Chris Love asked:


The TyTN II (P4550/Kaiser) is single handedly raising the bar for PDA’s and Smartphones. Having received glowing reviews from customers and critics alike, including a 9/10 rating from PDA Essentials and the editor branding it “a stunning handheld”.

Stunning it is. Manufactured by one of the leading smart phone manufacturers, HTC, the TyTN II boasts a comprehensive number of applications that offer a complete solution to mobile communication. The inclusion of GPS, GPRS, 3G UTMS, HSDPA and Windows Mobile 6 Professional, coupled with a powerful Qualcomm MSM7200 400MHz chipset make the applications quick and efficient for use on the move.

In-built WiFi and Bluetooth offer alternative connectivity options, keeping you connected in a variety of hot spots. The addition of 3G and a 3 mega pixel camera enables you to connect to other devices for video calls, too.

It also has a spring loaded QWERTY keyboard and 2.6” display are stylishly incorporated into the design, complete with a handy click and scroll wheel feature. Its practical size, a svelte 112 x 59 x 19mm and 160g weight, make switching between handheld computing and phone calls simple.

A number of TyTN II accessories are available for this device, designed to accompany the TyTN II and enable you to maximise the potential of this complete communication device.

Having tried a number of TyTN II accessories with the TyTN II we can whole heartedly recommend the following:

Brodit Active PDA Holder: This vehicle TyTN II accessory is a must-have for the TyTN II. With the ProClip mount and active holder, designed to match the exact specifications of your vehicle and TyTN II respectively, you can safely and securely attach the device to your cars vent and operate it in either the open or closed position. A built in charger ensures you are always full charged for your next destination. Operating at 12 or 24 volts, the active holder is ideal in a range of cars. And its tilt swivel feature allows you to adjust the TyTN II’s position accordingly, so it’s comfortable to use and easy to avoid glare from the reflective screen.

Cradle and AC Adaptor: It’s not just on the move that your TyTN II is most useful – you can keep it close at hand in the office or on the desk at home too. With this useful cradle, you can keep your HTC TyTN II in an upright, closed position close by. A single AC adaptor connects the cradle to a USB port, synchronising it with your laptop or PC. It also charges the battery, making it ready to go when you are, while taking up very little space on the desk with only one wire.

Alu-leather book case: This leather bound case matches the dimensions of your TyTN II exactly. Featuring a secure attachment to hold it in place, either open or closed, you can operate your TyTN II and all ports fully when in the case. While the leather appearance is smart, the case is also practical for storing business, credit or memory cards. A tough, hidden aluminium Screen Saver construction protects the devices screen from damage and a magnetic clasp keeps it closed.

With the addition of these must have TyTN II accessories the TyTN II becomes even more useful.

David H. Urmann asked:


Smart phones are specially developed for corporate users. These are data centric and have large screens. They function as mobile phones as well as PDAs and allow you to email, access data, and browse the Web. The major types of smart phones operating systems include Blackberry, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and iPhone among others.

Smart phones are developed overtly for executives and corporate users. These clever devices can perform as diligent as executives do. Smart phones perform prompt execution of corporate data access, Internet browsing, and e-mail. The IT group defined smart phone as a gadget that IT techies program and set up as requested by their senior managers and techies are concerned that the handset together with the essential information it contains may vanish in the cab.

Smart phones are data-focused convenient gadgets having large monitors. They’re built to provide comprehensive mobile phone functions and work as a PDA or personal digital assistant all at the same time. Intense data applications also make these gadgets a stand out. Feature phones may offer you access to the Web but smart phones can go well with your computer. Furthermore, these devices are programmable, have open operating systems, and are capable of adding and deleting applications.

Below are the major kinds of smart phones operating systems:

BlackBerry

It is a leading wireless gadget solution. This technology can certainly merge into any size of industry networks. Blackberry mobile phones feature secure and intelligent software in addition to spontaneous keypads. A number of RIM Blackberry selections are presented by the world’s major mobile suppliers. Software selections are fitted with data services and e-mail to enable effortless sync of the mobile phone with computers as well as corporate servers. Models of Blackberry Pearl adopt SureType systems that facilitate fast typing with numerous letters designated to every key. On the other hand, BlackBerrys 8700 models offer large QWERTY keyboards to make possible speedy thumb keying.

iPhone

This is an innovatory platform designed by Apple, Inc. It offers GPS mapping and high speed wireless technology. This phone combines iPod, Internet browser, and e-mail into one gadget. iPhone also backs venture features such as App Store and Microsoft Exchange.

Linux

Originally invented by Linus Torvalds, a student from Finland, hundreds of people and corporations today have circulated their own OS adaptations rooted on Linux. Even if Linux has not completely forayed into the corporate smart phones, this platform is enjoying market dominance in Japan and China under DoCoMo and Motorola respectively. Several ingenuities are in process in order to produce Linux phones as multitalented and pungent as the BlackBerry.

Palm

Palm Treo is a simple yet completely equipped smart phone that integrates Internet access, email, organizer, and messaging. This operating system also presents Bluetooth technology to effectively facilitate wireless connection to many other Bluetooth-powered gadgets including digital cams, MP3 players, automobile kits, and headsets. With all these, Palm Treo remains to be one of the popular choices for business mobile phones.

Symbian

This technology is the top open operating system used for sophisticated data centric smart phones. Crafted for the explicit needs of cutting edge 3G phones, Symbian is also the main platform adopted on Nokia manufactured phones. Symbian series holds together the strength of a merged applications setting with mobile technology, thus delivering superior data benefits to the users. This OS enjoys the biggest part of the cake in the majority of international market. However, the influential North American clients favor the adoption of Windows Mobile or Blackberry over Symbian.

Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile is establishing its repute among corporate clients at a significantly fast pace. Windows Mobile phones like the Motorola Q are specifically developed to provide a Windows based manifestation for corporate users. It also bears straightforward data syncing by means of Microsoft Outlook. Comparable with BlackBerry, this software presents diverse network link preferences that let a small organization holding several mobile phones to expand into a large corporation having hundreds of units without needing to dispose all the phones eventually.

Steve Bralovich asked:


PDAs are not yet hand-held PCs, but have been used by many people over the years. PDAs are better-known as pocket pc’s or palmtop organizers. PDAs have many uses including: mathematics, use as a timekeeper with calendar subroutines, browsing cyberspace, sending and receiving e-mail, video, typewriting and word processing, name and address book functions, making and compiling spreadsheets, reading bar codes, receiving radio broadcasts or stereo listening, playing computer games, entering poll results, and GPS. More modern PDAs also have color screens, MP3 music and telephony capabilities, allowing them to be employed as cellphones (smartphones), web browsers, and portable media players. Several now also include cameras that can photograph scenes which can then be uploaded to Flickr and mySpace accounts. Virtually all newer PDAs can surf the Net, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi, or Wireless Wide-Area Networks just about all PDA’s utilize touch screen displays leaving out Smartphones which depend upon menu systems attributable to their tinier display screens.

PDA’s Past

The term “personal data assistant” was first used on Jan 7th, 1992 by then Apple Computer Chief Executive Officer John Sculley at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, concerning the Apple Newton.

PDAs are occasionally denoted as “Palms”, “Palm Pilots” or “Palm Tops” so-named after an early personal digital assistant produced by USR and Palm Inc called the “Palm Pilot”. Today however, the term is much more encompassing and includes a very diverse range of products developed by a host of many manufacturers including HP, Dell, Blackberry and Sharp to name a few.

.Characteristic capabilities

Presently, a regular PDA has a touch screen for data entry, a memory card slot for data storage and at the least one of the following for device-todevice communication: IrDA, Bluetooth and/or WiFi. All the same, many PDAs (normally those used primarily as cellular phones) may not have a touch screen, alternatively using softkeys, a directional pad and either the numerical computer keyboard or a thumb keyboard for idata nput.

In order to meet the PDA definition, standard software should include an appointment calendar, a task list, an address book for business and personal contacts and some kind of notes program. Internet connected PDAs also usually include E-mail and Web support.Most units also include memo recording software for audio notes. Very handy for remembering important details.

Not Quite A Laptop Replacement…Yet

Possibly, to a higher degree than any other computer device, the personal digital assistant lacks the raw computing horsepower and Wireless Broadband capabilities of a desktop or notebook computer. Presently, costs of laptop computers are coming down. Although a good deal bigger in size, laptop computers have more full-size screens and keyboards and are have greater computing power.

However, the OQO Model 2 has been brought out in recent times as a fully desktop PC compatible PDA with a USB port so that people can use their normal work and business software or play computer games compatible with ubiquitous operating systems such as Windows XP. It can also connect to regular PC peripherals. Costs still have a way to fall prior to mass adoption takes place in the market but OQO is no longer the exclusive manufacturer of these types of units, so costs should fall possibly within the next few years.

Conclusion

The PDAs strength is that it is easy to transport and less bulky than full-sized computers.It slides easily into a dress shirt or trousers pocket. The additional features like cameras, Global Positioning System, telephony and MP3 player make it flexible unlike any other type of computers in the market.

Many people do not require full desktop capabilities while on the go. As long as they can access their information and sync their data to a full-sized computer when they arrive at their homes and offices, that’s really all they need and want to do. So at least in the short run, the PDA will most likely remain as a portable helper for millions of users for years to come.

Lijo George asked:


work and huddled around to watch excitedly as the wrapping was torn off and we opened the box to review it!The Atom Life enters the Indian market as part of 02′s new strategy to divide its five main product segments: performance, lifestyle, messaging, hybrids, and smartphones. The products in each segment have feature sets appropriate for their target market. This device fits into the lifestyle category with its good looks and multimedia capabilities. Speaking at its launch in Mumbai recently, 02 Asia Pacific and the Middle East CEO, Mark Billington, stated that the Atom Life is a PDA that will power the user both at work and play. We decided to put this claim to test.

Packed with Features

The 02 XDA Atom Life is a tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 phone with GPRS and EDGE capabilities. The built-in Wi-Fi functionality makes it an excellent device to check e-mail on the go. GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation is not built in, but it’s possible to add an external receiver. The Atom Life is 3G capable-the front-mounted VGA camera makes video calling simplistic In-call voice reception is nice and dean.

The Atom Life runs on Windows Mobile 5, so mobile versions of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel are included. These applications ens that your work won’t suffer no matter where you are. Other preinstalled applications include 02 AutoConfig, 02 Autolnstall, 02 Connect, 02 MediaPlus. 02 SMSPIus, and 02 PhonePlus, which make the phone economically strong. 02 Connect offers access to software updates via a GPRS connection, while 02 MediaPlus allows you to access all your stored music, videos, and photos from a single interface. You can use PocketMSN to access your Hotmail account and chat with your contacts through MSN Messenger. The Internet Explorer makes browsing the web a breeze. There’s also a mobile version of Windows Media Player 10. And to round off the package, there is Microsoft ActiveSync to connect the Atom Life to your PC.The Atom Life is powered by an Irte XScale PXA 270 processor running at a mind-blowing 624 MHz. We were impressed by the capabilities of this processor, which was able to multitask and run heavy applications without am hiccups. It features 64 MB RAM and 1GB of internal flash memory. A MiniSD card slot for expanding the memory is located on the top of the phone.

Camera

The 2 megapixel camera takes decent pictures with resolutions ranging from 80×60 to 1600×1200. An LED strobe flash and a self-portrait mirror are also built in.

Shaping the Masterpiece

At first glance, the Atom Life looks like any other 02 model, but look closely and you’ll see a few subtle differences. The device’s glossy black plastic screen is the in-call speaker grille, which also houses status lights-green for standby, red for charging, and blue to show that Bluetooth is switched on. Volume controls are on the left, and the camera and record buttons are on the right. Keys on the front panel include call accept and reject controls, two soft and media player shortcut keys.

The Atom Life weighs 145 grams which is quite light for a PDA. Its slick form makes it a true style statement.

Chinks in the Shining Armour

02 markets the Atom Life as a PDA that doubles up as a multimedia device. Even though it has SRS-WOW surround speakers, the volume levels could have been higher. The glossy black plastic finish is prone to fingerprints and smudges, and the chrome plating- especially around the stylus holder slot-wears out easily with heavy use. The 2.7-inch LCD screen might look good at first, but it isn’t the clearest we have seen. Team this up with terrible viewing angles and you have real disappointment on your hands. The quality of still and video photography is also below average.

Verdict

The 02 Xda Atom Life is a brilliant device, and a great solution for all your business and multimedia needs. There’s a chance that you might find it a little confusing to handle initially but once you get the hang of it, organizing your daily schedules and carrying out vital daily tasks will become very convenient. Also, the enhanced multimedia functions make the Atom Life a pleasure to work with. The elegant shape ensures that you are carrying a guaranteed style statement in your pocket. As the maufacturers said-the Xda Atom Life surely does power you at work and play!

Christophe Catesson asked:


About Acer

Acer Inc. can be referred to be amongst the most ancient electronics companies as far as computer industry is concerned. It was founded by Stan Shih in the year 1976. Originally, it was named ‘Multitech’ then. ‘Acer’ was the name acquired later. The present scenario is such that it’s a leader in the corporate world of Taiwan and as such, is the 3rd largest manufacturer of computers, followed by HP, Dell.

Products

Acer is known for giving what you robust protducts, at a cheap price, with no compromise on the quality front. The product range of Acer is inclusive of notebooks, desktops, PDA, portable tablet personal computers, display monitors, software and hardware solutions. Acer laptops and display monitors have always been on the top of different review sites and listings.

Laptops

Acer laptops have a number of variants depending upon market trend as well as technology. Series presented by Acer include Tablet PC Series, TravelMate series, Extensa series, Ferrari series, and Aspire series. The ‘Acer Aspire’ series is the most renowned and broadly used all through the world. All novel Gemstone variants have been highly stylish. Moreover, they come with ‘High Definition Dolby Digital Sound System’. These series begin with 4520. The newest model on the hands is Acer Aspire 8920 model. Let’s have a look at the currently available Acer laptops.

The Aspire and Extensa are essentially the “entry level” lines. While they are not equipped with the fastest processors or biggest hardrives, the Aspire deliver a very acceptable overall speed if you are an “average user” meaning that you are not an avid gamer or heavy database user. For that matter if most of use is web surfing, email, word processor, spreadsheet… type of activity, chances are that you would barely notice a difference with faster and more expensive laptops. One thing though, make sure you have at least 2GB of RAMs to ensure good speed; it is a mystery to me that companies still sell laptops with less than 2 GB when using Microsoft Vista, the cost saving is not worth the potential speed loss.

The TravelMate series has been designed especially for business travelers and professionals. These series would give you an extended reliability, along with light-weight notebooks with the highest securities. The TravelMate series begins with the models between 2480 and 8210. Let certain models be looked into.

The Ferrari can be considered to be one of the major hits in the laptop arena. Acer has partnered with Ferrari to deliver high-end products with exciting features and a great look. These laptops have a sporty style. Models available include Ferrari 1000, 4000, and 5000. The cost range is reported to vary between $1800 and $4000.

Conclusion

In short, Acer delivers good to great quality and its pricing strategy is very aggressive on the Aspire, Extensa and TravelMate lines. The Ferrari line is more targeted to high end users on one hand but also and maybe mostly for user who like fashionable laptops (similar in that sense to the MacBook Air users). Acer is rapidly expanding in the laptops market and will most likely prove to be formidable leader in the years to come.