Pocket PC Dubai - i-Mate JAMin Review

Page 2: Processor & memory configuration, telephony, connectivity, data, software, and benchmarking

Processor

The JAMin uses the newer generation TI (Texas Instruments) OMAP (Open Multimedia Applications Platform) 850 processor clocked at 195 Mhz. Some interesting points about the OMAP 850 processor’s are mentioned below. I have highlighted some of the points that are of interest to me (and to you )

Diagram detailing the OMAP 850 processor

The OMAP850 is a single chip that integrates a ARM926EJ-S™ core for applications processing and TI’s EDGE digital baseband modem. It is intended for high-volume wireless OEMs and ODMs and is not available through distributors.

The OMAP850 includes all of the features of the OMAP850 and adds support for 128Mb or 256Mb of stacked mobile SDRAM. This makes the OMAP850 well-suited for space-constrained systems or for even smaller, lighter mobile device designs. It also consumes less power than traditional external memory configurations.

With this kind of flexibility, mobile device manufacturers can further reduce the size of high-end, next generation smartphone and wireless handsets. In addition to its space-saving features, stacked SDRAM offers the additional benefit of reduced power consumption - always an important consideration for mobile device designers.

The OMAP850 processor is an integral part of the TCS3500 EDGE chipset solution.

OMAP850 Features:

Low-Power, High-Performance CMOS Technology

Low-voltage 130 nm technology
1.1 - 1.5V cores, 1.8 - 2.75V IO
Extremely low power consumption: less than 10 µA in standby mode
Split power supplies for application processing, digital baseband and real-time clock enable precise control over power consumption
Optimized clocking and power management: Only two clocks required at 13 MHz and 32 kHz

ARM926TEJ Core Subsystem

ARM926EJ-S V5 architecture up to 200 MHz (maximum frequency)
16 kB I-cache; 8 kB D-cache
Java acceleration in hardware
Multimedia instruction set architecture (ISA) extension

EDGE Digital Baseband Subsystem

384 K-bytes internal SRAM
E-OTD and TTY support
Quad vocoder with EFR, FR, HR, AMR
GSM ultra-low power device (ULPD)
SIM interface

Application Subsystem

Supports all leading operating systems
DMA with 4 physical and 17 logical channels and a dedicated 2D graphics engine
Programmable GPIO keyboard interface
54-Mbps WLAN interface
Security acceleration in hardware:
- Secure bootloader
- 48 kB of secure ROM
- 16 kB of secure RAM
- Hardware acceleration for security standards and random number generator
- Unique die ID cell
- Third-party Security software library
Enhanced audio controller (EAC)
Comprehensive memory controller for interfaces to:
- 128 MB of mobile SDRAM
- 256 MB Flash
- NAND Flash controllers
- 1.6 Mb ISRAM
SD/MMC/SDIO interface
Enhanced Trace Module for debug
LCD controller
uWire
SPI
1-wire and HDQ interface
Bluetooth data/audio interface
USB On-the-Go
Two high-speed 3.68 MHz UARTs
Fast IrDA (FIR)
Two 32-bit timers
Parallel camera port
Programmable three-color LED pulse generation
I²C master/slave controller
SmartCard interface

289-ball, 12 mm x 12 mm MicroStar BGA™ Package

The TI OMAP processor is perhaps the most battery efficient processor available today. Not only has it penetrated the PDA market, but it will be soon visible in all high-end Nokia/SE phones in the coming years. Contrary to what people think, highest level of concern is based on the battery life of the device. Considering the fact that these high-end devices are targeted primarily at the corporate sector (who are invariably on the move), battery life becomes the primary factor deciding which device to purchase.

With the OMAP processors, although battery life is practically improved by almost 30%, processing speed is what had to be sacrificed. I have been using the JAMin as my primary device since I got it so that I can provide real-world observations rather than what is stated in the manuals. I have found that there is a considerable amount of loss in processing power in exchange for higher battery life. With extensive use, I can easily get about a day n a half’s use while I could only get about a day’s use with the Jasjar. This increase in almost 30% is well-appreciated, but the slow-down in task processing somewhat needs patience and getting used to.

I use GPS extensively and found that the JAMin is rather difficult to use as far as GPS is concerned. It takes almost 2-3 minutes in some situations to go through the menu’s to set a desired destination and another 2-3 minutes to process the route. Once it processes the route and begins navigation, everything works well.

Overall, if the device is intended for some basic light use, the speed difference is negligible, but if you are going to use it for heavy applications, then this device might not suit your needs. I have also found that video’s are a little choppy when played through TCPMP. The same video’s are fluid in the Jasjar and the PDA2k but somehow show pixilation and stuttering when played on the JAMin. This doesn’t occur all the time, just on and off, but that’s good enough to tell you about its graphics capabilities.

Memory configuration

The device comes with 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM as compared to its predecessors who had the exact opposite.

The 128MB ROM is divided into 2 parts:

1) OS + Extended ROM (around 84MB)

2) Storage (remaining 43.5MB as shown above

The 64MB RAM is 90% available to run programs. As with the earlier version of the OS, there is no longer a provision to alter the memory allocated between storage and program memory. Of the 64MB RAM, around 15MB RAM is used for running the OS while the rest (47.93 MB) is left for running installed programs. This is more than enough to do multi-tasking without hiccups.

This device will be appreciated worldwide in this aspect as it sports a Quad-band GSM chip i.e. it supports 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz networks. As I have mentioned in the preview, users in certain areas of US are compelled to use 850Mhz network, thus making their device options minimal. For instance, most people put off purchasing the Jasjar in the USA because of lack the 850 Mhz band (and EDGE). Well, you guys now have one more device as an option.

The fact that this device is Quad-band makes it a truly global device. Those travelling worldwide very often will find this little monster to be their perfect buddy. I say perfect buddy, not only because it is Quad-band, but also because it supports a wide-range of data options such as GPRS/EDGE and WLAN. Many will be glad to know that the JAMin supports WLAN b/g/e/i (e/i to be supported in future RU’s). Only thing missing here is UMTS but I’m quite sure that future models in the same lineage will eventually support this aspect as more and more networks are jumping onto the 3G bandwagon.

2) Bluetooth: Point worth mentioning here is that BT ver. 2.0 is supported but without EDR (enhanced data rate). Lack of EDR means you wont be getting high-speed transfers over BT. BT 2.0 is downwards compatible with all BT 1.x devices so your older BT headsets, BT supported notebooks and Dongles will work perfectly well with this device.

I paired a Sony Ericsson HBH-662 headset with it and the whole process was absolutely fluid.

Range was very good, around 7-8m after which a little bit of static was experienced. Again, only the number of the person calling was displayed. Unless MS alters the BT stack, I don’t think we are going to see name support in CLI. Just like other devices, A2DP support will be coming in the RU which should be available in the next 4-5 weeks. Pairing with the BT GPS was also very smooth without any problems whatsoever.

I use a Linksys router which is set to b/g. The JAMin connected very easily to the router, but found that the reception was not as good as the Jasjar. While my jasjar showed full reception, the JAMin showed only 70% which is good enough if you are close to the router, but once you start moving away, you are really going to wish you had that extra 30%

Since it supports b/g/e/I, with e/I coming in the future RU’s, it goes to show that the JAMin is ready for the future. However, with devices not having a shelf-life of more than a year, it doesn’t really matter what this device can do 2 years from now as by then some new technology would have already surfaced

Also known as E-GPRS or Enhanced-GPRS. EDGE technology is not offered by our telecom provider Etisalat here in Dubai which is why I will not be able to test real-world speeds. However, i suppose you can expect results similar to the i-mate K-Jam considering they are almost similar hardware-wise.

As you all are probably aware, the JAMin uses the newest OS i.e. WM5. The most important thing to mention here is the way WM 5.0 now handles memory. The device now comes with what is known as “Persistent Storage”. What this really means to you and me is freedom from mental agony due to data loss resulting from “hard resets”

Just to make things more clear, all the devices prior to WM 5.0 used RAM for storage of data. In a way this is good as RAM is fast, but also takes up a lot of juice and is rather dependent on battery power. If battery runs out, you have to bid adieu to your precious data. With persistent storage, you no more have to worry about re-installing data.

There is a new “device lock” function that they have added to the OS, similar to what we see in regular cellphones. You can see a screenshot below demonstrating the lock feature.

The most awaited feature with WM5 was the ability to Voice Dial through Bluetooth headset. This was first seen in the i-mate Jasjar and consequently in the K-Jam. It is not a standard feature of all WM5 devices. Cyberon voice commander is the program used for this purpose. This application has already been in the market since a couple of years but I suppose this is its true calling as it is now a part of WM 5.0. Not only can it voice dial contacts after recording voice tags but it can also access all the applications in the same manner.

It is extremely accurate and picks up words very well and in all the times that I tried, it only messed up 1% and that too because I was in a noisy surrounding. Those of you who are waiting for MSVC, well unless MS wants to lose out on its customer base, they better be working on an upgrade to MSVC ver.1.5.

Benchmarking

I have taken these benchmarks from a very prominent Asian Pocketpc website called Mobile01. Credit for these benchmark tests goes entirely to them.

I find these benchmarks very useful as they directly compare the Prophet to its main competitor i.e. the XDA Atom.

All in all, the Atom proves to be the device that comes out winning. However, the Prophet (JAMin) does not lag way behind and does prove to be a tad better than the Atom in certain tests such as Graphics and Activesync

Battery life:

Atom : 7 hrs 52 minutes

JAMin: 7 hrs 45 minutes

Its rather odd that the Atom proved to have a higher battery life in comparison to the JAMin which uses the highly battery-optimised OMAP processor. One of our PPCD team members Saad brought it to my notice that the reason the battery life on the Atom was more than the JAMin was because the Atom used a 1500mAh battery while the JAMin used a 1200mAh battery. Inititally I was a little baffled with the results as I expected the JAMin to have a longer battery life than the Atom, but Saad’s help brought clarity to this topic. Thank you Saad!

In any case, Intel processors are also battery-optimised as they use the speedstep technology. What does speedstep mean? Speedstep is a technology from Intel which allows the device to switch the frequency (by changing the bus ratio’s) and voltage of the processor. Speedstep technology was announced as a highly battery optimised technology and it aims to conserve battery life while providing maximum level of performance