Geek.com Reviews the i-mate JAM

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://geek.com/hwswrev/pda/jam/index.htm' target='_blank'>http://geek.com/hwswrev/pda/jam/index.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"I give the i-mate JAM the full 5 Geekheads for Quality, since the device is very well built, the processor is quick, the display is very well saturated (I think that is the word for amazing colors) and bright, the battery life is amazing, and the form factor is the best you can find in a Phone Edition device."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050215-imateJAM.jpg" /><br /><br />Whenever I see the i-mate JAM, I fall in love with its size and performance, and reading this review gave me even more reason to believe that this is definitely one of the nicer Pocket PC Phones out there. If you were thinking of purchasing an all-in-one device, read this review before you proceed any further. You'll be glad you did. :-)

[the Sender]

indeed really nice however now I am still again disappointed in my HP iPaq 6340 !!
why?
It lacks the Smart Dial function wich makes the phone edition look much better like a phone.
I've tried a couple alternative dialers but they all ruin perfomance.

Just this one function could convince me to switch to i-mate jam!

[SiliconAddict]

Nice looking device, but it lacks WiFi so it is not the device of choice for me. I have really fallen in love with the WiFi in my QTEK 9090, and use it lot.

[Paragon]

Nice looking device, but it lacks WiFi so it is not the device of choice for me. I have really fallen in love with the WiFi in my QTEK 9090, and use it lot.

It does have SDIO so you can use and SD WiFi card. But for someone like yourself, SiliconAddict, if you use WiFi a lot it is a bit of a pain. That aside it is a fantastic device once you put one in your hand. It's not really any different in size from a Smartphone, but it is a full PPC PE, touch screen and all. :cool:

Dave

[ignar]

Very tempting, but arghhhh... no 850 support. Is there any variation of JAM which has quadband?

[SiliconAddict]

It does have SDIO so you can use and SD WiFi card.

True, but unfortunately there still is no WiFi+512MB RAM SD card on the market :( And that's the card I use, and which is stuffed with goodies.

But I have to agree, it sure is a slick looking little gem.

[rmasinag]

wow! $600, I can swallow that price :)

The ipaq phone was such a disappointment.

I might get this after my tax rebate comes home :)

[Paragon]

Very tempting, but arghhhh... no 850 support. Is there any variation of JAM which has quadband?

No. There are two tri band versions 900/1800/1900 or 850/1800/1900. The 850mhz version is not shipping yet. It does appear to be close though. It looks like it should start shipping about months end.

Dave

[Paragon]

It does have SDIO so you can use and SD WiFi card.

True, but unfortunately there still is no WiFi+512MB RAM SD card on the market .

Ah heck. Why stop there? WiFi+1Gig would be so much better. 8O

Dave

[ignar]

Very tempting, but arghhhh... no 850 support. Is there any variation of JAM which has quadband?

No. There are two tri band versions 900/1800/1900 or 850/1800/1900. The 850mhz version is not shipping yet. It does appear to be close though. It looks like it should start shipping about months end.

Dave

That's a good news. I can live with triband as long as both 850 and 1900 are supported. Based on look, OS, size, and weight, I like this one more than Treo 650. No stub antenna is a plus, too. Can't wait 850 version becomes available.

[hifiguy]

very nice indeed. after reading the proceeding MPx article this i-mate JAM has my vote. :wink:

[ebadger]

I got to play with a JAM for a few days. It really is a beautiful device.
I find myself torn between this and the SX66 / VX6600. I got a chance to test Voice Command, and it works great on this device. :)

very nice indeed. after reading the proceeding MPx article this i-mate JAM has my vote. :wink:

[T-Will]

Would this work on T-Mobile's network?

[hifiguy]

i just ordered the JAM from David and will be activating it with t-mobile.

[palmsolo]

I used it on T-Mobile with my $19.99 unlimited data and familytime shared voice plan while reviewing it without any problems.

[hifiguy]

how is SMS on the JAM? can you set it to vibrate alert?

i should be receiving it today so i'll be sure to post pictures. :way to go:

[palmsolo]

Sorry, I don't use SMS at all. Everything I do is via Messenger or email.

[T-Will]

I would seriously consider this if it was a little cheaper. Also, I'm kinda waiting to see how the WM2005 devices turn out.

[hifiguy]

woohoo, just got it!!

1st impression: very bright and crisp screen! more later.

http://okinawa.globat.com/~gaphix.com/gallery/albums/jam/CIMG0262.sized.jpg

[T-Will]

Man that thing is small! Now that I've seen it next to the Sony I have a better perspective on the size. Can't wait to see more pictures!

[Darius Wey]

Man that thing is small! Now that I've seen it next to the Sony I have a better perspective on the size. Can't wait to see more pictures!

You ought to just head down to your nearest tech store to check it out in person. You'll be glad you did. :D

[T-Will]

What stores in the U.S. have them?

[hifiguy]

i'm still trying to figure out how to use it as a bluetooth modem but otherwise this is one of those gadgets i never thought i'd see the light of. :D

it truly has everything i need on the go; the jabra bt250 works, the socket gps works, and best of all, it's a freakin' cellphone! the screen produces deep, rich colors, is very bright, and the battery life is amazing so far. on a full charge BatteryPack shows about 5.5 hours. i've been using it with T-mobile and aside for the spotty signal coverage at times, voice quality has been crystal clear via the JAM itself (people on the other line didn't notice a difference from my t68i). oh, and the speaker is quite loud in comparison to my e740; videos, music, and games projected adequately for a semi-crowded room. i downloaded the camera upgrade via clubimate.com but the image is still cloudy; however, i see the cam as a freebie thrown into the mix so no complaints.

in all, i'm very happy with this investment as now i can carry one device instead of two or three. on a practical note, i was in a car accident recently and normally i don't carry pen/paper with me. luckily that day i happened to have my pda and camera so i was able to take the guy's info down as well as pics for insurance. it was actually this incident that accelerated my search for a convergance device and now i have the added assurance of always having a cell/pda/camera with me. thanks to David W. for providing this fine piece of technology.

here are some more pics (http://www.gaphix.com/gallery/jam).

http://www.gaphix.com/gallery/albums/jam/CIMG0288.sized.jpg

http://www.gaphix.com/gallery/albums/jam/CIMG0290.sized.jpg

http://www.gaphix.com/gallery/albums/jam/CIMG0294.sized.jpg[/img]

[TMann]

The one issue I have with this device, (as well as any other "data-centric" smartphone, like the 6315, the various XDA models, etc.) is that they are all very stylus driven. I recently bought my first "smartphone", a Nokia 6600 which uses the Symbian 60 OS. It is really nice to be able to easily make a phone call, check my e-mail, browse my favorite Web pages using only one hand.

The 6600 obviously is not a replacement for my Dell x50v, but for simple PIM, or e-mail work, or to check the score of a basketball game, it's often easier to just pull out the Nokia.

Ah...the misery of being a technology-junkie. We're just never satisfied...

TMann

[Darius Wey]

What stores in the U.S. have them?

I'm not sure. Perhaps someone from the U.S. can answer that question for you. Anyone?

[Paragon]

David Weiniger is a great source for iMate products in the USA. Excellent prices, and customer service.

http://www.dweiniger.com/

[wigglesworth]

What carriers in Canada would this device be compatiable with? I live in Saskatchewan and currently have a cell phone with Sask-Tel, they use the 1xRTT (1 x Radio Transmission Technology).
http://www.sasktelmobility.com/productsservices/wirelessdata/html/wireless_1xrtt.html

I have tried asking Sasktel if this product would work on their network, but all they'll say is that only the products listed on their homepage have been tested.

If Sask-Tel's network won't work, would Rodgers?

[ignar]

Just checked David's site, and 850 version will be available on 3/15! I'm back in Palm camp now and overall happy with my Tungsten T5. It is a bit underpowered but I really appreciate its small form factor compared to iPaq 4750 and Axim X50v I previously used. But, JAM might bring me back to PPC camp. Decision time.

[AprilRyan]

it's called 02 xda mini in my part of the world, and i've had it for more than a week now. haven't stopped smiling since.