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View Full Version : Acer n300 Manual Available Online


Darius Wey
12-20-2005, 01:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://ftp://ftp.support.acer-euro.com/handheld/n300/manual/n300UG_WWE.pdf' target='_blank'>http://ftp://ftp.support.acer-euro..../n300UG_WWE.pdf</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20051220-Acern300.jpg" /><br /><br />If you're one of those energetic types who enjoy analysing manuals from front to back, then you might be interested in the <a href="ftp://ftp.support.acer-euro.com/handheld/n300/manual/n300UG_WWE.pdf">manual for the Acer n300 series (PDF)</a>. It contains a short tour of the VGA device, tips for backing up and restoring data, a how-to on using the device's USB-Host functionality, and an official list of specs.

pocketpcadmirer
12-20-2005, 03:29 PM
This increases my lust more for this devise

Sunny :devilboy:

Andy Whiteford
12-20-2005, 03:44 PM
There is also a virtual tour of this device available - check out my blog for more details...


www.donka.co.uk

Tierran
12-20-2005, 03:47 PM
Huh, y'know, there's no IR on this thing.

Andy Whiteford
12-20-2005, 05:18 PM
Huh, y'know, there's no IR on this thing.


Expect more of that. Bluetooth is being used more for personal networking now more and more devices support it.

pocketpcadmirer
12-20-2005, 05:34 PM
Huh, y'know, there's no IR on this thing.

Yes IR is so 'passe' !!

Sunny :wink:

Tierran
12-20-2005, 05:46 PM
Just surprised to see it gone more than anything else. Like when I built a PC without a 3.5" drive. Just seemed strange. IR does have some value in PIM data transfer but noone ever does that anyway :lol:

I do have an IR keyboard that I find works very well...BT is better but more expensive right now.

Andy Whiteford
12-20-2005, 05:59 PM
I still occasionally use IR in the office with my laptop but will be just as happy with a sync cable or Bluetooth so really won't miss it. It is okay for syncing or a small install but anything else is just too slow.

xdev
12-20-2005, 06:50 PM
am i the only one who thinks IR is the fastest and easiest way to transfer over one or two odd pictures, or a ringtone etc?

windows XP and it's "another computer detected" function is soooo easy to use and requires no config...

one more thing, im kinda jealous abt the usb host on this device, my universal would be even more of a "laptop replacement" device with that on board......oh well.......gonna have to wait for the next generation next year!!

surur
12-20-2005, 07:40 PM
I dont think people realize how small this thing is.

http://surur.sytes.net/AcervTx.jpg
To scale

It makes my Loox 720 (probably the smallest VGA PPC) look like a giant.

http://www.ebuyncell.com/photos/data/500/asusn310.jpg

Palm Tx 120 x 78.2 x 15.5 mm 148.83 grams

Palm V 115 x 80 x 10 mm 114 g

Acer N311 110 x 70 x 13.7 mm 135 g

Ipaq 1940 113 mm x 70 mm x 13 m 124 g

If I did not have a VGA PDA already I would almost certainly have gotten this one.

Surur

xdev
12-20-2005, 08:22 PM
i did realise it was small, but i dont really rely on figures, i need to hold the thing to feel how pocketable it is....

speaking of which...i wonder if palm will ever release a Vx or M500 series sized pocketpc..... DROOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLl


finally the days of shirt pocket PDA's return!

pocketpcadmirer
12-20-2005, 09:11 PM
Please dont make me drool..I will fall !!

Sunny

Typhoon
12-20-2005, 09:13 PM
Does it have compact flash or SD or both slots? Is this the best PPC or what?

Duncan
12-20-2005, 09:49 PM
Does it have compact flash or SD or both slots? Is this the best PPC or what?

SD only.

There is something very cool about such a small VGA PPC - but I don't like the idea of getting that size by missing IR, getting only 128MB of ROM (84MB available) and a Samsung processor (not that it is necessarily a bad processor - but you just know it is going to lead to incompatibilities). With 256MB ROM, IR and a PXA 27x processor (520 minimum) and I would be willing to forgive the lack of CF and be bowled over by the size.

Yet again a potentially really cool PPC let down by not being sufficiently different from the last generation and/or by lacking expected features.

Still - if someone is looking for the smallest VGA, and don't mind sacrifices to get it, then there it is.

Tierran
12-20-2005, 10:56 PM
The difference between the processors is like the difference between AMD &amp; Intel. They both use the same instruction set so there's no compatibility issues. You're thinking back to the day of actual different architectures on these things (StrongArm, MIPS, SH3) These are all XScale based processors.

"Lack of CF" is more like a feature these days. If you want a huge device with CF, there's plenty available ;) Lack of IR isn't a big deal either since it's another technology not used by many people these days.

Memory is a little on the low side though, I agree. It's still pretty good though.

Len M.
12-20-2005, 11:11 PM
And its USB Host is 1.1. &lt;sigh>

When, oh when, will a PDA finally have a USB 2.0 Host interface?

PaulGGG
12-20-2005, 11:28 PM
I'm not that impressed. I have an Axim x51v already, and I don't see any big advantages to this Acer model. It's relatively slow, has less memory and just doesn't seem that special.

And I wonder how the battery life is?

I think we'll some impressive WM5 PPC's coming, but this one isn't that great IMO.

Duncan
12-20-2005, 11:56 PM
The difference between the processors is like the difference between AMD &amp; Intel. They both use the same instruction set so there's no compatibility issues. You're thinking back to the day of actual different architectures on these things (StrongArm, MIPS, SH3) These are all XScale based processors.

No. I'm not. Admittedly I can only think of one example (remote control software) but there does appear to be a difference between the Samsung processors and Intel - despite the common instruction set - that make the Samsung incompatible in certain cases. It might just be remote controls of course - but it would concern me nonetheless that it is possible.

Lack of IR isn't a big deal either since it's another technology not used by many people these days.

Well - we differ there. I use remote control software all the time. I use an IR keyboard as it is simpler and less power draining than even Bluetooth. Sometimes - even though I'm a big fan of BT - I still use IR for easy and fast file transfer. I don't think I'm at all rare in making real use of the IR port. The simple fact that file trasfer by IR requires zero set up (not even time wasted on a handshake) and can be used with pretty much any laptop is an argument for retaining it.

Memory is a little on the low side though, I agree. It's still pretty good though.

It isn't bad at all - but to get the size you currently have to be prepared to lose stuff. I'm not - others will be.

Duncan
12-20-2005, 11:57 PM
And its USB Host is 1.1. &lt;sigh>

When, oh when, will a PDA finally have a USB 2.0 Host interface?

When a processor supports it. None do yet.

Len M.
12-21-2005, 12:16 AM
When a processor supports it. None do yet.

I'm curious why you say that it's processor dependent.

WM 5.0 is supposed to support USB 2.0, no?

Patrick Y.
12-21-2005, 02:08 AM
This device is already on sale in taiwan. I wonder why the english manual came out this late.

macattack
12-21-2005, 03:02 AM
Lately, I've been drooling over the possibilities of convergence, but this little bugger has me second guessing that direction. This is one SWEEEET little device. The one thing that has turned me off to all of the other VGA devices is their relative size. This one is smaller than the old HP 1940. Now that's small! Lack of IR is not really an issue for me. The last time I used IR was probably a year ago or so.

Darius Wey
12-21-2005, 03:54 AM
I'm not that impressed. I have an Axim x51v already, and I don't see any big advantages to this Acer model. It's relatively slow, has less memory and just doesn't seem that special.

Right. The Axim X51v is still one of the most (if not, the most) powerful multimedia Pocket PCs in the market. This Acer n300 series is more a compact device for users who want power, but portability too. Where the Axim triumphs is the faster CPU, more ROM, and the Intel 2700g GPU. I certainly see no reason to shift from the Axim X51v to the Acer n300 - well, besides USB-Host, but it's not a do-or-die feature, IMHO.

Darius Wey
12-21-2005, 03:56 AM
WM 5.0 is supposed to support USB 2.0, no?

Over ActiveSync, it does - provided the device supports it.

Mark Johnson
12-21-2005, 04:06 AM
I certainly see no reason to shift from the Axim X51v to the Acer n300...


I would dump my x50 in a heartbeat for the Acer. The x50 units are just way too big! There's never been a really "pocketable" VGA unit until now. This would fit perfectly in my stocking hanging over the fireplace. I hope we get some leads on importers who will ship one to the US soon.

Typhoon
12-21-2005, 04:31 AM
I certainly see no reason to shift from the Axim X51v to the Acer n300...


I would dump my x50 in a heartbeat for the Acer. The x50 units are just way too big! There's never been a really "pocketable" VGA unit until now. This would fit perfectly in my stocking hanging over the fireplace. I hope we get some leads on importers who will ship one to the US soon.

One? !! just for you??

Darius Wey
12-21-2005, 04:31 AM
I would dump my x50 in a heartbeat for the Acer. The x50 units are just way too big! There's never been a really "pocketable" VGA unit until now. This would fit perfectly in my stocking hanging over the fireplace. I hope we get some leads on importers who will ship one to the US soon.

Right, if you value portability over power, then there's every reason to move to the n300. :)

dhatter
12-21-2005, 07:46 AM
correct me if I'm wrong , but in manual it states that package contents for n311 cradle (n300 cable) and in usb host for n311 you use cradle (n300 cable) .

older Acer models already have USB host but you can only use it through cradle (i.e you need to carry cradle with you to use this feature ) and that was BIG disadvantage .
So It seems (my guess) from the manual that will be the case for the n311 (not n300) which would be really offputting.

Andy Whiteford
12-21-2005, 10:07 AM
This device is already on sale in taiwan. I wonder why the english manual came out this late.

The manual has been available for nearly two weeks now - I posted this in another thread here and also on my own personal blog - around the 12th I think.

Andy Whiteford
12-21-2005, 10:12 AM
older Acer models already have USB host but you can only use it through cradle (i.e you need to carry cradle with you to use this feature ) and that was BIG disadvantage .
So It seems (my guess) from the manual that will be the case for the n311 (not n300) which would be really offputting.


Not true. The cradle for the n300 series (310 and 311) supports the USB host functionality i.e. it has a USB port on it. There is also an optional 3in1 sync cable that has a USB port on it so you have the choice of this cable or the cradle to utilise the USB functionality.

Andy Whiteford
12-21-2005, 10:22 AM
There is a lot of negativity with regards to the featureset and components in this new Acer - especially in comparison to the likes onf the Axim X51v.
These are two different beasts altogether and support differing needs. Personally, I held off on the move to the X51v for this very reason - while it is nice to have the extra ROM, faster processor, graphic accelerator and dual memory card slots, I simply don't actually need them. With these extra components comes a higher price point, larger size and lower battery life.
The Samsung with its smaller dimensions and most likely longer battery life fits my needs better but of course this is purely a personal thing. Remember that less ROM will keep the price down and I am going to be using a memory card anyway so this isn't an issue for me. Both the Intel and Samsung processors use an ARM core so compatibility should not be an issue unless software is written exclusively for extentions unique to the Intel. Clock for clock, the Samsung is regarded as the faster processor so it is effectively punching above its weight and of course using less power in doing so.
Both devices are great for their intended market and I am merely using the Dell as a comparison but remember that what may seem like a negative in the Acer may well prove to be a positive.

Duncan
12-21-2005, 01:47 PM
You realise that the n31x models can't be available on the UK for a while. How do I know this? Well - Expansys haven't had it on pre-order for the requisite 6 months yet...! ;)

Andy Whiteford
12-21-2005, 02:01 PM
They were supposed to be available now until a WM5 issue reared its ugly head. I have been told they will new be available towards the end of Jan in the UK.

Duncan
12-21-2005, 02:19 PM
They were supposed to be available now until a WM5 issue reared its ugly head. I have been told they will new be available towards the end of Jan in the UK.

Interesting. So by then the full specs of the next two high ends from FSC will be available, possibly some info from Dell and HP too? Haven't they revealed new specs in January before? I doubt anyone will beat Acer for size so it should make for an interesting choice.

Some people have been clamouring for an iPAQ 19xx sized VGA PPC for a while so - provided they don't mind slightly lower specs than some of the competition (and - as you point out - the specs the n31x series has are not at all bad) - I guess they have their wish at last.

The question is - when, if they are available now in some parts and in English in January, will we see a review...?

surur
12-21-2005, 04:40 PM
Some people have been clamouring for an iPAQ 19xx sized VGA PPC for a while so - provided they don't mind slightly lower specs than some of the competition (and - as you point out - the specs the n31x series has are not at all bad) - I guess they have their wish at last.

I'm not one of them (I'm 6ft 6 inches so size does not really matter that much to me), but I hope that those people step up to the plate and support this second tier OEM who has catered to their needs. Imagine if all the HP 19xx users upgrade to this device en masse. It would mean the end of all the outdated QVGA PPC's. This is a very slick PDA, and I hope it can capture a significant market share based on it merits, and not be unfairly handicapped by not being HP or Dell.

Surur

Tierran
12-21-2005, 05:38 PM
I'm not one of them (I'm 6ft 6 inches so size does not really matter that much to me), but I hope that those people step up to the plate and support this second tier OEM who has catered to their needs. Imagine if all the HP 19xx users upgrade to this device en masse. It would mean the end of all the outdated QVGA PPC's. This is a very slick PDA, and I hope it can capture a significant market share based on it merits, and not be unfairly handicapped by not being HP or Dell.

Surur

If this PDA is as good as it looks like it is, I fully intend to get it. But the vast majority of users don't need to upgrade to this simply for VGA.

l_emmerdeur
12-21-2005, 06:25 PM
I called and emailed Acer in the US a couple of days ago. The common response was that Acer doesn't sell PDAs in the US market. Is there any reason Acer would present these to the FCC for approval if they aren't going to sell them here?

I, for one, found a great deal on a lightly-used HX4700 on Ebay. If and when this puppy comes out, and if the reviews are good, I might migrate to it.

Duncan
12-21-2005, 06:37 PM
I called and emailed Acer in the US a couple of days ago. The common response was that Acer doesn't sell PDAs in the US market. Is there any reason Acer would present these to the FCC for approval if they aren't going to sell them here?

This is common practice for any device that might be used in the USA - even if not sold there. You will find that other non-US PDAs (e.g. the FSC Loox range) and mobile phones are FCC approved too.

I, for one, found a great deal on a lightly-used HX4700 on Ebay. If and when this puppy comes out, and if the reviews are good, I might migrate to it.

Definitely one of the more sensible people here...! :)

l_emmerdeur
12-21-2005, 06:55 PM
Thanks, Duncan. I thought so.

As for being sensible, I'm not always. That iPaq 3650 with the PC Card sheath, and the $100/month 128kbps wireless cellular Metricom connection was far from sensible, back in 2000.

And I'm still looking for a way to recreate that experience. If VZW would let me tether this iPaq to my new RAZR V3C via BT, I'd be a truly happy camper.

l_emmerdeur
12-21-2005, 07:03 PM
Also, Duncan, I checked out your VGA PPC page, and noticed a ruggedized Terralogic PPC with a PC Card slot (!!!).

Now, if I could get some WM2003 drivers for one of VZW's EVDO PC cards, and plug it into one of those puppies, I would be in heaven.

Janak Parekh
12-21-2005, 07:50 PM
When a processor supports it. None do yet.
I'm curious why you say that it's processor dependent. WM 5.0 is supposed to support USB 2.0, no?
I think most Pocket PCs today use the I/O buses built into the processor to support things like USB. It's all towards that SoC ("System on Chip") goal to make Pocket PCs smaller... I don't know if anyone does use a separate USB chipset in a Pocket PC at this time.

--janak

surur
12-21-2005, 09:45 PM
I don't know if anyone does use a separate USB chipset in a Pocket PC at this time.

--janak

Not PPC, but the Palm LifeDrive uses a separate USB 2 chip (ignoring the onchip usb 1.1).

Surur

Andy Whiteford
12-22-2005, 11:01 AM
The question is - when, if they are available now in some parts and in English in January, will we see a review...?


I'll hopefully get my hands on one before or as they become available so I'll make sure I get a review up very quickly - I'm at the mercy of the PR though! :roll:

Andy Whiteford
12-22-2005, 11:17 AM
Some people have been clamouring for an iPAQ 19xx sized VGA PPC for a while so - provided they don't mind slightly lower specs than some of the competition (and - as you point out - the specs the n31x series has are not at all bad) - I guess they have their wish at last.

I'm one of them - I snapped up the h1910 as soon as it was available and then did likewise with the h1940. I moved to the h4150 but have stuck with that ever since as my personal PPC. I have used others but vowed not replace the h4150 until I could get a similar form factor but with a VGA screen and upgraded OS. While things like graphic acceleration and dual slots are nice to have, I would prefer not to compromise on size and battery life to have them. I think this Acer is the first to come along that gives me the upgrade that I want and for this reason alone, I think it deserves to sell. I think Acer are actually playing a very clever hand here - just look at how popular the h1900 and 4100 series were. Wireless and Bluetooth are relatively vital for the majority of users imho although if most are honest, they don't actually need dual slots other than for convenience. The Intel 2700G while ultimately tempting is not in other devices at the moment and uptake is slow for a reason - it costs more to implement, has a hit on battery performance and will not make the device compete with a dedicated handheld games machine. I know games are not all what it is about but it is one of the main draws. I personally just value a good solid performing unit in a small form factor over a larger device with components that I will rarely get the benefit of. I believe the Acer targets users at one pole of the market while the X51v for example targets users at the other. The LOOX 720 sat comfortably in the middle being a relatively small device but still sporting a VGA screen and dual slots with good battery life. If you can live with the single memory slot though, Acer has just moved the goal posts even further.

kiwi
12-22-2005, 04:21 PM
no IR?

dang!!! I want Consumer IR on my Pocket PC... &lt;sigh>
missing Nevo and the Ipaq 2210...


b

Typhoon
12-25-2005, 08:09 PM
Does anyone know the price of the n300 in Taiwan? Converted to US $?

Darius Wey
12-26-2005, 04:18 AM
Does anyone know the price of the n300 in Taiwan? Converted to US $?

$13,990 TWD, which is roughly $422 USD.

Typhoon
12-26-2005, 06:06 AM
Thanks. That's not actually a bad price. Sounds pretty good to me. Only if they had another model with the GPU. Does anyone know if we should be expecting PDAs in the near future with other brand of GPUs? Like nVidia?

Andy Whiteford
12-27-2005, 07:37 PM
Not sure about other brands of GPU but there should be another PPC available in 2006 with the 2700G.

Typhoon
12-27-2005, 09:28 PM
Not sure about other brands of GPU but there should be another PPC available in 2006 with the 2700G.

Who's the maker?

ansa
12-28-2005, 01:01 AM
Not sure about other brands of GPU but there should be another PPC available in 2006 with the 2700G.

Who's the maker?

FSC might have one (560) out in feb -06.

Andy Whiteford
12-28-2005, 10:27 AM
I was pretty sure it was the LOOX 560 but it now seems certain that device will not sport the 2700G so I'm unsure who at the moment - I just know another device is being lined up and from what I heard it definitely wasn't a Dell although most likely built by HTC. Only thing is that road maps do change and such a device may never see the light of day although I hope this isn't the case - I don't see why the only option at the moment is the X50/1v.

popolvar
01-09-2006, 11:05 PM
is this really the last news you have on acer n300?
if yeas than check this:
http://forum.hardware.fr/hardwarefr/MiniPCPortablesPDA/acer-N311-sujet-22564-9.htm
:lol:

Typhoon
01-09-2006, 11:12 PM
is this really the last news you have on acer n300?
if yeas than check this:
http://forum.hardware.fr/hardwarefr/MiniPCPortablesPDA/acer-N311-sujet-22564-9.htm
:lol:

But it's in French.

Andy Whiteford
01-10-2006, 12:14 PM
That thread has shown up on a Google search for a while now. More and more stores in Europe are showing up on Kelkoo although none actually show it as in stock yet. :(
Any links where one can be bought in Europe?

popolvar
01-10-2006, 08:10 PM
if you wanna buy one try this:

http://www.fnac.com/Shelf/article.asp?PRID=1773251&amp;OrderInSession=1&amp;Mn=12&amp;NID=5736396&amp;SID=4cbd33e9-6fe7-0d25-6a6f-872974ab2521&amp;TTL=110120061732&amp;Origin=FnacAff&amp;Ra=-50&amp;To=0&amp;Nu=10&amp;UID=05039b744-eff2-ed88-400b-f87ee6f7dbf9&amp;Fr=2

you should get one in 2-4 days :D

fnac rules 8) :lol:

at the http://forum.hardware.fr one can read what first owners think of this lovely device :D

Andy Whiteford
01-10-2006, 09:03 PM
if you wanna buy one try this:

http://www.fnac.com/Shelf/article.asp?PRID=1773251&amp;OrderInSession=1&amp;Mn=12&amp;NID=5736396&amp;SID=4cbd33e9-6fe7-0d25-6a6f-872974ab2521&amp;TTL=110120061732&amp;Origin=FnacAff&amp;Ra=-50&amp;To=0&amp;Nu=10&amp;UID=05039b744-eff2-ed88-400b-f87ee6f7dbf9&amp;Fr=2

you should get one in 2-4 days :D

fnac rules 8) :lol:

at the http://forum.hardware.fr one can read what first owners think of this lovely device :D


Thanks for the tip. I'm investigating there just now and contacting the other thread to find out if the n311 he has is localised for French or English.

popolvar
01-12-2006, 12:10 AM
another shop on horizon:
http://www.clubic.com/shopping-126238-0-acer-n311.html

Andy Whiteford
01-12-2006, 01:57 PM
None of these shops have any stock at all - I haven't found a single place in France with one and I haven't had any response back from the user who claims to have bought one, never mind seen any pics from him. I'm not convinced they are in the wild in Europe at the moment as the UK team still didn't have any lead time on samples never mind retail stock.

Typhoon
01-12-2006, 09:44 PM
Even though Taiwan already has them?

Andy Whiteford
01-12-2006, 10:25 PM
Even though Taiwan already has them?

Yip, Acer is a Taiwanese company and I have seen pics of them over there. I know there will be available very soon in Europe but just not sure when and I'm just surprised someone has claimed to have bought one in France yet no one else has found one for sale there.

Typhoon
01-12-2006, 11:18 PM
I hate it when people make hoaxes on the internet. They just waste people's time.

Andy Whiteford
01-13-2006, 10:21 AM
I hate it when people make hoaxes on the internet. They just waste people's time.

I'm not saying it is a hoax but I just find it strange that no one else seems to have this device - I have only seen people from Taiwan post pictures of the device that they have bought.
I was concerned that the UK was behind the rest of Europe but it seems like it isn't. Incidentally, the Acer Euro support FTP server only has the English and Polish manuals available. I would assume if it was in the retail channel in France that the French manual would also be available.

popolvar
01-13-2006, 08:35 PM
I don't think it is a hoax. there are too many people at this website who assert they own Acer n311 or that they have seen one in the shop

fnac is not only e-shop. at this page

http://www.fnac.com/shelf/SearchShopsArticles.asp?PRID=1773251&amp;SID=4cbd33e9%2D6fe7%2D0d25%2D6a6f%2D872974ab2521&amp;UID=05039b744%2Deff2%2Ded88%2D400b%2Df87ee6f7dbf9&amp;AID=&amp;Origin=FnacAff&amp;OrderInSession=1&amp;TTL=140120061953&amp;NID=-49&amp;RNID=-49

you can find in which "stone" shops the acer is physically available.

there is already a benchmark test available:

http://shawy.free.fr/PPC/Tab_Bench_PPC.gif

or:

http://forum.hardware.fr/hardwarefr/MiniPCPortablesPDA/acer-N311-sujet-22564-12.htm

..some of new owners are already describing bugs...(e.g. some menus are in Italian, battery is weak, ...)

..and you can see there some home made pictures as well....

just check this forum and you will see it is not a hoax

popolvar
01-13-2006, 09:19 PM
some fnac shops are said to have acers even on display

Andy Whiteford
01-14-2006, 07:11 PM
Finally, someone has posted some retail pictures up. That is what I have been looking for. The benchmarks seem a little out though, it can write 60x faster that it can read a file? Looking forward to some real world tests..... :|

popolvar
01-15-2006, 10:42 AM
as to the spb benchmark, there is incompatibility problem with wm5

see for instance http://www.solopalmari.com/content/view/496/68/1/6

but if you have read the forumhardware.fr, phil13 (author of the test) has mentioned this as well

Andy Whiteford
01-15-2006, 06:06 PM
Popolvar,


I'm not fluent in French, what is the general consensus on pros and cons on the Acer?

TIA.

popolvar
01-16-2006, 10:56 PM
I´m not fluent in French as well but anyway..

Cons
The most serious problem seems to be the WM5. OS is not protected enough and and it is possible to modify it.
e.g. = one guy tried to install tomtom5 and the result was that even 6 hard resets did not help to make his n311 run
Some people have problems with connectivity, but it seem that it is mainly caused by the fact they n311 is their first PDA.
Somebody has complained on battery, but others are satisfied.
Pros
it is realy nice, small, cool, graphis is perfect, it is pretty fast, ... ...

General opinion - it is worth to buy one :D
My opinion - it is worth to buy one but it is good to wait for a while (it is obvious why Acer still has not launched the distribution - they are aware of all these problems with WM5 :roll:

popolvar
01-19-2006, 11:21 PM
for those who are interested in WM5 and the problems it brings (in English :wink: )

http://www.wm5fixsite.com/

Andy Whiteford
01-20-2006, 10:11 AM
I noticed Kelkoo.fr have been showing a lot of stores in France that now have the n311 in stock for the past couple of days. I wish the UK would hurry up and catch up! I'm actually getting impatient now! :(

hamishmacdonald
01-20-2006, 01:05 PM
And these shops even have them in stock! Aaargh!

Too bad my French isn't better, and that they won't ship to the UK.

Andy Whiteford
01-20-2006, 01:58 PM
And these shops even have them in stock! Aaargh!

Too bad my French isn't better, and that they won't ship to the UK.


That's the problem, a couple of them will ship to the UK which is sooo tempting but figured I should be waiting for one with the English ROM. I'm guessing you are after one too? I'll let you know as soon as they hit the Lothians! ;)

hamishmacdonald
01-20-2006, 02:22 PM
Yes, do! I keep telling myself not to buy a new Pocket PC, that my one is fine. Then there are all these issues I keep hearing about with WM5, losing the CF card slot, the processor not working with some of my apps (like the much-love, oft-used Card Export)...

But the new Acer is so small. And unlike most everything else coming out these days, "small" doesn't cost anything in screen size.

So, yes, I'll be listening closely for word of these reaching the UK. [Edit: Looked at your blog, and you've actually heard of pricing and dates for this thing? Yay!]

Funny, a similar thing happened with my current device, the Asus A730W: I saw it in Paris before I'd ever even heard of it over here.

Andy Whiteford
01-20-2006, 03:23 PM
Yip, these devices are all the more apealing when we know about them but can't get them! I have toyed with importing a French unit but I know the regional settings won't extend to the menus etc. like they do on a mobile phone which would mean waiting for the first English ROM Update. I'll hang off but keep an eye on my blog as I will hopefully get official word direct from Acer once they are ready to ship and with any luck a sample!

hamishmacdonald
01-20-2006, 03:31 PM
Oh, now I feel deprived: I just went to Resco's support forums and read a post from someone in France asking for help with his Acer n311.

I want his problems.

Andy Whiteford
01-20-2006, 03:57 PM
Oh, now I feel deprived: I just went to Resco's support forums and read a post from someone in France asking for help with his Acer n311.

I want his problems.

You could always post a reply asking him to send the unit to Scotland for analysis! :D
It gets worse - I will be in the US the first week of Feb! What's the bets it gets delivered then! :(

hamishmacdonald
01-20-2006, 04:22 PM
I guess I'm ready for something new. I came very close to buying a batch of Sharp Zaurus 5500s on eBay with a mate so we could try installing the Newton OS on it.

Then I read the PDF included with the distro, and realised the port is still pretty crippled. Looking at those screenshots, though, I really miss the Newton. I did a half-dozen things on my Pocket PC the day I placed the bid that I wouldn't have been able to on a Newton, so I hastily stopped bidding and was glad to not be out the money. But that interface... *sigh*

I'm pleasantly surprised to read on your blog that the price should be around 299 pounds. That's pretty good. Though, as you say, if someone really wanted to be the leader in the current HP vacuum, a lower price point would help.

Andy Whiteford
01-20-2006, 05:34 PM
Typically, Acer price their products very aggressively and I think the n310 price is bang on although I was hoping the n311 to be closer to £269 or possibly even lower. I do think £299.99 price point is good for what it is and it won't be higher than that although it may drop prior to release depending on competition. If size isn't important to you though then the X51v will prove better value for money when Dell run their promotions - it was £267 delivered a few weeks back after discounts. Size is important to me, as is screen quality and this is where the Acer really shines.

hamishmacdonald
01-20-2006, 05:45 PM
I had a Dell Axim x50v for a short time before I bought my Asus. Its internal file storage space thingy vanished the first day I had it, which involved several calls to India/Ireland, lots of waiting, a replacement unit a month later, and an eBay transaction.

The screen on the Axim irked me. The colours were just wrong to my eye, and in rotation, I found text became fuzzy. It also felt big.

I'd gone through a similar cycle after accidentally breaking my Loox 720's screen, so I've had, at some point, a number of the current non-HP VGA units. The general buzz about the Asus seems to be negative, but I really like it. It's smaller than the Axim and the Loox, which is important to me, 'cause I carry the thing constantly.

That's what's most appealing about this Acer, the small size and the full-sized screen.

So do I buy a big SD card in anticipation of buying this thing within the month, do you think?

Andy Whiteford
01-20-2006, 06:26 PM
So do I buy a big SD card in anticipation of buying this thing within the month, do you think?

A resounding yes! I'm already looking at replacing my 2GB SD with a 4GB number. I've already made up my mind on this device and said I would only upgrade my personal device (h4150) when I could get a VGA screen and upgraded OS in the same form factor. I never moved to WM2003SE for that very reason!

Andy Whiteford
01-24-2006, 11:26 AM
I have been reading up a little more on this device and it seems the majority of issues which are minor are related to WM5 which is a good thing asa ROM update will hopefully be able to iron them out. From what I read though, a lot of it seems to potentially be user error such as bad software being installed etc. as I notice a lot of people are claiming this as their frist Pocket PC. I also saw some interesting pictures of the n311 alongside the HP 4700 and the screen of the 4700 beats the Acer! Surprising as the Acer otherwise seems a great screen - the iPaq must be very strong in this area.

hamishmacdonald
01-24-2006, 11:38 AM
I didn't realise that Fujitsu-Siemens are coming out with another VGA device about the same time. (I learned about it on these boards, but can't remember now what the topic-thread was.) Its specs were amazing, and all within a form-factor that sounds more like the smaller QVGA devices they just released a while ago -- not as slender than the new Acer, though.

But this weekend I bought some bits and bobs to fix up my PC, and I've declared for myself that I want to go another year with my tech gear. It does everything I need, and next year things will be even further ahead. All the patches will be released, instead of me having to wait months for a company to iron out a bug that affects me daily.

The real challenge for me is to up my creative output with the devices I already have, because they're capable of more than I'm using them for.

So that's where my head is at with all this.

Andy Whiteford
01-24-2006, 01:09 PM
Yip, FS have an interesting line up but to be honest, I'm ready for an upgrade now although I was holding off until something worthy came along. The Acer fits because it is so small but has a VGA screen which is my main wish but also an OS upgrade is a good thing for me as I want updated connectivity (AS 4.1 non Wifi aside) and such things as screen rotation.

hamishmacdonald
01-24-2006, 02:35 PM
Oh, yeah, there's definitely no going back once you get a VGA device. I use mine for writing, so furry text versus crisply-rendered text -- there's no comparison. So I can completely understand that motivation. And being able to rotate the screen has come in handy many times.

The one main reason I'd consider switching from the Asus is connectivity, like you mentioned. If I'm using my Bluetooth keyboard, I get bumped off my WiFi connection. It doesn't come up that often, and I can always use a USB keyboard if I really want to do both. But it's annoying.

Not as annoying, though, as this WM5 business of everything being slow (though as has been reported here, that may just be with HTC devices). That gives me serious hesitation about jumping in before the first patch is out.

Oh wait, a minute ago I was resolved to stick with what I've got.

Do you think the Acer will be better on batteries? That hasn't really been an issue for me with the Asus 'cause it came with a second battery and I'm just accustomed to having emergency chargers and cables with me. The Acer battery is only 100MAh greater than the Asus's, but I'm wondering if there have been any advances on that front. I heard talk a while back of having the screen be aware and manage energy use on the fly, (e.g. for dark pixels -- less power to that area, or something).

Andy Whiteford
01-24-2006, 03:25 PM
I'm really not sure about battery life but hopefully I will be able to tell you next week! ;)
What I have read to date though suggests the battery life is in keeping with a QVGA device with a similar battery capacity and I have no idea if such users have taken any steps to optimise this such as lower backlight setting, auto power off etc.

Check your PM in 5 mins....

sum1mad
01-30-2006, 05:40 PM
check this out

i found it after my weekly search for the acer n311


http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=fr_en&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobigeeks.fr%2Fstories.php%3Fstory%3D06%2F01%2F20%2F8091087

Andy Whiteford
01-30-2006, 06:34 PM
There is also a 4 page review here....

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&amp;sl=fr&amp;u=http://www.generationmp3.com/mobilehub/index.php/2006/01/19/926-test-acer-n311-premiere-partie-deballage&amp;prev=/search%3Fq%3Dacer%2Bn311%2Bfrance%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG