PDAgold Previews ETEN's M500 Pocket PC Phone

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pdagold.com/articles/detail.asp?a=241' target='_blank'>http://www.pdagold.com/articles/detail.asp?a=241</a><br /><br /></div><i>"I have a riddle for you today. I spy with my little eye, a device with an integrated cellular phone but it is not MDA III. It is small with a 2.8" display but it is not MDA Compact. It has 128 MB of FlashROM but it is not Axim X50v. It features USB Host but it is not Asus MyPal A730. It sports a decent integrated digital camera but it is not iPAQ rx3750. What is it?...It is ETEN M500 and was lucky to be able to make it my company."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20050630-ETENM500.jpg" /><br /><br />Pavel makes the most of his quick preview of the M500, providing many shots of the device, applications, and its webcam. It's one nice-looking phone... if a WM5 version is offered I'll have to take a close look. 8)

[vicott]

WM5 upgrade will be available for the M500. Besides, there is also the upcoming M600 with a black body, WM5 and built-in WiFi. :)

[tut00]

there is also the upcoming M600 with a black body, WM5 and built-in WiFi. :)

Now that (to me) would be an awesome device!! And one that I would desperatly want!

It would work in the US on Cingular right??

[Phillip Dyson]

There is a 100 page ... make that 102 over at howardforums. 8O

Lots of info about the m500.

here (http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=557296&amp;page=1&amp;pp=15)

I hope I got the url right, had to type it by hand.
According to everything I've read there, the WM5 upgrade is coming.

[Raphael Salgado]

One of the first sites to sell the M500 to the rest of the world is Trends Mobile Pte. Their M500 page states this in their news:
Eten Announces that a Windows Mobile 2005 upgrade will be made available to Eten M500 customers at a to be determined cost.
The ROM portion is essential to allow for device upgrades to the new operating system and the Eten M500 has 128MB in ROM which is ample enough to allow for the upgrade.

While most device manufacturers are unwilling to provide the upgrade since they will rather have customers spending on their new models, Eten has broken the trend.

It's good to know now that we have a local distributor here in the US. David Weiniger aka MadMonkeyBoy (www.dweiniger.com) is selling them at $579, lower than anywhere else (that's where I got mine!). (If you get it through him, please let him know that I told you about it - I'm not an affiliate or get anything for it, just spreading the good word, here's his feedback from buyers (http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?s=&amp;threadid=528018))

It would work in the US on Cingular right??
I'm using it with my 64k SIM from Cingular, and I get voice, data, MMS, and SMS just fine!

[tut00]

Raphael143:

Can I ask, since it appears that you have it. How is the little screen. I hate carrying around two devices, but at the same time, I want to be able to use it as a PDA. I use my PDA ALOT and am worried that the screen will be to small.

How do you feel about it? Are you glad you got it?

Just currious to hear from someone who actually has one.

-John

[jeffmd]

I really like the size of this and that it could replace both my aging pda and phone, but the lack of even an SD slot or any storage expansion limits its music and movies ability.. about %75 of what I use my current pda for. :(

[Damion Chaplin]

...but the lack of even an SD slot or any storage expansion limits its music and movies ability.. about %75 of what I use my current pda for. :(

It does say here that it includes SDIO:

http://www.etencorp.com/products/Communication/500.php

A Pocket PC without some sort of expasion is doomed to failure before it even hits the market...

[155]

Raphael143:

Can I ask, since it appears that you have it. How is the little screen. I hate carrying around two devices, but at the same time, I want to be able to use it as a PDA. I use my PDA ALOT and am worried that the screen will be to small.

How do you feel about it? Are you glad you got it?

Just currious to hear from someone who actually has one.

-John

I don't mind the smaller screen at all. I had a PDA2k before. I love this device. It reminds me of the tricorder from star trek. Really small and really powerful.

[Phillip Dyson]

I am SOtorn between this one and waiting for the m600. Granted, from what we know, the only difference between the 2 is wifi and color.

Color I'm not so worried about because I will likely get some kind of slim case. But the wifi ...

Currently any device that I've ever had used the SD as permanent storage. I wouldn't be able to do that with the wifi sd card. Large downloads would be out.

And of course, the specs for the m600 could be better than previously announced. Like more rom?

I'm torn. What I can get now... Or what mightbe...

[thenikjones]

I really like the size of this and that it could replace both my aging pda and phone, but the lack of even an SD slot or any storage expansion limits its music and movies ability.. about %75 of what I use my current pda for. :(

I've been using an i-Mate JAM for 2 weeks in place of my C500 SMartphone and Dell Axim x50v and so far, so good. It is the ONLY converged device that I like (I've has an SE P800 previously) and the screen is big enough for me. I use Planmaker a lot for small spreadhsheets (repetitive complex calculations) and it works fine. I rarely used the Axim's WiFi so no loss there. I'd like a couple more external buttons but otherwise I'm happy. BTW I'm not a games player, so can't comment on that.

thenikjones

[Phillip Dyson]

I've been using an i-Mate JAM for 2 weeks in place of my C500 SMartphone and Dell Axim x50v and so far, so good. It is the ONLY converged device that I like (I've has an SE P800 previously) and the screen is big enough for me. I use Planmaker a lot for small spreadhsheets (repetitive complex calculations) and it works fine. I rarely used the Axim's WiFi so no loss there. I'd like a couple more external buttons but otherwise I'm happy.
thenikjones

At least I'm not alone in the 3 device category. After purchasing a convergence device I will be one of the few who own and use a device running every flavor or windows mobile. PMC excluded.

ETEN so far seems to be the form factor that peaks my interest.

[ignar]

I was excited at first believing it was a preview of M600. M500 has been discussed at hofo for some time, and I almost forgot M500 was not even officially released yet. :wink: M500 looks like a nice device, but I'm overall happy with my JAM even though there will be no OS upgrade available. I heard M500 currently has a reception issue with 1900 band, so T-Mo users need to be careful before purchase.

[Darius Wey]

Color I'm not so worried about because I will likely get some kind of slim case. But the wifi ...

Wait for the Wi-Fi. ;) You'll be glad you did. Having to swap SD memory cards and SD Wi-Fi cards a few times a day is do-able, but a real pain.

[Phillip Dyson]

Color I'm not so worried about because I will likely get some kind of slim case. But the wifi ...

Wait for the Wi-Fi. ;) You'll be glad you did. Having to swap SD memory cards and SD Wi-Fi cards a few times a day is do-able, but a real pain.

Thanks, thats my view as well. But September/October is sooooooo long away. :(

[thenikjones]

I've been using an i-Mate JAM for 2 weeks in place of my C500 SMartphone and Dell Axim x50v and so far, so good. It is the ONLY converged device that I like (I've has an SE P800 previously) and the screen is big enough for me. I use Planmaker a lot for small spreadhsheets (repetitive complex calculations) and it works fine. I rarely used the Axim's WiFi so no loss there. I'd like a couple more external buttons but otherwise I'm happy.
thenikjones

At least I'm not alone in the 3 device category. After purchasing a convergence device I will be one of the few who own and use a device running every flavor or windows mobile. PMC excluded.

ETEN so far seems to be the form factor that peaks my interest.

Actually, I'm looking to sell the Axim and C500, as I can't justify (to myself - who else would care?!) having all three. THe reason I got the JAM was I wanted to see if a converged devide would suit me, and it had to be phone sized - a friend had the XDA and XDAII and seeing him hold it to his head (in flip-over leather case) made me resolve never to go that route myself. The JAM is as large as I want a phone to be, but has PLanmaker/Textmaker and a decent calculator.

I was tempted to wait for the HTC Universal, but couldn't!

[Phillip Dyson]

Okay ... I'm getting weak-er ...

If I wait and buy the m600 then I'm locked out of Wifi synching with AS4.0

But if I buy the m500 I can decide whether I want to upgrade or not... and the low profile wifi sd card doesn't look too bad.

But ... I don't think AS4.0 is released to the public yet, so perhaps wifi will return. Plus the m600's specs may actually change by the time it comes out.
And if I wait, I can get a better view of what else will be released around that time frame.

When is the m600 supposed to be released anyway. August?

Help! 8O

Send in the army ... er advice...

[ignar]

I will switch if M500 or M600 supports EDGE. I have a JAM and while its form factor, build quality, and reception are all great, the lack of wifi and EDGE support is painful. By the way, isn't JAM 2 going to be out sometime soon? I don't remember the specs, but I will be surprised if JAM 2 doesn't come without Wifi.