Phillip Dyson
05-10-2006, 04:00 PM
<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/Dyson_G500_Logo1.jpg" /><br /><br /><b>Product Category:</b> Pocket PC Phone<br /><b>Manufacturer:</b> <a href="http://www.etencorp.com/">E-TEN Information Systems Co.</a><br /><b>Where to Buy:</b> <a href="http://www.gbtmobile.com/phonedetails.php?pid=ETE003&affid=1">GBT Mobile</a><br /><b>Price:</b> $599.00 USD<br /><b>System Requirements:</b> Microsoft ActiveSync 4.x (for PC synchronization)<br /><b>Specifications:</b><li>OS: Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC;<br /><li>GSM Quad band 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz;<br /><li>GPRS Class B, Multi-slot Class 10;<br /><li>Polyphonic, MP3, WMA, WAV, AMR, AWB, MID, MMF, RMI, AAC ringtones;<br /><li>Processor: Samsung S3C2440 400 Mhz;<br /><li>Memory: 128 MB Flash ROM, 64 MB SDRAM;<br /><li>Display: 240 x 320, 65,536 colors TFT-LCD;<br /><li>Camera: Built-in, 1.3 mega pixels, 1280 x 960 pixels;<br /><li>Bluetooth: v2.0 compliant;<br /><li>Expansion: Mini-SD slot;<br /><li>GPS: SIRF Star III;<br /><li>TMC: Supported* (*Subject to change by region);<br /><li>Battery: 1440 mAh Li-Ion, rechargeable, replaceable;<br /><li>Dimensions: 119 x62 x23 mm;<br /><li>Weight: 191g.<b>Pros:</b><li>Built-in SIRF III GPS Receiver;<br /><li>Dedicated Soft Key Buttons;<br /><li>GSM Quad Band 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz;<br /><li>400mhz Samsung Processor.<b>Cons:</b><li>No EDGE;<br /><li>No DUN Bluetooth Profile;<br /><li>Navigation Software Not Included.<b>Summary:</b><br />One of the emerging trends with Windows Mobile 5.0 devices is the inclusion of built-in GPS. Enter the G500, E-TEN’s latest Pocket PC Phone offering. Being my second convergence device (the previous being the M500), I was curious to see if E-TEN was able to continue with their excellent track record. Did the G500 live up to my hopes and expectations? To find out you’ll have to join me on a review that every parent … er, Pocket PC owner should read.<br /><br />Read on for the full review!<!><br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>What's in the Box</b></span><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_WhatsInTheBox.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 1: Accessories included.</i><br /><br /><li>Car Charger;<br /><li>Car Mount;<br /><li>USB Sync Cable;<br /><li>AC Adapter;;<br /><li>Stereo Headset<br /><li>Leather Case.<br />The first thing I noticed when I unloaded the assorted accessories was the lack of a cradle. Of course that was before noticing the included car mount, and since GPS is the major focus of the G500, I was immediately consoled.<br /><br />Traditionally, E-TEN included a horizontal nylon case with a belt clip. With the G500 they opted to replace the nylon with leather. It was a nice touch and definitely adds a more masculine feel to the package. Perhaps somewhere there’s a demographic survey that said more men use GPS than women. I have no idea. But I digress. Being used to leather products from Sena Cases and Piel Frama, I found the included case disappointing. It was very stiff and added, in my opinion, unwanted bulk. But I’ll let you be the judge. Check out the photos below.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_Case_with_option_beltClip.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figure 2: Leather case with optional belt clip.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_in_Case_Side_View.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 3: Leather case - Side View.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_in_Case_Back_View.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 4: Leather case - Rear View.</i><br /><br />The back of the case leaves cut-outs for the camera and speaker.<br /><br /><span><b>The Main Attraction</b></span><br />Now for what you've all been waiting for...<br />I present to you the E-TEN G500.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_in_hand.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figure 5: E-TEN G500.</i><br /><br />While the G500 is similar in shape to both the M500 and M600, there is plenty to set it apart from its siblings. If you’ve ever visited E-TEN’s website you’d know that they emphasize style and function. From the black finish to the luminescent blue trim, the G500 does not disappoint.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_RightSide.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 6: E-TEN G500 - Right Side.</i><br /><br />The right side sports only the Mini-SD slot.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_LeftSide.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 7: E-TEN G500 - Left Side.</i><br /><br />The left side houses the camera button, volume slider, and small round button mapped to E-TEN’s voice command program, and the recessed soft-reset button.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_Top.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 8: E-TEN G500 - Top.</i><br /><br />The top of the G500 is a bit of the mystery. Underneath this flap is a gold colored port. Searching the included documentation didn’t reveal the G500’s secret.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_Bottom.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 9: E-TEN G500 - Bottom.</i><br /><br />The charging and synchronizing port.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/Dyson_G500_Stylus_port.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 10: E-TEN G500 - Stylus Port.</i><br /><br />As with previous E-TEN models, the stylus dock is on the bottom of the device.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_Back.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 11: E-TEN G500 - Rear View.</i><br /><br />The back of the G500 holds the camera lens and loud speaker.<br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>A Bit of Perspective</b></span><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/Dyson_M500_and_G500.JPG" /> <br /><i>Figure 12: E-TEN M500 and G500.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_on_E830.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 13: E-TEN G500 and Toshiba E830.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_E830_G500_SMT5600-2.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 14: Toshiba E830, E-TEN G500 and Audiovox SMT-5600</i><br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>We've Seen the Form, Now to the Function</b></span><br /><br /><b>System Information:</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_System_Information.jpg" /> <br /><i>Figure 15: System Information.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_Memory_Config.jpg" /> <br /><i>Figure 16: Memory Configuration.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_GetToKnow.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 17: Getting to know your Pocket PC.</i><br /><br />I could spend a lot of text describing the layout of the controls, but a page from the Quick Start guide seems to do it justice.<br /><br /><b>Windows Mobile 5.0:</b> Microsoft’s latest Windows Mobile version has been the subject of much debate. Is it progression or is it regression? My first experience with WM5.0 has been very favorable. The soft keys weren’t as intrusive as I had originally feared. In fact I took to them quickly when navigating the built-in applications. <br /><br />I only had a few complaints. The first being I wish I could customize the default selections, especially on the today screen. While ‘Contacts’ for one key is perfect, the second key set to ‘Speed Dial’ is useless to me. I would much rather map it to ‘Call History’.<br /><br />The second, being the missing ‘New’ button. Without it, creating new documents or PIM objects becomes dangerously close to being a hassle. There is no way to create anything without first opening the corresponding application. That’s however many clicks to open your application, then depending on the layout of the apps controls, however many steps to get to the ‘New’ option.<br /><br />The third, being the Contacts search capabilities, which are woefully inadequate for a phone. It does provide an accelerated linear search while HTC is usually kind enough to provide text search capabilities in their devices. If you’re purchasing a device from another manufacturer, then you should consider 3rd party products like SBSH’s ContactBreeze.<br /><br /><b>Usability: </b> The G500 was a perfect fit in my hand. No matter whether I was holding it in my right or left hand I was able to reach any button on the device. Score 1 for one-handed navigation. Score 2 is the fact that E-TEN has graciously provided two dedicated soft key buttons. In the words of Little Red Riding Hood, this guy was just right. Not too big to be awkward against the face, and not too small to render the touch screen unusable. Part of me wished for another pair of application buttons, but I know that would only add to the phone’s length. So I make do.<br /><br />The buttons are quiet and recessed. E-TEN’s creative use of the blue piping provides a contour that guides the finger to the proper position for each button. Each button does give a satisfying tactile feedback when pressed.<br /><br />The G500 is definitely pocketable, though whether it's shirt pocketable may depend on what you’re wearing. At a whopping 191g, its presence is noticeable in any shirt. In a dress shirt pocket, I found the phone thumped against my chest when I walked fast. And I always walk fast. Putting this phone in the pocket of a knit polo would surely result in a stretched pocket. However, any pants pocket was comfortable.<br /><br /><b>Performance:</b> I didn’t run any fancy benchmarking software to see if the G500 performs well. Besides from what I’ve read in a few forums the opinion is the results of such benchmarking are subject to a lot of debate. But I did run it stock for a couple of weeks without any additional software or plug-ins and what I can say is that the Samsung processor performs well. Even coming from a WM 2003SE device with a 520mhz processor, I found the G500 very responsive. With the exception of the initial startup of any given application, I didn’t notice that much of a difference in speed. <br /><br /><b>Battery Life:</b> With moderate to heavy usage (including synchronization set to every 30 minutes), I found the battery life to be decent. By the end of the day I would have two out of four bars remaining. That being said, not charging nightly would be risky. For extended travel, carry an extra battery or your charger.<br /><br /><b>Bluetooth:</b> The G500 includes the Headset, ActiveSync, Exchange vCard, and FTP services. My biggest disappointment is the lack of the DUN profile. So there’s no tethering with another PDA or my laptop to provide Internet access. I was, however, able to use the FTP service to transfer files between my Toshiba e830 and the G500. Setting up a headset profile was easy enough.<br /><br />Just one item of note, the Bluetooth always starts up in discoverable mode. Okay, there are two items of note. The Bluetooth manager uses the owner information for identification as opposed to the actual Device ID in the About settings.<br /><br /><b>Conversation: </b>I did find that in conversations the volume was very low and some people consistently complained about echoing on their end. I spoke with representatives from E-TEN and they recommended adjusting the gain control under the microphone settings. Unfortunately, lowering this setting affected the echoing only slightly.<br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>GPS: Taking it to the Streets</b></span><br />Anyone purchasing the G500 is certainly most interested in the built-in GPS. When I went to start reviewing this part, I was surprised to realize that E-TEN opted to not include any navigation software in the package. I’m not sure what the reasoning behind this decision was. Perhaps it was a cost control decision, or perhaps the complication of providing software compatible with a world wide distribution was difficult. I really can’t say. For some people this may be a negative, especially if they don’t already have software on hand. It wasn’t a huge problem for me since I’ve been using Mapopolis for sometime and I’m quite happy with it. Even compared to some of the other software on the market, I always come back to it.<br /><br /><b>Software:</b> Installing Mapopolis onto the device, of course, was no problem at all. I then went to the GPS applet under settings to configure the receiver. But after 20 minutes of trying to get Mapopolis to recognize and start the GPS receiver, I begrudgingly returned to RTFM mode (kiddies ask your parents for translation). To my surprise, there's nothing in the CD manual about it. So, back to trial and error. Finally after setting the GPS Program Port to COM4, Mapopolis was able to find it. Now we’re in business.<br /><br /><b>The Car Mount:</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/DYSON_G500_in_Car_Mount.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 18: G500 in the car mount.</i><br /><br />Installing the car mount was easy once I realized that the arm bends. :oops: It was only a matter of picking a spot, securing the suction cup and attaching the holder for the G500. The mount is stable and the holder maintains a tight grip on the device. In fact the grip for the Pocket PC became a point of concern for me. Moving the G500 in and out of the holder is a two-handed effort in and of itself due to it being a snap in type of holder. There were times when I was worried about scratching the G500’s finish trying to remove it. If I had my choice, I would probably opt for a holder with adjustable side grips, making it easy to put the device in and take it out. Running into the grocery store? No problem... grab the phone and go.<br /><br /><b>Navigation:</b> But what you really want to know is, can it get you to where you want to go, right? For my test I decided to match the G500 up with my dynamic duo: the Toshiba e830 and the GlobalSat BT-338 GPS receiver. Both running Mapoplis with the Maryland and DC maps and all of the same settings.<br /><br />Okay, off we go...<br /><br />For this contest, I decided to take my combatants to work and back. The trip was a mixture of me following the GPS, and forcing them to re-route. To my surprise, it was like getting directions from identical twins. I mean it was freaky. Nearly 95% of the time, the voice prompts were in unison. Even the chimes signaling that a step was completed were usually together. When standing still I noticed that the distance count down to the next step may have varied by at most ten feet. Rerouting was in sync as well.<br /><br />There was one strange situation when one device wanted to turn right at the next intersection and the other wanted to turn right at the one after. Both intersections were considered major roads so I wasn’t too worried. Later I found out that the G500 was running Mapopolis v4.7 and the e830 was running v4.6. Maybe there was some change in the navigation algorithm. Or maybe there was a ghost in the machine.<br /><br />I should also mention that the external speaker was loud and clear. I didn't have any problems understanding the voice prompts.<br /> <PAGEBREAK> <br /><span><b>Conclusions</b></span><br />In a market largely dominated by a single device designer, namely HTC, the G500 stands out with its unique and innovative style. But it’s not just a pretty face. E-TEN’s decision to continue including the Samsung 400 mhz processor helps to ensure that you get a responsive experience. And as the first Pocket PC phone to include the SIRF Star III chipset, you can be sure that there’s no need to compromise on GPS performance to enjoy the convenience of convergence.<br /><br />The echoing during phone conversations did get annoying. I've gone so far as to ask someone from my insurance company if they hear it. And they did. I suppose it's possible that it's my particular device, since I've searched other forums and found no mention of this problem.<br /><br />So, if you’re looking for a convergence device with built-in GPS, then the G500 absolutely belongs on your short list.<br /><br /><i>When Phillip is not leading his software development team at work, he enjoys reading Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, tinkering with Heighliner (his home-made PVR) and keeping up on the latest in news about tech toys... uh ... tools.</i>