Gadgeteer Reviews The K-Jam

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/i_mate_k_jam_htc_wizard_pocket_pc_phone">http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/i_mate_k_jam_htc_wizard_pocket_pc_phone</a><br /><br /><i>"When I bought my O2 XDA II Mini in February this year, I thought “Now this device will be a keeper for at least a year”. How silly of me. As soon as I started reading about the HTC Universal, I knew that was going to change. A device that had a built-in keyboard, WiFi and VGA was for me!! As the device materialized, I was very interested still, but the size and price were huge!! There was no way that I was going to spend on a PDA Phone what could be spent on a decent laptop. Besides that, there was also the size factor. When I got the Mini, I was exposed to the world of a small, all-in-one device that could do the duty of both my phone and PDA. Then I started reading about the HTC Wizard..."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2005/20051117-kjamreview.jpg" /><br /><br />The K-Jam is iMate's mainstream Pocket PC Phone, leaving the JasJar (Universal) to fill the top of the line user where size really can't be an issue. Read the review to see how Mitchell liked this quad-GSM band, EDGE enabled, WiFi blasting, bluetooth toting, keyboard carrying 1.3MegaPixel camera accessorized dynamo. Oh yeah, it has a light on the back too. A proverbial Swiss Army Knife of the phone world. :wink:

[scmidlap]

So how is it as a phone? :?: :?: :?:

[Ed Hansberry]

So how is it as a phone? :?: :?: :?:
Quite good IMHO. I have had no signal strength issues and its size makes it unembarrassing to hold up to your ear, unlike the PDA2K and JasJar. I still prefer the BT headset (I do so enjoy the strange looks I get in Wal Mart walking around talking :D) but this is a PPC Phone that can live quite happily without a headset.

[jngold_me]

So how is it as a phone? :?: :?: :?:
Quite good IMHO. I have had no signal strength issues and its size makes it unembarrassing to hold up to your ear, unlike the PDA2K and JasJar. I still prefer the BT headset (I do so enjoy the strange looks I get in Wal Mart walking around talking :D) but this is a PPC Phone that can live quite happily without a headset.

I agree 110 percent! :)

[Raphael Salgado]

Sorry if it's off-topic, but I am a K-JAM owner. After looking at the JASJAR up close, do you think we can start a petition for HTC to see that North Americans are looking for a version of the JASJAR that will have EDGE and 850MHz support? You can sign me up!

[martin_ayton]

Yeah, and another petition to include UTMS (G3) support on the K-JAM for us UK/European users with no use for EDGE.

Does anyone know of any UK carriers who sell this? O2 refuse to accept that it's on their line-up.

[JonnoB]

While there are a few quirks that I hope will get worked out, overall, my Wizard (Qtek 9100) has been the best converged device I have ever owned. I use it with the $20 T-Mobile unlimited data plan and I never feel disconnected. I am anxiously looking forward to the feature pack to come out sometime early next year hopefully.

[pocketpcadmirer]

Looks a bit thicker when compared to my mini..

Nokia communicator contender in other words....

[urologyhealth]

I think the size and battery life are really a big attribute, along with the other comments.

I even have been using my SONYERICSSON HBH 602 for calls, but also my Audiobooks come through it as well. I discovered that accidentally.

I'm having trouble with VOICE COMMAND it was working well and not "sticks" with some contacts and doesn't dial them after I say correct.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled without improvement

Anyone else having that issue?

[PdaAddict]

Can anyone explain why HTC decided to use OMAP 850 on Wizard and PXA 272 on Apache? My first Ipaq 3635 was clocked at 206MHZ. There is no way I would go from 312Mhz Xscale CPU on my Treo and 624 on my HX4705 to this bulky and slow (based on almost all reviews) device. Maybe HTC Prophet will be worth it.

[JonnoB]

Can anyone explain why HTC decided to use OMAP 850 on Wizard and PXA 272 on Apache? My first Ipaq 3635 was clocked at 206MHZ. There is no way I would go from 312Mhz Xscale CPU on my Treo and 624 on my HX4705 to this bulky and slow (based on almost all reviews) device. Maybe HTC Prophet will be worth it.

1) battery life
2) Mhz from one CPU type does not equal the same performance on another. Take AMD vs Intel vs PowerPC, etc.
3) The OMAP has a CPU core dedicated to phone function while the Intel CPU does not

[Ed Hansberry]

Can anyone explain why HTC decided to use OMAP 850 on Wizard and PXA 272 on Apache? My first Ipaq 3635 was clocked at 206MHZ. There is no way I would go from 312Mhz Xscale CPU on my Treo and 624 on my HX4705 to this bulky and slow (based on almost all reviews) device. Maybe HTC Prophet will be worth it.

I have been very pleased with the performance of the device. I don't play games though, so I can't speak to the stresses that would put on it.

[ctmagnus]

Cons:
...
No where near 128Mb ROM available (47.5Mb available to the user)

I was this close to considering this for my next device, until I read that only 47.5MB is available as storage. :(

[Damion Chaplin]

This is definitely my next device. As soon as I can afford it. :(

But this device would be THE ULTIMATE converged device if they had just put a VGA screen in it. The universal is just too big... I'll just live with QVGA for a while longer...

[JonnoB]

Cons:
...
No where near 128Mb ROM available (47.5Mb available to the user)

I was this close to considering this for my next device, until I read that only 47.5MB is available as storage. :(

A portion of the ROM is hidden as extended ROM. We are waiting for firmware hacks to make this a part of normal storage. It is otherwise, a waste of space IMO

[mmidgley]

I can live without VGA if the screen is 2.x" (small enough that the dpi probably approaches VGA on the larger displays).

BUT WHERE'S THE GPS!!! ARRRGHHG. I wouldn't even care if the Wizard was 1/2" taller or whatever to include GPS (for US$800 it should).

m. :evil:

[JonnoB]

I can live without VGA if the screen is 2.x" (small enough that the dpi probably approaches VGA on the larger displays).

BUT WHERE'S THE GPS!!! ARRRGHHG. I wouldn't even care if the Wizard was 1/2" taller or whatever to include GPS (for US$800 it should).

m. :evil:
BT GPS?

[MitchellO]

Glad you like my review. I am still loving my Wizard. The keyboard just increases its versitility 100%. I haven't been too bothered about the extra thickness, as I carry it caseless with a screen protector.

I have dropped it already though :( the battery came out. memory card, and slider slid open halfway but it didn't even dent!! only a few small scratches above the screen. Tough device!!!

[MitchellO]

I should also mention it plays games GREAT!!! I have played Anthelion, Anthelion 2 Beta, and the gfDoom port and they all run at full speed, not slow at all.

[MitchellO]

http://files.filefront.com/gfdoom_kjamavi/;4367282;;/fileinfo.html

Here is a video I took of my K-JAM running the gfDoom port. Its excellent, running at over 30fps!

I also reconfigured the skin file so that it would run in the same landscape as the keyboard (normally its the other way). The up/down/left/right keys on the keyboard control the guy, and the left softkey fires the weapon. right softkey opens doors, and messaging shows the menu. Tab shows the map.

I modified the default skin file so that it looks like this:

;Script file for default gfDoom skin.
;Many Thanks to 'Shapeshifter' for this skin.
;Modified by MitchellO for imate K-JAM keyboard
;To use landscape and keyboard, set the graphics quality to low. It will rotate the screen.

;make room for a titlebar
SCREEN_OFFSET 26

;postition the track-pad
TPAD 52 187 211 294

;set sensitivity 0-255
TPAD_SENSITIVITY 32

;on-screen buttons
BUTTON 48 80 0 26 SOUND
BUTTON 200 240 0 26 QUIT
BUTTON 0 50 188 212 WEAPON_1
BUTTON 0 24 214 240 WEAPON_2
BUTTON 26 51 214 240 WEAPON_3
BUTTON 0 24 241 266 WEAPON_4
BUTTON 24 51 241 266 WEAPON_5
BUTTON 0 24 268 292 WEAPON_6
BUTTON 24 51 268 292 WEAPON_7
BUTTON 53 186 187 210 FIRE
BUTTON 53 186 187 210 STRAFE
BUTTON 188 240 187 210 PAUSE
BUTTON 188 240 215 237 AUTOMAP
BUTTON 188 240 240 262 +SCREEN
BUTTON 188 240 267 290 -SCREEN
BUTTON 186 240 294 320 GAMMA
BUTTON 52 186 295 320 OPEN
BUTTON 0 51 294 320 RUN

;hardware buttons for K-JAM keyboard
GXHWBUTTON VK_UP RIGHT
GXHWBUTTON VK_DOWN LEFT
GXHWBUTTON VK_LEFT UP
GXHWBUTTON VK_RIGHT DOWN
GXHWBUTTON VK_A FIRE
GXHWBUTTON VK_B OPEN
GXHWBUTTON VK_B STRAFE

;key-code 13 = 'Return' key
GXHWBUTTON VK_A 13
GXHWBUTTON VK_C PAUSE

;Change landscape orientation to match K-JAM keyboard
LEFT_HANDED 1


http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4981/cimg4485small4ot.jpg

[biglouis]

I've made exactly the same transition and share your opinion about the versatility and improved functionality of the K-JAM over the JAM.

WM5 is a tad contraversial but for me it has worked reasonably well. I actually like the softkeys and am adapting to being able to use the device one handed which I could not with the JAM.

Until I had the keyboard I did not realise how useful it really is. Not all apps automatically switch into landscape mode when you open the keyboard, though.

And, of course, having in-build WiFi is a major bonus. I have not even bothered yet with setting up bluetooth.

The speaker phone actually works! Which it did not, at all, on the JAM.

Like you, my only concern is to get a decent case. With my JAM I never needed a different case as the supplied one was both compact and functional. I don't like the one supplied with the K-JAM. It seems to be a size too big which add unecessarily to the bulk and there is no cutout for the power cable!

A (so far) contented user of the K-JAM

LouisB

[MitchellO]

I too used the included case with my XDA Mini. It suited me fine. The case with the K-JAM is ridiculous as I said in the review. I have a PDAir metal case coming so will see how that goes.

May still resort to going caseless though. I find it really good not to have to take it out of something to use. Really increases the onehandedness of it.

[JohnJohn]

Excuse my stupidity...is this thing GSM or CDMA.

[Ed Hansberry]

Excuse my stupidity...is this thing GSM or CDMA.

The K-Jam is iMate's mainstream Pocket PC Phone, leaving the JasJar (Universal) to fill the top of the line user where size really can't be an issue. Read the review to see how Mitchell liked this quad-GSM band, EDGE enabled, WiFi blasting, bluetooth toting, keyboard carrying 1.3MegaPixel camera accessorized dynamo. Oh yeah, it has a light on the back too. A proverbial Swiss Army Knife of the phone world. :wink:

:D

[JohnJohn]

Excuse my stupidity...is this thing GSM or CDMA.

The K-Jam is iMate's mainstream Pocket PC Phone, leaving the JasJar (Universal) to fill the top of the line user where size really can't be an issue. Read the review to see how Mitchell liked this quad-GSM band, EDGE enabled, WiFi blasting, bluetooth toting, keyboard carrying 1.3MegaPixel camera accessorized dynamo. Oh yeah, it has a light on the back too. A proverbial Swiss Army Knife of the phone world. :wink:

:D


http://www.naxja.org/forum/images/smilies/doh.gif DOH!

Thanks,

[cshields1]

I can live without VGA if the screen is 2.x" (small enough that the dpi probably approaches VGA on the larger displays).

BUT WHERE'S THE GPS!!! ARRRGHHG. I wouldn't even care if the Wizard was 1/2" taller or whatever to include GPS (for US$800 it should).

m. :evil:
Dude, I would advocate against integrated GPS. I have friends with units that either have to place their GPS/PDA on the dashboard [GPS is most usefull in car for directions, etc.] or get an external anttenna. With bluetooth, I decided to buy a GlobalSat 3rd generation Bluetooth GPS receiver and software from Destinator. System rocks because you put the receive on your dash and the PDA in a mount holder you can see &amp; hear. Much like digital camera, for me, I wouldn't buy a PDA with a camera or GPS.
All the best

[MitchellO]

Yup, I'm not really fussed that it doesn't have GPS in it either. Would just make it larger and heavier. External GPS units would be much better anyway.