplicity. As such, I have of course gone out of my way to offer the rz1715 a fair chance. It still failed miserably. Inside the box is a very basic subset of accessories: the iPaq itself, an AC power adapter, a USB sync cable, install CD, and documentation. At least HP didn't add insult to injury by including a cheap cardboard-and-foam carrying case. The casing is entirely plastic, with a bright silver finish on the front that can look almost white in the proper light. The back is a grey plastic that puts me in mind of the casing of the old Palm III that I once bought for a family member. The quality of both sides feel cheap, like the plastic that you get in $10 universal remote controls. Despite the apparent cheapness of the plastic, the 1715 reacted relatively well when put under stress tests. The casing didn't creak, crack, or excessively flex--a lot better result than I'd expected. I would have done a few drop tests, save for the fact that I didn't want to actually break it and be stuck with the thing. Suffice to say, I doubt that the casing would survive too serious of a drop, but that can be said of any Pocket PC. There's still some of the classical iPaq styling left in the design, visible around the glossy black top and center mounted SD slot, but for the most part this is a whole new beast--no pun intended. I'm not overly hung up on the looks of a device--it is a computer, not a fashion statement--but I draw the line at ugly. If I'm embarrassed to take it out of my pocket, that's where the line is. The 1715 isn't exactly a bug-eyed monster, but it's distinctly lacking in anything approaching style. The design is boxy, the look and feel is cheap, and the sudden cut from light silver front to dark grey back makes it look hacked together. It sort-of resembles those $15 "touchscreen organizers" that they sell at Radioshack next to the NASCAR phones. To love this thing, you'd have to be an iPaq fanatic that keyed on brand name and nothing else. The sides are totally plain, as is the back, except for the usual sticker giving regulatory complience information. Everything that's going on is going on on top. Left to right you'll find the stylus, power button, IR port, SDIO slot, microphone, and headphone jack. The stylus is wedged pretty tightly in the slot. No worries about it falling out at least. Either it's made of a very hard and heavy plastic, or it has a metal core, I'm really not sure. Either way it's solid and has a reasonable weight in the hand. I'm not a huge fan of top-mounted power buttons, and this one is no exception. The inherently small size and illogical placement of a top-mounted button is just inconvenient for one of the most used functions on the device. Unlike virtually all other Pocket PCs, pressing down and holding the power button does not toggle the screen's backlight on and off. Instead, it brings up a menu that gives you the option of turning off the backlight, turning off the screen entirely, or key-locking the buttons so that the 1715 can't be turned on accidentally. Not a bad idea, but it makes just toggling the backlight on and off more difficult. Especially when you're in the dark and need to turn the light on, you can't see what you're doing. By default, if you pull up the menu and leave it alone for a few seconds, it will activate the highlighted option, but there's still too much chance for confusion and inconvenience. The main application buttons and directional pad are cheap, but servicable. Though the material is roughly the same kind of cheap light plastic as the rest of the case, the buttons still offer decent tactile response, as does the d-pad. Moving to the bottom of the device, dead center underneath is the docking port, which is identical to the type used on the iPaq 4000 and 5000 models. Normally, any Pocket PC that does not have a seperate DC power jack comes with a small tip that allows you to plug the power supply directly into the docking port without hauling along the cradle or sync cable. The 1715 lacks this, so it is only possible to charge through the main USB sync cable. The tiny indentation off to the left is where the 1715 keeps its reset button. It can be pressed with the very pointy tip of the default stylus, but most third-party styluses would be too large to do so. Hardware Processor: 203 MHz Samsung S3C2410 processor Operating System: Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Display: 240 x 320 pixel transmissive/reflective LCD display Memory: 32 MB RAM (15 MB available to user), 32 MB ROM (10 MB available to user) Size & Weight: 4.48 inches long x 2.75 wide x 0.53 thick, 4.23 ounces Expansion: One SD slot with support for SDIO Docking: 22-pin connector with USB and serial support Communication: Serial infrared port, USB Device port Audio: Internal microphone, monaural speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack Battery: Non-removable 3.7 volt 1000 milliamp-hour Lithium-Ion battery Input: Touchscreen, 4 remappable application buttons Processor When I noticed that MP3 playback stuttered during CPU operations, I knew that the news on this front wasn't going to be good. I have two sets of tests that I put the 1715 though--subjective, meaning that I assess how fast the unit feels , and objective, which is a complete workup of benchmarks. Subjectively, the 1715 feels very slow--not just slower than my 624 MHz X30, but slower than my old 400 MHz X5 and X3i. The 1715 suffers from a double-hit in the speed department--low processor speed and perpetually low memory. Using SPB Benchmark, I compared the rz1715 to it's own predecessor, the h1945, and to another model in its price range, the Axim X30 624 MHz. Just a quick word of explaination. Most of the benchmark index names are self-explainatory, but it should be noted that the main index is an overall account of how fast the PocketPC is, and the Platform index is a measurement of how fast the OS is. iPaq rz1715 (203 MHz, 15 MB) iPaq h1945 (266 MHz, 64 MB) Axim X30 (624 MHz, 64 MB) SPB Benchmark Index 1035 1335 2113 CPU Index 1007 1307 2475 File System Index 956 1184 1487 Graphics Index 1787 2774 5329 Platform Index 993 1291 1493 You know, call me crazy, but traditionally a follow-up model is not supposed to be inferior to its predecessor in every way. Not only is the rz1715 slower, but it has less memory and no wireless compared to the 1945. And let's not even talk about the comparably priced model from Dell. Operating System Here's a bright spot in the swamp. The rz1715 comes with the latest edition of Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS, allowing for on the fly screen rotation between portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) viewing modes. It also includes an improved web browser, improved wireless networking support (mostly wasted on the rz1715), and support for VGA screens (totally wasted on the 1715). Of course, landscape mode doesn't do much good for web browsing when you don't have a wireless internet connection, and I suspect that trying to work with really significant MS Office documents on the limited resources of the 1715 would be like trying to kill a lion with a steak knife. You can do it, but it's going to be both messy and painful. Display For what it's worth, the 1715 has a decent display. It is crisp, clear, and offers very good color depth and definition. Unfortunately it also has a smaller viewing cone than other Pocket PC LCDs. Because of the nature of LCD displays, they can sometimes look different from different angles, losing contrast or taking on color shades. Though the rz1715 is quite good from straight on, it suffers more distortions and at a lesser angle than my X30 and others. Memory No, folks, this isn't a typo--though it is a joke, just not one that's funny or intentional. Of the 32 MB of RAM in the 1715, only about 15 of it can be controlled by the user. The system actually claims that 27 MB is available to the user, but it always shows 8 MB of program memory as being "in use," even on a freshly reset machine with no programs running. If you're going to commandeer RAM for use by the OS, just say so. The remaining 15 MB then has to be split up between running programs and storage, leaving about 8 MB for each. (In case you're wondering why these figures don't add up to 27 MB, several megabytes of storage memory are taken up by Windows files that are non-removable.) Forget video, forget most games, forget serious multitasking, or anything resource-demaning. The resources just aren't there. The 1715 is a glorified dayplanner. It's bad enough that HP cheapened out on the RAM to the degree that they did. But trying to trick the user into thinking that they have more than they do is just apalling. On top of that, HP kindly decided to waste another half-meg of the user's RAM with a "PocketPC Demo" that is nothing of the sort--just an advertisement for HP--and isn't removable from the normal Remove Programs menu. Instead, you have to manually go into the Program Files and Windows/Start Menu directories to get rid of it. Thanks, HP. I really couldn't live without that. Size & Weight The 1715 comes in on the lowest end of the scale in size and weight. Not a hard thing to do when it lacks any actual features. I'll give it this, it is feather light, just shy of four and a quarter ounces, but I find it hard to get excited about it being tiny and useless. Left, Dell Axim X30. Right, iPaq rz1715. Top, iPaq rz1715. Bottom, Dell Axim X30. Expansion Nothing too remarkable here. The 1715 has one SDIO slot, good for memory, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, the usual. Of course, with the paucity of internal memory, you'll certainly need a memory card most of the time--if you were crazy enough to try and actually use this thing. Therefore, the only real option for adding wireless to the 1715 is SanDisk's 256 MB memory/WiFi combo card. Except that the combo card doesn't work on the rz1715. Oops! Apparently, something in the rz1715's makeup prevents the card from functioning properly. The basic WiFi card works, but that leaves no option for expanding your already scarce memory. A Catch-22. According to HP's specifications, the 1715's card slot uses a 4-bit interface, the fastest available on the SDIO specification. However, I noticed that file transfers to and from my SD memory card felt noticibly slower than on the Axim X30, which also sports a 4-bit slot. No doubt the processor rearing its head. Docking The 1715's docking connector is a 22-pin port identical to that on the iPaq 4000 and 5000 series, functioning as both USB device port for connecting to a PC, and as a serial port with the right add-on cable. HP also offers an optional cradle for the rz1715 at an additional cost. Communication The 1715's communications skills are close to nil. It has neither WiFi nor Bluetooth wireless technologies, highly unusual for a machine in its price range. The only integrated connectivity options are an infrared or cable connection to a desktop or phone. The first of these is limited in scale, since IR ports are increasingly rare, being replaced by more advanced wireless technologies. The second can be either very limited or very expensive depending on what you're trying to connect to. USB cables leave you tethered to a PC, and phone cables can cost upwards of $60. Audio The internal speaker's volume was pretty decent, and the volume through headphones was actually very high. Audio quality is about the same as other Pocket PCs. Microphone quality is about par as well, and maximum range is a normal 4-7 feet. Battery Backlight on high, processor active: 2 hours, 35 minutes Backlight on minimum, processor active: 7 hours, 6 minutes Say it with me: whaaaat? No question about it, the screen is a huge drain on the 1715's battery--in some ways, it's the only drain. Without any kind of wireless radio, or a fast processor to eat the power, crank the screen down and the 1715 can go for hours and hours. The remaining question is, would you really want it to? Input Input is much the same as any other PocketPC: on-screen keyboard, handwriting recognition, and the option of an external keyboard. Existing iPaq foldable keyboards will work with the rz1715, and HP plans on marketing a snap-on thumb keyboard starting in August. Conclusion In truth, there's nothing massively defective about the iPaq rz1715 itself, aside from a really bad name and some questionable design choices. It's very low end, but sometimes you need very low-end hardware. Priced at $150, the 1715 would make a decent entry-level PocketPC for bringing in the Zire customers--people who don't care to spend a lot, and only want the basics. But there's the crux of the matter. It isn't priced at $150. It's priced at $280, an upper-midrange price point for digging-under-the-barrel hardware. For a lot less than the 1715, you could buy an Axim X30 312 MHz combo that would be faster, have more memory, better build quality, removable battery, and dual wireless. And for the same or a little more than the 1715, you could get a high-end X30 that is much faster than the 1715 in addition to everything else. Trying to sell the rz1715 for $280 is the kind of craziness that usually requires illegal narcotics, and lots of them. It isn't worth it. Pros: Makes a great way to identify stupid rich people Cons: Unreasonable price Cheap contruction No wireless Little memory Non-replacable battery Lackluster processor Bottom Line: Walks like a turkey, talks like a turkey, and is priced like a peacock. An outlandish price for bargain-basement hardware. Price break down for Asus iPaq rz1715 (click column headers to sort) Retailer Model Price Total There is currently no pricing available for this product. Recent User Ratings and Comments for Asus- iPaq rz1715 © bargainPDA.com 2004 Privacy Policy | Advertising | bargainPDA News Feed


bargainPDA.com - A Palm Pilot / PDA Site Contact Us | Tell a friend '); //--> Click Here Home Price Watch Memory Cards Clearance PDAs PDA Reviews Discussion Software Resources pda search most popular pdas PDAs with most clicks in 5 days % share of 23,924 clicks / click count 1. HP iPAQ h6315 ( 13.3% / 3188 ) 2. palmOne Treo 610 ( 11.6% / 2772 ) 3. HP iPaq hx4705 ( 5.9% / 1413 ) 4. Dell Axim X30 Wireless (624MHz) ( 5.0% / 1193 ) 5. Motorola MPx ( 5.0% / 1189 ) 6. HP iPAQ h4150 h4155 ( 3.4% / 813 ) 7. palmOne Zire 72 ( 3.0% / 727 ) 8. Sony Clie TH55 ( 2.7% / 641 ) 9. Samsung SPH-i550 ( 2.3% / 547 ) 10. Asus MyPal A730 (Bluetooth) ( 2.3% / 546 ) recent popular news > SanDisk Wi-Fi + 256MB SD Card ... (8,739 views since 07/28/04) > First Thoughts - HP iPaq rz171... (8,325 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq rz1715 Review (7,049 views since 08/02/04) > iPaq rz1715, iPaq rx3415, iPa... (6,028 views since 07/28/04) > HP's End of Life Plans for The... (5,610 views since 07/29/04) > PDA News - Treo Watch, Nokia r... (5,480 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq Devices Announced, iPa... (5,001 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Vaio U50 Review (4,127 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Ericsson Announces The P9... (4,103 views since 07/28/04) > PDA News - HP considers palmto... (4,006 views since 07/28/04) advertisement Click Here Review - Zaurus SL-6000 Sharp SL-6000 Review by Ian (5/16/2004) Overview and Introduction The new Zaurus SL-6000 from Sharp is a versatile, linux-based PDA incorporating an Intel XScale (PXA255) CPU at 400 MHz. In some respects it is a hybrid of the Zaurus SL-5600 , which became available in the U.S. in April of 2003, and the SL-C750/760/860 which is only available as a special import and was reviewed here in September of 2003. The main enhancements to the SL-6000 are a better screen, some ruggedisation, built-in Wi-Fi and/or bluetooth, and a degree of expandability. There's also a USB host built into it using a Mini A connector on the bottom of the device. Oh, and a longer stylus. The device I'm reviewing here is the SL-6000L, which has only Wi-Fi. We spoke to Sharp's representative about the other models - specifically the SL-6000N (Bluetooth only) and the SL-6000W, which was billed as the combo product with both 802.11b Wireless and Bluetooth. The representative told us that the only version which will be made available to the general consumer is the 6000L Wi-Fi variant. If you put it into Google you can find the SL-6000W but you can't actually buy one yet (May 2004). Contents Introduction: The Sharp SL-6000 and You Hardware: Packaging, Box Contents, First Impressions Features Summary and Overall Design The Display Portrait Mode and Button Pad The Stylus Memory The Keyboard Input options other than the keyboard Battery life USB Host Capability Speaker and Microphone Software: The Operating System , Basic Navigation and Help System Personal Information Management (PIM) Tools Syncing and file transfer Office Tools (Hancom Office) Games Multimedia Networking The Email Client The Opera Web Browser Other Software Software Availability and Compatibility Linux comments Conclusion (back to contents) The Sharp Zaurus SL-6000 and You You might wonder - what's the target market for this device? It is large, expensive and ruggedised. If you haven't already guessed, the answer is "Enterprise". Sharp collaborated with IBM on this project, but the only evidence on the consumer device is the link to IBM's page when you open the Opera web browser. A little nosing about on IBM's site yields some other interesting pages like this one on cross-developement . But I digress... An ongoing aspect of the Enterprise factor is RailDocs , a system "designed to enable users to efficiently design, build, and maintain the fixed transportation infrastructure of a railroad". Not for the average user, obviously, but it speaks volumes for the stability and versatility of the Zaurus product. Whether the Sharp Zaurus is right for you depends upon the type of role you see for it. The Zaurus is probably the best linux-based handheld computer available, and the software is almost the same across models. It may not be the best PDA, in fact most Zaurus users wouldn't even call it a PDA. Sharp themselves call the Zaurus a Personal Mobile Tool . If you decide to buy a Zaurus you can find one to fit your budget. The table below summarises the features of key members of the Sharp Zaurus range, plus a very rough indication of their current prices. Links will open the bargainPDA reviews where available. Zaurus CPU Screen Released Availability Price SL-5500 SA-110, 206MHz 240 × 320 March 2002 USA $100-$300 SL-5600 PXA250, 400MHz 240 × 320 March 2003 USA $200-$400 SL-C750 SL-C760 SL-C860 PXA255, 400MHz 640 × 480 June 2003 June 2003 Nov. 2003 Import $600-$900 SL-6000 PXA255, 400MHz 480 × 640 March 2004 USA $650-$700 The C760 and C860 differ only in that the 860 has a Japanese/English dictionary on it, and it has a silver case rather than the white one on the 760. The C750 is like the C760, but has a smaller battery and less memory; reading the SL-C750 review will give you a very good idea of those three Zaurus "clamshell" devices. Some of the software section of this review is just an updated and edited version of the C750 software review. Anyone looking at the SL-6000 should consider the alternative of buying an imported SL-C860 or C760 plus an 802.11b wireless card. This would give you the same functionality as the SL-6000L model reviewed here (plus an extra 64MB of internal flash memory), but you may have to risk some major inconvenience if the C model Zaurus breaks down - even when you buy through high-end channels such as Dynamism where the C860 costs $849, or ShirtPocket where it is £565. As well as the currency conversion you're doing in your head right now, you may also need to convert the device to English yourself, although both vendors mentioned above will do it for you. Just so you know where I stand, I fell in love with the clamshell design when I reviewed the C750, but I'd bought an SL-5600 only a few months before and I couldn't justify the price of the imported clamshell models to get one for myself. When my wife recently went to Japan on a business trip, she bought me the C860 for 58,000 Yen, approximately $540. Somehow this felt better than buying one on ebay although the risks are similar - if not worse - when someone just buys a device over the counter in Japan and brings it to you. I had to "flash the ROM" myself to convert it, but if that sounds at all scary, it isn't (here are the instructions I used). If you've read this far into the review (thanks!) I'll also mention that my default spelling is UK English; I apologise for any confusion this may cause. This is not a review of the C860 but I'll be making some side-by-side comparisons here for the benefit of anyone trying to decide between the SL-6000 and the SL-C760/860. (back to contents) Packaging, Box Contents The SL-6000 comes in a simple box. Just blue printing on otherwise plain cardboard, with no presentation window. All the writing is in English. Items inside the box are individually wrapped in plastic. The packaging is simple, light and easily recyclable. The "zeroth impression", before touching the box, is that it is one hundred percent industrial, designed for nothing more than easy stacking on warehouse shelves. Kind of cool actually. Inside the box is the PDA securely positioned with cardboard spacers, USB connecting cable, plastic cradle, power supply, CD-ROM, Quick Start Guide, 104-page manual. There's also a little thing called a "core", along with some instructions, telling you attach the core to a headphone cable to prevent "TV or radio interference". Sharp don't explain how it works, and I won't bore you with the details. In this case the setup will filter high frequency interference which you might hear as a hissing on the headphones, without (let's hope) filtering out the funky low-frequency beats you want to listen to. Since this has never been a factor in previous Sharp PDAs, I assume that the reason this is needed here must be the 802.11b wireless networking. While we're on the subject, don't be surprised if your Wi-Fi signal quality drops when you're microwaving cold pizza. A standard pizza operates at 2.4 GHz, just like your 802.11b wireless network, and will cause interference. OK, just kidding, it's not the pizza. It's the microwave oven which usually operates at 2.4 GHz. But we're getting off-topic here... First Impressions In my First Impressions I said that the design of the Sharp Zaurus SL-6000 is "a bit Harley-Davidson ... All black and chrome."... That impression still holds after using it for a while. Admittedly, we're talking black plastic and silvery plastic, not exactly gun metal and polished steel, but the design feels nice and solid. This is a modest improvement over the SL-5500 and SL-5600 design, although once you slide the keyboard cover down I think you still may easily break the device. The corners of the SL-6000 are more rounded than the previous SL models', but there are no forced curves. Not really much of a functional difference but more of a design issue. It looks more industrial/corporate and less "space age". Here's a pitcure of three Zaurus devices for comparison: [click to view image] The Zaurus SL-C860, SL-6000 and SL-5600 --> Left to right: Sharp Zaurus SL-C860, SL-6000 and SL-5600. The screen on the SL-6000 is beautiful. With a resolution of 480×640 pixels, it is quite adequate for net surfing using the Opera web browser, without having to go to "PDA friendly" sites. The mini keyboard, revealed by sliding down the panel with the cursor and buttons, is responsive and easy to use. Screen taps are accurate and the linux OS is very fast. Setting up a Wi-Fi connection was completely straightforward and I was online in a matter of minutes. Continue to Page 2 of Sharp Zaurus SL-6000 Review>> Page Navigation: 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 Price break down for Asus Zaurus SL-6000 (click column headers to sort) Retailer Model Price Total Buy the Sharp Zaurus SL-6000 From Amazon.com with FREE SHIPPING! Recent User Ratings and Comments for Asus- Zaurus SL-6000 © bargainPDA.com 2004 Privacy Policy | Advertising | bargainPDA News Feed


bargainPDA.com - A Palm Pilot / PDA Site Contact Us | Tell a friend '); //--> Click Here Home Price Watch Memory Cards Clearance PDAs PDA Reviews Discussion Software Resources pda search most popular pdas PDAs with most clicks in 5 days % share of 23,924 clicks / click count 1. HP iPAQ h6315 ( 13.3% / 3188 ) 2. palmOne Treo 610 ( 11.6% / 2772 ) 3. HP iPaq hx4705 ( 5.9% / 1413 ) 4. Dell Axim X30 Wireless (624MHz) ( 5.0% / 1193 ) 5. Motorola MPx ( 5.0% / 1189 ) 6. HP iPAQ h4150 h4155 ( 3.4% / 813 ) 7. palmOne Zire 72 ( 3.0% / 727 ) 8. Sony Clie TH55 ( 2.7% / 641 ) 9. Samsung SPH-i550 ( 2.3% / 547 ) 10. Asus MyPal A730 (Bluetooth) ( 2.3% / 546 ) recent popular news > SanDisk Wi-Fi + 256MB SD Card ... (8,739 views since 07/28/04) > First Thoughts - HP iPaq rz171... (8,325 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq rz1715 Review (7,049 views since 08/02/04) > iPaq rz1715, iPaq rx3415, iPa... (6,028 views since 07/28/04) > HP's End of Life Plans for The... (5,610 views since 07/29/04) > PDA News - Treo Watch, Nokia r... (5,480 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq Devices Announced, iPa... (5,001 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Vaio U50 Review (4,127 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Ericsson Announces The P9... (4,103 views since 07/28/04) > PDA News - HP considers palmto... (4,006 views since 07/28/04) advertisement Click Here Review - Zire 72 Palm Zire 72 Review by AdamaDBrown (5/3/2004) One year ago, PalmOne --then Palm Solutions Group--released the Zire 71 , a mid-range consumer model that hit it big. Now they're back with an update that adds a 1.2 megapixel camera and integrated Bluetooth wireless, introducing the new Zire 72 . Review Outline Design Hardware Processor Operating System Memory Size & Weight Expansion Docking Communication Audio Battery Input Software Camera Summary & Conclusion Design The very first thing I noticed about the Zire 72 after freeing it from its blister-pack was the overall design changes compared to the Zire 71. Gone is the large, rounded case resembling the entry-level Zire models. The 72 is slimmer, sleeker, and has gotten a brilliantly eye-catching redesign. While still following somewhat the silver and blue color pattern of its predecessor, the 72 has altered both the colors and design to great effect. The plasticy sky-blue of the 71 has been been replaced by a truly gorgeous metalic royal blue that is a perfect example of my all-time favorite color. It's just such a rich and beautiful color that it seems to glow. The smudgy chrome-colored plastic that marred the back of the 71 has been reduced and replaced with a plastic less apt to take fingerprints, though it still suffers from it a little. The blue plastic has a 'rubberized' feel that gives the 72 a nice non-slip grip, and just feels good in the hand. The blend of design elements means that the 72 doesn't greatly resemble any of PalmOne's other models, nor does it look particularly 'out there' or like anything else--it's distinctive without being strange. The use of the blue frame and silver highlights really draws the eye and holds it--it's flashy with class, which is not easy to achieve. Someone in PalmOne's design lab deserves a raise. To summarize, the Zire 72 is very, very pretty. I see no reason why business users and private users shouldn't feel equally comfortable carrying and displaying it. Along the top is all the usual fun stuff--from left to right is the stylus quill, headphone jack, power button, IR port (unseen, but lurking there nonetheless), SD card slot, and power LED (upper right; we'll talk about that in a minute). The 72's stylus is pure light plastic, and fairly cheap, but not so much that it's unusable. The barrel has a textured non-slip grip, and is all cast in a single piece with nothing to unscrew. It doesn't have a reset pin, but thankfully one is not needed. PalmOne has finally woken up and made it possible to hit the reset button with the stylus tip, elimainating the tedious twist-twist-flip-poke-flip-reassemble juggling act of a soft reset. Hurrah for PalmOne! It only took them three years. The barrel of the stylus is the same size as the one used in the PalmOne Tungsten line, and PalmOne will sell replacement styluses that work on the 72 or any of the Tungstens, needing only a replacement quill (which will be included with the styluses). I'm not too fond of the power button. Like so many of PalmOne's power buttons lately, it is top-mounted, which I've never thought is a terribly good place for a power button. Also it is smallish, and somewhat hard to press due to its size and flatness. I still miss the power button of my old (old old old) Palm m505, with its good placement, distinctive click, and good key travel. That, along with a two-color LED for displaying the charge status, would be most welcome on PalmOne's part. The SD slot is basically the same as on most PalmOne models. It sits in a little depression in the plastic top, and has a spring-loaded door that closes when a card isn't present to prevent dirt and other contaminents from getting into the inner workings of the machine. In the top left corner of the case, sharing space with the silkscreened PalmOne logo, is a tiny crystal clear bit of plastic. This is the 72's power light. Whenever the 72 is connected to an external AC power adapter, this will light up green. While this is a nice thought that has been overlooked in recent PalmOne models, it would be nicer if the light changed colors--amber, say, to indicate charging, and green to represent a full charge. The LED also flashes to notify the user of alarms. Top to bottom: PalmOne Zire 72, Dell Axim X3i, Dell Axim X5 Advanced The left side of the 72 is featureless save for the voice recorder button. By default, pressing this turns the Zire on and brings up the voice notes program. At that point, pressing and holding it will record a note, and releasing it stops the recording. It's a very nice and elegant design. The button is well-placed and responsive, the recording of decent quality, and the whole system easy to use. Of course, if you don't have any need of voice recording, you can always re-map the recorder button to another application. The right side of the 72 is taken up entirely by the open-sided stylus silo. The 72's predecessor, the Zire 71, was something of an experiment in terms of its directional controller. While almost all handhelds have a 5-way directional pad, the 71 had a 5-way miniature joystick. An interesting concept for games, perhaps, but ultimately I agree with Palm's decision to drop it in favor of a standard directional pad on the 72. The joystick ended up being less comfortable for non-gaming use than a traditional pad, as well as being easily activated when bumped. All in all the pad on the 72 is good, though not great--it could use a little more key travel and tactile response, particularly in the Up, Left, and Right directions. The Action button is seperate from the directional ring, and is good enough for its job. Again, a little more key travel wouldn't hurt. The front application buttons are a tiny bit mixed. They produce a very satisfactory 'click', but they're a little too flush to the case for my taste. It's not always easy to find them with your fingertips. Still, they're not bad at all compared to some, and are more than suitable for the purpose of application launching. Gaming would be a little more touchy, but that's as much due to the 'vertical pairs' arrangement they're placed in as it is to the key travel. As you may notice, the left two are by default mapped to the usual Calender and Contacts applications, however the two buttons on the right launch the Camera applet, and RealOne Mobile Player. These assignments can be changed of course, though the default setup isn't bad for a consumer unit. The bottom of the Zire 72 is nothing surprising, merely disappointing. Instead of the PalmOne "Universal" Connector, the 72 has a mini-USB plug and AC adapter jack for syncing and charging, respectively. For shame, PalmOne. For the amount of money that people are paying for the 72, they deserve to be able to use the existing base of PUC cradles, cables, and peripherals. On the back of the case, at the top, the plastic casing gives way to something a little unusual--aluminum mesh. Yes, you heard me. It's a very unusual design element for a handheld, but it is what it is. The quite-rigid mesh covers the top rear of the case, surrounding the camera lens, and houses both the internal speaker and the microphone. The camera lens itself bears no focal length information, so one can only guess at the ideal range, which I would put at about 5 feet. I would guess the lens is the same 3.6mm as the 71. Unfortunately, the only protection afforded to the camera lens is its recessed niche, and the layer of clear plastic placed over the actual sensor. No lens cover, nothing. Not a great design. Placed dead center is the large grey-on-grey sticker that has all the 72's approvals and certifications listed on it. Down and to the right, you'll see the reset button, better than ever since it doesn't need a pin anymore, and beside it the imprinted PalmOne logo. Review continued on Page 2 Page: 1, 2 Price break down for Asus Zire 72 (click column headers to sort) prices updated: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 7:07:48 PM (GMT) Retailer Product Price + Shipping = Total Cost Beach Camera Beach Camera PalmOne Zire 72 $249.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $249.00 + $0.00 = $249.00 TigerDirect.com TigerDirect.com PalmOne Zire 72 $299.99 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.99 + $11.37 = $311.36 Newegg.com Newegg.com PalmOne Zire 72 $259.99 + see site for ship cost = --> $259.99 + $0.99 = $260.98 Insight Insight PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $0.00 = $299.00 eCOST.com eCOST.com PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $0.00 = $299.00 Dell Home & Home Office Dell Home & Home Office PalmOne Zire 72 $284.95 + see site for ship cost = --> $284.95 + $0.00 = $284.95 palmOne palmOne PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $0.00 = $299.00 Buydig.com Buydig.com PalmOne Zire 72 $249.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $249.00 + $0.00 = $249.00 CDW Corporation CDW Corporation PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $0.00 = $299.00 Circuit City Circuit City PalmOne Zire 72 $299.99 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.99 + $0.00 = $299.99 HP HP PalmOne Zire 72 $323.93 + see site for ship cost = --> $323.93 + $0.00 = $323.93 PCNation.com PCNation.com PalmOne Zire 72 $280.72 + see site for ship cost = --> $280.72 + $0.00 = $280.72 Staples Staples PalmOne Zire 72 $298.99 + see site for ship cost = --> $298.99 + $0.00 = $298.99 Abe's Of Maine Abe's Of Maine PalmOne Zire 72 $254.99 + see site for ship cost = --> $254.99 + $19.90 = $274.89 Buy.com Buy.com PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $0.00 = $299.00 PC Mall PC Mall PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $0.00 = $299.00 Dell Small Business Dell Small Business PalmOne Zire 72 $284.95 + see site for ship cost = --> $284.95 + $0.00 = $284.95 ClubMac ClubMac PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $0.00 = $299.00 J&R Music and Computer World J&R Music and Computer World PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $4.95 = $303.95 OfficeMax OfficeMax PalmOne Zire 72 $299.98 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.98 + $0.00 = $299.98 CamerasandElectronics.com CamerasandElectronics.com PalmOne Zire 72 $262.98 + see site for ship cost = --> $262.98 + $0.00 = $262.98 Ebuyer Ebuyer PalmOne Zire 72 $256.61 + see site for ship cost = --> $256.61 + $6.85 = $263.46 Page Computer Page Computer PalmOne Zire 72 $260.95 + see site for ship cost = --> $260.95 + $7.36 = $268.31 MacMall MacMall PalmOne Zire 72 $299.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $299.00 + $0.00 = $299.00 Mwave.com Mwave.com PalmOne Zire 72 $259.64 + see site for ship cost = --> $259.64 + $9.00 = $268.64 Recent User Ratings and Comments for Asus- Zire 72 © bargainPDA.com 2004 Privacy Policy | Advertising | bargainPDA News Feed


bargainPDA.com - A Palm Pilot / PDA Site Contact Us | Tell a friend '); //--> Click Here Home Price Watch Memory Cards Clearance PDAs PDA Reviews Discussion Software Resources pda search most popular pdas PDAs with most clicks in 5 days % share of 23,924 clicks / click count 1. HP iPAQ h6315 ( 13.3% / 3188 ) 2. palmOne Treo 610 ( 11.6% / 2772 ) 3. HP iPaq hx4705 ( 5.9% / 1413 ) 4. Dell Axim X30 Wireless (624MHz) ( 5.0% / 1193 ) 5. Motorola MPx ( 5.0% / 1189 ) 6. HP iPAQ h4150 h4155 ( 3.4% / 813 ) 7. palmOne Zire 72 ( 3.0% / 727 ) 8. Sony Clie TH55 ( 2.7% / 641 ) 9. Samsung SPH-i550 ( 2.3% / 547 ) 10. Asus MyPal A730 (Bluetooth) ( 2.3% / 546 ) recent popular news > SanDisk Wi-Fi + 256MB SD Card ... (8,739 views since 07/28/04) > First Thoughts - HP iPaq rz171... (8,326 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq rz1715 Review (7,049 views since 08/02/04) > iPaq rz1715, iPaq rx3415, iPa... (6,028 views since 07/28/04) > HP's End of Life Plans for The... (5,610 views since 07/29/04) > PDA News - Treo Watch, Nokia r... (5,480 views since 07/28/04) > HP iPaq Devices Announced, iPa... (5,002 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Vaio U50 Review (4,127 views since 07/28/04) > Sony Ericsson Announces The P9... (4,103 views since 07/28/04) > PDA News - HP considers palmto... (4,006 views since 07/28/04) advertisement Click Here Review - Mio 168 Mitac Mio 168 GPS Integrated Pocket PC Review by abaxter (3/29/2004) Last year, the Garmin iQUE 3600 Palm OS based PDA with integrated GPS created quite a stir. That unit has been highly rated by users, leaving the "Pocket PC preferred" users to rely on CF and Bluetooth add on GPS solutions. For those users who hate carrying around the extra add-ons for their Pocket PC's, a new solution has become available in the form of the Mitac Mio 168 Pocket PC with integrated GPS. In The Box Let’s first take a look at what comes included with a purchase of the Mio 168 1. Adapter/Charger and Synch cable 2. Auto Charger 3. Quick Start Guide, Windows Mobile CD and Headphones 4. Additional GPS software, CD-ROMs 5. Owner’s Manual and Warranty Card 6. Auto Mount First Thoughts One thing I would like to say about this device right off the bat is that upon first opening the box, I was thrilled with all the accessories, software and manuals that are included with this product. The Mio 168 even comes with everything you would need to use the device in the car. It is not inconceivable that many manufacturers would have forced you to buy an extra accessory kit in order to use the device mounted in the car, but Mitac took the consumer friendly approach of making this an all in one purchase for a reasonable price ($499.95 MSRP). While in your car simply power the Mio 168 using the included car charger and mount it to your windshield using the included car mount. Some might be disappointed not to get a cradle or case. I’m happy to pass on the “free” case as an accessory; usually such a case turns out to be nothing more than a lame nylon cover. However, a cradle for this priced product is usually the norm. People just tend to prefer a cradle over a synch cable, but you’re out of luck if you want a cradle for the Mio 168 because at the current time this is not an accessory option. Design The Mio 168 has an overall slick metallic look; it certainly feels sturdy and roadworthy. With a comfortable hold, the curved sides provide an attractive way to make the device easy to grip and lessens any chance of an accidental drop. I certainly expected the Mio 168 to be bigger than it actually is. I suppose it’s a preconceived notion that something with such a thing as GPS built-in needs to be necessarily large. The Garmin iQue is certainly a larger than average device. However, the Mio 168 is actually quite a light and thin device. Weighing in at 5.2 oz this device is about the same size and weight as the iPaq 2215 that I have. A picture demonstrates this quite nicely: iPaq 2215 on the left, Mio 618 on the right The dimensions of the Mio 168 come in at 4.4" x 2.7" x .64" (length x width x depth). The dimensions on the iPaq 2215 are 4.54" x 3.00" x .61" (length x width x depth) and it weighs 5.1 ounces. So very similar dimensions indeed, however, the thickness for the Mio 168 might be a bit misleading. Since the antennae swings back on this device it creates a “hump” on the top-back of the device. So the effective thickness of the Mio 168 is increased by about .20”, but to be honest when carrying this device around in my pants pocket it felt less bulky than such devices as the Dell Axim X5 and I couldn’t tell the difference in size between it and the iPaq 2215. The four shortcut buttons on this device are quite unique in design. They definitely made me think of a commercial pilots “wings” badge that you typically see. The buttons are easy enough to press and have decent tactile feedback. The top buttons tend to be easier to hit though, you’ll see that the surface area for the top buttons (“notes” and “tasks” shortcut buttons) are much larger than the buttons on bottom (“contacts” and “calendar” shortcut buttons). I would have preferred a design in which all buttons are the same size because making the bottom buttons smaller tends to deemphasize them and make them harder to hit. In the middle of our shortcut buttons we have a joystick for navigating around the screen or playing games with. I actually really like the joystick approach. It’s easy to get hold of the stick with either your thumb or finger and pushing it in the exact direction you want to navigate is a cinch. When the GPS map software is loaded up you can use the joystick to zoom in a rotate the screen. It works great and feels very natural. On the left-hand side of the device are located the power and voice record buttons. They’re enough out of the way that you will never accidentally hit them, but at the same time they’re easy to press in when you want to access that functionality. A pet peeve of mine is when I put a Pocket PC into a pocket turned off and then 2 hours later pull it out to find that the device is turned on and almost out of batteries because the power button got bumped. With the Mio 168 the power button is depressed in enough that such a thing didn’t happen, so although there is no “button-lock” feature such as the Toshiba e405/e805 have in which you can lock buttons to prevent them being activated, the Mio 168 button design is decent enough that you won’t be bumping or pushing buttons you don’t want to. The soft reset is also on the left-hand side of the Mio 168, use the stylus to press this in. The headphone jack is on the bottom left. I prefer to have the headphone jack on top in general, but can’t have it all can we? On the top of the device we have the stylus and Secure Digital card slot. Also on top is the infrared beam for communicating with other PDAs or your PC. On the back of the device is the hard reset button. If you use the stylus to slide this button into the off position you will hard reset the Mio 168 and lose all your data, it’s the same effect as cutting off all battery power. Be careful! For some this option might be a little too easy to perform, personally I like having a method to do a hard reset via a single hardware button that is placed well out of the way and impossible to perform action on except for with a stylus. It’s better than having to contort your fingers and press five or more buttons at the same time to hard reset the device like some other Pocket PC devices make you do. Display If you’re going to be in your car and using a PDA as a navigation device then it’s important that the display be clear and easy to see. The good news is that the transflective LCD screen for the Mio 168 is indeed bright and provides a crisp rendering. There are no issues with the display, it is well backlit and all the colors render as you would expect (no yellow hues on white backgrounds or such things as we’ve seen as issues in other PDAs). The screen size is 3.5” diagonally. A larger display might have been nice to help in viewing maps, but that would have meant a larger drain on battery power and I had no problems using the display for maps. The Mio 618 display is nice and bright! Audio Audio becomes especially important if you want to use the navigation feature on the Mio 168 that will give you audible step by step directions. I’ve never come across a PDA that has a particularly loud or clear speaker, until now! The Mio 168 can become loud if you turn volume up all the way, there will be absolutely no problem hearing instructions while in your car, even if Jr. is screaming in the backseat. So keep your eyes on the road and just listen to whether you’re going the right direction, the sound is clear and loud. This is great for MP3 audiophiles too. For even crisper audio when listening to music I recommend taking advantage of the included headphones. Processor The Mio 168 is powered by the Intel XScale 300 MHz (PXA 255) processor. I was a little surprised Mitac didn’t go with the 400 MHz PXA 261/263 type of processor. Recent high-end devices have tended to carry the PXA 26X XScale, with has the added benefit of having built in flash memory. This extra memory would have been a very nice add-on for a PDA that requires memory hungry maps to be stored on it. Overall the processor performance is decent, but not blazing. I found that the Mio map application was sometimes slow to load if there were background processes going on. Below are some comparative benchmarks for the Mio 168 versus other Pocket PC devices (bolded blue highest numbers indicate best performer). Compaq iPAQ 3600 Series (2000, 206Mhz) Compaq iPAQ 3970 (2002, 400Mhz) HP iPAQ 2215 (2003, 400Mhz) Dell Axim X5 (2002, 400Mhz PXA250) Toshiba e755 (2002, 400Mhz) Mitac Mio 168 Spb Benchmark index 1000 846 1146 752 1073 1016 CPU index 1000 855 1784 912 1234 1334 File system index 1000 855 1126 855 1270 726 Graphics index 1000 785 567 434 651 1339 ActiveSync index 1000 1101 2155 1518 1479 Platform index 1000 638 1204 629 850 956 Write 1 MB file (KB/sec) 794 656 1257 657 1200 920 Read 1 MB file (MB/sec) 18.2 15.7 27 15.9 20.7 20 Copy 1 MB file (KB/sec) 790 710 1262 716 1180 920 Write 10 KB x 100 files (KB/sec) 560 480 905 477 768 392 Read 10 KB x 100 files (MB/sec) 6.35 5.36 9.78 5.26 7.6 6.95 Copy 10 KB x 100 files (KB/sec) 476 379 799 376 626 284 Directory list of 2000 files (thousands of files/sec) 123 118 19.6 112 153 15.1 Internal database read (records/sec) 421 380 1339 398 503 1090 Graphics test: DDB BitBlt (frames/sec) 26.9 19.9 52.3 41.8 42.3 144 Graphics test: DIB BitBlt (frames/sec) 13.5 11.3 22.8 12.3 29.9 16.7 Graphics test: GAPI BitBlt (frames/sec) 216 175 60 47.1 72.4 169 Pocket Word document open (KB/sec) 31 21.3 100 22.5 28.3 60.1 Pocket Internet Explorer HTML load (KB/sec) 13.1 4.73 7.96 4.73 6.67 5.47 Pocket Internet Explorer JPEG load (KB/sec) 52.8 82.4 208 79.7 105 176 File Explorer large folder list (files/sec) 515 210 564 238 291 470 Compress 1 MB file using ZIP (KB/sec) 106 62.7 225 65.5 89.1 195 Decompress 1024x768 JPEG file (KB/sec) 319 406 606 423 567 453 Arkaball frames per second (frames/sec) 108 89.3 51.4 38.2 55.7 103 CPU test: Whetstones MFLOPS (Mop/sec) 0.046 0.061 0.077 0.061 0.076 0.056 CPU test: Whetstones MOPS (Mop/sec) 34.1 55.1 55.4 54.1 55.4 41.1 CPU test: Whetstones MWIPS (Mop/sec) 2.98 3.97 5.02 3.96 4.94 3.71 Memory test: copy 1 MB using memcpy (MB/sec) 70.4 56.2 102 65 90.6 69.1 ActiveSync: upload 1 MB file (KB/sec) 115 99.4 201 142 135 ActiveSync: download 1 MB file (KB/sec) 94 211 356 249 274 The Mio 168 is middle of the road when it comes to overall speed of device Memory The Mio comes equipped with 64 MB built-in RAM of which 62.82 MB is available to the user. If you want to store large amounts of map data on the Mio you’ll have no other option than to buy an SD card for memory expansion. Maps are memory hogs, but they need to be to store all of the useful information you’ll rely upon for navigation. The SD slot on the Mio 168 will allow you to store up to 1GB of information with the latest and greatest SD cards. I would like to have seen a little more on board memory for the Mio 168, devices such as the Toshiba e805 are coming equipped with 172MB of onboard memory these days. However, an SD card is good way to go to keep all the map data separate from other programs you want to install on the device, so at the end of the day you’d be buying an SD card anyway. The top of the Mio 618 has an SD slot for expansion Software The Mio 168 comes bundled with Windows Mobile 2003 Premium Edition. This is the most fully featured version of Windows Mobile 2003 you can get, it includes the programs Pocket Outlook, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, MSN Messenger, MSN Messenger, Terminal Services Client, Pictures and Microsoft Reader. That’s all very nice, but the most important part of the software package we get with the Mio 168 is the GPS software. The included software is called Mio Map but it’s actually a 3rd party solution called Destinator 3. Destinator 3 costs $199.99 when bought as a standalone software package, so just this is a large consideration if you’re thinking of buying a Pocket PC with non-integrated GPS and mapping. The software is award winning, and rightly so. I’ll cover all the features of this package later on in the GPS section. The map data and Points of Interest database that come on the GPS software CD are supplied by a company called NAVTECH. Mio also includes some of its own software applications, most of these are utility like tools. A program called eBackup enables you to backup and restore your Mio using an storage card, eMenu is an application launcher/device status application, eViewer is a pretty good image viewer application that supports supports .bmp and .jpg images along with providing a file browser, slide show, and screen capture feature to name a few. Stylus The telescopic stylus included with the Mio 618 is "acceptable", but I always prefer to use a larger "full-sized" after market solution for my "pen of choice". It's certainly better that the stylus Sony includes with its CLIE PDAs, and better than the stylust that comes with Axim devices for that matter. Battery Life The battery included with the Mio is an unswappable 1350 MAh battery. That’s a pretty decent sized battery, not as good as the Dell Axim X5 1440 MAh battery, but good nonetheless. Not being a swappable battery is kind of a shame, having an extended life battery is not an option because of this design move too. In my battery life tests for the Mio 168 I got exactly 6 hours and 26 minutes of power when using the device in a normal mode, without GPS turned on. The screen was on at close to full brightness during my battery drain test. I ran an application that simulated opening and closing Pocket Word several times and writing to Pocket Word in between these open and close calls. Given that the screen was very bright, this is actually good battery life. With GPS on it’s a bit of a different story, battery life is comes closer to 4 hours which is why it’s important to have the car charger with you on long trips. Below are the numbers Mitac claims for the battery life. We all know these numbers are usually a little inflated when they come from a manufacturer Active: 1. Fully charged main battery, w/o GPS function = 12 hours 2. System continue on with backlight setting on middle range & GPS is full power mode = around 5.5 hrs 3. System continue on without backlight & GPS is full power mode = around 7.5 hrs. 4. System continue on with backlight setting on middle rage & GPS is in Trickle power mode = around 7 hrs. 5. System continue on without backlight & GPS is in Trickle power mode = around 11.5 hrs. Suspend: 21 days (fully charged main battery) Shut Down: Retain memory state for a minimum of 72 hours after low battery shut down GPS The Mio Mitac of course stands out from the crowd through its offering of integrated GPS. The Mio 168 uses the SiRF chipset. The GPS antenna is manufactured by NavMan, a company that has been in the business of GPS for some time. I found that obtaining satellites from a cold start with the Mio 168 took about 30 seconds, depending on the weather and my location. It took 4-5 satellites, out of 8 available in the sky, to get a true and accurate reading of my location on the earth. In general, the location was accurate to well within 30 feet once I had this number of satellites. One caveat I will add is that the weather conditions and areas building density plays a huge factor in your ability to obtain satellites. I live in New York and I had to go onto one of the highways next to the water to obtain any satellites whatsoever, if you’re in the downtown area of New York then forget about getting any navigation assistance, the buildings completely block any satellite readings. An NYC taxi cab would benefit nothing from having this device on its dashboard. You’ll benefit much more using GPS locator devices, such as the Mio 168, if you’re on a highway or out in the suburbs of America where most people live, city dwellers need not apply. Of course having the built-in hardware is just great, but if this is all you have you just have a great way of telling you your longitude, latitude, and vertical location on the earth. Fantastic, that really doesn’t make you a better person in life. However, mix in the jewel of the GPS package, the mapping software, and you have an incredibly useful device and utility. As mentioned before the bundled software, called Mio Map, is actually sold on the market as Destinator 3.The Destinator 3 Personal Navigation System software. The award-winning Destinator is a full-featured GPS navigation system. Unlike GPS mapping systems that simply display your location, Destinator tells you where you are, and details how to reach your destination via the most direct route, with minimal hassle, in the least amount of time. Destinator utilizes the GPS network of satellites to accurately determine your current position. To guide you, Destinator uses NAVTECH map data supplied by Navigation Technologies Corporation, creators of the digital map database that has become the industry leader for location-based services and navigation. The Mio 618 guides me along the steets and indicates there's 106y to the next exit Destinator's advanced navigation algorithms and superior map-processing technology transform make for a top-of-the-line vehicle navigation. It’s as good as or better than many dedicated GPS device locator systems. Destinator provides easy-to-follow turn-by-turn visual and voice prompts guide you to your destination. Navigation algorithms generate either the quickest or shortest route that meet your specific requirements. You can also use optimize routes with multi-point routing feature, so if you need to pick-up Jr., go to the grocery store, drop of the last video rental and then get back home the software will suggest the best method to go about doing this. And then if you make a wrong turn as Jr. screams in the backseat about the lollipop he just dropped on the car floor, then the automatic route recalculation suggests an alternate route to then go. The audio directions are built-in to the Destinator 3 software. Multiple and clear reminders precede each maneuver you make. The Mio 168 will provide voice warnings of an approaching intersection where a turn is specified in your route. Three hundred meters before the intersection, the warnings will be given twice and then once more when you arrive at the intersection. Mio Map gives you distance, estimated route time, and estimated time of arrival Graphically the ability to provide zoomed views of intersections enables drivers to have a clear view of their current location, with the map adjusted according to the vehicle's current direction and position. You are able to choose a skin for the map that provides enhanced driver-safe daytime and nighttime colors. Choose between a 2-D, 3-D or "bird's-eye" view of the map for intuitive and easy orientation. This is the 3-D orientation for the Mio Map display And to top all of this off, the GPS software comes with literally millions of categorized points of interest (POI) along with phone numbers. Want to find the closest clothing store? No problem, just select clothing stores as a POI and you’ll find the closest one on the map and then get directed to it. You can also synch your contacts to the Mio 168 and if they have addresses associated with them you can easily choose them as a destination for gaining directions too. Pick from several points of interest you'd like included on the map I was most impressed with the functionality of the software, on a ride to La Guardia airport I asked the Mio 168 to suggest the quickest route and then provide me with audible directions. While in the city the device failed miserably, couldn’t even tell me if I was on the right continent because the buildings blocked all satellites. Once crossing into Queens New York the satellites were picked up and the kind ladies voice on the Mio 168 used the 88 or so commands she knew to guide me to the correct location for the airport. Using the ”Mio Map” console application on your desktop you are able to cut new maps or select regional maps of North America to export to your Mio 168. This is an easy process, and I highly recommend cutting maps to a small region to get the MB size down. For instance, the entire state of New York takes 60.0 MB of data to store, but if you just want New York City and surrounding region you can fit it within 3.6 MB of storage or so. Full Device Specs Below is a table of full device specs for the Mio 618: CPU Intel PXA-255 300 MHz Video Display: 3.5" Color Trans-flective LCD, LED Backlight Resolution: 240 ´ 320, 65K colors Memory ROM: 32MB Strata Flash RAM RAM: 64MB SDRAM Communication SiRF GPS module built-in + Patch antenna Antenna 25 x 25 mm Patch antenna with extended antenna jack Audio Voice Recording (Mono) MP3 Playback support ( Software ) Input / Output Touch Panel: Resistive type Touch panel Input Method: Stylus pen / On-Screen Keyboard / Handwriting Recognition SD / MMC: For SD, SD I/O and compatible with MMC cards Microphone: Built-in type microphone x 1 (Mono) Speaker: Built-in type speaker x 1 Headphone: 2.5mm Mini jack x 1 USB: USB 1.1 ( Client ) for ActiveSync Infrared: SIR (30 cm, 115.2kbps ) Cradle: 22 pin Cradle Connector ( Same as Mio series ) Buttons / Switch 4 programmable buttons: Tasks, Calendar, Notes, Contacts 4-way Joystick + Enter: Up, Right, Down, Left, Enter Voice Recording Hardware Reset Switch System Reset button Indicator LED 1 ( Dual Color ): Battery Charging - Amber ( Static ) Battery Full -- Green ( Static ) LED 2 ( Single Color ): Notification - Red ( Blinking ) Battery Type: Un-swappable rechargeable Lithium Ion, 1350 mAh Active: 1. Fully charged main battery, w/o GPS function = 12 hours 2. System continue on with backlight setting on middle range & GPS is full power mode = around 5.5 hrs 3. System continue on without backlight & GPS is full power mode = around 7.5 hrs 4. System continue on with backlight setting on middle rage & GPS is in Trickle power mode = around 7 hrs. 5. System continue on without backlight & GPS is in Trickle power mode = around 11.5 hrs. Suspend: 21 days (fully charged main battery) Shut Down: Retain memory state for a minimum of 72 hours after low battery shut down Charging Charger: Charger module Time: 3.5 ~ 4.0 hours ( single battery pack ) AC to DC Adapter Input: 100~240VAC Output: 5VDC, 1A Connection: AC adapter able to connect to either main unit or cradle Certification & Regulation FCC, CE, BSMI, CCC, MIC, UL, TUV, Ek-Mark Device Physical Characteristics Dimension: 112.18 mm (Height) ´ 69.6 mm (Width) ´ 16.3 ~ 24.15mm (Depth) Weight: 147 g Operation System Windows Mobile Pocket PC 2003 Application Professional Navigation MioMap (North American) 1. USA map, including Hawaii 2. Canadian map MioMap need to be auto switch to by a software icon ( hot key ) in Pocket PC main page Package Accessories USB ActiveSync cable x 1 AC to DC power adapter x 1 2-sector Stylus Pen x 1 Microsoft Outlook certification with ActiveSync CD kit x 1 Quick Reference Guide x 1 Warranty Sheet x 1 Service Center List x 1 Packing List x 1 Regulatory manual (multi-language) x 1 Car Kit Accessories Car charger ( for car cigarette plug to cradle connector ) x 1 PDA mounting holster x 1 Glass mounting brace x 1 Conclusion The Mio 168 deserves a thumbs up rating. If you’re looking for a GPS solution and a PDA, this could be the perfect and most reasonably price combination. The GPS locator software is extremely good, I can’t think of a single feature missing. The PDA aspect of the Mio 168 is as good as or better than many PDAs on the market. The nice, bright screen and excellent audio are definitely stand-out features of the device. The overall design is decent and the memory and processor could have been better, but given the fact you’re getting a $200 software package, a lot of included accessories for free and a well rounded overall PDA device at the price of $499 (MSRP) then you can’t really complain. Price break down for Asus Mio 168 (click column headers to sort) prices updated: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 7:07:48 PM (GMT) Retailer Product Price + Shipping = Total Cost Newegg.com Newegg.com Mitac Mio 168 $439.00 + see site for ship cost = --> $439.00 + $0.99 = $439.99 MobilePlanet MobilePlanet Mitac Mio 168 $449.95 + see site for ship cost = --> $449.95 + $0.00 = $449.95 ChiefValue.com ChiefValue.com Mitac Mio 168 $459.99 + see site for ship cost = --> $459.99 + $4.00 = $463.99 Recent User Ratings and Comments for Asus- Mio 168 © bargainPDA.com 2004 Privacy Policy | Advertising | bargainPDA News Feed


Piel Frama Spectec Click Here There was an error: Invalid table Login -- Add Themes,Software,eBooks Featured Review Fugawi's GPS Navigation Software v1.6 by Tim Adams on Wednesday, August 11th Fugawi has really put a lot of effort and content into this software package. While not as stylish looking as it could be, the software is very functional. One of the hottest aspects is the ability to directly import Geocaching waypoints into the map you are looking at. Additionally, you can use the Query feature to even find Geocaches near a point of interest. Full Article Discuss This Story [0] Recent Reviews SCOTTeVEST's TEC Hat SCOTTeVEST has established itself as a purveyor of high-tech clothing. SeV's clothing allows the technophile to stow a multitude o... 1stEasySoft's Atomix v1.01 Atomix is a good example of what happens when good programming is applied to a tried and true gameplay. The result is a very satis... SK Software's SKTools v2.1.122 SKTools includes just about every Pocket PC tweak and utility package you could ever want, in one tightly integrated package. Ther... Latest Theme Electronica Added: Wednesday, July 7th Submitted by: Hjalmer Category: General Description: Grey theme of an x-rayed laptop! Downloads: 421 Download Now Rating: 3.18/10.00 Newest Software ECTACO Voice Translator Language Download DictionaryToGo for Pock Language Download WorldEncyclopediaToGo f Travel Download LockScreen for PocketPC Security Download Lexisgoo English Dictio Language Download


Guest Review : E&B Dell Axim Slipper Case by Mark Teitelbaum D ate: 02/25/2003 Let us know your comments on this review and read what others have to say. Product Requirements: Device: Dell Axim Pocket PC After receiving a Dell Axim for Christmas, I have been searching for a quality, dependable case for my new Pocket PC. Well, the search is over and the case is from E&B Cases , makers of quality PDA cases. After nearly two weeks from my order date, my E&B Slipper Axim case finally arrived. First off, there are two versions, a regular Slipper case for $36.95 plus S&H, and a Slipper case with a belt clip for $41.95 plus S&H. I am reviewing the regular version. When I first took it out of its packaging, I fell in love with it. It is crafted with very high quality Nappa cowhide leather. The case is very soft and has that oh-so-great smell of new leather. The Slipper Axim case has the “EB” symbol on the front only. It is closed using a magnetic strip and when opening it up, there are two slots for money/credit cards/business cards, two SD/MMC card slots, and an all-purpose miscellaneous slot, which I use for my CF cards. Since the closure method uses a magnet, it is a good idea NOT to place credit cards in the card slots. The magnet in the flap could damage them. [There are 2 slots for business cards and money, 2 slots for SD/MMC cards, and a multipurpose slot] The case fits the Axim perfectly and is very secure. I don’t think it’s possible for it to fall out of the case. All of the buttons on the front are easily accessible and can all be easily pushed while in the case (except for the power button which takes a bit of practice to get used to.) Thankfully, there is no strip of leather between the buttons and the screen. On the bottom of the case are holes cut out for the power cord and sync cable to plug into. The left side has openings for the reset button, record button, scroll wheel, and the SD/MMC card slot. Another neat feature is that when closed, the top of the case has a small hole for headphones to plug into so you can easily listen to MP3’s while the case is closed. [As you can see, the case fits the Axim very well] The case provides protection for the front, back, top and bottom, and both sides of the PDA. My Axim has survived numerous drops onto concrete while in this case. The magnetic strip holding the case closed is very strong so that it cannot accidentally open. There are three problems with the case that I have found: 1) You cannot put the Axim in the cradle while in the case. 2) It is kind of hard to insert SD cards in the two storage slots in the cover of the case. Also, after finally inserting them, they are hard to remove. 3) Anything put in the miscellaneous slot usually goes too far back into the case. Other than that, I highly recommend this case for anybody who wants something that gives full protection and easy access to everything on their Axim. Now for the specs: Axim in the case: Length: 5 1/8” Width: 3 1/8” Height: 1 ¼” (closed) 1” (open) Just the Axim: Length: 4 ¾” Width: 3” Height: ¾” ***All measures approximate*** Price: $36.95 for regular, $41.95 for belt-clip version. Pros: High quality, soft leather Pretty cheap compared to Vaja cases (36.95 for regular, 41.95 for belt clip) Tightly holds the Axim Room for memory cards and business cards/money Easy access to ALL buttons Cons: Can’t put the Axim in the cradle while in the case Takes some practice to get SD cards in and out Most anything you put in the misc. slot goes too far back Let us know your comments on this review and read what others have to say. Back to Main Page.


Become a "SMARTER" PDA user, get a SmarterCase for your handheld device! Home Up Contents Which size is right? Links Product List Testimonials Pocket Goddess Review(s) SmarterCases come in many different colors and styles Click on a theme below to see more! Leather Finish PDA cases Fashion Fabric covered PDA cases PDA case covered with Business Suit fabric Lizard pattern leather PDA case Western Look PDA cases Camouflage Fabric PDA Cases Patriotic Print Fabric PDA cases PDA cases with Religious Symbols Palm M515 and smaller PDAs iPOD Cases of all styles Furry Safari print fabric PDA cases Home Up Contents Which size is right? Links Product List Testimonials Check out what "The Pocket Goddess" has to say about our cases! Pocket Goddess Review: SmarterCase If you're anything like me, you sometimes worry about the safety of your handheld investment. If you're not, you may have started worrying after something happened to your first handheld, such as a fall to concrete that cracked the screen, putting it in your back pocket and forgetting to take it out before you sat down, knocking it off your desk and damaging the device, etc. Try as we might to be careful, accidents do happen. For that reason it's a good idea to protect it with a carrying case at all times. While a case won't save you if you drop your Palm out of a ten-story window, it will protect you from some accidental damage to a device that most likely represents a substantial amount of time and financial investment. The standard SmarterCase measures six inches tall, just over four inches wide, and an inch and one quarter deep. It will hold the new Jornada 565, the Compaq iPAQ, a Visor Deluxe, a Palm III, etc.- almost any size of handheld device will fit well. (Palm V/Vx and M50x series owners take heart-- I have been informed by the vendor that a case designed specifically for your handheld is coming soon.) Inside you'll find a notepad, an elastic loop for your stylus or pen, and Velcro to hold your device (or you can use it as a slip case). The interior of the case is fully lined in a velvety material designed to progect your handheld from scratches. It comes in a variety of cover styles sure to pleaes any taste, from executive leather in several colors to zebra fur and a patriotic design, with more on the way. All of them are built around an inner core of steel, which is what give this case its amazing strength. It is still quite easy to open though, with each case featuring a snap flap. While it's impossible to guarantee that this case wouldn't come open in a fall, I consider that possibility to be highly unlikely. I've seen a lot of cases in my time, but I must say that SmarterCase seems to offer the best protection for a handheld that I've ever seen. Granted, you do pay a substantial price in added bulk, but that's most likely worth it to you compared to the alternatives. It also gives you everything you need to carry to an office meeting in one convenient place. Try as I might to become completely paperless, I still find myself in the position often enough of having to ask someone for pen and/or paper in order to take notes on a handout at a meeting, or to jot down a quick note or phone number to give to someone else. Even better, this line of cases is available for only $19.99 each, plus shipping at the SmarterCase web site . _______________________________________________________________________________ Pocket Goddess Review: m505 SmarterCase If you've read read my SmarterCase review then you know that I really like this case. Which is why I'm terribly glad that there's now a version available to fit my Palm m505. If you really want to protect your Palm, but don't want to shell out the big bucks for an expensive hard metal hard case, you should think about getting the new m505 SmarterCase. It's available in several different styles (just in case leopard print isn't your thing) and is very nicely made. As you can see from the picture, my 505 fits in the case quite snugly, but is still easy to remove for syncing and charging. On the left-hand side, you'll see some slots for SD card storage, which is great if you have multiple cards, as well as a stylus holder. It's impossible to get to the silo when the 505 is in the case, so the stylus holder is provided for your convenience. Unfortunately it is made out of a fairly thin piece of elastic and I'm not sure how durable it will be. The case closes with a simple strap flap which works very well. It's easy to open, and yet very unlikely to open accidentally, either due to a fall or excessive jostling in your bag. And the all metal construction ensures that your Palm stays safe and secure at all times, while the fashion conscious among us will appreciate the variety of fabric covering styles available. I am very pleased with this new model, though I wish that the stylus holder were better. You can get your own SmarterCase for the m505 for $18.99 at their web site . If you preorder before January 15, 2002 shipping is free! PocketGoddess rating: Copyright 2001 Jen Edwards http://www.pocketgoddess.com ** Recommended Our Fabric or Leather covered Steel PDA Cases are designed to protect Palm , Sony, Handspring , HP , Compaq , iPAQ , Dell Toshiba , Blackberry , or Casio New case, new PDA case, Brand New Design, Cool Looking!, PDA Cases, PDA Case, PDA case palm, PDA Cases Palm, PDA Case Handspring, SuperCase, Superior Case, Super Case, Super, Superior, SuperiorCase, Smarteer Pouch, ASUS, ASUS 620, Asus A620, Asus A620BT, A620BT, Internet, IPO, A620, PDA cases Handspring, IBM, International Business Machines, ibm, IBN, AFCI, INN, CNN, OBM, PBN, UBM, UVM, IVN, IVM, OVN, 8BM, 9BM, 8bn, 9bm, Handspring Treo 600, universal PDA case, Super, PocketPC, accessory, black, black berry, holster, holster case, universal, universal pda cases, ipod, apple, psion, newton, hand held, computer case, BlackBerry, cases, universal hand held computer cases, hand held computer case, case, handspring case, palm case, #1 SmarterCase, USA, made in USA , smarter, Smartercase, SmarterCase, Best Buy,#1, #1 PDA, #1 PDA Case, Best Case, Better Case, Superior Protection, Smartest Case, Smart Phone Case, Smart, Smart Case, Smart Case, smartcase, PDA accessories, Computer Case, computer cases, Palm accessory, Palm accessories, Handspring accessories, PDA accessory, palm accessory, handspring accessory, ipaq, ipag case, pocket pc, pocket pc accessory, ipaq cases, pocket pc accessories, sony clie case, Hardware Accessories, Computer Hardware, best price comparison, online shopping, compare price, online store ratings, special offers, coupons, deals, consumer reviews, product review, features, information, Palm m505, m505, m515, m515 case, m125, m125 case, m130, m130 case, PalmOne m505, PalmOne m505, PalmOne m515, PalmOne m515 case, PalmOne m125, PalmOne m125 case, PalmOne m130, PalmOne m130 case, palm, handspring, blackberry, blackberry case, palm pilot, palm pilot case, made in usa, usa, american made, american, Sony, Sony Clie, Sony Case, Sony Clie Case, rim, palm m515, palm m125, palm m130, palm m505, fun, fun pda case, naked, naked iPAQ, naked iPAQ case, fun pda covers, fun pda case, fun pda case covers, personal digital assistant case, PEG-NX70V, PEG-NX60, PEG-T665C, PEG-SJ30, PEG-SJ20, PEG-SL10, NX70V, NX60, T665C, SJ30, SJ20, SL10, Toshiba, Casio, Acer, PEG-NX70V case, PEG-NX60 case, PEG-T665C case, PEG-SJ30 case, PEG-SJ20 case, PEG-SL10 case, NX70V case, NX60 case, T665C case, SJ30 case, SJ20 case, SL10 case, Toshiba case, Casio case, Acer case, Palm M5xx, Palm M5xx Case, M5xx, Palm M5xx, dell, dell pda, dell pocket pc, dell case, dell pda case, dell pocket pc case, dell axim pda, dell axim pocket pc, dell axim case, dell axim pda case, dell axim pocket pc case, dell leather, dell leather pda, dell leather pocket pc, Vx, Axim X5, X5, X3, X3i, wireless, wi-fi, calypso, calypso wireless, Axim X3, DellAxim X3, Dell Axim X5 case, dell x3, dell x3 pda, dell x3 pocket pc, dell x3 case, dell x3 pda case, dell x3 pocket pc case, dell x3 axim pda, dell x3 axim pocket pc, dell x3 axim case, dell x3 axim pda case, dell x3 axim x3 pocket pc case, dell x3 leather, dell x3 leather pda, dell x3 leather pocket pc, Hard Case, Metal hard case, Viewsonic, Viewsonic V35, Viewsonic PDA case, Viewsonic V35 case, Woman, PDA Case for Women, Woman Owned Business, Minority Owned Business, Case for Women [ Home ] [ Up ] Send mail to SmarterCase@earthlink.net with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: 08/06/04


The Gadgeteer Review /title> 4body background-"_themes/expeditn/exptextb.jpg" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link=""993300" vlink="#666600" alink="#CC3300" Make your &riends CMARTER cet them a SmarterCase! Home /a> Aontents LiNks ,/a> Tastimonials 8p align="center"> T(e Gadgeteer Review SmarterCases come in many differeft colorp and styles Click on a theme below to see mor`! L%ather Look &nbSp; 9 Fashion F!bric Business Suit &jbsp; Lizard look leather Western Theme Camouflage &nbs`; $nbsp; Patriotic Print Fabric &.bsp; 9 Religious Symbo,s /p> 4font cohor="#6689CC" si:e="1"> Palm M515 and sealler P As &.bsp; iPOD Cases &nbrp; ( &jbsp;&nbSp; &.bsp; 9 Furry Safari print fabric &nbSp; &Nbsp; Sports Theme nbsp;&n`sp; Kids Print &jbsp; &nbrp; Christmas Print FabricCases Home Up Contents Which size is right? Links Product List Testimonials Read What Judie The Gadgeteer has to say about us. Official Gadgeteer Hands On Review: SmarterCase for PDAs by Judie Clark Last date revised: 02/05/2002 Product Requirements: Device: Any PDA smaller than 5.3" (13.5cm) tall x 3.4" (8.7cm) x .7" (1.7cm) Updated 02/05/02 to reflect the addition of the new m500 series case. All new comments appear in RED. Are you looking for a case that really protects your PDA, but doesn't look like an industrial by-product? Have you been looking for a case that is as individual as you are, but that doesn't cost an arm or a leg? If so, then you might want to check out the line of PDA cases from SmarterCase . These cases are very simple, yet extremely functional. Underneath a fabric or leather covering, lies a steel clamshell case that should be strong enough to protect your PDA from just about anything short of intentional crushing. A s