Viewsonic V35 Reviewed by infoSync's Anthony Newman

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/n/3662.html' target='_blank'>http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/n/3662.html</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/viewsonic_v35_01.jpg" /><br /><br />"Want to get slim for summer? Try a svelte new Pocket PC instead: Anthony Newman finds that good things come in small packages with the ViewSonic V35. ViewSonic's first-generation Pocket PC product, the V35, has been available for some time now, and has become an accepted member of the Pocket PC establishment. It owes its success largely to a combination of decent reputation (especially in the display industry) and a relatively low price point. Let’s see how it fares in today’s world..."

[surur]

I dont see why this is worth wasting the front page on...

Old PPC, poor specs, doesn't excel in either price, size, performance features, in fact nothing at all.

PPC really needs major innovation, and it cant happen too soon.

Any new PPC I'm going to buy will need at least:

2 slots
Bluetooth
128Mb ram
>400 Mhz processor (or proven 50% improved performance)
12 hour battery life
GPRS/ PPC Phone edition

or a reasonable combination of the above

else why bother upgrading for only a 10% improvement. I really feel burned by upgrading to my loox from my HP 568 with no major improvement in functionality.

When it comes to full sized computers I have become used to better features/ more uses for the same money every year. This is not happening with ppc at all, which is very disappointing. It is also keeping my money in my pocket.

So PPC manufacturers... Impress me with new features for the same price, and you'll see my cash in short order. Else for-ge-dit

Surur

[Kati Compton]

I dont see why this is worth wasting the front page on...

Old PPC, poor specs, doesn't excel in either price, size, performance features, in fact nothing at all.

PPC really needs major innovation, and it cant happen too soon.

Any new PPC I'm going to buy will need at least:

That doesn't necessarily mean others aren't interested.

[kingraf01]

Yeah I don't see the big deal about it either.

Any new PPC that I'm going to buy will need at least:

CF slot
Bluetooth
128Mb ram
GPRS/ PPC Phone edition

I think until that's available at a decent price, my Jornada will do me just fine.

[huangzhinong]

If this review were finished 1 year ago, it is priceless. But now, it's only a joke.

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In conclusion, the V35 is a very competent piece of kit. Although no longer the smallest Pocket PC available, nor the cheapest, and certainly not the fastest, it offers a satisfactory compromise and in a number of little touches lifts itself above the ‘budget’ label.

[elizamft]

You guys missed the point. Its supposed to be an entry-level handheld for first-time users or people who'd like to upgrade to a no-frills xscale from an old ppc. I'm a V35 user for 3 months now and I'm happy with it. Its the economy ppc with the best screen around and best of all its very light! Its on a 300Mhz processor too....

[Timothy Rapson]

I can only hope that Viewsonic doesn't have many of these in stock. Once PPC 2003 comes out and the Axim X3 ships for $150 they won't be able to give V35s away in Cracker Jack boxes.

[Thunderstruck]

The V35 does excel in two features: thickness and weight. It is the thinnest and lightest PPC on the market if I am not mistaken. This, combined with the fact that it ships with a cradle and slipcase, make it very attractive for the price.

[Eciton]

Thanks to elizamft and Thunderstruck for understanding where I was coming from when I wrote this review.

When I was composing it, I bore in mind a couple of factors:

1) It is still the thinnest Pocket PC (and one of the smallest), despite being 8 months old. Yes, we're aware it's not the newest thing on the block, but personally I consider a review of current-but-not-cutting-edge hardware to be of just as much interest, since it might be available cheaply, and it is intriguing to see just how much things have changed in a certain timespan over the period since release.

2) It is a budget PDA, and is available for less than its recommended price. For those of y'all that don't work in journalism, we're fully aware of the prices that things are actually available at; however, as these change from week to week, the RRP is all we can really work with.

These factors, plus the overall feel of the unit, convinced me that the V35 was worthy of a review even at this late stage, and I'm pleased that I gave it the time it deserved. huangzhinong should consider that the V35 was only released in November of last year, so a review a year ago would have been not only a major scoop, but the first major achievement of my time machine.

Just because things aren't cutting edge - and we at infoSync certainly give a fair amount of time to new items - doesn't mean we shouldn't review them.

I hope that clears things up a little,

Anthony Newman

[kingraf01]

You're right, it actually makes a lot of sense, to review to get new PPC'ers interested and definitely is a good price. and if a 2003 PPC is out there for that price there would be a better chance that I miiiight upgrade, before a PPC SmartPhone. So to get new Pocket PC customers it definitely is a good intro PPC.

[Programmer]

1) It is still the thinnest Pocket PC (and one of the smallest), despite being 8 months old.

Is it thinner than the iPaq 1910?

Robert Kozak

[Eciton]

1) It is still the thinnest Pocket PC (and one of the smallest), despite being 8 months old.

Is it thinner than the iPaq 1910?

Robert Kozak

Yes, it is - by about 1 or 2mm. In all other dimensions it's larger, but then again it has slightly more RAM and a faster processor, and a couple of other little things like a full-size headphone jack. That said, given the choice I'd probably go for the 1910.