|
|
|
|
|
|
ViewSonic V36 Pocket PCI purchased my first Pocket PC device back in 1999 and though it was the greatest gadget I had ever purchased. It was a Compaq (I don’t remember the model number) and was a grey scale device running Windows CE 2.11. Eventually I upgraded the unit to 3.0 and used the device without fail every day. My, how these devices have grown up. My current Pocket PC is from ViewSonic and is an excellent choice for users wanting a low budget but high optioned Pocket PC. Running on Windows Mobile 2003, the V36 has all of the standard features of all Pocket PCs but incorporates a digital camera in a small, light weight package. At a price of only $299 US, it is difficult to ignore this device. Out-of-the-box, the v36 comes with a customer replaceable Lithium-Ion battery that provides an estimated 10 hours of use. The battery life is a little short of this but can be extended depending on if storage cards are used as well as the power setting of the unit. I will cover these more in detail later. In the box is also an AC adapter as well as a USB synchronization cable along with CD containing the ClearVue Presentation software and Microsoft Active Sync. Unfortunately the synchronization cradle is an option on the unit which does make sync’ing a bit cumbersome as cables get jumbled on ones desk in a hurry. As with all Pocket PCs, Microsoft Active Sync is used for the synchronization software and the latest version, 3.7.1 does an excellent job. The unit itself is lightweight at only 4 ounces including the battery and is slim in design. This design truly makes the unit a pocket sized unit. It has a brilliant 320x240 transflective display which is easy to read in any light including outdoors. The unit comes with the standard Pocket PC quick access buttons which are programmable. These buttons by default link to Calendar, Tasks, Contacts and Today. The unit also has a 4-way directional pad, speaker and microphone on the front. The stylus has a storage slot at the top of the unit with SD expansion slot and Infrared port on top as well.
Internally, the V36 has 64MB of RAM, 57MB of which is user accessible. The unit also supports a 32MB flashable ROM. The V36 is powered by the Intel X-Scale 300MHz processor which provides plenty of speed and usability for most users. Further, the processor can be stepped down to conserve battery life via a Control Panel Applet. On the back of the V36 is the lens for the integrated digital camera. The camera takes 640x480 images and is just shy of 1 megapixel. While it is obviously not the highest quality camera one could get, the quality of images is not as poor as one would expect. To operate the camera, start the VCam application off of the Programs menu. When the application starts, it flips the V36’s view to horizontal making it more natural to hold as one would a digital camera. The camera is pre-focused (2 feet to infinity) so there is no focusing required. To take a picture, simply press the 4-way directional pad. When the V36 is in camera mode, there are no other functions available and you must exist the application to get back to normal operation. For the most part this is not much of an issue although it would be nice to simply minimize the camera function.
The V36 has one standard SD slow available for storage expansion or wireless connectivity. The slot, located at the top of the unit, can accept any SD card storage size from 32MB up to 1GB. ViewSonic as well as SanDisk both produce SD WiFi cards (802.11b) and they too are compatible with the unit. Another key feature of the V36 is the Advanced Settings option under the System menu. This applet allows users to change the power consumption of the device by throttling the processor. So, for example, to extend the battery beyond the normal battery life, users can put the unit in Low Performance. This will slow the units processor down – which is noticeable on most applications – but will provide extended hours of use. Likewise, moving the processor setting to Superior Performance makes even big applications run smooth and fast.
Along with the Advanced Settings menu, the V36 comes with the standard array of applications built into the units ROM. These include Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Contacts, Tasks, Notes and several games. In using the V36, I’ve run into very few problems. The only issue I experience was the initial charging of the backup battery. It took well over 24 hours for this battery to completely charge and the unit warned that the battery was low even though it was at 100%. After the first few days of using the unit and leaving it charging over night, this warning went away and no data was lost at any time. From a functionality perspective, the unit has preformed well and is stable. One regrettable note is that ViewSonic has no plans to over the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition upgrade for the V36. However, they do have a wide range of accessories for the unit such as a docking cradle, a travel kit, screen protectors, and external keyboard. All of these accessories can be found online at the ViewSonic website and at other retailers. With a wide and deep range of features and functionality, the ViewSonic V36 is an excellent buy at it’s current price of $299. Many retailers are also offering mail-in rebates for the unit of $100, making it a steal at $199 – if you can find them and still get the rebate. Regardless of the price, the unit is difficult to beat and is an excellent option for those in the market for a mid-level Pocket PC.
Clinton
Fitch |
Site Sponsor
PocketPC Best Sellers Smartphone Best Sellers |
  |
 
© Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com! : Disclaimer |
