Monday, January 15, 2007
Let's Glofiishing with the X500
Posted by Darius Wey in "HARDWARE" @ 06:00 AM
Software: It Makes Hardware Tick
The X500 ships with Windows Mobile 5.0 and one of the newer "service packs" available, Adaptation Kit Update (AKU) 3.2. AKU 3.x adds a collection of new features never before seen in previous builds of Windows Mobile 5.0. For example, enhanced Wi-Fi capabilities (including, but not limited to, WPA2 support), an improved Microsoft Bluetooth stack (notably, improved A2DP performance), an "Internet Sharing" application to enhance modem connectivity, and enhanced one-handed operation in Outlook Mobile, along with a host of bug fixes to improve the overall stability of Windows Mobile 5.0. There is also a heavy emphasis on the device's Direct Push capabilities: out with the traditional blue Windows Mobile startup screen, and in with the new green Windows Mobile "Direct Push Technology" startup screen. The "About" applet in "Settings" also stresses the inclusion of the Messaging and Security Feature Pack.
However, the core of this section of the review focuses on E-TEN's bundled applications, and to mention that there are a lot of them is no understatement. Most of the applications are installed during the initial device configuration phase. There is a window of three seconds where it warns you about the imminent installation of said applications. Historically, a soft reset during this period allows a complete bypass of the installation process, though with the X500, this no longer works. Instead, it has been replaced with a more user-friendly hold-and-release of the camera button.
Figure 34: The X500 includes a customized phone dialer skin.
There are some nice touches added to the device, such as a visually strong red/orange Today theme and a unique Vista-like phone dialer skin (Figure 34). In addition, there is a "Quick Link" plug-in on the Today screen. This is nothing more than an application launcher, though it does include handy phone shortcuts and a battery meter.
Figure 35: FM Tuner unleashes the FM radio capabilities of the X500.
E-TEN's "FM Tuner" (Figure 35) does what it says. It's easy to switch stations using the on-screen keypad, and favourites can be stored and accessed in a couple of taps. The X500 does support RDS (Radio Data System), though I found it to be disappointingly weak. It wasn't able to pick up the transmitted information I'd expect from some of the more popular local radio stations. In addition, the application's single line scrolling display has a tendency to scroll back unexpectedly and also spit out invalid characters every now and again.
Figure 36: GPS Viewer is a basic positioning application.
Unfortunately, the X500 does not include any moving map navigation software, but it does include a handful of basic positioning applications as consolation. The first of the lot is "GPS Viewer", which delivers coordinates, altitude, speed, time, and the number/location of fixed satellites. "Location SMS" (Figure 37) is a little more interesting, though probably impractical for day-to-day use, as you would rarely send a message to a friend to tell him/her to meet you at X degrees west/east, and Y degrees north/south. "Satellite Data Update" is the third and final GPS application bundled with the X500, and it's nothing more than a simple internet update application for the supply of internet data to accompany existing GPS data.
Figure 37: Location SMS is great in theory, but of little value in practice.
Figure 38: Satellite Data Update can be configured for automatic or manual updating.
The X500's multimedia applications are a nice addition. "Image Wizard" (Figure 39) is a wizard application that allows you to add frames, filters, and scribbles to images in five quick steps. "Image Maker" is a basic image editing utility with Microsoft Paint-like tools. A more advanced third-party offering is Conduits Pocket Artist and highly recommended if you prefer something with more punch. Finally, "Multimedia Manager" (Figure 40) is supplied as a simple media browser supporting both thumbnails and slideshows.
Figure 39: Image Wizard supports frames, filters, and scribbles.
Figure 40: With thumbnail support, Multimedia Manager can preview media files without ever opening them.
