Pocket PC Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Product Category: GPS-assisted software

Manufacturer: JMD Software

Where to Buy: From the developer -- download available here; or from the Windows Marketplace

Price: $3.99USD

System Requirements: Marathon requires a Windows Mobile 5.0+ Professional device with a GPS receiver and a screen resolution of at least 240x240 pixels.

Specifications: Requires approximately 400K of storage memory. Cannot be installed to Storage Card.

Pros:

• Very easy to install, configure and use;
• Main user interface is very intuitive, but there are lots of settings for individual customization.

Cons:

• Not possible to pause timings if you stop for a drink or chat;
• Some of the terminology used is confusing (eg. Sprint vs Track) A Help file or glossary would be useful.

Summary: Training up for that next marathon or triathalon? Or maybe just looking for something to provide an extra nudge for your personal 'Biggest Loser' exercise program? Marathon, a GPS-enabled software package from JMD Software may be just the right coach. It provides a simple, easy way to track your progress whether you're walking, running, biking or even rallying by car! Read more...

"For this review I had the HTC Touch Pro 2 for about 3 weeks thanks to HTC and I found it quite hard to let it go. It performed flawlessly during my testing and the new TouchFLO3D made using it virtually stylus-free. It is simply stunning both in performance and in functionality."

Clinton Fitch seems to have been a big fan of the Touch Pro 2, a device sitting on my own desk right now (It's the TP2's turn in the rotation between a Dash 3G and a MyTouch 3G). I must admit, it is one of the most stylish and polished devices I've used in quite awhile. Kudos HTC!

Product Category: PDA Phone

Manufacturer: Acer

Where to Buy: Expansys [Affiliate]

Price: $479.99 USD

Specifications: From the Expansys site

Pros:

• Elegant design;
• Large, sharp and vibrant screen;
• Very good speakerphone.

Cons:

• 128 MB of RAM isn't sufficient for such an advanced device;
• Screen isn't as touch sensitive as many competitors;
• Acer Shell touch interface lacks the pizazz and depth of HTC's TouchFlo.

Summary: Will we ever be able to write another touchscreen phone review without mentioning the iPhone? Its phenomenal success and near-iconic status have sent the manufacturers of phones using the more "venerable" operating systems, such as Windows Mobile and Blackberry, scrambling to come up with iPhone alternatives. I haven't seen much from Acer in phones in the past, but its F900 has impressive specs and looks to have the potential to challenge the iPhone as well as other WinMo contenders such as the HTC Touch Diamond 2. Does the F900 have what it takes to bring iPhone shoppers into the WinMo fold?

Read more...

Product Category: Earphones Manufacturer: Shure

Where to Buy: Amazon [Affiliate]

Price: $97.78

System Requirements: Any MP3 player with a 3.5mm headphone jack

Specifications: Headphones have a frequency range of 25Hz - 18.5kHz with a 26 ohm impedance. They come in black or white and have an 18 inch cable with a 36 inch extension. The headphones pack up easily in a small travel case and come with a deluxe fit kit of 7 different tips to easily fit almost any ear size.

Pros:

• Amazing sound, it blew me away;
• Lots of fit options, ensuring a comfortable, tight seal;
• High quality construction that should stand up to long term use.

Cons:

• Somewhat expensive;
• In-ear design takes getting used to.

Summary: No matter what you use as an MP3 player there is a universal law that applies to your device of choice. The included ear buds suck. Sure, there’s different levels of suck, but in the end they’re all pretty horrible. There was a brief period of time when the Zune came with the premium sound isolating earphones and those were certainly a step up from the usual throwaways you get. Still, to really appreciate your Zune or "other" MP3 player you only have two avenues to really get the most out of your music. Read more...

Product Category: PDA Phone

Manufacturer: HTC

Where to Buy: Expansys [Affiliate]

Price: $469.99 USD

Specifications: From the HTC site

Pros:

• Offers lots of features for a "budget conscious" phone;
• TouchFlo interface is one of the best efforts yet to make WM phones "touch friendly";
• Bundled CoPilot Navigation software adds functionality and value.

Cons:

• Battery life is merely adequate;
• Button layout on front differs from the "standard";
• Back cover feels a bit cheap.

Summary:

Everywhere you look these days, it's "iPhone this" and "iPhone that". For better or worse, the iPhone is a genuine phenomenon and has set the direction for touch enabled phones to come. Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7 will bring a variety of finger friendly touch features, but what do WM phone manufacturers do until then? If you're HTC, you put a flashy touch enabled shell on a variety of phones at a range of price levels. The Touch Cruise is one of the more affordable versions. Does HTC's strategy make it an iPhone contender? Let's take a look... Read more...

If you're eyeballing the HTC Touch Diamond2 or Touch Pro2 as a suitable replacement for your archaic/ailing handset, then you may be interested in what 4WinMobile.com and Mobile-review.com (Russian to English translation) have to say about the respective devices. The long story short is that they're very impressive devices. And, as you probably already know, HTC is committed to providing free Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrades later in the year. If all that has convinced you to purchase, head over to our affiliate hardware store. The Touch Pro2 is available for pre-order; however, the Touch Diamond2 is already in stock (48 units, at the time of writing) and ready to ship, so you could have one in your hands as early as this week.

"Over the past few weeks, we've played the name game with this new Samsung phone. Now that the curtain has risen to reveal the true identity of the i907 Epix, we shared themanual and reported on the AT&T availability. While a lot has been written on the specifications and features of this new Windows Mobile device, it's time to offer some hands on observations. How fat is the Epix? Is it a door stop or a well balanced, comfortable to use Windows Mobile device? Is the battery life any good? Any lag time? How does it measure up to the latest kid on the block, the Treo Pro? What the heck is haptic feedback? You'll find observations and answers to these and more..."

This is one of the first reviews of the Samsung Epix that I've read, and it's worth a read if you're considering this new phone from Samsung. The reviewer compares it to the Treo Pro, since both share a similar front-facing QWERTY keyboard design, and it matches up quite favourably to the Treo Pro in a number of ways. I concur with the reviewer in his disdain for the glossy, fingerprint-magnet design. Give me a faux metal matte finish, or a rubberized matte finish, any day of the week. I loathe shiny shells, but it seems like every device that comes out lately has a shiny shell. What's your take on the shiny vs. matte issue?

UPDATE: Our friends over at Mobile Tech Review have also written up their impressions of the Samsung Epix, so be sure to check it out for another opinion.

Want Palm Treo Pro reviews? You got 'em!

• Brighthand
• Engadget
• I Started Something
• WMExperts

Along with that "other phone", Palm (relatively quietly) launched their 800w, and the early reviews have been pouring in. For those of you considering the 800w, here's a collection of unboxings and reviews you may find helpful.

[ The Gadgeteer | Brighthand | CNET | Engadget Mobile | Mobility Site (photos, video) ]

In general, most reviewers seem to think it's a worthwhile improvement over the earlier Treos, with the biggest criticisms being the thickness, the battery life, and the connector switch to microUSB. Have any of you picked up the 800w? If so, contribute your thoughts in the thread. We'll be sure to update you with more reviews as they come in.

Update 7/24 2:15pm: Changed Engadget Mobile's link to reflect their full review posted this afternoon.