Copyright 1970-2005 PriceComparison.Com Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:41:32 -0500 PriceComparison Top 50 Most Popular Products http://www.pricecomparison.com/ http://www.pricecomparison.com/ http://www.pricecomparison.com/images/pricecomparison140.gif 19 140 yudie@pricecomparison.com (Yudie Gunawan) andrew@pricecomparison.com (Andrew Nurcahya) en-us 1 24 Sunday Saturday http://www.pricecomparison.com/pr_review.php?rev=10072 Review of the Treo 700W Microsoft Windows Mobile based Palm TreoIt iscalleda SmartPhone. It is indeed smart maybe the smartest cellular phone ever made. Previous to the Treo 700W the Treo 650 was already packed with features. Adding the Microsoft Windows Mobile OS to the Treo has improved its features and usability. The Treo 700W is jam packed with useful features such asthe amazing Today screen that delivers current information and one click access to key Treo features, ability to synch your email and calendar over the air, Word, Excel and PowerPoint document editing, a 1.3 Megapixel camera, broadband download and more.We will review and explain briefly about its features of the Treo 700W along with its pros and cons. We will start with its main features such as broadbank-like speed, wireless email, web access, thumbable QWERTY keyboard and plays rich digital multimedia.Under the hood, the Treo 700W is powered by Intel 312Mhz processor, 128MB memory, 240x240 color touch-screen LCD. It connects to 1800/1900 CDMA cellular signals. It also has bluetooth wireless connectivity. Treo 700W also has a 1.3 megapixelsdigital camera supporting up to 1024x1280 resolution and 2X zoom.PROS: Some of the best features of Treo 700W are: - Internal CDMA broadband support right out-of-the-box- Has QWERTY keyboard layout- Decent digital camera with 1.3 MP- SD card expansion slot- works with many popular CDMA celluar phone provider may need to be unlockedCONS: Missing and bad features of the Treo 700W are:- No built-in Wi-Fi or wireless connection capability need SD wifi card- QWERTY keyboard is too small- Battery power, talk time and stand-by time is less than normal phone.- Display is not as good as competitor BlackBerry.Overall the Treo 700W is an improvement to its already very popular sibling the Treo 650. It is a very useful all-in-one device which I am sure will continualy improve over time. We believe the Treo look is very popular and has set the standard for the all-in-one cell phone just as the Apple iPod has set the standard for mobile MP3 player. http://www.pricecomparison.com/pr_review.php?rev=10069 Apple iPod photo There are just some things that were meant to be great. Ive often thought Steve Jobs, you know the Apple Computer guymight be one, but I know the iPod is greatness. This review shines the spotlight on the continuation of a product destined to be a culture icon for our generation. An item people will return to when they want to know what the new millenium was all about. Ive heard those from other countries say the only good thing to come out of America was sex, drugs, and Rockn Roll. Well I guess we just continue the trend, because we gave the world the iPod, and Ive been watching everybody play catch up since. Thank you Steve. Lets look at the specs.Type:Hard Drive Player Interface:Hi-Speed USB 2.0, FirewireDigital Storage:40GB or 60GB hard diskWeight:6.4 ozDimensions:2.4 in x 0.7 in x 4.1 in Battery:Lithium ion Rechargeable Battery Life:15hours estimated Formats:MP3, WMA, AAC, MP3 VBR, Audible, AIFF, Apple LosslessAudio Output:StereoDisplay:LCDBackLight:YesHeadphones:Ear-budSupported OS:Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP Home, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Apple MacOS X v10.2.8 or higher Well we have to agree that this new version of the iPod isnt a revolution for Apples little prince/princess. Its like it went shopping and bought a little more expensive outfit. Those new features howeverare whats worth focusing on here, so that we note who the iPod photo is really a good match, because beyond that you have to remember this is an iPod. Pop Culture good? Its all in the screen. The iPod photo sports full-color, 16-bit, 220 x 176 resolution screen in whopping 40GB and 60GB capacities. The iPod has a makeover with a clean white background, extremely vibrant blue liquid scroll bars, battery indicator that changes from green to yellow to red, and with a higher resolution screen the text is crisp and uses a cleaner font than youll find on older models. Shes ready to hit the club! Youll also be able to see more text per menu due to the higher resolution. Of course, this will come at a cost 499 for the 40GB and 599 for the 60GB, but were not focusing on that right now. Were looking at the bright side! While Apple isnt the first to introduce such a unit with these new features added, the iPod photo is poised to deliver what it hasnt done to date, which is not to just hold but hold and display pictures on screen and up to 25,000 of them. Not only on screen but by using the supplied dock or AV cables, you can display photos on the television. But how well does all of this work? Apple requires you to use iTunes version 4.7 or higher to import all photos. The good part about this is that all pictures are pre-processed to create three images a thumbnail for 5x5 album viewing, one optimized for regular viewing, and one for television viewing. What does this do? It optimizes the ability for you to scan photos in the iPod without having to endure slow loading times that may be experienced on similar models by other manufacturers. You can use albums to create slideshows, andthe iPod photo not only allows you to edit the slideshow settings but also specify music to play along. with the addition of an optional remote, there are some very practical applications for this beyond just some simple fun. Photos definitely look great considering the screen size. The iPod photo is packed with goodies in its now reknowned cubic box as it should be with its pricetag, and it screams iPod again. What you dont receive with the trimmed down 4G 4thGenmodel has returned that being a belt-clipped carrying case, a soft carry bag, USB and FireWire data cables, white earbuds, and a glossy white power supply. Also new is the iPod photo Dock, which has all the features of Apples audio Dock line-out audio port, Dock Connector port but also contains a S-Video output port on its right rear side. And last but not least, a long white AV cable that plugs into the iPod photos headphone jack and outputs both audio and RCA composite video to any television. This cable is beautiful, because in your hand out of thecube you now have a portable jukebox. Plug this thing into a surround sound system and bam! Let the roof off. Is that all? Well yes except the fact you also get the same great features that make the iPod an audio player first and foremost, and it is truly what makes it the applein the eye of most audiophiles. Its everything you love about the past 3G, 4G, and mini models. Compatible with MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF, and Audible files, you also get what I love the mostand no iPod review can go without mentioning. The Click Wheel. I like to refer to it as Wheel Power! We all need to exercise a little wheel power every now and then, but for those of us who own an iPod, its at our thumb. Yeah...its a beautiful thing. Pop Culture bad?For one, its thicker. The addition of a larger Lithium Ion battery probably is the contributor to this. But its necessary for the color screen and maybe even faster processors. The larger battery also doesnt mean it has the same battery life as theolder models. Its rated at 15 hours of battery life, but depending on usage playing audio with no backlight yields around 10 hrs and 3-5 hrs in slide-show mode with backlight on. The other only true disappointing factor and a rather big one is that you have to use iTunes to import photos for viewing on screen or on television. This means you cant simply transfer files from a memory card through peripherals, drag straight to the iPod, etc and see them instantly. For serious photography enthusiasts and professionals, it makes this device not optimal for photo viewing. The only qualm I have about this is that it starts to put the iPod photo features into the novelty category. And I dont usually approve of this. You cant charge me a premium just because you think your device does something cute. But I believe that there is a enough real world application that it can appeal to more than just iPod enthusiasts. Pop Culture Conclusion Like it always seems unless its the first of its kind theres no reason to rush out and buy the iPod photo. Apple has designed it to be competitive in that area with other devices such as the Archos Gmini400. But maybe you already have a 4G model or an iPod minithatsuffice for you. if you still have a 3G then UPGRADE! But if you dont have an iPod and you like the iPod photo features or you are an enthusiasts who likes the iPod photo, you cant go wrong with this model. Apple has left themselves room to improve, and of course, I wish the photo model was a little more graphically enhanced with more photo capabilities. But thanks to Steve Jobs we have something to look forward to. It does come at a price and there are cheaper options, but if you have never owned an iPod, you dont quite understand. People,who do own one, revere the unit as not just stylish but iconically stylish in efficiency and fuctionality. Not just efficient and functional but its done so gracefully in a way the we know will last forever. The cheaper ones may work but they will be forgotten unlike the iPod. Someone once told me the iPod kind of gets in your soul. It becomes a definite part of life. It can be obsessive. Youll spend more time copying music than listening to it. Youll pick it up just to exercise a little wheel power. So maybe it does.. but get one and be the judge for yourself then youll understand.OVERALL RATING OUT OF 10: 9.0 http://www.pricecomparison.com/pr_review.php?rev=10061 HP IPAQ h6315 Pocket PC Phone Edition If you watch NFL football, you know what an expansion team is. You also know that generally speaking the first couple years of an expansion team are riddled with minor success and major hurdles. Well I wouldnt equate HPs leap into the smart phone market on the same level as creating an NFL expansion team, but their new HP IPAQ h6315 seems to face a lot of similar stifling obstacles. If you know what people want, why dont you give it to them? Well I guess thats like asking quarterback to make that 90 yard Hail Mary. Lets Look at the Specs.Specifications for HP IPAQ h6315 div.review tdborder-bottom:1px solid DDDDDD;Band :Quad-band GSM/GPRS Data:GPRS, Integrated WiFi WLAN 802.11b, Bluetooth, and IRDASize:76 x 48 x 44 mm Processor:Texas Instruments OMAP 1510 Weight:6.7 oz Battery:200 hours standby time estimated Life:4.5 hours talk time estimatedMain Display:3.5 in TFT active matrix,16-bit, 240 x 320 pixelsSub-Display:NACamera:640x480 resolutionVideo:NoMessagingMMS, SMSEmail:YesBrowser:YesMemory:64MB RAM, 64MB ROM HP takes a real risky dive off into the deep end here by distinguishing their new Pocket PC by adding the Phone Edition to the end of the name. Its not exactly what I would have chosen to distinguish my entry into the smart phone market. Maybe they could of called it a HERO, but they didnt and its probably a good thing. Ill probably say this again, but the IPAQ h6315 will appeal to those who like its style and form of functionality, but I believe itlacks something to win a larger majorityof users.So what will you like if you are a Packer fan?The h6315 is application packed on a Windows Mobile 2003 Phone Edition platform. Whatever you need, youll probably be able to get it for this device. Whats also great about the application features is being able to manage different wireless connections and have different profiles. This baby is connected, and HP does it well. With IrDA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and quad-band GSM/GPRS capabilities, you are in wherever you go. Want to hit the local Wi-Fi connection or let it roam? Its no problem with HPs revamped Wireless Manager. Talk on the phone through a Bluetooth headset and do some emails too. You wont be disappointed with the h6315s wireless capabilities. It has a few stylish design features that some will appreciate. The h6315 has rubberized sides that influence and increase the ease of grip. Its has a myriad of buttons on the side that function far better than any protruding wheels. The battery life is above and beyond on the h6315. It boasts an 1800 mAh Lithium-Ion battery, which will offer around 4-5 hours talk time, 7-8 hours PDA usage and around 200 hours standby. I believe this is accomplished by design since the IPAQ uses a slower Texas Instruments OMAP processor that runs at 168MHZ. The h6315 comes with a neat snap-on keyboard that is functional. This will appeal to some people and turn off others. Those who dont mind carrying around the little keyboard in case the need arises will find it appealing. But nobody is going to leave the keyboard attached as this removes the h6315 from the pocket pc category. Do you think you can keep up with that little keyboard in case you need it? Not for those of us who travel streamlined and dont carry around a ten pound briefcase. Just when somebody needs that little bugger sure enough they will have left it at their desk or at home. So what might you not like if you are a Packer fan?The h6315 does come with a camera, and it does function again slightly better than your typical camera phone. From my perspective, its still a novelty. We all would like to have it replace a digital camera to some degree and given the MSRP of the device I dont think its unreasonable to expect a little more from it. You have no other option but to use T-Mobile. T-Mobile has great coverage in certain major metropolitan areas and select others, but beyond this, you are out of luck. Also, the PDA can run rather slow with multiple applications running, and as mentioned above, I think this contributes to the great battery life because the h6315 is running on a slower processor. Of all the great features and functionality of the h6315, there is a major flaw that stands out. The phone has been designed to function as a good PDA, and a solid cell phone that has plenty of talk time. This is from a functionality stand point. Ergonomically I wouldnt want to use this device as my cell phone any more than I want to go back to audio cassette tapes. This comes down to personal opinion and preference, and everybody will differ. But I think and you can comb around the web and see similar responses that most people find the h6315 cumbersome to use as a phone. It is cumbersome to dial without the keyboard, but I left that at home. And it feels awkward having the LCD held up to the side of your head. I feel like Im holding a toaster to my head, or Im in the 80s walking around with jambox on my shoulder. Its nit picky as some will say, but at 599 and strapped with T-Mobile, guess what? I get to be as picky as I want. So did the Packer score a touchdown?Id have to say its a field goal. It is very well designed on a functionality basis. Its a great PDA and a solid cell phone. If you understand the trade offs in that the PDA function will be a little slower and the cell phone side will lack some ergonomics, you wont be disappointed. And youll be able to judge if you are the kind of person it appeals. But that group will only be certain people. It will include those that dont mind carrying around an extra keyboard just in case the need arises. Admit it! You know if youre the type of person that would just lose this or break it. It will include those who are fanatic about getting their PDA and cell phone into one efficient device even if it means you look like youre jamming to your favorite 80s rock. Finally, you dont mind T-Mobile. Unfortunately many people will not answer yes to all these and that means as whole this isnt a device that can appeal to masses. So the Packer stopped just short of the goal line. Maybe its just not feasible to make a solid PDA that makes an ergonomicallypleasing phone at this time. This may simply be the case, and in such, its not for everybody. Pros: Great application base, 4 built-in wireless technologies, solid functional design, one of the best in battery life for todays smart phone market. Cons: Camera is a little sub par, processor is a little slow, only cell carrier option is T-Mobile, ergonomics will turn many people awayOVERALL RATING OUT OF 10: 7.5