Posts Tagged ‘Windows Mobile’

• Techtangerine reviews the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1a

  Date: 2010.03.28 | Category: Reviews | Response: 0

   

   

  Sony Ericsson’s first attempt at a Windows Mobile smartphone may have not garnered much fanfare. But for those who do not live on planet iPhone, it remains a significant development. The XPERIA X1a brings out the best in Sony Ericsson hardware, while also highlighting the limitations of Windows Mobile 6.1 (and the XPERIA’s valiant efforts in overcoming them).

  The Good

  To start with, the XPERIA X1a is not a smartphone. Its more like a micro-netbook. It comes with a 528MHz processor (iPhone: 412MHz) and 256MB RAM (iPhone: 128MB). Its beautiful 800 x 480 resolution display (iPhone: 320 x 480) uses WVGA technology that is used in netbooks to render pages on small screens. Unlike the iPhone, the XPERIA X1a can be considered very well suited for multitasking.

  One of the main attractions of the XPERIA X1a is a keyboard that has not gone to the touchscreen. The phone features a thoughtfully crafted keyboard, complete with backlighting. In my opinion, a touchscreen keyboard can never fully substitute a physical keyboard, no matter how brilliantly made. And the XPERIA keyboard is near identical in layout to laptop keyboards (except for the numbers). There is nothing like the feeling of your fingers tapping qwerty while you only look at the screen. For basic functions, sliding out the keyboard is not necessary. The 6 buttons on the phone’s face, the “optical joystick,” and the touchscreen are more than sufficient.

  The Panels, which have been a major selling point for the XPERIA X1a have a lot of potential. Simply put, a panel is a fully customizable home screen. By default, Windows Mobile offers a customizable “Today” screen. But the customization options are limited. The XPERIA X1a comes loaded with several panels, and even more are available for download. Since the phone screen is the first point of interaction with the phone, using panels can change the way you interact with your phone. Panels allow creation of shortcuts to commonly used programs, display of RSS feeds and weather updates, display of calendar entries as well as unlimited color and wallpaper options. Sony Ericsson offers its Panel SDK for third party developers, which means a wide variety of panels will continue to be offered. The Panels have now ported over to other HTC WinMo phones too! The Panels allow overcoming some of the limitations of Windows Mobile 6.1. For example, instead of diving through a dizzying array of menus and windows to find different communication options, they can be made to appear on your panel/home screen. Initially, there was some lag when the panels were switched or when they changed to landscape mode when the keyboard was pulled out. But this appears to have been corrected in a Sony Ericsson update.

  

  The Goodies

  The XPERIA X1a comes loaded with Microsoft Office Mobile 6.1 (2007) which includes Excel, OneNote, Word and Powerpoint.  

  The XPERIA X1a also comes with Adobe Reader LE for mobile, that allows all the functionality of the standard Adobe Reader.

  For PIM fanatics, the XPERIA X1a allows for seamless synchronization with a Windows PC (Sorry Mac users). This can be even done over Bluetooth. Bluetooth on a typical Windows computer has the ActiveSync provision used by WinMo smartphones, allowing exceptionally seamless Bluetooth synchronization.

  A generic microSD card can be separately purchased to increase onboard storage space (Not possible on the iPhone).

  The XPERIA X1a can undergo a SIM unlock at the electronics boutique in your local Chinatown. Typical of GSM phones, the XPERIA X1a’s SIM locking mechanism is a hardware based permutation of the IMEI number. And I have been told that even a firmware upgrade does not revert the SIM lock. In contrast, the mean people at Cupertino have put a SIM lock on the iPhone that requires the original software to be “jailbroken” by a third party software, and re-jailbroken when a firmware upgrade is applied to the iPhone. There have been cases where jail breaking has caused the iPhone OS to act buggy. Initially, the XPERIA X1a was offered on Sony USA’s website unlocked! But this quickly came to an end, possibly from pressure from carriers.

  The 3.2 Megapixel camera comes with flash! Video recording capacity is only limited by the size of the storage card. Since Sony’s primary business is its Cybershot cameras, the camera has superior image quality. To catch a glimpse of the exceptional video quality produced, check this Youtube video.

  The bundled Opera browser allows for full screen browsing, and computer-like rendering of complete web pages. When browsing, tapping the stylus or pressing the volume button allows one to zoom in and out of web pages.

  The Not-so-Good

  Windows Mobile 6.1 was built for styluses and keys, not human fingers. And thus, the XPERIA X1a also comes with a stylus. This drawback is exceptionally noticeable when searching for contacts. You really need to whip out the stylus for performing this feat unless you are used to using the “optical joystick.” (The fix: purchase and download Touch Contact from the Windows Mobile Marketplace).

  Detractors may argue that a stylus has its own merits, and can save more time than thumbing a touchscreen. I would agree when it comes to taking handwritten notes. Nothing can be as fast as the stylus on a touchscreen. The XPERIA X1a features Microsoft Outlook Notes, that can be used to jot down freeform handwriting, sketches and diagrams.

  The XPERIA X1a can synchronize emails, contacts, notes, calendar entries and tasks ONLY with Microsoft Outlook, that is NOT included in the economical student edition of Microsoft Office. Unless you have Microsoft Outlook for Windows, you may be bereft of key synchronization options. Although you can still “browse” the phone from your computer (which iPhone won’t allow).

  When taking still images with the camera, the lack of a software based image stabiliser becomes apparent. Still images often turn out shaky. Lets hope they fix it in a software update.

  It should be noted that the XPERIA X1a comes with A-GPS, that is dependent on having a network based data connection. This is not an independent GPS device.

  The XPERIA X1a deserves care. While I do not have lab tests to supplement my claim, I am sure that Sony Ericsson, and its XPERIA maker, HTC, do not have as much of a reputation for ruggedness as Nokia. But with its replaceable battery, an XPERIA X1a may outlast an iPhone.

  Must Gets (and not-Gets) for new owners

  Windows Mobile 6.1 does not come with Windows Mobile Marketplace. You must manually download and install it to take advantage of Microsoft’s answer to the iPhone app store.

  The XPERIA X1a has an annoying tendency of its screen shutting off to save power, even during calls (ROM version 1.05.631.10; 04/23/2009). This can be corrected by installing a third party application called XperiaTweak, and customizing some options within XperiaTweak.

  WiFiFoFum is a free Windows Mobile application that estimates the approximate location of Wi-Fi networks in the vicinity.

  Do not uninstall the Windows Live program from your XPERIA X1a in favour of the one available on Windows Mobile Marketplace. The later versions no longer carry instant messaging because of carrier restrictions. Greedy carriers want you to use their own IM applications so that they can charge SMS rates per IM, even though IMs are not SMSs.

  The Wish List

  Without the bundled Opera browser, mobile browsing would be pretty much dead on the XPERIA X1a (Internet Explorer Mobile is suited for WAP sites, and cannot do the full page rendering Opera does). It would be great to use Firefox Mobile on the XPERIA X1a when it comes to Windows Mobile. 

  Given its premium price, users may expect Sony Ericsson to offer timely updates to the XPERIA X1a. While Sony Ericsson does provide timely updates to firmware, XPERIA-specific add-ons and Panels, they won’t be facilitating an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5. This is the part where you will miss the iPhone, which allows its all of its users to upgrade to the latest iPhone OS. Windows Mobile 6.5 will only be coming to the XPERIA X2. But why settle for Windows Mobile 6.5 when Windows Phone 7 is on the Horizon? Sadly, an XPERIA with Windows Phone 7 may never be (unless you know how to hack ROMs). Sadly, the XPERIA X10 has switched to Android because Google has managed to cuckold Sony Ericsson wireless carriers into doing so. In my opinion, Android has yet to grow up. And Android uses the controversial cloud computing model for PIM synchronization with Google’s online services.

  The Verdict

  The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1a is an ideal smartphone for anyone that has a beef with the iPhone’s smartphone capability. It has high performance hardware, boasts a physical keyboard, and according to some, is a stunner. The Panels are indeed a revolutionary concept that can change our interaction with smartphones. Because of its superior hardware, even the outdated Windows Mobile 6.1 fails to turn everything sluggish, and instead exceeds performance expectations. But it would be a delight to have Windows Phone 7 on the XPERIA X1a.

  Essential Links

  These are the links that both XPERIA X1a owners and potential owners can’t do without.

  The Official XPERIA blog: Finally, an official blog to refute/confirm claims of all the other blogs.

  PlayNow: Sony Ericsson’s website for its phone users, which features additional XPERIA panels available for download.

  The XPERIA X1a product website: Straight from the horse’s mouth.

  Freeware PocketPC: Tonnes of freeware for Windows Mobile.

  Jenn Lee’s 15 tips for new XPERIA X1a users: Covers some essential tweaking.

  Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1a @ Wikipedia: Nothing to be said.

  What do you think of the XPERIA X1a?

  • As good as Windows Mobile gets (for the time being)
  • Better than the iPhone
  • Not as good as the iPhone
  • Needs refinement
  • Not worth it without Windows Phone 7 OS

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• Which smart phone OS gives the best local PIM synching?

  Date: 2009.11.21 | Category: Mobile, Reviews | Response: 2

  For many people, a smart phone also doubles up as a personal information management (PIM) tool. A typical smart phone is expected to have at least an address book, a calendar, email storage and the ability to configure alerts and reminders.

  Many students and employees also use their email client software as a personal information management tool on their computers. Such smart phone customers want their smart phone to wholeheartedly synchronise with the personal information management software on their computer. But here’s where the limitations of the smart phone OS, the computer OS and the computer email client come into play.

  This table is meant to compare the PIM synching capabilities of different smart phone OS’s across different platforms and different email clients. Please note that PIM synching is different from a backup. A backup produces a single fat file that is meant to restore data back to the phone or another phone, in case the original is stolen. Also note that it is possible to carry out PIM synching using third party software not supported by the phone manufacturer, in addition to various hacks and tweaks. But this table is limited to computer software provided by the phone manufacturer. Because the aforementioned alternatives are generally beyond the means and capability of the average user.

  Online PIM synching that uses the cloud computing model is included in the table for reference purposes. In some cases, online PIM synching can in turn be synched with a local computer application. For example, An email message on a Windows Mobile smart phone can be synched with a Microsoft Exchange server via ActiveSync. And an email client on a Linux computer can download the message. Or, a calendar entry on a Blackberry can be synched with a Lotus Domino server and a Windows computer with Lotus Notes can download the calendar entry. Or, a contact entered into an iPhone can be stored online through the MobileMe service. And an Address Book on a Mac computer can connect to the Internet and download it. But unless the smart phone OS manufacturer specifies that this can be done with a particular program for a particular operating system, it will be considered unsupported and will not be given a check mark. Our focus is on one step PIM synching with a local computer (docking), which I consider true PIM synching.

  Some smart phone OS’s allow direct synching of files stored in the phones internal or external memory every time the phone is connected to the computer. But in most smart phones, these files are meant to be manually copied to the computer.

  Please note that the specifications listed in the table are based on a cursory review of information on the manufacturer’s website. Errors and Omissions are very likely (And I would appreciate if you bring them to my attention). In order to verify for accuracy, we did try to contact the manufacturers before publishing this post. This table is no substitute for an exhaustive analysis involving actual lab tests. And the specifications listed below tend to change by the month. Please consult the manufacturer before making any critical decisions.

  All cell phone OS names, symbols and logos are registered and copyrighted trademarks of their respective owners. They are reproduced here under the Fair Dealing provision of the Canadian Copyright Act.

  	iPhone OS	Windows Mobile	RIM OS	Android	WebOS	SymbianOS
  Local Computer Synching Platform	iTunes	Windows Mobile Device Center	Blackberry Desktop Manager	Some smart phone makers provide custom software but there is no consistency.	Palm suggests purchasing  third party applications for Windows and Mac.	Some smart phone makers provide custom software but there is no consist -ency.
  Windows
  Mac
  Linux
  What Gets Synched & which Desktop application it gets synched to?
  Emails		Outlook	Outlook Lotus Notes Mail Entourage
  SMS
  Contacts		Outlook	Address Book Outlook Lotus Notes
  Calendar Entries		Outlook	iCal Outlook Lotus Notes
  Tasks /To-Do		Outlook	Outlook
  Stickies/ Notes	Mail Outlook	Outlook	Outlook
  Bookmarks
  Music & Video	iTunes iTunes		iTunes iTunes Windows Media Player
  Files

  The table below indicates online PIM synching that in turn can be synched with Desktop applications (where officially supported by the manufacturer). Please note that with the exception of the Blackberry Enterprise server, online PIM synching is done through unencrypted transfers via the Internet. Cloud computing has its dangers.

  	iPhone OS	Windows Mobile	RIM OS	Android	WebOS	Sym-bian
  Online Synching Platform	MobileMe(sub-scription based service)	My Phone (free and premium)Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync (requires an exchange server)	Blackberry Enterprise Service (Paid service geared for a corporate IT department)	Android provides built-in synching functio-nality to several online Google services. But there is no emph -asis on desktop clients.	Palm allows users to export PIM information from their desktop applications using its Synergy feature. This information, along with information from several other major online services can then be accessed on the phone. The focus is on keeping information in the cloud, not getting it synched back to the computer.	Some smart phone mak-ers provide special servi-ces but there is no consis -tency.
  What Gets Synched & Which local application it can  be down-loaded to?
  Emails	Mail Outlook	My Phone offers online access & backup only. Exchange ActiveSync allows emails to be  synchronized to: Outlook Outlook.	Outlook Lotus Notes Mail Entourage	NA	NA	NA
  SMS		My Phone offers online access & backup only.		NA	NA	NA
  Contacts	Address Book Outlook	My Phone offers online access & backup only.Exchange ActiveSync allows contacts to be synchronized to: Outlook Outlook.	Address Book Outlook Lotus Notes	NA	NA	NA
  Calendar Entries	iCal Outlook	My Phone offers online access & backup only.	iCal Outlook Lotus Notes	NA	NA	NA
  Tasks /To-Do		My Phone offers online access & backup only.	Outlook	NA	NA	NA
  Stickies/ Notes			Outlook	NA	NA	NA
  Bookmarks	Safari	My Phone offers online access & backup only.		NA	NA	NA
  Music & Video		My Phone offers online access & backup. Files may be individually downloaded to computer.		NA	NA	NA
  Files	iDisk iDisk (all files)iPhoto(photos)Aperture(photos)iMovie(personal videos)	My Phone offers online access & backup. Files may be individually downloaded to computer.		NA	NA	NA

  Conclusion

  The iPhone OS gets commendation for its versatility. Apple has done an uncharacteristically good job at reaching out for the needs of non-Apple users.

  Windows Mobile is still trying to stick to Windows, and is truncating its user base in the process. And in typical Microsoft boorishness, Windows Mobile will only synch PIM information to Microsoft Office Outlook (NOT Windows Live Mail or Outlook Express). Mind you, Office Outlook is not included in the economical student edition of Microsoft Office.

  RIM OS is emerging as a force to reckon with, considering the fast developmental response of the people at Blackberry. Let us not forget that this is a relatively new company. I would not be surprised to see RIM OS to be the first smart phone OS to offer PIM synching compatibility with Linux, in the near future.

  Other small players have tried to sidestep local PIM synching by wholeheartedly adopting the cloud computing model. Cloud computing has its risks.