09-03-2003, 01:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Yakumo To Release Pocket PC Phone Edition
Arne Hess announced some interesting news at his site today:
"As announced some days ago, Yakumo - a German low price OEM - is going to introduce the Mitac Mio 8380 Smartphone under its own brand later this year. According to the press releases this wasn't anything real fancy as Yakumo announced the same features - Mitacs first Smartphone also has. However, in addition Yakumo also announced on IFA to release a Pocket PC Phone Edition 2003 later this year and the specifications seems to be not that bad - for a low price Phone Edition device! However it can't compete with O2's xda II at all!
The Yakumo omikron should be introduced in November this year for around 449,00 Euro without a subscription. According to the German news service golem.de it should also include a digital camera and is expected to work with GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz networks.
In addition goldem.de reports about a 200 MHz (?) StrongARM CPU as well as a STN display."
An STN display? 8O Does anyone remember the display on the Casio BE-300? I believe that was STN, and it wasn't exactly known for it's awesome screen... :roll: (unlike previous Casio's, which were). Is it me, or does this device not seem attractive on any front? From a hardware point of view, it's not very compelling. 459 Euros isn't exactly "low cost" either...unless they manage to get it down to 200 Euros with a subscription. What do you think?
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09-03-2003, 01:30 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 516
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Jason, ages ago you said that you were going to look into whether or not Microsoft dictated that the directional pad be positioned in the center. Did you ever uncover anything? As we usher in the 37th new PPC device which, like its predecessors, has a center mounted D-Pad (though I guess this is more like a joystick), surely this must be the case.
Scott
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Tapland
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09-03-2003, 01:38 AM
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2000 Posts And This is All I Get?
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,017
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200 mhz strongarm, STN display .. for 450 euros ? I dont think that will be a popular item. People can get an X3 and a GPRS CF for less than 450 euros.
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09-03-2003, 02:22 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 797
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Seems a bit overpriced for the featureset, even at 200e with a contract. I'm totally not impressed. It's like shoehorning yesterday's technology on today's buyers, and I don't think it'll fly.
Then again, I'm thinking from an American POV. Who knows how it'll play abroad...
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09-03-2003, 02:46 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,639
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I'm not really thrilled by it, but I think Symbian is going to be the way to go for Smartphones.
All the MS ones (Smartphone and PPCPE) are pretty crappy and the Palm ones all use an OS written during the last ice age. Even the Treo 600 will be out of date before it's launched and what's with that 160 x 160 screen?
I can't blame the US carriers for not wanting to sell any of the current crop.
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Cheers!
David
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09-03-2003, 03:54 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 127
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Well if this thing has an incredible battery life, then the STN screen and 200 Mhx proc might make sense. But I agree, 459 Euros seems overpriced...
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09-03-2003, 09:37 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 813
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I've reviewed a Yakumo in the past and I wasn't very impressed. There was too much obvous cost cutting which is a shame when there are so many good quality, low priced devices on the market.
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09-03-2003, 03:48 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 49
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I believe Symbian OS is a superior OS for smartphones i.e. one-handed based, since it has more software than MS Smartphone and it wont crash on you, but their hardware is quite backward-no SD slots, etc. With the introduction of newer Symbian OS Series60 (the one handed one) phones though, MS Smartphone will be pretty crushed, whatever the folks at msmobiles.com think.
For PDA/Phones however, PPC PE offers MUCH better PDA features and hardware (come on, give up on those damned memory sticks!), but Symbian UIQ offers a tighter integration of phone functions with PDA functions. The software coming out these days for it is pure crap though :evil:
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09-03-2003, 03:59 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 193
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hmm
If it has SDIO and other things the XDA was missing (3rd party accessories (I can't spell)) and with a subscription can be purchased at a decent price then maybe it has a chance. I would rather just save up some more and get the XDA 2. Which should have bluetooth and wifi built in but it wont because i am not alowed to be happy. hehe
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09-03-2003, 05:11 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,479
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Youve got to understand that this is Europe where these converget devices start at 800� witouth a plan.
So the price is pretty appealing.
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