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i-Mate PDA-N Review - Page 1

By: Saravana Kumar Paulraj

April 28, 2006

 

 

Page 1  |  Page 2

 

Page 1: Introduction, Specifications, Contents in the Package, Ergonomics, Accessories, Photos & Comparison, and Software List.

 

Introduction

We have watched the release of many Smart-Phones and Pocket-PC-Phone devices from i-Mate. Even that had various varieties in them (am I over doing in praising iMate). i-Mate never failed in entertaining us, by releasing as varied products as possible. The delayed ROM upgrades and response is something we need to forget in this place.

This includes the revolutionizing PDA2k to the jazzy JAM to the jumping JAMin to the Big Daddy JASJAR, this time i-Mate has brought a device in the market for people who will use it as a PDA with built-in GPS.

This is the first i-Mate Pocket PC without a built-in phone but it is the first with built-in GPS.


First things first

The device (toy as referred by Docc) is played for just 2 weeks; as a result, we might have missed few things. Please post your queries and questions, which we will try to answer and explore.

Couple of sections following this will just give the facts of the device. Please continue to the next section, where I have given my observations.




Specifications

(Details as in the product sheet… same story as in i-Mate site. This is for the dudes who come and ask read the specs, when the images take time to download)

Platform

  • Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Edition

    Dimensions

  • 109 mm x 59.4 mm x 17.6 mm
  • Weight 126g – with battery

    Processor

  • Samsung 300 Mhz

    Memory

  • 128 MB embedded Flash ROM
  • 64 MB embedded SDRAM

    LCD Module

  • 2.8" 240 320 pixel resolution
  • 64K colors transmissive TFT-LCD
  • LED backlight support
  • Sensitive touch Screen

    Hardware Button & Switch On Side

  • Connection Manager / Voice recorder button (long press)
  • Power On/Off Button
  • Reset Switch
  • One 5-way navigation pad
  • 2 Soft-keys to navigate within Windows Mobile 5 environment
  • 2 User-Configurable buttons. First may be set to satellite navigation launch. Second button minimizes all applications and returns to Today Screen

    On Bezel

  • One 5-way navigation pad
  • 2 Soft-Key
  • 2 programmable AP Buttons
  • GPS Launch
  • GPS launch button (when GPS is embedded, press button will start/stop both GPS HW and SW at same time)
  • Today
  • Today button (when GPS is embedded, press button will return to Today’s screen)

    Notification

  • One Bi-color LED for PDA notification, PDA charging status
  • One Bi0color LED for in the second lend for Bluetooth (Blue) / WiFi(Green) and GPS(Orange) status

    Audio

  • Built-in microphone
  • Loud Speaker
  • Stereo earphone/mono earphone + microphone hack (3.5 MM)
  • Full duplex
  • Audio sampling rate
  • 16-bits with 8KHz, 22KHz, 44.1KHz

    Interface

  • One infrared port IrDA SIR
  • One SDIO/MMC card slot
  • One Audio jack (3.5 mm)
  • MiniUSB connector

    GPS

  • Embedded GPS antenna
  • Support NMEA 0183 version 3.0 or above
  • WAAS-enabled, 20 parallel channel GPS receiver
  • Acquisition time
  • Hot Start 8 seconds, typical TTFF
  • Warm start 60 seconds, typical TTFF
  • Cold Start 120 seconds, typical TTFF
  • GPS Accuracy
  • Position: < 15 meters, 95% typical
  • Velocity: 0.05 meter/sec steady state
  • WAAS Accuracy
  • Position: <5 meters, 95% typical
  • Velocity: 0.05 meter/sec steady state

    SatNav Software

  • The SatNav software which have been tested to work with the PDA-N are
  • CpPilot V6.0.1.22
  • Destinator V5.1.86.36 CEv8
  • TomTom Navigator 5, V5.210 (5430)

    Stylus

  • Lock Type Mechanism

    Power

  • Battery
  • 3.7 V, 1100 mAh
  • GPS mode: > 5 hrs
  • Standby time: > 200 hrs
  • WMV playback: 8hrs
  • WMA playback: 12 hrs
  • Battery recharge time: < 4 hrs
  • AC Adapter
  • AC inpu: 100-240v, 50/60 Hz
  • AC Input current: 0.2A max
  • AC output: 5v/1A

    Device-to-Device connectivity

  • Infrared IrDA SIR
  • Bluetooth v1.1

    WLAN

  • IEEE 802.11 b complaint
  • WLAN Antenna: internal
  • 11, 55, 2 and 1 Mbps per channel.
  • Encryption: 64-bit, 128-bit WEP standard data encryption
  • WPA authentication

     

    Contents in the Package

    Just a list of contents is given here for reading. More details will come in respective section.




    1. PDA-n with stylus (should be included in the package isn’t it)
    2. AC Adapter - Wall unit charger

    3. Battery for the device
    4. Car Charger

    5. Car Holder

    6. Carry Pouch/Case

    7. Extra Stylus

    8. Getting Started CD
    9. Headset (Stereo)

    10. USB Cable for synchronization and USB charging

    11. User Manual and guides

    12. The full Set

     

    Ergonomics

    Ok, all blah blah is over now. Let’s come to business with the device. Having given such an introduction to the article (iMate in general), it should be clear that I am really impressed with the PDA-n. The elimination of the PHONE, which has removed the Answer/End buttons.

    Don’t get confused with the image shown below. Few are taken from the user manual, which shows the ‘Phone Signal Indicator’. Never mind, the graphics creator had an extra late night working that day Big Grin






    Front Up

    Just one button, on the top for power On/Off (like hitting the nail on the head). The indicator LEDs are placed on the power button itself (you got to see this in action). Thank GOD, for saving the space. The top left over part is well covered by the text markings that make the device look ok.




    Front Below

    4 buttons (of course programmable) below the LCD screen aligned nearly. This is followed by the 5-way navigation pad. The navigation pad is not left alone. This has the speaker near it.

    I later learned that the two buttons used as soft keys, that is the button to select on option on the screen. This gives easier actions without the stylus.




    Left Side

    The left side has just one button (of course programmable) which by default is the connection manager + voice recorder. The left side has the IrDa module also (located similar to as in the PDA2k). That ends the left side.




    Right Side

    No buttons in the right side. Neat and tidy.

    One thing I have to mention here. The right side is so flat that I can keep the device standing in landscape mode (see the image above, I took no efforts to make the device stand in that position). So, watching some movies was fun.

    Top

    The top part has the SD Card slot (similar to as in the PDA2k and other devices). A slot in the top can be used to put the thread-accessories for mobiles. The stylus (simple) is placed in such a way that it can be slid and removed from the top.

    Bottom

    Bottom part is covered with the mini-USB connecting part and reset button. The device comes with the 3.5 mm Way to go audio port. So, no need for converters etc. Simple stereo headsets will be enough for audio listening (I tried to connect this as audio input to my PC, which was not a problem at all. Of course the audio was good).



    The above is just a description along with the images. It really speaks on the design aspect of PDA-n.

     

    How It Looks & Feels

    Light Weight! Light Weight!! Light Weight!!! Rock On Dude!

    Yes, the removal of ‘phone’ from the device has done the magic (though this is not a plus for everyone). So light in weight and so thin (better, in fact great performance). It simply slides in the pocket. Literally it is comfortable to carry in the shirt pocket itself. The device passed the sit-ups-test-in-pants-pocket.

    The screen is just 2.8” just below the PDA2k and same as the other small screen device from i-Mate (JAM etc).

    Perfect positioning of the buttons and the controls makes the device easy to use.

     

    Accessories

    It comes with the regular accessories as written in the contents package above. But, I made this section just to highlight the positives and negatives in them.




    Car Holder

    The one given with the device is simply straight. It is the simple type that can’t be folder or twisted for usage. Result, it could possibly be used only in 4x4 vehicles, where the front glass is straight.

     

    Carry Case / Pouch

    This is much better than the regular ones we got for PDA2k. Just 1 thing the i-Mate designers should have re-considered is, to remove the stylus when the device is in the pouch is near to impossible. So, I have to slide the device out from the pouch, take the stylus and then slide the PDA back. WHY WHY??






     

    Ok, its time for some photos

    Photos & Comparison

    The images will talk for itself.

    But still I will have to speak my mind Wink PDA-n is definitely SMALLEST of all (the ones I had selected) and the design part makes it elegant and professional.

     

    Top View: From Left-to-right. i-Mate PDA2k, ETEN G500, i-Mate PDA-n


    Side View Left: From top-to-bottom, i-Mate PDA-n, ETEN G500, i-Mate PDA2k


    Side View Right: From top-to-bottom, i-Mate PDA-n, ETEN G500, i-Mate PDA2k


    Side View Tops: From top-to-bottom, i-Mate PDA-n, ETEN G500, i-Mate PDA2k


    Side View Bottoms: From top-to-bottom, i-Mate PDA-n, ETEN G500, i-Mate PDA2k


    Software List

    Here again, few snapshots of the software list. This will talk for itself.


        


    Games: i-Mate has decided to push in one more games than usual. Have fun.



     

    Camera

    There is no camera in the device. So you can go for a separate digital camera if you need one. Business customers would require a device without camera however it is one of the main requirements for a lot of people when buying any device.

     

    Continue on page 2

     

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