Friday, May 6, 2005
PC World's Digital Duo take on the Treo and Sprint Pocket PC
Posted by Jason Dunn in "ARTICLE" @ 08:00 AM
"In each episode of PC World's Digital Duo, Stephen Manes, esteemed columnist for PC World and Forbes, teams with veteran tech editor and product doyenne Angela Gunn of USAToday.com to evaluate, explore, and--when necessary--deplore the world of digital technology. With fairness and flair, the Duo takes on the world of consumer electronics and technology, offers real-world advice, and mercilessly mocks whatever deserves it most."
Digital Duo is a new online show from PC World. I watched a few segments, and much to my surprise, it's pretty good. Their irreverence is isn't exactly late-night TV grade, and the performances are too heavily scripted to be funny, but for mainstream media, it's a start. ;-) The segment I'm linking to is where they talk about the Treo 650 and the Spring PCS Pocket PC (a.k.a. a modified PDA2K). The review is fairly high level, and Manes spends a bit too much time gushing over his Treo, but it's worth a look to see how the devices measure up.
Having used a PDA2K for a few months, I can agree with Gunn about how poorly integrated the d-pad is with the operating system. It can be greatly improved, and I think a simple procedure would allow Microsoft to improve it: one of their testers should set up a new Pocket PC out of the box, including setting up a couple of email accounts, configuring all settings...all without taking out the stylus or touching the screen. The problems would become very obvious, very quickly. ;-)
Digital Duo is a new online show from PC World. I watched a few segments, and much to my surprise, it's pretty good. Their irreverence is isn't exactly late-night TV grade, and the performances are too heavily scripted to be funny, but for mainstream media, it's a start. ;-) The segment I'm linking to is where they talk about the Treo 650 and the Spring PCS Pocket PC (a.k.a. a modified PDA2K). The review is fairly high level, and Manes spends a bit too much time gushing over his Treo, but it's worth a look to see how the devices measure up.
Having used a PDA2K for a few months, I can agree with Gunn about how poorly integrated the d-pad is with the operating system. It can be greatly improved, and I think a simple procedure would allow Microsoft to improve it: one of their testers should set up a new Pocket PC out of the box, including setting up a couple of email accounts, configuring all settings...all without taking out the stylus or touching the screen. The problems would become very obvious, very quickly. ;-)
