UMPC and UMPC size devices are becoming more common these days and with the successes of the Asus Eee PC platform lots of manufacturers are coming up with similar products.
HP Compaq announced the Mini-Note range a little while ago and these ultra-small form factor laptops look like being a real winner.
There’s a lot crammed in to the 2133, there’s a 120GB hard drive, 1GB RAM and an awesome 1280×768 display that has got to be one of the sharpest TFT’s I have ever seen!
Below you’ll find my brief unboxing video, which will give you a some idea of the size of this neat little device, while Mark prepares the review which should be online in a week or so.
HP 2133 MiniNote unboxed
HP 2133 MiniNote specification:
Operating System: Windows Vista or Linux Desktop
Processor: VIA C7-M ULV Processor 1.2HGz
Memory: 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM, 667MHz
Internal Storage: 120GB
Display: 8.9-inch diagonal WXGA (1280 x 768)
Graphics: VIA Chrome 9
Audio: High Definition Audio, stereos speakers, integrated stereo microphones
Wireless support: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g, b/g, optional Bluetooth 2.0
Expansion slots: (1) ExpressCard/54 slot, Secure Digital (SD) slot
Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, VGA, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet
Input device: 92% full-sized keyboard, touchpad
Dimensions (H x W x D): 3.3(at front) x 27 x 16.5 cm
Weight: 1.2 kg
Power: 6-cell (55 WHr) or 3-cell (28 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery
With the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC it is possible to have true portable computing power. The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC weighs from just 1.2 kg, yet features an 8.9 WXGA scratch resistant display, 120 GB hard disk drive and a 92% full-size keyboard. Wireless LAN 802.11b/g is included along with Bluetooth and a 56K modem for total connectivity while on the move.
In addition the HP Compaq 2133 Mini-Note PC has a simple refined design, and is durable due to the complete aluminium casing, which also results in a lightweight product.
Aiptek is a brand name that I only recently came across. They are probably a little better known in the USA than on this side of the pond.
The other day I got my hands on the Aiptek AHD Z500 Plus HD Camcorder to have a look at. The Z500 is a budget HD Camcoder that records up to 1080p on SD or SDHC memory cards.
The RRP of the Z500 is £250 which ir pretty amazing for and HD camcorder and so far I have been very pleasantly surprised by both the quality and specification. The HDV21X has a 5 megapixel sensor which can record up to 30 frames per second at 1080p or 720P at 60 frames. You’ll be able to record up to 8 hours of 1080p video on a 32GB SDHC card. As for still images, the Z500 shoots at 8 megapixels and even sports a macro mode for both video and still. Also on board is a 3x optical zoom, CIF mode for easy YouTube uploads and a 2.4-inch swivel-mount TFT LCD
Does this all sound too good to be true? Well you’ll have to come back in a week or so for Nick’s review of the Z500 and we’ll also include some sample footage to help you make up your own mind!
For now you can have a look at the unbox video below:
Aiptek AHD Z500 Plus unboxed
Aiptek AHD Z500 Plus HD Camcorder
Aiptek AHD Z500 Plus Specification
● 1440 x 1080 H.264 Video @30fps
● 1280 x 720 H.264 Video @60fps
● Personal Media Player & Recorder
● Up to 8 Mega Pixel Digital Camera
● .MOV Video Format
● 3x Optical Zoom w/ Auto Focus
● 2-inch Macro Zoom
● Flash w/ Red Eye Reduction
● Night Shot
● LED Lights
● HDTV Component Output
● 2.4″ Swivel-Reversible LCD
● Easy Charging via AC or USB
● 32GB SDHC Card Slot Expansion
● Remote Control Included
The MWg Zinc II is a feature-rich Windows Mobile 6.0 pro device with a built in sliding QWERTY keyboard. On the face of it the Zinc II looks like a decent alternative to the HTC TyTN II.
Take a look at my unbox video below to discover a little more about it and come back soon to read the full review.
If you were to take a look at the images of the Celio Redfly below you’d probably be forgiven for thinking it was just another small laptop PC. However the Redfly is described as a ‘Mobile Companion’.
So what does that mean? In the simplest terms the Redfly connects to a Windows Mobile device and brings the WM experience to a larger display with the added benefit of a full QWERTY keyboard and trackpad. On it’s own the Redfly can do nothing more than display a mouse pointer on the screen but once connected to a Windows Mobile device it takes on the appearance of a Windows Mobile powered laptop.
Setting up the Redfly to work with your WM device is a breeze. Al you have to do is install a small piece of software on you mobile and then connect the two with a USB cable. Have a look at my unboxing and demo video below to see the Redfly in action.
Celio Redfly unboxed and demonstrated
Celio Redfly Specification:
Size: 25.4 x 152.4 x 228.6mm
Weight: 900 grams
Battery life: 8 hours with USB connection
Display size: 8" – 800 x 480 pixels
OS Compatibility: Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0 & 6.1
Ports & Connectors: VGA port, 2 x USB 2.0
Smartphone via Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
Mouse Compatibility: Standard USB mice
Keyboard Compatibility: Standard USB keyboards
AC Charger: Output 9VDC, 2.5A
USB Flash Drives: Standard USB Flash drives appear on Smartphone System
GENERAL
As I mentioned above, the Redfly looks like a small laptop similar in size to the Asus Eee PC. The outside is covered in a dark red metallic finish that reminds me of and old Nokia phone I had years ago. The whole thing weighs just 900 grams.
The Celio Redfly
Opening up the Redfly reveals a full QWERTY keyboard and a large, although strangely shaped, trackpad. The trackpad is really wide but not very tall.
Redfly Open
The keyboard itself has a number of keys that mirror specific functions on the Smartphone. There are keys for email, homescreen, phone functions, internet, comm manager, etc.
Redfly Keyboard
On the rear of the Redfly you’ll find a number of connectors. These include a VGA connector so that you can hook the unit up to an external monitor or projector. Two USB 2.0 sockets that can be used to connect to the Smartphone device itself, to plug in external keyboards and mice or to plug in external flash drives. Finally on the back is the socket for the AC adapter in order to charge the unit.
Redfly Connectors
REVIEW
I’ve only had access to the Redfly for a short period of time so have not had the chance to give it a full, real-world road test but I’ve had a couple of days to try it out.
Initial set up takes only a few minutes and requires the download and installation of a small bit of software on the Windows Mobile device. On the Celio website you’ll find a list of supported devices with optimised drivers for each model. Many popular models are listed but the HTC Touch Diamond isn’t there (yet) however, you can use drivers from other models and they seem to work ok.
You need to connect using a USB cable initially ad within a few seconds you’ll see the display from your WM device on the Redfly. The display isn’t stretched on the Redfly, instead you get extra screen space. Once connected you can then set up Bluetooth so that you don’t need to use the USB cable to connect in future.
I tried the Redfly with my HTC TyTN II and HTC Touch Diamond both using the AT&T Tilt drivers. As you can see from the video, the homescreen isn’t displayed perfectly on the Redfly with either device. I suspect that this is very much down to the TouchFlo interface on both devices. The Diamond is worse in this respect, probably due to the VGA native display, TouchFlo 3D and the lack of native drivers.
Once past the homescreen though both devices work fine. Using email, Word and Excel is great on the Redfly screen as is viewing a PDF document. Internet Explorer also works quite well but Pocket IE doesn’t render webpages faithfully. I did try to use Opera on the Diamond but when connected to the Redfly Opera refused to launch which might again be driver related. For most business tasks such as email, calendar and contacts the Redfly works perfectly.
To me the Redfly seems like a great idea – A small and light laptop style device that connects to my WM device and gives me a laptop size screen and keyboard. All sounds great until you consider the cost of the Redfly. At a little under £310 it seems a little steep when you can buy a full laptop PC for a little more (or less in the case of the Eee PC) and still use your WM device as a 3G modem for connecting to the internet.
I guess there are other benefits to consider with the Redfly though. First of all there are no drives or other parts that can fail causing a loss of data. The Redfly doesn’t need upgrading or replacing, when you get a new Smartphone the Redfly will adopt all of it’s abilities. The Redfly is also secure – it someone steals it they don’t steal your data. Also find me a laptop that will run for a few days without charging as in practice I’ve yet to charge the Redfly beyond the initial charge when I first received it a few days ago.
CONCLUSION
The Celio Redfly is a novel idea and an excellent solution for those mobile professionals who use a compatible Windows Mobile smartphone and would like to travel light while needing a bit more capability than is offered just by that one device. However, the Redfly doesn’t really offer any new functionality to the WM device beyond being able to connect USB drives. I appreciate that you get a nice large display and a full QWERTY keyboard but for me if I had to carry just one device it would be a small laptop rather than the Redfly.
That said, a stripped down laptop isn’t the right solution for everyone, there’s a big group of people who don’t want to go to the hassle of maintaining a full laptop unless they have to, and the Redfly is good option of many of them, especially if they like the idea of 8 hours of battery life.
A few months ago I was lucky enough to be invited to a press preview of the Polaroid PoGo. The PoGo is a very cool gadget allowing you to print your digital photos instantly and it’s small size means you can just about get away with putting it in your jacket pocket for printing anywhere.
I was very pleased to receive my review model a few days ago and have been using it a lot already. As a keen photographer it means I can instantly print proofs or snaps to give away at events. It has certainly been popular at a few parties I’ve been to, and everyone wants to try it out!
So for those of you that want to see exactly how the PoGo works I’ve recorded an unboxing and demonstration video for you.
If you are a regular visitor to tracyandmatt you’ll know that we’ve reviewed several Panasonic Lumix cameras in the past. This Limix DMC-TZ4, is one of a new breed of digital compact cameras hitting the market with a massive 10x optical zoom (28 – 280mm).
There is something of a compromise associated with the excepional zoom though, the TZ4 isn’t the most compact of compact cameras and is also a little heavy. I’d say it’s on the limit of what I would be prepared to put in my packet versus put in a bag but you have to consider the trade off between zoom and size.
This is our unbox video and we’ll be back soon with the full review.
The LG Secret (LG KF750) was released a few months ago and it’s proven to be a popular phone. This will be the third LG device that we have reviewed recently so I am keen to see what this high-end non-Windows Smartphone is capable of.
The Secret is certainly a good looking phone and one that you’ll probably want to show off to all of your friends. There’s a touchscreen and built in touch panel with haptic feedback, it seems that more and more phones have some element of touch screen action these days.
Here’s our unbox to have a look at while we’re getting the review sorted:
The SanDisk Sansa Fuze will be the third in a line of portable media player devices that we have reviewed from SanDisk. In the past we have reviewed the Sansa e270 and the Sansa View. The Fuze is their new baby offering similar features to the previous models but in a smaller, neater package and with a claimed 24 hr playback battery life.
The Fuze has a 1.9″ 220 x 176 pixel display (not 240×320 as I stated in the video) and definitely has an iPod Nano look to it. I’m reviewing the 2GB model which is a bit low in capacity for me but there are 4GB and 8GB models available. The 2GB variant retails at a reasonable £55.
Im working on the review at the moment so for now, here’s my unbox video:
SanDisk Sansa View unboxed
SanDisk Sansa Fuze specification:
2GB internal flash memory (4 & 8GB model available)
1.9” 220 x 176 Colour TFT screen
FM Radio
Built in microphone for recording
Expandable MicroSD/SDHC™ card slot for additional storage
MPEG4 and WMV video support
Battery Life: MP3 playback 24 hours, Video playback 5 hours
About a year ago we reviewed the Nokia N800 internet tablet. John was quite impressed with the device but one of the things he felt it was lacking was a QWERTY keyboard.
Howerver, Nokia recently released a new internet tablet, the N810, which includes many enhancements, including a full sliding QWERTY keyboard.
Other enhancements include a faster CPU, newer OS and better software support. On top of that there’s built in GPS and Sat-Nav software which, on that hi res screen, promises to provide a quality navigation solution.
As always, were reviewing the Nokia N810 at the moment but for now here’s our unbox video:
Nokia N810 unboxed
Nokia N810 Specification:
Internet Tablet OS: maemo Linux based OS2008
High-resolution 4.13” WVGA display (800 x 480 pixels) with up to 65,000 colors
400MHz TI OMAP 2420 CPU
128 Mbytes RAM & 256 Mbytes Flash ROM
2GB internal memory
Built-in VGA Camera
MiniSDHC Compatible memory card slot (up to 8GB)
Bluetooth® 2.0
WiFi: 802.11b/g
Built-in GPS receiver
Integrated QWERTY keyboard
High quality stereo speakers and microphone
Continuous usage (display on, wireless LAN active): up to 4 hours, Standby time: up to 14 days
It’s been quite a while since we last reviewed a Toshiba device, the last one was the Portege G900 which met with a mixed reception last year.
The Portege G710 is the latest Windows Mobile device from Toshiba and I am going to be reviewing it over the next few weeks. I’m particularly interested to see how well the built in GPS works.
As always, here is our unbox video for you to look at while I get the review written up:
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