Acer Pocket PC Unveiled

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.acer.com.sg/products/n10/p_n10.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.acer.com.sg/products/n10/p_n10.asp</a><br /><br /></div>This looks like one very solid Pocket PC. I don't know, however, if it will be available in North America -- if I remember correctly, their previous PDAs have been Asia-only -- although PPCT reader mscdex reports that the unit will cost in the $299 range.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/parekh/news/20030401-Acer-n10.jpg" /><br /><br />Specs include dual CF/SD, 300MHz PXA255 XScale, 64MB RAM/32MB ROM, and a 3.5" transflective display with a 1500mAh Li-Poly battery. It's 5.8oz, which is pretty light considering all of the specs. A quick overview is available <a href="http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/333/C1589/">here</a>.

[mc_03]

Looks nice, AND has all the features of a Dell Axim, for a similar price 8O

I want it!!! :mrgreen:

Too bad it isn't coming to North America... :(

[Ed Hansberry]

Does this still have the Memory Stick slot? :pukeface:

Ahhh... no. SD and CF. Cool. It was the n20 with MS - http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1503&highlight=acer

[mscdex]

For those who may be wondering, the Acer n10 is to be released sometime this month.

[felixdd]

Looks like the loox

[spursdude]

Looks like the loox

Seriously!

But I like this... I like this a lot.

[Shadowcat]

It looks kinda like the Dell to me. But then again, the Dell doesn't have a hold switch 8O. In fact, does any other Pocket PC have a hold switch? Won't this be the first Pocket PC shipping with the PXA 255 chip? Check out the specs at acer's site. Oh, almost forgot to mention the Dell-like price too! :mrgreen:

Edit: yes, it does kinda look like the Loox!

[spursdude]

It looks kinda like the Dell to me.
It looks like the Dell from the side views especially. Everybody is catching onto the rubberized grip idea. (or at least it looks rubberized)

Won't this be the first Pocket PC shipping with the PXA 255 chip?
The Toshiba e750 has the PXA 255, and apparently the Axim X5s are now shipping with it as well.

[PapaSmurfDan]

It looks kinda like the Dell to me.
It looks like the Dell from the side views especially. Everybody is catching onto the rubberized grip idea. (or at least it looks rubberized)

About time people started to realize that you should be able to hold a PDA or Laptop again. Yes, all metal looking cases are cool, but I have never had my Axim slip out of my hand because it was too slick (for reference, I have dropped an 1910 demo unit twice, not too far, in a 5 minute play of it becuase of the size and slickness). User interface is the most important thing in a PDA. Becuase if you can't hold it, its useless.

Regarding laptops, the iBook and G4 Powerbooks are the biggest offenders I have used. The very slick case makes it a bit tricky to handle lightly. I put an iBook on my lap and it immeidatly started to slide off my jeans. My old IBM ThinkPad has a nice rubber heatpad that doubles well as a grip and it has a rubberized metal case. Personally, I know a coat or two of liquid latex may take care of the issue, but why did we get things right 6 years ago?

Taking a closer look at the Acer picture here, did anyone else notice how the speaker is at top and the mic. is at the bottom? I would love to toss in a GSM/GRPS cf card and turn it in to a type PPC:PE device for at lot less cash ;) I also like the button layout, looks much more suitable for gaming than the Axim.

-Dan

[Shadowcat]

It looks kinda like the Dell to me.
It looks like the Dell from the side views especially. Everybody is catching onto the rubberized grip idea. (or at least it looks rubberized)

Won't this be the first Pocket PC shipping with the PXA 255 chip?
The Toshiba e750 has the PXA 255, and apparently the Axim X5s are now shipping with it as well.

Whoops! My brain isn't functioning properly tonight!

[Sheynk]

It looks kinda like the Dell to me.
It looks like the Dell from the side views especially. Everybody is catching onto the rubberized grip idea. (or at least it looks rubberized)

Won't this be the first Pocket PC shipping with the PXA 255 chip?
The Toshiba e750 has the PXA 255, and apparently the Axim X5s are now shipping with it as well.

Whoops! My brain isn't functioning properly tonight!

thats ok ... its happends to the best of us

[JMountford]

I really like the look of this new device. Maybe the new iPaq will have a run for it's money.

[IntegraPrelude98]

I have not heard anything about acers for a while, but I know that a few years back I bought an acer computer and had horrible problems with it. I also know others who had the same issues. I was just wondering are their current products, ie this pocket pc, of higher quality???

[Firetrail]

Sorry to dash any high expectations! Tried out one during the mini-promotion here locally, way too plasticky 8O! Poor build generally...

More discussion on this HERE (http://www.ppcsg.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17901) :D.

[Skoobouy]

Grr... NO! I'm DONE with 3.5" screens. First the Cassiopeia E-3000, and now this. Come on, people!

Ok ok, I know that the only worthy machines with 3.8" are the iPaqs and the Toshiba e750. Still, I just don't understand why, when the iPaq 1910 has such a gorgeous display, that competitors don't even try to match it in a higher-end device. Utterly baffling!

[Transfxb]

Yes, it's a Loox indeed, but decontented :
- same location of SD slot (left) and location of CF slot (top),
- same location of buttons (on/off, others)
- same screen size
- same...stylus!

But only a 300MHz cpu, no bluetooth, much less expensive.

Development costs of such a device are so high that Fujitsu/Siemens has probably make a deal with Acer to get a "non-competitor" clone of existing Loox.

What do you think?
Anyway, seems to be a good machine!

TransFXB

[colintan-ppcsg]

yes, it looks kinda like a loox makeover...hmm

It's right here launched in Singapore, and IMO the build quality loses the Dell. It has the "cheap plastic-ky" feeling like the Loox, and hence that makes it very light.

Dell still has a better good metallic build :D
Also, its backlight is kinda dark 8O

[jizmo]

Grr... NO! I'm DONE with 3.5" screens. First the Cassiopeia E-3000, and now this. Come on, people!

Ok ok, I know that the only worthy machines with 3.8" are the iPaqs and the Toshiba e750. Still, I just don't understand why, when the iPaq 1910 has such a gorgeous display, that competitors don't even try to match it in a higher-end device. Utterly baffling!

My thougts exactly. It's about the time we drop the 3.5" displays and make the 3.8inch a minimum.

It's been done before, so it really shouldn't be impossible.

/jizmo

[dMores]

Taking a closer look at the Acer picture here, did anyone else notice how the speaker is at top and the mic. is at the bottom? I would love to toss in a GSM/GRPS cf card and turn it in to a type PPC:PE device for at lot less cash ;)
you *could* do that with a lot of pocketpcs. unfortunately, all those cf-gsm/gprs cards require you to plug in a seperate headset. which means that they don't really communicate with the device at all.

[snowlion]

My thougts exactly. It's about the time we drop the 3.5" displays and make the 3.8inch a minimum.

It's been done before, so it really shouldn't be impossible.

/jizmo

no it's not...but then the price-point jumps to $350-$400. how many potential buyers would be turned off.

also, comparing the features of a $699 pda to a $299 pda is kinda not fair.

[ausindo]

Hey Guys i work for Acer, and I tested out the n20 and n20W pocket pc's
the n20 has 400mhz Xscale CPU, though the screen isn't transreflective, it has 64 meg, but the one thing that I really didn't like about it was that it uses memory sticks, but it has expansion sleeves, except for the n20W which it is too bulky, no pouch, stylus is so hard to put into its socket, and also hard to get out, there is a simple switch at the bottom of the PDA, which can be easily switched on to off, making it reset the PDA, no on and off switch for wireless connection, hmmm... lack of programs, and yeah just not as good to the standard PDAs we see in the markets. but this one looks like a charm...

[jizmo]

no it's not...but then the price-point jumps to $350-$400. how many potential buyers would be turned off.

also, comparing the features of a $699 pda to a $299 pda is kinda not fair.

When it comes to PPC's, iPAQ are really their own chapter these days.

Give the buying public what the public wants, I say. Options, options! .. Devices like this are sadly so identical with other PPC's that they won't be remembered. IF the device had 3,8" screen, it would make it stand out from the crowd and it'd have a clear sale point compared to other $350-400 devices.

It's a nice little device, but as stated here before, doesn't offer anything new. :|

/jizmo

[Andy Whiteford]

Remember one thing. A 3.5" screen provides the same resolution as 3.8" but allows the device to be smaller. Look at the h1910. It is limited but sells because of it's small dimensions. If it housed a 3.8" screen, it would be closer to the size of other devices and less attractive to many because of that. 3.5" screens have their merit imho.

[Skoobouy]

The 1910 has a 3.8" screen.

[Andy Whiteford]

I'm afraid not. The sample I have definitely has a 3.5" screen. Ether that or my Jornada and Axim both have 3.8" screens! ;)

[Scott R]

I'm surprised no one commented on this yet. I noticed it immediately when I saw it yesterday. What this device really looks like is the PDA in the Pocket PC Thoughts logo. The main difference being the extra space above the screen with the speaker grill.

Scott

[Janak Parekh]

Scott, you're right! 8O Maybe Jason should sue them for stealing the design. ;)

--janak

[jizmo]

Remember one thing. A 3.5" screen provides the same resolution as 3.8" but allows the device to be smaller. Look at the h1910. It is limited but sells because of it's small dimensions. If it housed a 3.8" screen, it would be closer to the size of other devices and less attractive to many because of that. 3.5" screens have their merit imho.

320x240 on 3.8" screen isn't anywhere near blocky .. But I guess this boils down to the matter of taste. In fact 3.8" seems like optimal physical size for the that resolution.

This is naturally a learnt thing, but once you've used the bigger screen, you don't want to go back.

Toshiba is a great example of how moving from 3.5 to 3.8 gives additional value to the device, makes it look smarter by removing some of the borders and doesn't make the device any bulkier.

/jizmo

[Andy Whiteford]

320x240 on 3.8" screen isn't anywhere near blocky .. But I guess this boils down to the matter of taste. In fact 3.8" seems like optimal physical size for the that resolution.


I never said anything about it being blocky. I do like 3.8" screens, I'm just putting up a case for 3.5" screens as a lot of people seem to regard them as vermin!

[Skoobouy]

I'm afraid not. The sample I have definitely has a 3.5" screen. Ether that or my Jornada and Axim both have 3.8" screens! ;)

Something's not right. Hey... wait a second...

:soapbox: :onfire: :soapbox: :onfire: :soapbox: :onfire:

AARGH, noo! Those two-timing back-stabbing razza-frazza false-advertising lunk heads! I can't believe all this time I thought the 1910 had a 3.8" screen! From writingonyourpalm.net: "While HP's official documentation notes the size of the screen as 3.8" diagonally, it is actually 3.5"."

And soo many people have been calling it 3.8"! Even the Gadgeteer! Woe be to the HP documentation team... WOE!

[Andy Whiteford]

yes, HPs site still states it as a 3.8" screen. I noticed Brighthand correctly stated 3.5" in their review but the majority of reviews I have seen have just copied the specs from the HP site. Bad HP!

[PetiteFlower]

Bad HP is right, isn't that false advertising? You'd think that they would want to fix it ASAP once they knew about it, unless they don't care about being seen as a bunch of liars.....

[mscdex]

Couldn't you almost sue them for false advertising? :) (Providing you've already bought the 1910 and all...)

[PetiteFlower]

No I don't think you could sue them, you could certainly return it and get your money back but beyond that I think you'd have trouble proving harm.....

[mscdex]

No I don't think you could sue them, you could certainly return it and get your money back but beyond that I think you'd have trouble proving harm.....

I was only kidding :wink:

[Jonathon Watkins]

MemoryStick :pukeface:
:byebye:

[saljamex]

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST ACER, BUT THEIR LAST PC'S WERE THE WORST IN THE MARKET, REMEMBER WHEN THEY WENT OUT OF MARKET FOR SOME MONTHS. I WILL REALLY THINK ALOT BEFORE BUYING AN ACER POCKETPC. :idea:

[lonesniper]

Does anybody out there have a n20w??
I know people knock the Memory stick, but I have it in my SonySRX77 laptop and Sony P7 digital camera so I was seriously considering (like buying in the next 3 weeks) getting the n20w. I am not interested in carrying around movies, for that I have my SRX77, so the limited memory stick size is not an issue and I would like a PPC with Wifi for my work.

Does anyone have any advice they can offer me???
Thanks, Colin.

[spursdude]

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST ACER, BUT THEIR LAST PC'S WERE THE WORST IN THE MARKET, REMEMBER WHEN THEY WENT OUT OF MARKET FOR SOME MONTHS. I WILL REALLY THINK ALOT BEFORE BUYING AN ACER POCKETPC. :idea:

Well, it really depends on who manufactured the device. Since it resembles the Loox a lot, I wouldn't be surprised if Acer doesn't actually manufacture this PPC. Now all we have to worry about is the customer support.

(p.s. - Please turn off Caps Lock... :( )

[Andy Whiteford]

I should finally be receiving a sample in the coming week so I'll keep you posted regarding this device.

[Seraph1024]

I want it. Can someone in S'pore get it for me and ship it to the US?

Please?

Lwin