ZDNet UK First Take
Reports and inital impressions of new IT products
Monday 21 December 2009, 11:53 AM
PsiXpda
PsiXpda
Earlier this month I mentioned the PsiXpda in my personal blog. Now I have one and I’ve had the chance spend a little bit of time using it.
First impressions are mixed. Rightly or wrongly I’ve come to the device with a Psion Series 5 fan’s hat on, and from that stance the PsiXpda disappoints. I can confirm that it does not match the Series 5 for keyboard quality or pocket friendliness. I’ve had the two sitting side by side to test this. I’ve not tried it yet, but I’ll wager that battery life doesn’t match up either.
Putting those prejudices aside, I’m still deciding what to think of the PsiXpda.
The relatively bulkiness of the device means it can sport a 5-inch TFT screen with 800 x 480 pixels on offer. This is front facing, and slides up and is angled to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard.
Sticking with the screen for the moment, it is sharp and bright. I do, though, think that asking it to run Windows XP Pro is a tall order. Icons and menus are small, and I found it rather squint-inducing to work with the device for any length of time.
To the edges of the screen are various controls. On the right is a touch sensitive area that gives you cursor control, on the left a pair of mouse buttons. These worked well for me, and mean you can exercise fine control. The screen is touch sensitive too, which helps considerably particularly when you want to use the Psixpda without the keyboard on show. Ideally I’d like an operating system and apps designed for this screen size, but the cost of developing these is likely prohibitive.
As for the keyboard, again there are positive and negative points. It is flat rather than being made up of individual keys, which immediately disappoints in terms of the Series 5. It is too small to be used two-handed for touch typing (odd, as I can touchtype, albeit slowly, on the Series 5).
One or two of the keys on my sample require a smidgeon more pressure than the rest, which I found irritating to get used to. I hope this is an early sample glitch, and may seek a replacement if possible before writing a full review.
In comparison to the keyboards on smaller handheld computers, if the pressure sensitivity is ironed out this one should beat the best of them for usability, but it is not able to compete with a keyboard on an ultraportable laptop.
I’ve yet to slip a SIM into the PsiXpda and test its connectivity, or really delve into its potential as a fully useful pocket computer. But first impressions indicate I might have a love-hate relationship with the PsiXpda.
Sandra Vogel
Earlier this month I mentioned the PsiXpda in my personal blog. Now I have one and I’ve had the chance spend a little bit of time using it.
First impressions are mixed. Rightly or wrongly I’ve come to the device with a Psion Series 5 fan’s hat on, and from that stance the PsiXpda disappoints. I can confirm that it does not match the Series 5 for keyboard quality or pocket friendliness. I’ve had the two sitting side by side to test this. I’ve not tried it yet, but I’ll wager that battery life doesn’t match up either.
Putting those prejudices aside, I’m still deciding what to think of the PsiXpda.
The relatively bulkiness of the device means it can sport a 5-inch TFT screen with 800 x 480 pixels on offer. This is front facing, and slides up and is angled to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard.
Sticking with the screen for the moment, it is sharp and bright. I do, though, think that asking it to run Windows XP Pro is a tall order. Icons and menus are small, and I found it rather squint-inducing to work with the device for any length of time.
To the edges of the screen are various controls. On the right is a touch sensitive area that gives you cursor control, on the left a pair of mouse buttons. These worked well for me, and mean you can exercise fine control. The screen is touch sensitive too, which helps considerably particularly when you want to use the Psixpda without the keyboard on show. Ideally I’d like an operating system and apps designed for this screen size, but the cost of developing these is likely prohibitive.
As for the keyboard, again there are positive and negative points. It is flat rather than being made up of individual keys, which immediately disappoints in terms of the Series 5. It is too small to be used two-handed for touch typing (odd, as I can touchtype, albeit slowly, on the Series 5).
One or two of the keys on my sample require a smidgeon more pressure than the rest, which I found irritating to get used to. I hope this is an early sample glitch, and may seek a replacement if possible before writing a full review.
In comparison to the keyboards on smaller handheld computers, if the pressure sensitivity is ironed out this one should beat the best of them for usability, but it is not able to compete with a keyboard on an ultraportable laptop.
I’ve yet to slip a SIM into the PsiXpda and test its connectivity, or really delve into its potential as a fully useful pocket computer. But first impressions indicate I might have a love-hate relationship with the PsiXpda.
Sandra Vogel
Friday 18 December 2009, 10:18 PM
Toshiba JournE Touch
Look around the room at any meeting these days and you see the back of a lot of laptop screens, with as many people catching up on email as taking notes or doing relevant research. We've even met managers who go around the room shutting laptops to kick off the meeting.
Microsoft has long touted the idea that a tablet is more polite, more socially acceptable because it doesn't stop you making eye contact (and it's a little more obvious if you bring up your email). Although most of the interest in non-Windows tablet devices like the JooJoo (nee Crunchpad), the rumoured Apple tablet and Toshiba's JournE Touch (the only device that's actually shipping) has been for consumers, could tablets gain a place in business?
Probably (every other consumer device apart from the games console has); but the JournE Touch isn't ready to make that jump yet. To be fair, it's being targeted at consumer applications, as a simple browsing and video device for the home. The JournE Touch is a 7" tablet, running Windows CE 6.0 R3.
It's a reasonably capable device, built around an ARM 11 chipset, with an 800 x 480 pixel touch sensitive display. There's enough memory for applications and downloaded media, with 1GB of internal flash, and a SD card slot that supports up to 32GB SDHC cards (as well as USB host capability, which allows you to use USB storage with the device). There's no accelerometer for screen rotation, so you're left working in a wide-screen landscape mode. Even so, the metal case makes it feel solid, and the device is pleasingly curved, with ridges on the left side for a steady grip - so you'll be typing one handed.
With Windows CE's Internet Explorer Mobile 6, there's certainly scope for it providing access to most AJAX web applications - though only some of IE7's more advanced features have been included in its mobile cousin. Sadly the browser is let down by its input tools. The standard keyboard is small, and awkward to use, and in many applications (including the browser) input fields are replaced by full screen text entry panels, making it hard to fill in forms effectively. There's also limited support for media and rich-internet applications. Silverlight support is promised for a future update, and there's also scope for Toshiba to take advantage of the upcoming Windows CE version of Adobe's Flash Player 10.1. Built-in Flickr, YouTube and Picasa applications aim to replace web site functionality, though their look and feel comes from the JournE Touch's photo frame heritage.
There's some prospect for installing Windows CE applications, though at the moment Toshiba controls the only way to install applications: the device's online store. There is some scope for delivering business information via the built-in RSS reader, but it's much more a tool for information consumption than interaction.
There are Microsoft Office and PDF viewers for Windows CE; Toshiba hasn't included them on the JournE because it's aiming at the consumer market. A forthcoming ebook reader will add PDF support (as well as screen rotation and the open EPUB ebook standard). Although Toshiba has an online store for content, it hasn't yet decided whether third-party apps will be available through the store and there isn't currently a way to install extra CE apps yourself so you couldn't create a custom image.
Toshiba is considering business-oriented tablets for specific vertical niches, but the JournE Touch isn't a general business tablet - and with the current software revision, it struggles at being a consumer device. The €249 pricetag is too high for an occasional use office machine unless you’re a small business who also needs a photo frame that can display weather reports and RSS feeds and Facebook updates and double as an Internet radio player.
When Flash and Silverlight come along the JournE will be more interesting for running line of business apps on, but the price is still high when you could do all of that on a netbook that could also run standard Windows applications.
Simon Bisson
Microsoft has long touted the idea that a tablet is more polite, more socially acceptable because it doesn't stop you making eye contact (and it's a little more obvious if you bring up your email). Although most of the interest in non-Windows tablet devices like the JooJoo (nee Crunchpad), the rumoured Apple tablet and Toshiba's JournE Touch (the only device that's actually shipping) has been for consumers, could tablets gain a place in business?
Probably (every other consumer device apart from the games console has); but the JournE Touch isn't ready to make that jump yet. To be fair, it's being targeted at consumer applications, as a simple browsing and video device for the home. The JournE Touch is a 7" tablet, running Windows CE 6.0 R3.
It's a reasonably capable device, built around an ARM 11 chipset, with an 800 x 480 pixel touch sensitive display. There's enough memory for applications and downloaded media, with 1GB of internal flash, and a SD card slot that supports up to 32GB SDHC cards (as well as USB host capability, which allows you to use USB storage with the device). There's no accelerometer for screen rotation, so you're left working in a wide-screen landscape mode. Even so, the metal case makes it feel solid, and the device is pleasingly curved, with ridges on the left side for a steady grip - so you'll be typing one handed.
With Windows CE's Internet Explorer Mobile 6, there's certainly scope for it providing access to most AJAX web applications - though only some of IE7's more advanced features have been included in its mobile cousin. Sadly the browser is let down by its input tools. The standard keyboard is small, and awkward to use, and in many applications (including the browser) input fields are replaced by full screen text entry panels, making it hard to fill in forms effectively. There's also limited support for media and rich-internet applications. Silverlight support is promised for a future update, and there's also scope for Toshiba to take advantage of the upcoming Windows CE version of Adobe's Flash Player 10.1. Built-in Flickr, YouTube and Picasa applications aim to replace web site functionality, though their look and feel comes from the JournE Touch's photo frame heritage.
There's some prospect for installing Windows CE applications, though at the moment Toshiba controls the only way to install applications: the device's online store. There is some scope for delivering business information via the built-in RSS reader, but it's much more a tool for information consumption than interaction.
There are Microsoft Office and PDF viewers for Windows CE; Toshiba hasn't included them on the JournE because it's aiming at the consumer market. A forthcoming ebook reader will add PDF support (as well as screen rotation and the open EPUB ebook standard). Although Toshiba has an online store for content, it hasn't yet decided whether third-party apps will be available through the store and there isn't currently a way to install extra CE apps yourself so you couldn't create a custom image.
Toshiba is considering business-oriented tablets for specific vertical niches, but the JournE Touch isn't a general business tablet - and with the current software revision, it struggles at being a consumer device. The €249 pricetag is too high for an occasional use office machine unless you’re a small business who also needs a photo frame that can display weather reports and RSS feeds and Facebook updates and double as an Internet radio player.
When Flash and Silverlight come along the JournE will be more interesting for running line of business apps on, but the price is still high when you could do all of that on a netbook that could also run standard Windows applications.
Simon Bisson
Wednesday 16 December 2009, 2:35 PM
Toshiba Satellite Pro T130
Toshiba Satellite Pro T130
Toshiba’s Satellite T series of notebooks is all about CULV processing. There are two models in the range, the 13.3-inch T130 and the 11.6-inch T110, with the T130 coming in a Satellite Pro iteration designed for business user.
The Satellite Pro T130 is listed as an Ultra Mobile by Toshiba, though its 1.7Kg of weight actually seems a bit heavy for that category. The immediate drawback is the absence of an optical drive, but Toshiba says the CULV processor will deliver up to 11 hours of battery life.
There are three iterations of the Satellite Pro T130 currently listed at Toshiba’s Web site, ranging in price from £399 ex VAT to £549 ex VAT. The least expensive runs Windows 7 Home Premium, but the other two run Windows 7 Professional.
The mid-pricer has a 320GB hard drive. You have to drop to a 250GB hard drive to get to that 11 hour battery life claim – of the back of an Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500.
First impressions of the notebook are very positive. The keyboard feels fairly solid, the screen is sharp and clear. A full review is pending – and that will include a report on the battery life under real world conditions.
Sandra Vogel
Toshiba’s Satellite T series of notebooks is all about CULV processing. There are two models in the range, the 13.3-inch T130 and the 11.6-inch T110, with the T130 coming in a Satellite Pro iteration designed for business user.
The Satellite Pro T130 is listed as an Ultra Mobile by Toshiba, though its 1.7Kg of weight actually seems a bit heavy for that category. The immediate drawback is the absence of an optical drive, but Toshiba says the CULV processor will deliver up to 11 hours of battery life.
There are three iterations of the Satellite Pro T130 currently listed at Toshiba’s Web site, ranging in price from £399 ex VAT to £549 ex VAT. The least expensive runs Windows 7 Home Premium, but the other two run Windows 7 Professional.
The mid-pricer has a 320GB hard drive. You have to drop to a 250GB hard drive to get to that 11 hour battery life claim – of the back of an Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500.
First impressions of the notebook are very positive. The keyboard feels fairly solid, the screen is sharp and clear. A full review is pending – and that will include a report on the battery life under real world conditions.
Sandra Vogel
Tuesday 15 December 2009, 12:41 PM
Acer TravelMate Timeline 1820p
I’ve spent a couple of days with a European generic sample of Acer’s upcoming TravelMate Timeline 1820p, and I have to say I’m quite keen to get my hands on a final UK build.
The notebook sports an 11.6in. display and, unlike the versions of the 1820 currently at the Acer web site, it will run a more business-appropriate operating system than Windows 7 Home Premium.
My sample came in a rather nice deep blue, which I hope will be replicated in final units. More importantly, though, it's a convertible Tablet PC. Its screen is finger-touch responsive, and it incorporates a feature I’ve not seen in a Tablet PC before: a seriously touch-friendly alternative to Windows that Acer is calling the TouchPortal.
You get to this the TouchPortal by tapping a tab on the top right corner of the screen, and out of it by tapping at the bottom left. It offers you access to a range of multimedia elements which might seem more at home in a consumer notebook than a business-focused one. I hope the TouchPortal might be tweaked for the business focused version of this notebook so that you could, for example, run presentations from it, or view and create emails.
Still, as it stands, the dragging of elements to a central viewing screen, and from there making them full screen, works well as does the support for multitouch for pinch-to-zoom and rotation of images.
The only real problem was that I found the screen got very greasy very quickly. It is a perennial problem with touchscreens, but it can become a real issue.
That notwithstanding, I am waiting eagerly to see the final UK version of this notebook in January.
Sandra Vogel
The notebook sports an 11.6in. display and, unlike the versions of the 1820 currently at the Acer web site, it will run a more business-appropriate operating system than Windows 7 Home Premium.
My sample came in a rather nice deep blue, which I hope will be replicated in final units. More importantly, though, it's a convertible Tablet PC. Its screen is finger-touch responsive, and it incorporates a feature I’ve not seen in a Tablet PC before: a seriously touch-friendly alternative to Windows that Acer is calling the TouchPortal.
You get to this the TouchPortal by tapping a tab on the top right corner of the screen, and out of it by tapping at the bottom left. It offers you access to a range of multimedia elements which might seem more at home in a consumer notebook than a business-focused one. I hope the TouchPortal might be tweaked for the business focused version of this notebook so that you could, for example, run presentations from it, or view and create emails.
Still, as it stands, the dragging of elements to a central viewing screen, and from there making them full screen, works well as does the support for multitouch for pinch-to-zoom and rotation of images.
The only real problem was that I found the screen got very greasy very quickly. It is a perennial problem with touchscreens, but it can become a real issue.
That notwithstanding, I am waiting eagerly to see the final UK version of this notebook in January.
Sandra Vogel
Friday 4 December 2009, 10:18 AM
Windows Home Server Power Pack 3
It's been in beta since July 2009, but Microsoft has finally released the Power Pack 3 (PP3) service pack for its Windows Home Server (WHS) storage and backup operating system. This is an important and timely update as one its main features is the addition of full Windows 7 client integration.
With Windows Home Server-based products starting to appear in the small-business market (for example, the HP StorageWorks X500 Data Vault), it's worth briefly explaining these Power Packs.
Delivered via Windows Update, Power Packs are separate from any updates and service packs for the underlying Windows Server 2003 SP2 operating system on which WHS runs. Customers running WHS PP3 will not need to do anything to the server itself if automatic updates are configured, although the connector software on each client should be updated manually as this doesn't happen automatically. An automatic server reboot will occur after PP3 is installed. For those who have been trying out the beta, this will need to be uninstalled before the release version can be installed. Full instructions can be found at the official Windows Home Server blog.
Shared WHS folders are now integrated into Windows 7 Libraries
Windows 7 clients can now see the shared folders on the WHS machine integrated into the Windows 7 Libraries. The common shared folders (Photos, Music, Videos, Public, Software) are added automatically, but users' folders can also be added manually if desired. A new shared folder, Recorded TV, is added to WHS as part of the new integration with Windows Media Center on Windows 7 and Vista clients. This integration also allows automatic archiving of recorded TV content and optional conversion to several mobile video formats.
Windows 7 clients will wake up correctly for scheduled backups using WHS PP3
Fixes for Windows 7 clients include suppression of the Windows Backup warnings in the Action Center and correct implementation of wake-up for clients that are in sleep or hibernate modes during scheduled WHS backups. Windows 7 clients are also now correctly identified in the WHS console. Recognising the increasing popularity of netbooks, the WHS console now supports low-resolution displays (1,024 by 768 minimum).
On the server itself, the upgrade to Windows Search 4 is the biggest change. Microsoft claims this improves the speed and reliability of searches for users accessing the WHS machine via the remote access portal. It also adds support for indexing EFS-encrypted files.
Looking at the broader picture, this service pack could be an important milestone for WHS for business users. Much of its lack of success in the consumer market has been down to spectacularly poor marketing by Microsoft, compounded by serious problems with the original release. With this third round of fixes and enhancements, WHS should now be sufficiently stable and mature to attract a small-business audience — it certainly has features that are perfect for many small branch offices. Hardware manufacturers will no doubt be watching HP's toe-in-the-water activities closely.
Kelvyn Taylor
With Windows Home Server-based products starting to appear in the small-business market (for example, the HP StorageWorks X500 Data Vault), it's worth briefly explaining these Power Packs.
Delivered via Windows Update, Power Packs are separate from any updates and service packs for the underlying Windows Server 2003 SP2 operating system on which WHS runs. Customers running WHS PP3 will not need to do anything to the server itself if automatic updates are configured, although the connector software on each client should be updated manually as this doesn't happen automatically. An automatic server reboot will occur after PP3 is installed. For those who have been trying out the beta, this will need to be uninstalled before the release version can be installed. Full instructions can be found at the official Windows Home Server blog.
Shared WHS folders are now integrated into Windows 7 Libraries
Windows 7 clients can now see the shared folders on the WHS machine integrated into the Windows 7 Libraries. The common shared folders (Photos, Music, Videos, Public, Software) are added automatically, but users' folders can also be added manually if desired. A new shared folder, Recorded TV, is added to WHS as part of the new integration with Windows Media Center on Windows 7 and Vista clients. This integration also allows automatic archiving of recorded TV content and optional conversion to several mobile video formats.
Windows 7 clients will wake up correctly for scheduled backups using WHS PP3
Fixes for Windows 7 clients include suppression of the Windows Backup warnings in the Action Center and correct implementation of wake-up for clients that are in sleep or hibernate modes during scheduled WHS backups. Windows 7 clients are also now correctly identified in the WHS console. Recognising the increasing popularity of netbooks, the WHS console now supports low-resolution displays (1,024 by 768 minimum).
On the server itself, the upgrade to Windows Search 4 is the biggest change. Microsoft claims this improves the speed and reliability of searches for users accessing the WHS machine via the remote access portal. It also adds support for indexing EFS-encrypted files.
Looking at the broader picture, this service pack could be an important milestone for WHS for business users. Much of its lack of success in the consumer market has been down to spectacularly poor marketing by Microsoft, compounded by serious problems with the original release. With this third round of fixes and enhancements, WHS should now be sufficiently stable and mature to attract a small-business audience — it certainly has features that are perfect for many small branch offices. Hardware manufacturers will no doubt be watching HP's toe-in-the-water activities closely.
Kelvyn Taylor
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