MDA III, XDA IIs and M2000

12 February 2005

Introduction

Three mobile phone operators – T−Mobile, O2 and Orange – have recently launched new high-end PDAs with integrated telephony and networking, all based on virtually identical hardware. Given the same level of specification and performance of the hardware, the differentiators are left to price and network services.

But does the hardware itself warrant the spend? In this, the first in our series, we look at the hardware behind all of these offerings – we will look at the network services later – to see if it can cope with the needs of today's professional on the move.

Design

The first thing you notice about this PDA (as it has so many marques, we will stick with 'PDA') is the reasonably large design and heavy feel in the hand. Although this is likely to grossly distort any shirt pocket, it does indicate high build quality and feels positive in use.

The PDA is well designed ergonomically, with easy access to feature buttons for both left and right-handed users.

The familiar row of buttons beneath the screen launch Pocket Internet Explorer and the messaging centre inbox, as well as the Windows Start and OK buttons. Beneath these is the equally familiar four-way navigation toggle button and on-hook and off-hook keys.

Above the screen, to the left and right, are two further shortcut buttons for launching the calendar and contacts applications respectively. Finally, two buttons on the left of the casing provide access to voice notes and the camera (by default, the button's shortcut is configurable) and a slider volume control.

All buttons are raised within recesses and have a firm, unambiguous action. Not only is this essential in terms of usability, but also provides further confidence in the build quality.

The most distinguishing hardware feature is the hidden QWERTY keyboard. Sliding the fascia upwards reveals the keyboard, which we found easy to use, despite its compact size.

The display itself is 3.5in transflective TFT full colour, and although it only delivers 240x320 pixel resolution, we thought it crystal clear and very easy to read (users with low vision can also scale the text).

Connectivity is via a USB cradle with a spare slot for charging an additional battery (battery life was very acceptable). There is also an attachment for connecting the PDA to the AC adaptor directly, for charging the battery without the need for the cradle.

Processing Power

This PDA is obviously pitched as a business machine, so processing power and memory capacity are of critical importance. The PDA is built on the Intel XScale PXA263 running at 400 MHz, so no problem there. And as well as the 128 MBytes of RAM, there if also another 43 MBytes of flash ROM. For removable storage, an expansion slot in the top of the casing accepts standard SD/MMC (SDIO compatible) memory cards.

All in all, this makes for a very powerful device with more than enough memory storage. In use, it was lightning fast.

Software

The PDA runs Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, which boasts some useful enhancements over previous versions. Notable among these is the 'one-column' feature of Pocket Internet Explorer, which flows text and images on a web page into a single column, meaning that there is no longer a need for horizontal scrolling.

Equally impressive is Transcriber. As flashy as the keyboard is, I seldom used it. Handwriting recognition is so good, it is suitable for Word documents, text messages, tasks and contacts, and so on.

All the other applications you would expect are there. Obviously, Pocket Office, and other useful utilities such as ClearView PDF and PowerPoint viewers, backup, Zip manager, fax manager, and Windows Media Player and other graphics utilities.

Communications

The PDA has strong telephony and networking support. The phone is a quad-band GSM/GPRS unit, with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b) support built in. For the uninitiated, quad-band means that the phone supports all four major GSM frequency bands: 800 and 1900 bands – used in the Americas – and 900/1800, used in most other parts of the world.

The Bluetooth and Wireless LAN Manager applications make setup easy enough, and there is also a Wireless Manager application for selecting either of these connections, along with GPRS.

This provides you with support for a multitude of Bluetooth devices, as well as seamless integration with your existing wireless network, giving you broadband access and synchronisation of data and email.

It is in the supporting services, such as T-Mobile's T-Zones, HoptSpots, BT Open Zone, etc., that – together with the tariff agreements – constitute the operators' pitch. This is what we will examine next time.

Verdict

This PDA is extremely well made and although it is a little chunky to carry around, I soon got used to it. I found the screen to be bright and highly legible and the bundled suite of applications is extensive. The PDA has considerable processing power, memory and, of course, support for media cards. The networking support was a real boon, and the unit was as at home synching through the cradle as it was signing on to our wireless network. The keyboard is a bit of an innovation and easy to use, but I loved the handwriting support.

Put simply, this is the best PDA I have ever used.