The i-Mate JasJar Reviewed [Archive]

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Jon Westfall

09-28-2005, 04:00 PM

<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-reviewtitle.jpg" /> Product Category: Pocket PC Phone Edition Manufacturer: <a href="http://www.clubimate.com">i-mate</a> Where to Buy: <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=buy+jasjar&btnG=Google+Search">Various online retailers</a> Price: Approx. $1000.00 USD System Requirements: ActiveSync 4.0 Specifications: 520 MHz Intel processor, VGA Screen, QWERTY keypad, 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 MHz GSM/GPRS/WCDMA, 128 MB ROM, 64 MB RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. Pros:<li>Amazingly useful keyboard & form factor; <li>Good speed & processing ability; <li>Everything you need - VGA, phone, Wi-Fi, keyboard.Cons:<li>Battery Life; <li>GSM reception can be spotty; <li>Price.Summary: It's no secret that I've been dying to get a Universal since they were announced. However, with that anticipation came a dread that I'd fall into the same situation as before: A device that looked good on paper, but was mediocre in person. Fortunately, the i-mate JasJar lives up to its hype: An ultra-usable, nicely-portable, mouth-watering PPC that could easily live in my ever changing gadget bag for years! Read on for the full review!<!> <PAGEBREAK> It's All In The Presentation I've been waiting for a long time to get my hands on a Universal, so when the review unit came, it didn't take long for me to bust out the digital camera and start with the pictures. If you find yourself hungry for more screenshots, take a look at my <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/jasjargallery/index.html">JasJar Screenshot Gallery </a> for over 50 screenshots of this device in action. Upon opening the box, you'll find the usual array of PPC paraphernalia including:<li>Manual & Quick Start Guide w/ CD <li>Slip Case <li>USB Cable & AC Charger <li>Headphones <li>i-mate (of course!).The Pictures below show the outside & inside of the box. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-boxcollage.jpg" /> Figure 1: The box on the outside, inside, and the various manuals laid out. The unit is nicely laid out, with the hinge that we've all seen a thousand pictures of being quite sturdy, yet easy to manipulate. The call send/end buttons on the hinge can be somewhat problematic though - especially when using the phone up to your ear. More than once I accidentally hung up on a caller or put them on hold by pressing the button with my shoulder as I cradled phone between shoulder and head. The unit also features a SDIO-compatible SD card slot. The slot returns to the bottom of the unit, as it was in the original HTC Wallaby. I never really cared for it there, as a downward facing card easily shoots out if slightly pressed. I lost an SD card for 6 months once with my T-Mobile Pocket PC, so be forewarned - you don't want to accidentally press the card in causing rapid ejection! The quality of the unit is second to none. Nothing feels cheap or plastic, even though there is very little metal on the exterior of the device. I was skeptical about the usability of the keyboard, however, this device's keys are big enough for even my large hands. I got a surprising amount of work done by keyboard press in landscape mode. The JasJar also features an HTC written SIP known as Phone Pad that allows T9 predictive text entry from a familiar 1-9 phone keypad – a nice quick way to enter text when using the phone in the classic PPC way - portrait mode and stylus. Finally, a note about memory. If you're using the device stock, you'll find about 23 or so MB of storage memory available to you after i-mate installs its preloaded content following a hard-reset. Most of us are familiar with using memory cards and have them on hand, but this is still a bit small for this device. One ray of hope though - the diligent individuals over at xda-developer's forums have been working to modify the extended ROM and remove programs that not all may want. If you're comfortable with modifying the ROM, they will probably have a solution for you very soon. Sizing It Up The very name Pocket PC suggests oh-so-subtly that the device is able to fit into your pocket. Since the Universal is high on features, many have also assumed it's high on size as well. For you, my dear readers, I've provided the following size comparison shots. As you'll see, this thing isn't as big as some have said, yet it is a pocket full. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-sidebyside.jpg" /> Figure 2: From left to right: Motorola Mpx220 Smartphone, Dell Axim x50v, HP iPAQ 6315, Jasjar, Viewsonic V36. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-collage.jpg" /> Figure 3: From top to bottom: Mpx220, Axim, iPAQ, Jasjar,V36. Another hot item of debate with this Pocket PC is the VGA screen. Indeed, this is the first Pocket PC Phone Edition to have VGA, and the comparison shots to the QVGA iPAQ 6315 screen and VGA Axim x50v show you what kind of brightness and clarity you can expect from this screen. It is easily the most beautiful Pocket PC display I've ever used. For those of you who find the smaller text difficult to read, Windows Mobile 5 also allows you to change the default text size. To see all five sizes, see the <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/jasjargallery/index.html"> Screen Shot Gallery </a> screen shots! <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-sidebysidescr.jpg" /> Figure 4: The Axim, Jasjar, & iPAQ on the Today Screen. While the iPAQ looks washed out and the Axim slightly dim, the JasJar looks pretty nice. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-jjvsaxim.jpg" /> Figure 5: Axim & JasJar displaying a lake picture taken earlier that day. <PAGEBREAK> Peer Pressure: Benchmarks If the following benchmarks look vaguely familiar to you, then chances are you've read Jason's Axim x51v review. As he and I were working on these reviews at the same time (and using each other's benchmark tests), he was gracious enough to let me link to his. Otherwise, you could have seen eerily similar graphs and just assumed they were his. ;) <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/x51v-benchmark-overall.gif" /> Figure 6: While it looks like the old "under-powered PPC Phone" story again, I can tell you that this device is quicker than these numbers let on. While the Axim is faster on paper, between screen draws and the device adjusting its speed on the fly, the JasJar seems quicker to the tap. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/x51v-benchmark-cpuindex.gif" /> Figure 7: For a processor that is substantially slower, the JasJar doesn't do too badly in the CPU index. Perhaps here is where my "quicker to the tap" originates. A Picture Is Worth A Thousand... One of the nice features of the JasJar is the integrated 1.3 megapixel camera. Finally, a camera that takes fairly decent pictures. I'm not ready to throw out my Kodak dx7590 over here, but as you can see from the samples below, the camera doesn't do a half bad job. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-samplepic1.jpg" /> Figure 8: Rocks & Water - <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-pic053.jpg">Kodak Comparison. </a> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-samplepic2.jpg" /> Figure 9: Ideal Workplace - <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-pic051.jpg">Kodak Comparison. </a> <PAGEBREAK> The Average Day On Tuesdays & Thursdays, my life becomes extremely complicated this semester. Anyone who has ever been a graduate student knows how the schedules can go from light to demanding in a heartbeat. And, if you've ever been a graduate student and part-time systems administrator for a web hosting company, you know that a light schedule isn't easy to come by. The JasJar accompanied me on my daily rounds this week: 7:30 AM Depart home, i-mate fully charged. My Activesync peak time is set to 7 AM - 9 PM today, and the device will check for email every ten minutes to keep me current, and on top of any emergencies I must take care of. After driving an hour and 10 minute commute to school, I take the i-mate out and check my mail. The keyboard really shines in this moment as I'm able to browse mail, move it to folders, reply, and delete all without taking out the stylus. With, as Ed calls it, my e-mail triage out of the way, I head to class. 9:30 AM Graduate developmental psychology - today is a round-table discussion on neurological development from conception to 1 year old. Previously, I had taken all the discussion questions from the class and compiled them into one post in my inbox through Outlook. Unfortunately, I had closed Outlook too quickly and it didn't get synced up to my Exchange server! Already using the i-mate, I connected to the school's LEAP-authenticated wireless network (I needed these quick - GPRS wouldn't do!) and used Outlook Mobile Access (some of the emails were older than three days, so my Activesync copies wouldn't do) to find the emails and get the questions: <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-wlanset3.jpg" /> Figure 10: WLAN Utility - LEAP Menu. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-oma.jpg" /> Figure 11: Outlook Mobile Access in PIE Landscape. Ah, disaster avoided. However, I'm starting to feel a bit congested - allergies or am I getting a small cold... :roll: 10:45 - 11:00 And Jon's off... I have 15 minutes to get in my car, drive a few miles to a satellite campus, get into the building, get my laptop set up, and teach my intro Psych class to 130 waiting students. On top of it, I'm not feeling well and I've found while idly surfing in my developmental class that T-Mobile Easy Pay hasn't easily paid my bill this month! Time in the car isn't wasted as I call T-Mobile and pay my bill, and browse emailed trouble tickets for my server admin job during walks from classroom to classroom. For being a diligent sys admin, what do I get? Thankfully no major problems - however I could do without some of the less important email I seem to be plagued with (censored - we're rated PG here!): <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-intelemail.jpg" /> Figure 12: Warning: not for the faint of heart - useless, ever-present spam! 12:15 Class is over and I'm feeling pretty beat. Text my fiancée to ask if she needs anything at the drugstore - I'm going to grab some Dayquil and fight off this bug. More email triage, ensuring I won't have 50 new e-mails in my inbox when I finally get to my office. <PAGEBREAK> 1:00 Back at the office, I set up the laptop and connect Outlook to server to pull the, thanks to the i-mate, small amount of email to my Inbox. Pop a few Dayquil and adjust the text size on my i-mate to a larger size since my eyes feel a bit tired. However, this doesn't do me too much good though - I collapse on my office floor for a two hour nap around 2 PM. Have a class at 4:15... <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-textsize.jpg" /> Figure 13: See the effects of changing the size in the <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/jasjargallery/index.html"> Screen Shot Gallery. </a> 4:00 Wake up, brush off, grab i-mate for note taking and head off to graduate social psychology. We're discussing beliefs and social norms - thanks to the Dayquil and nap, I'm awake. If I hadn't had the i-mate though, I would have spent easily another half hour catching up on emails that were dispatched this morning in five minute triage sessions. i-mate should consider changing its slogan to "It gets you more sleep"... 6:45 Class is over, return to office with i-mate, upload notes. While in class I used the i-mate to email my instructor my discussion questions directly, thus saving some paper and time. Now I work on some reading while I wait for my fiancée to return from her spanish class... 9:00 Leave campus, head home. On the way, stop at McDonalds and view the score of the White Sox - Indians game while eating a cheeseburger. I love the loading bar in PIE - makes progress seem like progress a lot more than a waving flag... <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-jjreview-loadppct.jpg" /> Figure 14: Ultra Nice loading bar in PIE. 10:45 Home finally, the i-mate now tells me it has only 17% battery life left. Not bad considering what I've put it through today. However, I expect I would have had to do a late-day recharge if I'd used Wi-Fi a bit more intensely or paired my Bluetooth Headset with it all day. Thankfully, unlike my x50v, this device can be used and charge off of USB at the same time. One last note that I have to point out about the JasJar - the GSM reception can be really spotty if you live in what T-Mobile calls "fair" territory on its coverage maps. I can keep a signal and make/receive calls if I keep the unit out in the open at home. However, if I put it in my pocket or obstruct the antenna, I lose signal. One bright spot here - the unit does have jacks for external WCDMA and GSM antennas, so you could always use one of those to boost your signal. <PAGEBREAK> Conclusions In the end, this device has been very impressive to review. Even with its shorter-than-desired battery life and less-than-average signal strength, I find that the usability and feature set of the JasJar to more than make up for its shortcomings. It is simply the easiest to use PPC I have ever used. Regardless, if you're doing anything from simple email checking & text web page surfing, to terminal service administering and document editing, the JasJar won't leave you wanting for much more. Jon Westfall is a full-time Graduate Student in Cognitive Psychology, a full-time system administrator for a small web-hosting company, and a full-time technology enthusiast. While not devoting 300% of himself to his hobbies & work, Jon enjoys spending time with his fiancée Karey and various geek and non-geek friends around the Northern Ohio Area.

Phillip Dyson

09-28-2005, 04:28 PM

Great article Jon. Sometimes a "day in the life" usage articles are more than mere academic reviews.

2 questions:

1. I've been told that ActiveSync4 no longer even gives you the option for category filtering (albeit limited) on the desktop. Has this feature been moved to the ActiveSync settings on the device itself? What kind of settings are available on the device? (okay thats 2 questions)

2. Given that UMTS is not very prevalent in the US (at reasonable prices anyway), do you feel that the JasJar is still a good buy for someone in the states? Espcially given its premium price. Sure there are other aspects of the Universal that make it a great device, but the high speed wireless seems to be unusable.

thanks again

Menneisyys

09-28-2005, 04:34 PM

Figure 13: See the effects of changing the size in the Screen Shot Gallery.

Much as there're some screenshots that do show for example Messaging screens with different font sizes, does the Settings/System/Screen/Text Size have more effect of the generic font size than in WM2003SE? That is, for example, can it enlarge Start Menu fonts, Messenger fonts etc, which would be very important in native VGA mode (in SE, these were the biggest problems in using native VGA)? In SE, it has very limited effect (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,43014).

the comparison shots to the QVGA iPAQ 6315 screen and VGA Axim x50v show you what kind of brightness and clarity you can expect from this screen. It is easily the most beautiful Pocket PC display I've ever used.

Could you also post a comparison shot with an image that has even more 'warmer' colors? It'd be great to see more comparison shots as the other reviews don't show shots like them. This (http://www.winmobiletech.com/SCREENQUALITY/kotona4Lasta.jpg) photo could be very good for comparison, as used for example here (http://www.firstloox.org/forums/showpost.php?p=18291&postcount=14) to compare the x50v to the Pocket Loox 720 and the 4150 (or, more generally, here (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35630)).

Jon Westfall

09-28-2005, 04:42 PM

can it enlarge Start Menu fonts, Messenger fonts etc, which would be very important in native VGA mode (in SE, these were the biggest problems in using native VGA)? In SE, it has very limited effect (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,43014).

It doesn't effect the start menu, or some of the other text. Looks like the enlarging of text is limited to entries in programs, not necessarily the programs themselves. I'll run a few more tests on this later since I still have the review unit.

Could you also post a comparison shot with an image that has even more 'warmer' colors?

Sure, if I get a chance later, I'll take a few more comparison shots with the photos you've linked to.

Jon Westfall

09-28-2005, 04:46 PM

1. I've been told that ActiveSync4 no longer even gives you the option for category filtering (albeit limited) on the desktop. Has this feature been moved to the ActiveSync settings on the device itself? What kind of settings are available on the device? (okay thats 2 questions)

I'll take a look later when I have a few minutes (I'm off to work here in about 15 minutes, back home later tonight). I still haven't explored all of AS 4's new screens, or the device's activesync settings.

2. Given that UMTS is not very prevalent in the US (at reasonable prices anyway), do you feel that the JasJar is still a good buy for someone in the states? Espcially given its premium price. Sure there are other aspects of the Universal that make it a great device, but the high speed wireless seems to be unusable.

thanks again

In my opinion, the usability of the JasJar outweighs the UMTS issue. I find that anywhere I'm going to be doing serious work has accessible WiFi already (My house, my office, various points on campus, restaurants even), so 95% of the time, I'll be in a WiFi hotspot. The other 5% of the time, plain old GPRS doesn't suit me too badly - for simple tasks in terminal services, the slow connection isn't too much of a bother. I'd say, if you like the layout of the device, have the $, and have WiFi around you, then go for the Universal.

Menneisyys

09-28-2005, 04:48 PM

can it enlarge Start Menu fonts, Messenger fonts etc, which would be very important in native VGA mode (in SE, these were the biggest problems in using native VGA)? In SE, it has very limited effect (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,43014).

It doesn't effect the start menu, or some of the other text. Looks like the enlarging of text is limited to entries in programs, not necessarily the programs themselves.

Thanks; then, it has the same (mostly, non-existing) effect than in WM2003SE. That's very bad news for native VGA users...

Could you also post a comparison shot with an image that has even more 'warmer' colors?

Sure, if I get a chance later, I'll take a few more comparison shots with the photos you've linked to.

Thanks, that'd be great :approve: (BTW, could you make these shots with less ambient light to reduce glare/reflection?)

Jon Westfall

09-28-2005, 04:55 PM

Had a couple of free minutes before I ran out the door: The text size only effects entries in programs (i.e. text on the today screen, messaging, etc..) not the start menu font or the programs / settings fonts. Users with poor eyes will have to be accustomed to finding the icon they want...

And as far as I can see on the device, there are no contact / calendar filtering settings for what gets transferred over Activesync. You can filter your contacts in the Contacts App by category, however. I'll play more with Desktop Activesync later today.

Jon.

adamz

09-28-2005, 08:18 PM

It sounds like you skipped breakfast and lunch and had dinner at McDonalds. Maybe that's why you're not feeling well.

Jon Westfall

09-28-2005, 09:04 PM

It sounds like you skipped breakfast and lunch and had dinner at McDonalds. Maybe that's why you're not feeling well.

If I recall, breakfast that day consisted of Pop Tarts & Banana, lunch consisted of a sandwhich, yogurt, fruit, and a snack. Don't think that did it to me, although the McDonalds probably didn't help ;)

saru83

09-28-2005, 09:16 PM

Well, AWESOME review "Jon Westfall", i enjoyed reading it :alfdance:

urologyhealth

09-28-2005, 09:41 PM

Jason Lee

09-28-2005, 11:04 PM

As a very satisfied user of a SIEMENS SX66 (PDA2K of Imate)--why would I want to upgrade besides having the "latest and greatest". My slide-out keyboard works fine.

Is WMOBILE 5 that much better (or worse), what does the Universal offer that I can't already do? Especially in the states without 850 and EDGE?

I don't need a camera.

I'd appreciate your comments on this.

I have a sx66 and will not be upgrading to this version of the universal. My reasoning is based on network compatability alone. With out the 850 mhz band this will not work for me as a phone. (in my area)

I do need a camera so i want very much to upgrade my sx66. Plus the fact that i cannot get bluetooth or wifi to function with out a reboot. If i use bluetooth, wifi will usually not load until i reboot. And if i use wifi i get that bluetooth out of memory, please reboot error. :evil: Very frustrating.

If you use bluetooth a lot on your sx66 you may not want to upgrade either. The universal uses microsofts stack and has very limited profiles. A lot of the stuff I use bluetooth for on my sx66 will not work on the universal. :( This will probably change with future software updates though.

As for the new keyboard.. I like it a lot. It is probably much easier to type on.. But there are times when i need to type one handed.. that will not be possible with the univeral. It doesn't work all that well with the sx66 but i can do it. :)

Right now i am really leaning towards the k-jam as an upgrade to my sx66. However the mini sd slot is an issue for me. As well as the limited bluetooth functionality.

If there were a 850mzh and EDGE version of the universal I might get it.
I need my device to function as a phone as well and the universal will not do that very well in the US. Especially not in my area.

The price is an issue as well but if it truly offered the functionality i needed i could overlook it.

WM 5.0 looks very nice, i like the new usability it provides. But this is the first release.. I am kinda worried about bugs and such.

At this point i think i am gonna have to do the unthinkable.... and wait.... 8O
I'm gonna wait and see after some people get new devices and play with them. I am gonna wait and see if there will be a US version of the univeral or what other new phones might show up after the first of the year.

I'm gonna wait... unless i break down and buy the k-jam when it becomes available. :lol:

urologyhealth

09-28-2005, 11:22 PM

I agree entirely with your reasoning. The K-Jam mini-SD is a big issue and all the other issues are real. The Bluetooth I use currently--Headset in car and GPS work very well--so I don't use wi-fi at the same time. The out of memory is always annoying when after long use during day memory gets below 50-55% and I need to do soft reset.

Thanks for your input and analysis. I have decided to wait as well, hard as it is not to have a new "toy".

Jon Westfall

09-29-2005, 12:02 AM

As I've said before in the forums, if you're a t-mobile customer who doesn't ever access the 850 Mhz band, then the network issue is a moot point for you - it simply doesn't affect you. However, cingular users will have to weigh their options when looking at this unit. The camera is a nice feature, and as for typing one-handed - it is possible with the unit open. My hand easily reaches all the keys if the unit is lying flat on a table, however if it is in my hand, I doubt I could one-hand type all that fast or accurately.

If I had a PDA2k (Which I almost did, dumb expansys screwed up my order last year) I would probably find the thumb-keyboard nearly useless (As all thumb keyboards are usually useless to me), so that alone might make me jump to this unit, especially being on T-Mobile.

As for the K-Jam and it's MiniSD issues, we'll have to see. In the future we're planning on a review of the Sprint version of the K-Jam (The PPC-6700) but availability of review units is somewhat of an issue. I'd be interested to see how the k-Jam would do in my daily routine vs. the Jasjar.

csterns

09-29-2005, 12:42 AM

I have been a long time user of Pocket PC and always one of the first on the block to rush out and get the latest and greatest including this time. But I cancelled my order yesterday for this unit for a couple of reasons. I tend to buy on impulse for want and desire and thinking this will be the final one because they'll be no other better. But when you wait two weeks for something and your order still has not shipped you tend to loose interest in why you purchased it begin with. Then with all the extra time and daily posts of this review and that review, I ended up NOT really seeing anything of substitance to rationialize making such a huge investment.

Secondly, with each new upgrade I keep hoping there will be substantial improvements from one unit to the other but at the end of the day it nets down to only being slightly better. Meanwhile, I find myself beating the drum louder and often to others so as to justify the huge amount of money spent on this latest gadget in an attempt to further convince yourself the money was well spent when in fact it wasn't.

Case in point. When the Pocket PC Phone finally arrived years ago I got one. My biggest disappointment was the poor BT performance with BT headsets. I have a graveyard full of all of them and they all sucked with the Pocket PC Phone but not other BT phones! Then, lo and behold the next generation comes out. A quick rush to the market, purchase it and whamo same thing. No real improvement. Maybe more RAM but at the end of the day there's not that much difference to justfy losing hundreds of dollars on the previous purchase to end up with a slight improvement. In other words, the move up could have been eliminated without loss of what was supposedly gained. I could have lived with what I had and not noticed the difference.

A couple of months ago I purchased the Samsung i730 and sold it within 30 days. Initially when it came out I loved it until I owned it. It had great BT connectiviity but it was clumsy and the battery life sucked. My biggest issue was the stupid buttons on the side. Everytime I tried to carefully holster the phone I'd set off one of the buttons or hit send and call someone. The lock button function was available but resulted in extra work to use the phone and became annoying.

Now comes these new phones at $1,000. But really, at the end of the day do you really feel you've ended up with something so far superior to what you had or what is currently available it is worth the money?

Meanwhile I replaced my Pocket PC Phone with a Palm Treo 650 and unbeliveably I LOVE IT and fall in love with it more and more each day. It does it all.

A great phone. A great PDA. Great BT conncectivity. Great text messaging. Great email retrival and response. And, it doesn't require me soft resetting it several times a day as I have had to do with all my other Pocket PC Phones and Pocket PC's. And now it's soon to be a Pocket PC! Yeah.

In retrospect with each new unit I have purchased after a weeks time in my hands have I really believe it's as good as I imagined it would be? NO. The Palm Treo 650 is the first PDA Phone I've owned for quite sometime that I have grown to love more today than yesterday which I cannot say about all the others. Everyday has been a new discovery of what this thing can do and what software I can add to it to make it more enjoyable.

So it is because of this self analysis and hands on experience with the Palm Treo 650 I have decided to cancell my order and stay with what has proven to be a very worthy product.

I am waiting with some anticipation the roll out of the Pocket Treo as I do think that that could be a nice device. Just my 2 cents.

Phoenix

09-29-2005, 03:48 PM

As I've said before in the forums, if you're a t-mobile customer who doesn't ever access the 850 Mhz band, then the network issue is a moot point for you - it simply doesn't affect you...

I was told by a T-Mo rep that T-Mo has roaming agreements where customers will make use of the 850MHz band. Granted, T's own network does not use 850 as you mention, but apparently when a person roams outside the primary network and onto another one, from time to time, T-Mo customers will be on 850, providing their phone can take advantage of that band. So a quad-band phone would be nice to have.

Tony Rylow

09-29-2005, 07:08 PM

Great review, Mr. Westall.

The PocketTV Team

09-30-2005, 08:05 AM

Most VGA devices have a video accelerator chip (except for the Loox).

Does someone know if the Jasjar uses a video accelerator chip (Intel 2700G, ATI Imageon, etc) ?

Menneisyys

09-30-2005, 08:12 AM

Most VGA devices have a video accelerator chip (except for the Loox).

Does someone know if the Jasjar uses a video accelerator chip (Intel 2700G, ATI Imageon, etc) ?

Nope, it doesn't.

BTW, it's not only the Loox that doesn't have a dedicated accelerator chip. The other VGA PDA's that don't have it is the Asus a730(w), the Toshiba e830, the HTC Universal and the Hitachi Flora.

Furthermore, the utility of the ATI chip is highly dubious - see for example the hx4700.

You may want to read, for example, http://www.firstloox.org//forums/showthread.php?t=4867 for further information on dedicated accelerator chips.

The PocketTV Team

09-30-2005, 08:24 AM

> Nope, it doesn't.

Ok, thanks for the info.

> BTW, it's not only the Loox that doesn't have a dedicated accelerator chip. The other VGA PDA's that don't have it is the Asus a730(w), the Toshiba e830, the HTC Universal and the Hitachi Flora.

Oh yeas, I forgot about the Asus and the Toshiba e830 - actually those two did not sell too many units, I think.

HTC Universal is basically the same hardware as the Jasjar, since the Jasjar is based on the HTC Universal.

I had never heard about the Hitachi Flora.

> Furthermore, the utility of the ATI chip is highly dubious - see for example the hx4700.

Video acceleration works very well with hx4700 when using the ATI Chip. Full VGA-res decoding at full frame-rate is possible, i.e. video quality comparable to DVD. Same with the Dell Axim x50v.

Of course, some acceleration is also possible using the WMMX instruction of the new Xscale processors, but I think that some memory bottleneck will remain, while memory is used more efficiently by video accelerators.

So basically the only WM5 device with video accelerator will be the Dell Axim x51v?

Menneisyys

09-30-2005, 08:30 AM

So basically the only WM5 device with video accelerator will be the Dell Axim x51v?

Yup, it seems so. Nothing VGA accelerator-related is known about the new HP, Acer, Asus and F-S VGA devices, though (if there will be) - they may include some kind of acceleration, preferably the 2700g.

The PocketTV Team

09-30-2005, 08:35 AM

Also, apparently the Audiovox PPC 6600 used an ATI chip (although it's a QVGA display, but has a VGA camera), but I don't know if the'll have a WM5 version of it.

Menneisyys

09-30-2005, 08:38 AM

Yup, several QVGA devices use(d) the ATI chips.

The PocketTV Team

09-30-2005, 08:39 AM

And you think that the new WM5 version of all those devices won't use the ATI?

That would be quite bad for ATI's business!

dommasters

10-01-2005, 03:40 PM

Jon Westfall

10-01-2005, 03:46 PM

If it is such a great form factor then why did we all turn our backs on it a few years back and move to the portrait screen and stylus. eg HP200 / Psion 5 / Handheld PC / Nokia 900 etc to Palm / Pocket PC 2002 ?
I bought a JasJar, used it for 10 minutes, then sold it on Ebay. Verdict ? Overwight, underpowered, and ultimately pointless.... and I was sooooo relieved to get shut of it !
Ignore the reviews (sadly I didn't) and try one first ... yep they look great ... but you'll need a laptop bag to carry it around in or else pockets the size of a suitcase :)

We turned our back on a form factor that required ONLY laptop-like usage of the device. A device that can go from slate-stylus style entry to laptop-keyboard style entry is a newer idea and a different story. I also don't buy the overweight argument - the device is not significantly heavier than other devices on the market. If the device didn't work for your needs, that's fine. However, telling people to ignore reviews assuming they'll use the device in the exact same manner as you might not take into account the different types of users out there.

adamz

10-01-2005, 05:32 PM

We turned our back on a form factor that required ONLY laptop-like usage of the device. A device that can go from slate-stylus style entry to laptop-keyboard style entry is a newer idea and a different story.

Not really.. remember the Vadem Clio?
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004T2LM.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

dommasters

10-01-2005, 06:07 PM

[quote=dommasters] I also don't buy the overweight argument - the device is not significantly heavier than other devices on the market.
You need to try a few more devices ... it's massively heavier than some of the other devices on the market. The guy I sold it to on Ebay even called it a "lump of a brick" though he liked the design nevertheless. If you don't have big hands then you'll need to consider taking a desk with you on the road to put it on ....

JasJar: 285g
iPaq HW6515: 165g
iMate Jam: 160g
PDA2K: 210g
WTEK2020: 190g
iPAQ 4700: 196g

Infact I was unable to find anything that came close to this monster :)

Jon Westfall

10-02-2005, 03:38 AM

I still stand by my opinion that for what the device does & the features it has, the weight is not an issue. I carried it on my person for a week and never noticed a difference in 'pocket weight'. Perhaps those annoyed by its weight should simply start lifting weights ;)

It does resemble a brick when closed though - now if it only cost as much as one.

fredng

10-02-2005, 01:28 PM

It doesn't effect the start menu, or some of the other text. Looks like the enlarging of text is limited to entries in programs, not necessarily the programs themselves. I'll run a few more tests on this later since I still have the review unit.

I'm currently using a Palm Tungsten T5 with Sony Ericsson K700i for GPRS connectivity via Bluetooth, but I must say HTC Universal's features are reallly impressive and I am tempted to switch! But I have some questions which I hope you guys can help me answer:

1) VGA screen - I am wondering how much of an improvement in usable application real estate would I see over T5's 320x480 screen? For comparison's sake, T5's screen can display 8 columns by 18 rows of spreadsheet with Sheet to Go using the smallest font size at landscape mode. How many rows/columns can Excel Mobile display at 640x480 with the smallest text size? Any screenshots available?

2) TIFF multi-page faxes - which would be the best app for displaying .tiff files I receive from j2 fax service via e-mail?

3) PDF viewer - my main gripe about Palm OS is the lack of native PDF viewer, any available for Windows Mobile?

4) E-Book reader - any e-book reader that can read the Palm doc format?

5) Unicode - Windows Mobile 5 supports Unicode, right? I have quite a few Traditional/Simplified Chinese and Japanese documents.

6) Stability - I know this is highly subjective, but given my use of voice calls/GPRS at 900 (US)/UMTS (Asia/Europe), plus e-mail/Word/Excel/PDF. Can any PPC/Windows Mobile veteran tell me how often do I expect to reset the machine? This is no flame bait, as no system's perfect, and I am able to crash Palm OS 5.4 every now and then when it runs out of resources, or encounter some bugs with NVFS.

Thanks a billion in advance!

AMD

10-03-2005, 02:35 AM

I am a current Verizon user on their EVDO network. Internet speed is great. Then I bought JASJAR as a data device.

I use WiFi at home, and when I am on the road, I use JASJAR's bluetooth dial-up profile to connect to my Verizon phone and get on the Internet on Verizon's EVDO network, as if JASJAR is a regular laptop.

For now, I am just using JASJAR for its PDA functionality, so I didn't put a SIM card in it. With a VGA screen, a full keyboard with a separate number row, a nice camera with flash, an SD card slot and a mini-USB port, it is fantastic as a PDA.

PetiteFlower

10-03-2005, 03:24 AM

Fredng - Acrobat Reader is available for Windows Mobile, and so is eReader (formerly Palm Reader).

fredng

10-03-2005, 06:49 AM

For now, I am just using JASJAR for its PDA functionality, so I didn't put a SIM card in it. With a VGA screen, a full keyboard with a separate number row, a nice camera with flash, an SD card slot and a mini-USB port, it is fantastic as a PDA.

Can you please be so kind to change the text size to smallest and count how many rows/columns the VGA screen could display under Pocket Excel? Thanks!

fredng

10-03-2005, 06:51 AM

Fredng - Acrobat Reader is available for Windows Mobile, and so is eReader (formerly Palm Reader).

Does Acrobat Reader support native PDF viewing, or do I need to convert the file first via the desktop client/conduit?

Darius Wey

10-03-2005, 01:24 PM

Does Acrobat Reader support native PDF viewing, or do I need to convert the file first via the desktop client/conduit?

Yes, it supports it natively. You can also add "reflow" tags to the document if you copy it over ActiveSync, or add it yourself through a commercial version of Acrobat - all of which can enhance mobile readability, though it's not essential.

Jason Lee

10-03-2005, 03:04 PM

I'm currently using a Palm Tungsten T5 with Sony Ericsson K700i for GPRS connectivity via Bluetooth, but I must say HTC Universal's features are reallly impressive and I am tempted to switch! But I have some questions which I hope you guys can help me answer:

1) VGA screen - I am wondering how much of an improvement in usable application real estate would I see over T5's 320x480 screen? For comparison's sake, T5's screen can display 8 columns by 18 rows of spreadsheet with Sheet to Go using the smallest font size at landscape mode. How many rows/columns can Excel Mobile display at 640x480 with the smallest text size? Any screenshots available?

Dificult to answer. Compaired to a 320x240 pocket pc you aren't really getting any more space on the screen. However, at 640x480 you can make the font a lot smaller and it will still be readable. Compairing to a palm makes that even more dificult. I don't have a vga device to take a screen shot from but i would guess it would be at least as good if not a little better.

2) TIFF multi-page faxes - which would be the best app for displaying .tiff files I receive from j2 fax service via e-mail?

If you are just recieving faxes many of the picture viewers will display tiff files. I use resco photo viewer (http://www.resco.net/pocketpc/photoviewer/default.asp) it even has special setting related to viewing faxes.

3) PDF viewer - my main gripe about Palm OS is the lack of native PDF viewer, any available for Windows Mobile?

Yes, you can get the real adobe acrobat for pocket pc.

4) E-Book reader - any e-book reader that can read the Palm doc format?

yes, as some one pointed out earlier you can actually get the same software many palm people use, ereader (http://www.ereader.com/product/detail/15004?software=eReader_for_Pocket_PC_and_Windows_Mobile_Editions) (formaly palm reader). I also believe that mobie pocket reader will read palm docs and there are multiple other freeware apps that will as well.

5) Unicode - Windows Mobile 5 supports Unicode, right? I have quite a few Traditional/Simplified Chinese and Japanese documents.

Yes. I did most of my Japanese class work on my pocket pc. :) There are multiple free unicode text viewers/editors out there. I currently use JWPce (http://www.physics.ucla.edu/~grosenth/c_download.html). There is also a desktop version which is exactly the same. I'm not sure how well it works with chinese documents though. TextViewer (http://www.pocketpcfreeware.com/en/index.php?soft=682) works very well also.

6) Stability - I know this is highly subjective, but given my use of voice calls/GPRS at 900 (US)/UMTS (Asia/Europe), plus e-mail/Word/Excel/PDF. Can any PPC/Windows Mobile veteran tell me how often do I expect to reset the machine? This is no flame bait, as no system's perfect, and I am able to crash Palm OS 5.4 every now and then when it runs out of resources, or encounter some bugs with NVFS.

hmm.. dunno. I would assume it would be similar to windows mobile 2003 but hopefully a little better. :)

fredng

10-03-2005, 09:24 PM

Menneisyys

10-04-2005, 05:24 PM

I just read from the following discussion that people are having issues with only 64MB RAM in HTC Universal, any current users care to comment?

http://www.expansys.es/forumthread.asp?code=119353&thread=42

I'd be really interested in comments on these too... PIM data taking up several Megabytes? Available RAM size after a reset around 20M??? 8O 8O

Menneisyys

10-05-2005, 08:49 AM

1) VGA screen - I am wondering how much of an improvement in usable application real estate would I see over T5's 320x480 screen? For comparison's sake, T5's screen can display 8 columns by 18 rows of spreadsheet with Sheet to Go using the smallest font size at landscape mode. How many rows/columns can Excel Mobile display at 640x480 with the smallest text size? Any screenshots available?

QVGA (taken on a VGA device in Standard VGA mode):
http://www.winmobiletech.com/kuvat/Excel-QVGA.gif

VGA:
http://www.winmobiletech.com/kuvat/Excel-VGA.gif

Jason Lee

10-05-2005, 06:09 PM

as a new user i doubt he will want to bother with oz vga or se vga. a better screen shot might be in normal se vga mode with the zoom in excell set to 50% and perhaps the system font set to smallest from the control pannel.

fredng

10-05-2005, 06:48 PM

Thanks for posting the VGA screenshots, I'm totally sold on it being able to show more info than Palm's 320x480 screen. Now I guess the only concern remaining is the memory management. Do I need to shell out another $200 to upgrade the RAM to 128MB from PPCTechs when it becomes available?

By the way, is there any way to save an Excel spreadsheet as PDF or TIFF for online faxing via j2?

fredng

10-09-2005, 07:54 AM

Just to let you guys know, I finally broke down and bought the JASJAR from Expansys 2 days ago; I thought the best way to answer the questions in my mind is to try this gadget out myself! Thanks for all the help so far!