Windows Phone Thoughts: Total Convergence: The E-TEN M600 Reviewed

Hardware
First and foremost, the device does not feature an integrated keyboard (as seen in the i-mate K-JAM, Sprint PPC-6700, and i-mate JASJAR) nor an integrated keypad (as seen in the moboDA 3360, and Gigabyte Einstein). Input on this device is strictly screen-based. That places it in a similar category as the i-mate JAM and the O2 Xda Atom.


Figure 2: The M600's System Information applet.

Specifications
So, let's get this out in the open right away - the M600 feels fast, and the benchmark results prove it. It features a Samsung S3C2440A 400MHz processor, not the common Intel XScale processors that most of you are familiar with, but that's no reason to disregard it. I've always been a fan of Samsung's mobile processors. My old HP iPAQ h1940 had one, and now this M600 has one - both devices are very snappy. The device also includes 64MB RAM (49.01MB usable), 128MB Flash ROM (81.56MB usable), an SDIO/SD/MMC slot, a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera (supporting 1280 x 960 pictures; 4x digital zoom) with flash, a 2.8" QVGA (240 x 320) 65K-colour LTPS TFT-LCD, and Windows Mobile 5.0. LTPS (Low Temperature Poly Silicon) is actually one of the better LCD technologies available in the market. To my understanding, very few Pocket PCs in the market make use of this technology, so one of the M600's standout features is a screen with a significantly higher aperture ratio and thus increased brightness. I'll be discussing the screen a little later in the review.

As stated earlier, the M600 supports quad-band GSM/GPRS. It also supports Bluetooth 1.2 and 802.11b Wi-Fi, with the added benefit of multi-mode wireless communications (meaning you can use GSM/GPRS and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi simultaneously), unlike Verizon, where rumour is they've crippled Wi-Fi on its phones.

What's in the Box?
There's more to the box than the M600. Here's what it contains:

• E-TEN M600 Pocket PC Phone Edition;
  
• 1440mAh Li-Ion battery;
  
• Cradle;
  
• Leather case;
  
• USB synchronisation cable;
  
• Compact AC adapter;
  
• Semi-adhesive screen protector;
  
• Stereo headset (which includes a microphone and volume controls);
  
• E-TEN's Getting Started CD (includes Microsoft Outlook 2002, ActiveSync 4.0, and an electronic manual).

My M600 was shipped to me before the release of ActiveSync 4.1. If you end up purchasing this device and still have ActiveSync 4.0 on the CD, I suggest heading over to Microsoft to download v4.1. It solves many of v4.0's connection issues.


Figure 3: ActiveSync 4.x - required for Windows Mobile 5.0-based devices.

M500 vs. M600: What's Changed?
So, let's perform a side-by-side comparison with the M500 (the M600's predecessor). To put it simply, the M600 is two steps forward and two steps back. Let's start with the positives, shall we?

The M500, which was launched back in December 2004, had one major shortcoming. Much like the HTC Magician, it lacked integrated Wi-Fi. If you wanted to add the functionality, it would be delivered by way of an SDIO Wi-Fi card. Thankfully, they've been getting smaller and smaller over the past year, but it's still an accessory which occupies your SD slot. Unless you purchase an all-in-one memory/Wi-Fi card, you'll find yourself swapping cards more often that you'd like. The M600 solves this problem by including Wi-Fi, leaving your SD slot for the more important purpose of memory expansion.

The M600 also has a new look. Alongside the silver-coloured buttons, the shell is completely black. I'm a huge fan of black as it goes well with just about anything, though your mileage may vary. The M600 (165g) is also five grams lighter than the M500 (170g) - not that you'd notice, anyway. ;)

However, unlike the M500, the M600 no longer features USB-Host support. If you've ever owned or played with a USB-Host-enabled Pocket PC, you'll know just how awesome this feature is. In a nutshell, it allows you to access most USB peripherals connected to your device (for example, a USB thumb-drive, and even that funky iPod). It might not be an "essential" feature, especially for a Phone Edition, but it's certainly one that is handy to have around.

Interestingly, the M600 no longer has an infrared (IR) port. Okay, so IR is a bit of an archaic technology - it's slower than Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and requires line of sight, but I've always viewed IR to be one of those pain-free features enabling interoperability between different mobile devices (whether they be Windows Mobile-based or not). You don't even need to create a partnership!

On a completely different note, the M600 ships with Windows Mobile 5.0, though this isn't something the M500 isn't capable of. By default, the M500 runs Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, but thanks to an upgrade CD which is scheduled to ship in December, the M500 will also be able to run Windows Mobile 5.0.