Buying First PPC Phone Edition...NEED HELP!

[Hagow]

Hi all,

Going to buy a PPC phone edition and thinking of getting the iMate JASJAR, I have read alot of reviews on it and aside from the size I really like the device.

But before I order from expansys I have a few questions?

First of is Expansys a good place to order it or can I find it cheaper else where?

What is the most up to date ROM on the imate Jasjar (is iMate customer support good)?

How does it compare to the Axim x50v interms of video playback (mostly divX and Xvid files with TCPMP)?

How is the battery life?

Is there a site I can go on for the Jasjar to learn all about it(similar to Aximsite)?

Or lastly should I just hold out and buy the next best thing?

Your advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[annyksa]

Hello, well, if it were me, i'd buy locally and not from the net. Number 2-why don;t u look into that pdaphone called ETEn600---the review i read on it was excellent. I think if u want to use it as a phone that jasjar is just too huge and ridiculous looking. the ETEn also has a good processor ( i heard), and its not soo large. U have to kind of make a compromise between pda and phone. I don;t find that there is the perfect machine out there yet. I have the imate sp5m and i like it although i'd prefer a larger screen, the kjam might be nice. Good luck:)

[Sven Johannsen]

Hi all,

Going to buy a PPC phone edition and thinking of getting the iMate JASJAR, I have read alot of reviews on it and aside from the size I really like the device.

But before I order from expansys I have a few questions?

First of is Expansys a good place to order it or can I find it cheaper else where?Thy are a reputable outfit. I've bought a number of things from them and been pleased by that experience. Haven't had to use customer support, so can't say there. You can probably find it a bit cheaper, but as Isay Expansys is reputable.

What is the most up to date ROM on the imate Jasjar (is iMate customer support good)?Latest ROM actually just came out on their site. You actualy have to register your device to be able to get to it though. Never used it to contact directly. There response in their forums leaves a bit to be desired. That's true of most of the manufacturers though. They seem to do fairly well on providing updates.

How does it compare to the Axim x50v interms of video playback (mostly divX and Xvid files with TCPMP)? Realize you are comparing a WM2003SE (Dell) to a WM5 device. The dell isn't a phone either. The JasJar runs a bit slower in my estimation, but that seems to be true of most WM5 devices. The Dell has the advantage of a dedicated graphics processor so it's performance as a video device should be better. The Jasjar is aceptable though, and has an ideal physical format for video playback.

How is the battery life? Average for a big device. Depends a lot on what you do. WiFi and continuous video is going to eat battery more than check mail periodically or listening to tunes with the screen off

Is there a site I can go on for the Jasjar to learn all about it(similar to Aximsite)?Here is good. Don't think there is anything like a JasJarSite. The i-Mate forums are a bit dissapointing.

Or lastly should I just hold out and buy the next best thing?
You can do that forever.

[Hagow]

Thanks for the feedback...

I did look into the Eten m600 seems pretty nice too but on the Eten forums there is alot of complaints about the device saying it hangs calls etc.

I would actually like to get the Eten because it is significantly cheaper and the screen quality is pretty good(probably no where compared to VGA but still top notch).

Any Eten M600 users can give feedback?

[Darius Wey]

Any Eten M600 users can give feedback?

I've never had an issue with hanging calls. I assume what you're referring to here is the well-known sleep of death issue. If you apply ROM 0171 or above, it corrects this issue.

The latest ROM 0175 makes the M600 very stable. The device itself is superb - great screen, great performance, and it's one of a small handful of Windows Mobile 5.0-based devices to support A2DP/AVRCP (stereo audio and remote functionality over Bluetooth).

If the lack of EDGE support doesn't bother you, then I'd say it's worthy of consideration. Here's (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,44578:dont_paginate,1) a review that I wrote last November, if you don't mind ploughing through a few pages.

[Hagow]

I also heard that the wifi cannot connect to secure networks will I have problems in coffee shops and hotels which require a wep key?

Does Rom 175 fix this issue because wifi is very important to me.

[Hagow]

This maybe a really dumb question ut does it a a vibrate setting for the phone?

[Darius Wey]

I also heard that the wifi cannot connect to secure networks will I have problems in coffee shops and hotels which require a wep key?

It depends on the encryption. I connect to WEP networks all the time - including that of my own home. It works flawlessly on my M600. You also shouldn't have a problem with WPA. On the other hand, you'd be pushing your luck with WPA2. Most Pocket PCs do not support it.

[Darius Wey]

This maybe a really dumb question ut does it a a vibrate setting for the phone?

Yes, there is a vibration setting.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Thy are a reputable outfit. I've bought a number of things from them and been pleased by that experience. Haven't had to use customer support, so can't say there. You can probably find it a bit cheaper, but as Isay Expansys is reputable.

I have to disagree - I've bought a couple of things from Expansys, and the experience has been anything but agreeable. Slow shipping, problems over payments, and one case of credit card fraud - I'll never use them again, ever.

[Hagow]

Thy are a reputable outfit. I've bought a number of things from them and been pleased by that experience. Haven't had to use customer support, so can't say there. You can probably find it a bit cheaper, but as Isay Expansys is reputable.

I have to disagree - I've bought a couple of things from Expansys, and the experience has been anything but agreeable. Slow shipping, problems over payments, and one case of credit card fraud - I'll never use them again, ever.

Wow, thanks for the heads up, I actually founf a place that carries it, i am going to go check itout today!