P900 Killer Coming from Asus?

[Jason Dunn]

Nghia from PDA France sent me an interesting Powerpoint presentation last night. It was interesting because it had a new Pocket PC I hadn't seen before. Dubbed the A8100, this Pocket PC Phone Edition device has built-in Bluetooth, a camera, and is smaller than a Sony Ericcson P900 - which I presume means a smaller screen (perhaps 2.8"?). Here's an image of the device:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/asus-ppcpc-big.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/asus-ppcpc-small.jpg" /></a><br /><span>[click the image above for a larger version]</span><br /><br />Unfortunately, the A8100 they were showing at the event was non-functional, and no specs are known on this device. And speaking this "event", it looks most of us <a href="http://www.pdafrance.com/pdarama/album66">missed one heck of a party</a> - did anyone here attend? :D

[mhskateboarder]

I didn't attend but maybe someone who did go to meet them (http://www.pdafrance.com/pdarama/pdagirls)

[Jon Westfall]

There is something about that metal plating on the front (most likely plastic) that makes that phone look sharp... literally sharp... almost like some of Chef Tony's blades that just don't cut as well after massive vegetable slaughter (Check out http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20864&highlight=chef+tony for clarification.)

[fgarcia10]

I don't mind the smaller screen, this would be a nice device, I was using the I500 for a week and I did not have and issue with the screen size. I really like this form factor.

[Daemon]

Looks pretty nice and I'd love to test one of these.
However, I hope that this phone makes it to the shelves FAST because with 3G's coming next year (in Greece) I don't think that there will be big interest in a device like this. :worried:

[rlobrecht]

Hopefully they will think to include bluetooth headset support with it. I still think that is the killer combination that the current PPCPE's don't have.

[Jason Dunn]

Hopefully they will think to include bluetooth headset support with it. I still think that is the killer combination that the current PPCPE's don't have.

I'm 99% that <A HREF=http://estore.shopplex.com/app/storefront.aspx?cat_id=290&inv_id=31112230446767&modid=30214092059015&aid=5" target="_blank">the XDA II has it.</A> ;-)

[eustts]

PDA girls! Do I need to say more....

[thunderck]

Hopefully they will think to include bluetooth headset support with it. I still think that is the killer combination that the current PPCPE's don't have.

Unless my eyes decieve me there is a Bluetooth Icon below one of the LED lights in the top left of this device. :mrgreen:

[ultraman]

While reading the post, it reminds me the iPAQ6000 series. So far, is there any more updated news on iPAQ6000?

[tm4000m]

Ok... I know it's a non-functional demo, but I now have to replace my keyboard because of all the drool it just caught..... Current At+T 1 year agreement ends Dec. 9th, and I'm looking for something just like this to replace it!!!

[ricksfiona]

Two things listed in priority:

1) I think there should be "PocketPC Thoughts Girls".
2) This is a way cool device. It would be tough to decide between this Asus device & the SPV E200. The Asus does have more memory though. I think Bluetooth on the Asus would make me a buyer.

[marlof]

I'm 99% that <A HREF=http://estore.shopplex.com/app/storefront.aspx?cat_id=290&inv_id=31112230446767&modid=30214092059015&aid=5" target="_blank">the XDA II has it.</A>

I'll add the remaining 1%, since I've had confirmation (http://www.ppcw.net/index.php?itemid=1583&catid=60) by someone using the XDAII that it has. :D

[Phoenix]

That is one uuuuugly phone. :pukeface2: Me thinks these Windows Smartphone designers need some people or decision makers on their teams that actually know something about style and design!

Give me a P900 anyday!!!

[jlp]

That is one uuuuugly phone.

Give me a P900 anyday!!!

As we say in French, color and taste you can't argue about, it's a matter of personal opinion.

I'll go for features waaaaay before the looks (for tech toys that is :twisted: ). The P900 only has looks for itself, no interesting features worth to be noticed.

The worse:
Symbian (OK it's a nice OS per se but lacks apps and low compatibility with Windows data files)
incompatible with some P800 apps
much inferior and mostly incompatible MemorySTINK DUO cards
low rez digicam
awful quality image captor
and i probably miss some

while this device has :
superior OS (many more apps, hi compatibility with Windows data files)
SD card slot (most obviously) compatible with thousands of products from many brands. Predictably SDIO compatible too.
don't know about the rez and image quality of image captor (but most certainly not worse than P900)
and i certainly miss some since further info is yet unavailable

[jlp]

A very interesting feature is the side joystick with a central action button.

Anybody noticed that?!

Jason: there's a problem with the PPT file you linked to: tho it's 1.3 MB it's empty. What version of the app is it?! I have PPT 2k. (ahem you deleted the link to the file; anyway I can't use it)

[David C]

A very interesting feature is the side joystick with a central action button.

I thought that was for the camera, like the Samsung I700. Don't know, just guessing.

[jlp]

A very interesting feature is the side joystick with a central action button.

I thought that was for the camera, like the Samsung I700. Don't know, just guessing.

Don't think so as the Asus digicam is not rotatable like the Samsung's.

[Phoenix]

That is one uuuuugly phone.

Give me a P900 anyday!!!

As we say in French, color and taste you can't argue about, it's a matter of personal opinion.

I'll go for features waaaaay before the looks (for tech toys that is :twisted: ). The P900 only has looks for itself, no interesting features worth to be noticed.

The worse:
Symbian (OK it's a nice OS per se but lacks apps and low compatibility with Windows data files)
incompatible with some P800 apps
much inferior and mostly incompatible MemorySTINK DUO cards
low rez digicam
awful quality image captor
and i probably miss some

while this device has :
superior OS (many more apps, hi compatibility with Windows data files)
SD card slot (most obviously) compatible with thousands of products from many brands. Predictably SDIO compatible too.
don't know about the rez and image quality of image captor (but most certainly not worse than P900)
and i certainly miss some since further info is yet unavailable

Yes indeed... personal opinion, which is what I'm expressing. But the P900 not having any features worth noting? :huh: Man, you need to read more. Your argument is quite lacking. The P900 has every feature you could possibly want in a phone. Someone who couldn't be happy with a P900 couldn't be happy with anything. And remember, the P900 is a phone first, handheld second. Not the other way around.

First of all, I don't know of any phone that has image capture greater than VGA right now, anyway. On another note, you can buy an app right now that will allow you to create, edit, and read Word and Excel files right on the P900. You can store photos, MP3's, WAV, and other sound files (also as ring tones for the P900). And although there may not be an exhaustive amount of software available for it, there is certainly a decent collection of great software which will provide anyone with a lot of functionality way over and beyond what it can do right out of the box. For a phone, which is what this is meant to be first, and a handheld second, the P900 has way more than anyone would need. Besides, other than transfering Word and Excel files, MP3's, photos, audio recordings, and maybe some contact or scheduling info (which is a lot), what else would someone need to be transfering to their phone? So when you say 'not compatible with certain Windows files', I'm not sure what you're referring to. Why would anyone need to carry more than this on their phone in the first place? In addition, you can browse the web, send and receive email, IM, shoot video with audio, play MP3's, record audio, and all sorts of other things. As a matter of fact, there's a way to rip and encode entire DVD movies and load them onto the DUO card to watch on your P900. I'm aware of a guy who did this with one of the Matrix movies, and he said it turned out fantastic... according to him, the video and audio were perfectly synched, as well. The phone also has Bluetooth and a beautiful 16-bit screen. All of this, and you don't think these features are worth noting, but rather, only think it merely has looks going for it? How many phones do all of that?

I like SD cards better myself, as well. But the DUO cards are just fine, and it's no more difficult transfering files to and from this card than any other. Besides, you probably aren't going to remove it from the phone anyway, since this is where most of your files may reside. Merely not liking Memory Sticks is hardly an argument for calling a device inferior.

That the P900 may not be compatible with some apps that were written for its predecessor is also irrelevant in comparing it with the Asus. The Asus can't read P800 apps either... does this mean that it's inferior because of this reason? There are PPC 2002 apps that don't work with PPC 2003 and vice versa, but this doesn't mean that the devices are inferior. So I have to disagree with you here, as well.

I go for features first, as well, which is part of the reason why I carry a P900 in the first place, but this Asus is a train wreck in terms of looks. The P900 outshines the Asus ten to one in the looks department. The Asus looks like the front grill of an ugly truck you might see in a Mad Max flick. The P900 also gives the Asus a serious run for its money in terms of features.

I carry an iPAQ 2215 around as well to do the things that I can't do on a phone. But that's the rub. A phone is meant to be a phone. A handheld is meant to be a handheld. Two different devices for two different needs. For those that like the Asus, go for it. But the P900 is all the phone anyone would ever need and more. If you don't care for it, that's fine. But don't knock it technologically just because you don't care for Symbian. Educate yourself before you present an argument like this. The Asus may be great technologically. All I said is that I thought it was ugly. You can cram every feature known to mankind in a device, but if I think it looks like it was pulled from elephant's arse, I won't be slapping down any money for it. :lol:

[jlp]

That is one uuuuugly phone.

Give me a P900 anyday!!!

As we say in French, color and taste you can't argue about, it's a matter of personal opinion.

I'll go for features waaaaay before the looks (for tech toys that is :twisted: ). The P900 only has looks for itself, no interesting features worth to be noticed.

The worse:
Symbian (OK it's a nice OS per se but lacks apps and low compatibility with Windows data files)
incompatible with some P800 apps
much inferior and mostly incompatible MemorySTINK DUO cards
low rez digicam
awful quality image captor
and i probably miss some

while this device has :
superior OS (many more apps, hi compatibility with Windows data files)
SD card slot (most obviously) compatible with thousands of products from many brands. Predictably SDIO compatible too.
don't know about the rez and image quality of image captor (but most certainly not worse than P900)
and i certainly miss some since further info is yet unavailable

And remember, the P900 is a phone first, handheld second. Not the other way around.

I beg to disagree, the P900 is a PDA first a phone second.

The fact that it uses a PDA OS is one hint, the fact it does so many things that only PDAs do is the second, the fact it's discussed on PDA sites around the world is the third, the fact it's much bigger than todays phones is the forth, I could go on and on.

Concerning the P900 looks, I'm sure that you'll find people who will say the same about it like you talk about this Asus. So I won't dwell any longer on that.

First of all, I don't know of any phone that has image capture greater than VGA right now, anyway.

Even if it was true (which it is not) so what?! The P900 digicam is a disaster, period. Same for quite a few other devices, unfortunately.

LG has a phone that does 4 times the P900 rez (1.3 MPix) and uses a much better quality CCD captor instead of a much inferior CMOS one found on the SE device. The LG also sports a flash on a piece that rotates together with the camera.




On another note, you can buy an app right now that will allow you to create, edit, and read Word and Excel files right on the P900. You can store photos, MP3's, WAV,[snipped a very long description here]

All these, again, are PDA features not a phone features which is voice first and a few other things. This one has PDA written all over it. Another hint is that the phone pad is removable because it gets in the way of the PDA usage.



Merely not liking Memory Sticks is hardly an argument for calling a device inferior.

Concerning the MemorySH!T and MemorySTINK Duo formats, if people (thare are so many more besides me) dislike it, it's for very good reasons:

Anyway you look at them they are vastly inferior, except on one point and there's nothing to be proud of: price. Price of MemorySINK is higher than SD and even so much higher than CF.

But in all other respects MemorySICK cards (all of the EIGHT DIFFERENT MemorySH!T formats) are much less capable: capacity, engineering, versatility, offer, manufacturers behind them, etc.

Not only Sony had to develop EIGHT DIFFERENT MemorySTINK formats to make up for the inferior designs of previous ones.

But also they had to have Sandisk engineers to develop for them the MemorySICK Pro.

I could go on and on and on to expalin how the MemorySH!T formats are inferior, but I'm running out of time now, not out of arguments.

But I'd say those suffice more than enough in themselves already.

The Asus may be great technologically. All I said is that I thought it was ugly. You can cram every feature known to mankind in a device, but if I think it looks like it was pulled from elephant's arse, I won't be slapping down any money for it. :lol:

Hardly a mature person arguments: it has all you could want in it (much more than the P900), but because you don't like its looks you couldn't get it. (this is not a girl you know :D )

Your arguments are very shallow indeed, skin deep.

[Phoenix]

See my responses in boldtype...



I beg to disagree, the P900 is a PDA first a phone second.

The P900 IS a phone first, not a PDA first. Ask anyone who owns one and they'll let you know.

*********************************

The fact that it uses a PDA OS is one hint, the fact it does so many things that only PDAs do is the second, the fact it's discussed on PDA sites around the world is the third, the fact it's much bigger than todays phones is the forth, I could go on and on.

Irrelevant. It's a phone first. Period. SonyEricsson makes phones, not PDA's.

*********************************

Concerning the P900 looks, I'm sure that you'll find people who will say the same about it like you talk about this Asus. So I won't dwell any longer on that.

Good.

*********************************

First of all, I don't know of any phone that has image capture greater than VGA right now, anyway.

Even if it was true (which it is not) so what?!

What do you mean by "so what?". I was mentioning this because you were using the fact that the P900 has VGA quality as a argument that it had an inferior camera, when every phone on the market has no better resolution or optics than this. I've heard of only ONE phone that may have greater than VGA resolution. Tell me which phones you think do. Apart from maybe one phone, if you're trying to knock the P900 because it has a VGA camera, then you're knocking every phone out there, which then nullifies part of your technological stance against the P900.

********************************

The P900 digicam is a disaster, period. Same for quite a few other devices, unfortunately.

It's not meant to be used for high quality prints and so on. But it's far from a disaster. Do you even own a P900?

********************************

LG has a phone that does 4 times the P900 rez (1.3 MPix) and uses a much better quality CCD captor instead of a much inferior CMOS one found on the SE device. The LG also sports a flash on a piece that rotates together with the camera.

OK, then this must be the one phone I was thinking of. But this is one phone, and our debate had nothing to do with this phone. We were comparing the ASUS to the P900. So talking about this LG phone is irrelevant to this particular argument. However, I would like to see better cameras in phones, but I digress.

********************************

On another note, you can buy an app right now that will allow you to create, edit, and read Word and Excel files right on the P900. You can store photos, MP3's, WAV,[snipped a very long description here]

All these, again, are PDA features not a phone features which is voice first and a few other things. This one has PDA written all over it. Another hint is that the phone pad is removable because it gets in the way of the PDA usage.

I never said that the P900 didn't have PDA capabilities. I only stated that it is a phone first, PDA second. A Pocket PC Phone like the XDA II is a PDA first, and a phone second. Just the opposite of the P900. And the phone pad does not get in the way of anything as it's designed to easily flip down to reveal the rest of the screen and flip back up when you're done.

Once again, do you even own a P900? I think you're talking about much you know little or nothing about.

*******************************

Merely not liking Memory Sticks is hardly an argument for calling a device inferior.

Concerning the MemorySH!T and MemorySTINK Duo formats, if people (thare are so many more besides me) dislike it, it's for very good reasons:

Anyway you look at them they are vastly inferior, except on one point and there's nothing to be proud of: price. Price of MemorySINK is higher than SD and even so much higher than CF.

But in all other respects MemorySICK cards (all of the EIGHT DIFFERENT MemorySH!T formats) are much less capable: capacity, engineering, versatility, offer, manufacturers behind them, etc.

Not only Sony had to develop EIGHT DIFFERENT MemorySTINK formats to make up for the inferior designs of previous ones.

But also they had to have Sandisk engineers to develop for them the MemorySICK Pro.

I could go on and on and on to expalin how the MemorySH!T formats are inferior, but I'm running out of time now, not out of arguments.

But I'd say those suffice more than enough in themselves already.

I wouldn't disagree with you on some of those points (I prefer SD, myself), but a lot of people don't like memory stick for one reason or another. But you stick the card in, and it works just like anything else. Bottom line: once you get past your anger at Sony, you realize that the cards work fine. I don't carry around my phone all day worring about the memory stick or having problems with its performance. I just use the phone and don't have to think about the card. Maybe the original Duo's didn't have enormous capacities, but they perform just as well as anything else, which is all that matters. And 128MB, which is what I have for my phone, is enough.

*******************************

The Asus may be great technologically. All I said is that I thought it was ugly. You can cram every feature known to mankind in a device, but if I think it looks like it was pulled from elephant's arse, I won't be slapping down any money for it. :lol:

Hardly a mature person arguments...

What does immaturity have to do with this? I'm suddenly immature because I have an opinion that disagrees with yours? I'm immature because I care about the way a device looks? You're taking this far too personally. When I say that I think the ASUS looks ugly, I'm not talking about you.

It makes me just shake my head that when someone runs out of things to say, they always claim the other party is immature. Yeah, OK. Whatever you say.

*******************************

...it has all you could want in it (much more than the P900), but because you don't like its looks you couldn't get it...

First of all, it doesn't have much more than the P900. Secondly, some of us care about looks. We care about style. You obviously don't because you think it's silly that I wouldn't buy something that has features but is butt ugly to me. Why would I buy this phone when I have a P900 that has all of those features and looks good, too? Do you make other purchase decisions merely on features and not looks? I make my purchase decisions based on BOTH.

I don't care that you don't like the P900. You can hate it if you want. Makes no difference to me. But you shouldn't knock it technologically. I wasn't knocking the ASUS technologically. I just don't care what it looks like.

Besides, you clearly don't own a P900. It's a great phone with great features.

*******************************

...(this is not a girl you know :D )

OK. I don't know what you're trying to say there. Are you suggesting that men aren't supposed to care about looks, but if they do, they're "girls"? How old are you?

But just to clear things up, I never called you a girl.

*******************************

Your arguments are very shallow indeed, skin deep.

Yeah. Shallow. That's it. I'm shallow. Thanks for clearing that up for me. Sorry you're so insecure when others disagree with you. Give it a few years... you'll grow out of it.

[Steven Cedrone]

Please...

Discuss the device, argue about the device, but keep name calling and personal attacks out of it...

Steven Cedrone
Community Moderator

[Phoenix]

Please...

Discuss the device, argue about the device, but keep name calling and personal attacks out of it...

Steven Cedrone
Community Moderator

Yes, I agree. I really don't like being put on the defensive and being called shallow because I have my own opinions.

[dMores]

And remember, the P900 is a phone first, handheld second. Not the other way around.

I beg to disagree, the P900 is a PDA first a phone second.

The fact that it uses a PDA OS is one hint, the fact it does so many things that only PDAs do is the second, the fact it's discussed on PDA sites around the world is the third, the fact it's much bigger than todays phones is the forth, I could go on and on.

i probably got the quotes all wrong, sorry.
what makes you say that symbian is a PDA OS?

symbian 60 ... phone OS (nokia 7650, 3650, siemens sx1, ngage)
symbian 80 ... smartphone OS (nokia communicator)
symbian 7 ..... smartphone OS (p800/900, motorola something)

symbian 7 is a dedicated smartphone operating system. it has the best of both worlds. in fact, i don't know any symbian operating system at the moment that's a running on a pda, except for the ancient psion handhelds, but back then the OS was called EPOC.

the p900 is a smartphone, probably coming from the phone direction of things. the xda/mda and this thing here would be a smartphone with roots in the pda sector.

to be honest, the mda is way too big for me, that's why i'm probably going with the p900 soon. but if this thingie here hits the shelves, i might be tempted ...
looks really good.

[Ramin]

Actually, if you classify the Sony Ericsson P800/P900 as a smartphone, then it's like calling the Nokia 9210 Communicator or the O2 XDA/XDA II a smartphone (which they are not, IMHO).

AFAIK, a smart (data enabled) device cum phone (connecting to a voice network) that is suitable for one-handed use can be classified as a Smartphone (e.g. Microsoft Smartphone devices, Nokia Series 60 devices). Whereas, devices like the O2 XDA, Sony Ericsson P800 are really voice & data enabled PDAs.

Also, although no "PDA only" devices uses the Symbian OS, this does not mean that it cannot be used on a PDA. Anyways, future PDAs will most likely be connected to voice and data networks - the Symbian OS was designed with this in mind. So, I think we shouldn't categorize Symbian OS exclusively as a smartphone only OS.

Nokia Series 60 devices (Nokia 6600, Siemens SX1, Sendo X etc.) will compete with the Microsoft Smartphone devices (Orange SPV e200, Motorola MPx220 etc.) - & we can call these Smartphones.

Symbian UIQ devices (Sony Ericsson P900, Motorola A920 etc.) competes with Pocket PC Phone Edition devices (O2 XDA II, Asus MyPal 8100 etc.) - & we can classify these as Voice/WAN enabled PDAs/Communicators? Has anyone suggested a better term?

[shindullin]

I vote for calling them communicators. Very star-trekie. Don't really know if a p900 is a phone first or a PDA first but I do think that we are comming to a point where we need to start making destinctions. Maybe Ramin is right and it's a one handed versus two handed operation destinction and maybe phoenix is right and it's (I'm assuming) an ease of use distinction. But there definitely are no set standards out there for determining when a converged device is a really a phone first or a pda first.
Let all just call them communicators and see if our co-workers start making fun of us. If not, we've just coined a new term. :lol:
Maybe I'll start calling them tri-quarters... 8)

[dh]

The Asus may be great technologically. All I said is that I thought it was ugly. You can cram every feature known to mankind in a device, but if I think it looks like it was pulled from elephant's arse, I won't be slapping down any money for it. :lol:
If the device that was pulled from the arse had all the features I want, was more reasonably priced than all the rip-offs and was washed first, I would have no problem with it. :D

[Phoenix]

The Asus may be great technologically. All I said is that I thought it was ugly. You can cram every feature known to mankind in a device, but if I think it looks like it was pulled from elephant's arse, I won't be slapping down any money for it. :lol:
If the device that was pulled from the arse had all the features I want, was more reasonably priced than all the rip-offs and was washed first, I would have no problem with it. :D

ROTF!!!



Shindullin,

Maybe communicator is a good term, although I wonder if this would make for distinctions that are specific enough - or maybe not having those distinctions was your point. I always think of PDA first, phone second as a device that looks and functions more like a Pocket PC than a phone: no hardware based phone keypad (not the thumb type qwerty keypads), but rather, touchscreen only, and wider dimensions like that of Pocket PC's, as well as functionality that is focused more on handheld tasks. On the flipside, I think of a phone first, PDA second device as taking on the appearance and functions more of that of a cellular phone: slimmer dimensions, hardware based numeric keypad (even if it flips down like that found on the P900 and even if it has touchscreen capability like that of the P900), and functions that are more focused on cellular phone tasks even if those features are more advanced.

This is how these devices are most commonly thought of. The P900 with it's touchscreen and at times, two-handed operations (excluding the times when you're thumb typing SMS messages which I suppose could be performed with one hand) blur those lines a bit more, although they aren't blurred to the point of people not being able to distinguish what its main functions are. The P900's 5-way scroll wheel, however, along with the numeric keypad, can be utilized to access most all of it's functions for one-handed operation, a fact of which can in many ways help distinguish it as a phone first, handheld second. It has quite a bit of capability in terms of the handheld factor, but after using it, it is clear that it does not possess the full power and flexibility of a Pocket PC, which is why I carry an iPAQ 2215.