Clinton Fitch Reviews the 02 XDA Atom

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.clintonfitch.com/reviews/o2/atom/default.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.clintonfitch.com/reviews...tom/default.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"With the explosion of Windows Mobile based devices in the past 24 months, it is challenging to find a device that is unique. After all, most of the current devices are developed by HTC and simply re-branded by the Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) or carrier. The challenge with this approach however is two fold. One, although the devices may be the same from different OEMs, not all of the devices have the same feature sets. This can lead to confusion in the marketplace. Secondly, if there is an issue that impacts a particular model, it is likely all of the OEMs and carriers will have that same issue. Seeing to have more control over the devices and the quality of them, O2 has developed the XDA Atom. This non-HTC device is developed in association with Quanta Computer Inc. (QCI) and provides a unique, full featured Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone in a powerfully small package."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/100_2631.jpg" /><br /><br />If you're considering the 02 XDA Atom, be sure to give Clinton Fitch's review a read.

[Ce]

Nice review, nice device, it even could replace my Loox 720.....but it's pricetag is almost an insult, to expensive. Almost 1000 dollar (820 Euro) in the Netherlands. I guess I just have to wait for the new HP RW 6800.

[PdaAddict]

I have XDA ATOM and have been using it for a few days. I went back to my Wizard as it has much better reception and call quality/volume. I did upgrade Atom to the latest rom but that did not do much to improve the call volume. Atom is definitely much faster and the screen is better but it lacks soft keys, which is another inconvenience. Bottom line, its going on ebay and I am sticking with my Wizard until Hermes comes out.

[Clinton Fitch]

I have XDA ATOM and have been using it for a few days. I went back to my Wizard as it has much better reception and call quality/volume. I did upgrade Atom to the latest rom but that did not do much to improve the call volume. Atom is definitely much faster and the screen is better but it lacks soft keys, which is another inconvenience. Bottom line, its going on ebay and I am sticking with my Wizard until Hermes comes out.

As I noted in the review, the cellular signal can be challenging at times. I think in my case it is down to Cingular in my area. I could go to other parts of the US and not have any issues with it at all.

The size of the Atom is what makes it for me - love it.

[WorksForTurkeys]

I'm entering this via my Atom, having upgrated from an QTEK 110. It works with T-Mobile's EDGE sevice and with my Netgear MIMO WiFi router (not many PDAs seem to handle WPA-PSK and it's varients - the Atom has no problem with either). It cost about as much as my XDA II originally. The best feature for me is the fantastic Quanta support: three major ROM upgrades since Dec 2005, and with each update the system gets faster, the memory allocation becomes more intellgently re-assigned, and the radio features become more stable. So far every customer community modification has been accomodated by Quanta literally monthly. And unlike Microsoft,Quanta's updates work without introducing additional new issues. For me, the Atom is the most satisfying and useful PDA / PDA Phone I've owned to date.

[aardvaark]

I bought the Atom in February. I had an HPIpaq H6300 but I thought it was too big. I also really wanted Windows Mobile 5. How wrong could I be. That Atom was the WORST pc phone I have ever had. The pc part of it was bad and the phone was a shocker. I received poor service from O2 when I needed it (took 1 week to reply to emails and 3 months before giving me an Imei number in order to register on their site and upgrade the ROM) and last week I got rid of it and bought the HP Ipaq RW 6828. The Atom needed a soft reset 2 or 3 times daily, the phone just stopped working without warning until resetting so missed calls and messages everywhere. The Ipaq is fantastic. Windows Mobile 5 is good too and I was almost put off by my experience with the Atom. The Ipaq is just as small and does not need resetting often at all. In fact only once so far. My advice - stay away from the Atom.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

...and last week I got rid of it and bought the HP Ipaq RW 6828. The Atom needed a soft reset 2 or 3 times daily, the phone just stopped working without warning until resetting so missed calls and messages everywhere. The Ipaq is fantastic...

That's pretty remarkable considering it's the same device. O2 ROM image maybe screwing up the works, or just bad luck and you got one with bad hardware?

[aardvaark]

That's pretty remarkable considering it's the same device. O2 ROM image maybe screwing up the works, or just bad luck and you got one with bad hardware?

I don't know too much about these things but I suggest HP fixed all the bugs before putting the pc phoneout there whilst Atom rushed it through or HP put it together better or something. I know the two are very similar but I can not believe they are exactly the same with different packaging. I'm not the only one who had a lousy experience - I have met 4 others who purchased it &amp; wanted to get rid of it before the week was out and the HP has none of the bugs - NONE.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Apart from a slightly different button layout, the O2 Atom and the HP RW68xx are identical in hardware and are made by the same company. The internal difference is of course the WM5 implementation and the extra software installed by O2/HP. My feeling is that Quanta has managed to fix the initial problems (notice I'm NOT mentioning HP or O2 here), and HP has benefited. Quanta is new to this game (previous iPaqs were designed and made by HTC), and getting so many things right so quickly despite the bad start sounds like we finally have a real competitor for HTC - and more competition can be nothing but good for us the consumers.