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Photos: iPhone vs HP vs Nokia
This photo shows Apple's iPhone 3G alongside two other new devices, the HP iPaq 914 and Nokia's E71. As the picture demonstrates, they are all approximately the same size, although varying in weight and thickness.
All three devices represent the latest technology, supporting 3G wireless broadband, Wi-Fi, and GPS capability for navigation and other location-based services. As such, these are all high-end devices and potential rivals for RIM's BlackBerry models in the enterprise.
Of the three, the Nokia E71 is the slimmest and the lightest, while the iPaq 914 is the heaviest and thickest at 154g and 16mm. However, it also appears to have the largest battery capacity, at 1940mAh.
The Nokia E71 has already been reviewed in depth by IT Week here. To sum up: it is a very capable business messaging handset, but its keyboard is somewhat cramped compared to a BlackBerry.
The same criticism can be levelled at the iPaq 914, but I found I could enter text fairly easily. The HP device also has one feature that might please BlackBerry users; a jog dial thumbwheel on the right side of the case, similar to that seen on older BlackBerry models before RIM introduced its 'Pearl' mini trackball. It also supports touch-screen input via a stylus as well as a standard five-way navigation control, giving users more input choice than most devices.
Apple's iPhone 3G has the best display and offers the best web experience through its Safari browser, but has two drawbacks as far as I'm concerned; no keyboard and a battery that cannot be removed by the user.
As with the first iPhone, the device is very simple to use, but I found Apple's on-screen 'soft' keyboard a pain - even compared with the tiny keys on the E71 and iPaq 914 - and kept finding myself hitting the wrong letter. The iPhone could prove a hit with business users that need a decent browser - such as for web-based applications - but I can't see heavy email users or anyone whose job entails entering a lot of data being happy with it.
All three models feature some form of assisted GPS (A-GPS) to speed up the time it takes to get a fix on the user's location. While the E71 has Nokia Maps, both the iPaq 914 and the iPhone use Google Maps. The iPhone version of this application is slicker, but both have pretty much the same functionality, including the option to fix your location GPS and get directions to a specified destination. However, Nokia Maps supports turn-by-turn directions for drivers, although it costs extra to have the directions spoken aloud.
Photo: HP’s sat-nav smartphone
This photo shows the HP iPaq 614 Business Navigator alongside a standard-sized PDA and a smartphone, showing how it fits somewhere between the two in size.
In fact, the iPaq 614 is almost exactly the same size as a Palm Treo, although it has a numeric keypad instead of the Palm’s qwerty keyboard. Like the Treo, it has a touch-screen as well.
The Business Navigator part of the device’s name refers to the act that this iPaq has built-in GPS capability and uses Google Maps to show your location and give directions to a destination when travelling.
This means that the device pulls down the map data as needed, instead of storing it on a memory card, and so you need a live data connection to use the navigation feature.
Fortunately, the iPaq 614 supports 3G with HSDPA where this is available, and also has Wi-Fi capability for speedier web browsing when near an access point. It also supports Bluetooth for hands-free calls. A full review of the HP iPaq 614 Business Navigator will appear in a future issue of IT Week.
Hands on with Opera Mini
Even though it was released last summer, I've only recently got around to properly trying out the Opera Mini browser from Opera Software, but I found that it actually gives a really decent web experience on a mobile device.
Opera Mini works somewhat like the Safari browser in Apple's iPhone, in that it shrinks a web page so that the whole of it is displayed on the handset's screen. Of course, this makes it too small to actually read anything, but you can easily zoom in to any part of the page you are interested in.
It doesn't feature the gesture-based controls of Apple's browser, but a simple tap on the screen with a stylus is arguably quicker, and the browser's back button zooms out again just as quickly.
Unlike Safari, Opera Mini is a thin client browser. This means that web requests are handled by a proxy server operated by Opera, which renders each page and compresses it before sending the resulting page image down to the phone. This means that less data gets sent to your handset, and so browsing eats up less of your monthly data plan.
I tested Opera Mini on a Windows Mobile 6 device, and found it handled many common web pages such as BBC News Online very well. However, it does trip up on web-based applications that test for supported browsers before proceeding.
Browsing was reasonably fast, even over a GPRS connection, and even faster when we switched to a Wi-Fi access point. Best of all, Opera Mini is a free download, and works on a broad range of handsets that support Java.
Picture: Using OQO's HSDPA UMPC
OQO's new version of its Model e2 UMPC is already shipping, and here's a (slightly blurry) picture to prove it. OQO kindly left this model with me to try out when they dropped in to our offices where IT Week Labs is located.
As you can see, the unit is almost indistinguishable from the original Model e2, which we reviewed back in October. It is very slightly heavier (but not so you would notice) and has a new antenna to support HSDPA – the high-speed 'wireless broadband' version of the 3G mobile networks.
The antenna can be extended out from the top right corner of the case, in a manner that makes it look like some kind of spy gizmo that James Bond might have used in the sixties. This is theoretically to boost the signal if reception is poor, but it seemed to have little extra effect when I tried it, and the antenna looks like it might easily snap if the user isn't careful.
From our central London office I managed to get a 3.6Mbit/s connection on T-Mobile, as reported by the Novatel MobiLink Network Connection Manager tool installed on the OQO. Using some of the free broadband speed test tools available on the web, the HSDPA connection was rated at various speeds up to 688kbit/s, which is roughly comparable with what you would see with a 1Mbit/s home broadband connection.
Using the device backed up this finding – it seemed reasonably fast when browsing web sites, but not as fast as you would expect from using a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. I even accessed one or two web-based applications and found performance acceptable, if not great.
Of course, get away from metropolitan areas and performance will almost certainly be worse than this, and will drop back to standard 3G or even GPRS the further away you get from a big city. I haven't tested this with the OQO so far, but have frequently found 3G coverage to be patchy outside of London.
This extra wireless capability does not really make the OQO a rival for a smartphone. The device I tested did not have the ability to make voice calls, although there is nothing preventing you from installing Skype or some other voice-over-IP client and using this instead.
Photo: BlackBerry Pearl 8120
This photo shows how small and neat RIM's latest BlackBerry device is. The Pearl 8120 adds 802.11b/g Wi-Fi capability to the basic Pearl handset design that was introduced last year, without increasing the size at all and adding just a couple of grams to the weight.
For workers that already use a BlackBerry, the SureType keyboard will probably count against switching. This puts two letters on each key and uses predictive algorithms to work out what you are trying to type. It works quite well, but slows you down sometimes and is probably not the best solution for those who need to send lots of emails.
However, if your company has a BlackBerry server and you don't necessarily need to respond instantly to every email sent to you, then the Pearl is definitely worth a look. Its size and weight are in line with many basic Nokia handsets, making it easier to carry than some earlier BlackBerry models.
The addition of Wi-Fi means that the Pearl can browse web sites much faster when in range of an access point, but has little real impact on the email service.
A full review of the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 will appear in a future issue of IT Week, and the device is available now in the UK from O2.
First impressions of OQO's new UMPC
OQO launched its first model of ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) aimed at the European market earlier this week, and I went along to get a closer look at the device.
The OQO model e2 is a full-spec PC that just happens to fit in the palm of your hand. What images don’t convey is how good the screen is – even though it is only 5 inches across the diagonal, I could quite clearly read the text on the 800 x 480 Windows desktop.
The unit itself is quite comfortable to hold, at least for the short period I tried it out, and it feels quite natural to type with thumbs BlackBerry-style while cradling it in your hands.
One concern of this model is likely to be battery life. The company quotes the OQO as offering up to three hours only on the standard batteries. Nevertheless, this looks like the only UMPC I have seen that could stand up as a serious rival for a full-blown laptop.
Look out for a full review of the OQO model e2 in future, when IT Week will evaluate the performance and battery life of the model, as well as reporting on using such a small form factor device for productivity work.
Photo: RIM's new BlackBerry Curve
RIM is keeping up a brisk pace of handset releases, following its launch of the BlackBerry 8800 earlier this year. The new model is the BlackBerry Curve, alternatively known as the BlackBerry 8300, and I was able to get my hands on it briefly during a demonstration by RIM.
As you can see from the photo, the new model fits neatly between the 8800 and the BlackBerry Pearl in size (the Curve is in the middle), and this also gives you a clue where RIM is positioning it – as a device to appeal to both business users and consumers.
Firstly, the device feels very light – so much so that I had to check whether the battery was fitted. Actually, at 111g it is heavier than many standard phones, but it is noticeably lighter than most smartphones that also have a qwerty keyboard.
Because this is the smallest BlackBerry with a qwerty keyboard (at 107 x 60 x 15.5mm), the keys are also smaller than earlier models, especially those of the popular 7200 series. However, I found it no more difficult to key in text than on other qwerty BlackBerry devices.
Equally importantly, the screen is bright and easy to read, which means this device can just as easily serve as a corporate email device as one of the larger models. The Curve also features the pearl trackball, introduced on the BlackBerry of the same name.
The Curve also features a 2 megapixel camera and has an enhanced media player that handles common music and video formats. While some companies may be wary of having these features in a business handset, RIM said that it enables workers to carry just a single device with them instead of cramming both a Blackberry and an iPod into their pocket. These features can also be disabled by policy settings through a company's Blackberry Enterprise Server, if necessary.
RIM's media player is backed by a new application – Desktop Multimedia Suite – that enables users to manage their music and video files on a Windows PC and convert them into a format that works on the BlackBerry, RIM said.
The BlackBerry Curve comes with an updated version of RIM's BlackBerry Maps application, but the device doesn't have built-in GPS capability (as the BlackBerry 8800 does). If users require a precise fix on their location, they will have to purchase a separate Bluetooth GPS device.
Overall, my early impression of the Curve is that it will appeal to current BlackBerry users, because it offers all the BlackBerry features you would expect in a smaller and easier to carry format.
It's a shame that RIM hasn't seen fit to include 3G network support or Wi-Fi yet, but I suspect many BlackBerry users will cheerfully forego these so long as they can have a smaller, lighter version of the device now weighing down their pocket.
Will the virtual BlackBerry backfire on RIM?
RIM's announcement of a software 'virtual BlackBerry' to run on Windows Mobile handsets came as a surprise to many, including me. On the face of it, the move seems difficult to comprehend, as Microsoft's handheld platform is a direct rival for the BlackBerry – even more so when it is coupled with a corporate Exchange Server capable of delivering push email.
However, if RIM's explanation can be believed, the company genuinely seems to be putting the interests of its customers first with the BlackBerry application suite, giving them the ability to manage other handsets as if they were a BlackBerry.
It is a bit of a cliché that the executives in a firm all have BlackBerry handhelds, while other workers have to settle for a less glamorous phone, but there is some reality behind this.
Many organisations have a diverse mobile infrastructure, and according to RIM, IT managers have been telling the company that they would really like to have the same level of control over other devices as they have over their BlackBerry clients.
RIM already enables handsets from other vendors to link with BlackBerry mail servers via its BlackBerry Connect programme, but it appears that this just doesn't deliver everything that business customers want.
"It's not that BlackBerry Connect has been a failure, but there have been differing rates at which BlackBerry technology has been incorporated into third-party handsets," said Tony Cripps, wireless analyst at Ovum.
The solution? Deliver a full BlackBerry environment that can run on other handsets that such customers are using. Of course, you have to ask why RIM picked Windows Mobile, but this is due to the company's mindset as a North American enterprise vendor, according to Cripps, who said we can expect to see versions for other platforms such as Symbian in the future.
However, it could also prove a risky strategy for RIM, as Jason Langridge, Microsoft's mobility business manager for Europe, pointed out in his blog;
"This is an interesting move as it does provide a great opportunity for Lotus Domino or Groupwise users to utilise Windows Mobile devices with their backend infrastructure. It also underpins Windows Mobile as the platform beyond email and may prove somewhat dangerous to RIM as customers have a very easy path to then switch to native Exchange Direct Push."
In other words, it might provide firms with a painless way to switch from the costly BlackBerry Enterprise Server over to Exchange Server, which includes wireless capabilities at no extra cost.
Hands-on with Sony's Vaio mini PC
Sony's Vaio VGN-UX1XN, announced in January, sounds too good to be true; it is a handheld PC that is capable of running Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system. After a long wait, I have finally got hold of one to try out.
The first thing that strikes you is how chunky the device is; it is like holding a professional SLR film camera in your hands. Secondly, while the screen is tiny (measuring 4.5in diagonally) it is beautifully bright and clear. Even so, I wouldn't like to have to use this small a screen for any length of time, especially at its default resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.
Sony has packed with the device with applications that all try to start at boot-up, including Norton Internet Security Center and Upek protector suite. Consequently, the device feels sluggish, despite having 1GB of memory and a 32GB Flash hard drive, which ought to give it the edge over other portables equipped with a spinning hard disk. Removing some of these from memory improves the situation somewhat.
One immediate problem I found with the Vaio is that some of Vista's dialog boxes are too big to fit on the screen, and cannot be resized. The upshot is that buttons at the bottom of the dialog are off the bottom of the screen and cannot be clicked with the mouse (see screenshot). Moving the dialog box does not help, as the mouse pointer reaches the top of the screen before the buttons come into view.
Underneath the slide-up display is a full qwerty keyboard. This is inevitably a bit of a compromise, with tiny calculator-like keys that don't provide much feedback.
The Vaio ships with a cradle that enables it to be used with a desktop keyboard, mouse and monitor. In this configuration it can display a more useful 1280 x 1024 pixels.
It is also supposed to come with a dongle that lets the device plug into a projector. This was missing from our review unit, but this facility could make the UX1 attractive to travelling sales executives for customer presentations.
A full review of the Sony Vaio UX1 will appear in a future issue of IT Week.
Photos: HTC's new S710 handset
While everyone at this year's 3GSM was getting excited about HTC's Advantage high-end mobile device, the company launched other equally interesting Microsoft-based models, including some running the new Windows Mobile 6.
The S710, for example, is similar in size and weight (about 120g) to a standard phone handset, yet boasts a good-sized colour display and a slide-out qwerty keyboard – excellent for composing emails. When you slide the phone open, the screen also changes to a landscape orientation to match the keyboard.
My early tests soon showed up a few faults, however. The device is often sluggish, sometimes taking a second or two to re-orient its display when opened up. Is this because the handset's 201MHz Omap processor is not up to the job, or because Windows Mobile is inefficient?
Another galling flaw came when I was configuring the phone to access the Internet via GPRS. While entering the IP address of the network's Access Point, the phone seemed to detect a numeric input field and lock the keyboard's 'Fn' key on. This made it easy to key in numbers, but also impossible to type the dots that interspace the IP address.
These bugs are a shame, because the S710 is almost perfect for users looking for a lightweight handset that is also good for email. When closed up, the device looks unobtrusive and could be just a standard phone. Opened up, the keyboard allows for quite a reasonable input speed when composing emails and text messages,
The S710 is a quad-band phone with GPRS (and EDGE) capability, but does not support 3G networks. However, it does have Wi-Fi capability for browsing the Internet when in range of an access point.
A full review of the HTC S710 will appear in a future issue of IT Week.
