Audiovox Thera disappoints Walt Mossberg

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20020509.html">http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20020509.html</a><br /><br />Walt Mossberg recently reviewed the Audiovox Thera, a Pocket PC 2002 with CDMA technology built in. It is <i>not</i> a Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition device. Sierra Wireless added the wireless phone features.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/av-thera.jpg" /><br /><br />As I was listening to the review on the way in this morning on Audible, I thought Mr. Mossberg was being a bit harsh on the device for its phone features. After all, it is a data device first and a phone second. However, the second half of his review focused on the data portion of the device. He praised the core Pocket PC 2002 OS, but was less gentle on the experience, some of which is Verizon's fault with their proprietary implementation of the new CDMA based 1X network they call "Express Network."<br /><br />In my <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1187">thought on Microsoft being able to step up</a> and take advantage of the poor offerings currently on the market for integrated devices, I said I was ready for a device right now. Well, I am, but it has to be the right device. Microsoft has put a tremendous effort into the voice/data integration in their Smartphone 2002 and Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition software. I guess Audiovox didn't want to wait for the PPC2K2PE software to be baked or had other reasons for using their own dialer. Mr. Mossberg's final comments sum up the data integration. "Finally, the built-in phone software, supplied by a company called Sierra Wireless, isn't well integrated with the rest of the device. For instance, there's a separate address book for phone use. If you go to the main Contacts program, you can't dial a number. And, if you try to call up a Web page, the Thera won't automatically connect to the Internet to do so. All in all, I'd advise taking a pass on Verizon's Thera. It's unlikely to satisfy either the voice-oriented or the data-oriented user." <br /><br />Being first to market has its advantages but does not guarantee success. Thanks to Steve Miller for the link.

[dma1965]

I have to agree with the reviewer here. If the designers did not bother with something as basic as contact integration, then were else does the design fall down ? This flaw alone would earn it an ''F'' if I was handing out grades. :roll:

[willkess71]

Mr. Mossberg is the most unimaginative and un-ashamed cheerleader for the Palm OS. Even when the Pocket PC platform makes a huge step forward he can only make negative comments. The fact that he has put the dead end Treo device ( A second gen Palm Phone) ahead of the Thera ( A first gen Pocket PC Phone) is no suprise to me. I look forward to the Pocket Loox and the new HTC Phone from Voicestream. Maybe then Walt will see the light and return from the dark side. ( Only 7 Days until episode II :lol: )

[Master O'Mayhem]

The phone dialer problems are software based. This is the same issue on the Aircard 555 with PPC, although the phone functionality works its integraqtion is not all there. I have a feeling this was dictated by Sierra wireless because Audiovox used the 1xrt transmitter. I will bet that Sierra wireless will release an update to he software that will let you dig into your outlook contacts on PPC. But to be Honest, the speed of the data is killer!!!!

[cparekh]

I think the $800 cost is prohibitive. First, this is a 1st gen device. People who buy are taking a testing risk for Verizon, and therefore will be less willing to pay big bucks for a device. Second, anyone who buys this device will be paying more than just a voice customer for service. They will pay for regular voice service plus whatever data plan they get. This means that Verizon's Thera customers will produce more revenue for them. Therefore they could subsidize the phone even more. Third, the Maestro costs $300 by itself (retail), it could never cost $500 to add a Sierra Wireless card to the device.

I know Verizon should charge people's willingness to pay for the device, but I think they really got it wrong on this one. Performance issues aside, this device should cost no more than $500. Remember, you still have to pay Verizon at least $50 (more likely at least $100) per month to use the device. The profit on these payments alone should suffice to create a subsidy for the Thera that would keep it from costing $800.

[Brad Adrian]

Remember, you still have to pay Verizon at least $50 (more likely at least $100) per month to use the device.

And, with such leading-edge users, they'll have no trouble at all getting one- or two-year contracts from each customer. That's a guaranteed $1,200 per year in revenues (plus whatever they can reap through the inevitable erroneous billing).

[jpzr]

Audiovox Thera, a Pocket PC 2002 with CDMA technology built in. It is not a Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition device.


Maybe I am stupid, but I thought that PocketPC Phone Edition is for GSM/GPRS only, not for CDMA... am I stupid?

[Ed Hansberry]

Maybe I am stupid, but I thought that PocketPC Phone Edition is for GSM/GPRS only, not for CDMA... am I stupid?
The first devices will be but that is not a PPC2K2PE/SP2002 limit. The OS can handle just about any data capable radio stack you want to put in it.

[scottmag]

First of all I disagree with the criticism of Walt Mossberg. He is one of the most respected and influential tech journalists because he reviews for the ordinary person without catering to the techie crowd. That, and not anti-Microsoft bias, is why he recommends Palm over PocketPC. He also rates MSN higher that AOL, so I don't see an anti-Microsoft agenda. But that's just my opinion.

Now, for the Thera, I would expect the first generation of MS smartphone devices to be poorly designed. It's the Microsoft way. Now bear with me for a moment here. That's not a slam on Microsoft (although grant me this, they have produced a few garbage 1.0 versions in the past). MS doesn't actually make these phones. They provide the OS, the reference designs, the developer kits, etc. After that it is left up to the individual licensees to do the innovation. There are going to be good and bad products - that's the way to work out what the market will buy. I doubt the Thera is any reflection of what is soon to come. It's clearly rushed to market.

If I was a Microsoft product manager on the smartphone team, I'd be hoping for the Treo to be a success. That would do two things. First, it would quickly legitimize the market. Then every review of the Treo would also be a look forward at the products yet to come in the booming smartphone market. Second, it would provide a roadmap to what the customer wants. It would be Embrace and Extend time. The focus could shift toward embracing the features that consumers liked in the Treo and then adding more enterprise functionality, courting the developers, cranking up the marketing, etc.

I personally want to see some good products on both sides.

Scott

[Jason Dunn]

Some good statements Scott, but just to be clear, the SmartPhone 2002 is a cell phone with MS software on it (like the Sendo) and the Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition (or Pocket PC 2002 PE) is the Thera - a Pocket PC with integrated wireless. 8)

[Ed Hansberry]

Some good statements Scott, but just to be clear, the SmartPhone 2002 is a cell phone with MS software on it (like the Sendo) and the Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition (or Pocket PC 2002 PE) is the Thera - a Pocket PC with integrated wireless. 8)

Uhm... no. ;-)

The Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition is the MS Pocket PC 2002 software with Microsoft's phone dialer software and integration into Inbox, contacts, etc. The Thera uses the plain vanilla Pocket PC 2002 OS and uses Sierra Wireless phone software, which apparently does not integrate well (or at all) into the Pocket PC 2002 software, like Contacts.

So to tag on to ScottMag's comments, this is not even MS's first try. This is someone elses first try. I guess MS's first shipping PPC2K2PE is the XDA, but that isn't available in the US. :-(

[Jason Dunn]

Uhm... no. ;-)


ZING!

Yes, you're totally right - I forgot the Thera isn't actually running the Phone Edition. What a marketing nightmare... :oops:

[scottmag]

So to tag on to ScottMag's comments, this is not even MS's first try. This is someone elses first try.

Ummm, Ed ... please be careful not to imply that we are in agreement in any way. We both have reputations to uphold.

:)

Scott

[heg]

I happen to have bought one recently and find it to a very useful tool. The dialer has a manual sync between your outlook contacts once I figured that out it has not been a real issue.

I wish it had builtin WIFI, but soon there will be a SDIO card for that.

Since I bought mine recently and the intial review is almost a year old, they may have update the latest devices that are being sold .

I agree I had to settle, but I was tired of waiting.
I love mine.

heg