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

Screen
This is where the M600 shines, thanks to its LTPS TFT-LCD. As I discussed earlier, the benefit of LTPS technology was a higher aperture ratio and thus increased brightness. The M600's screen measures in at 2.8" and is rated at QVGA (240 x 320).


Figure 12: From left, the Dell Axim X50v, E-TEN M600, and the HP iPAQ h1940 - all set at maximum brightness. Background lighting conditions were dull, and all three Pocket PCs were configured to display Word Mobile (white background; some black text). Click the image above for a larger version (1024 x 512).

In total, there are eleven brightness settings on the M600.

The next three images provide some level of comparison in colour reproduction. Overall, the M600's screen excels - whether it displays red, green, or blue. Despite the awesome VGA resolution of the Axim X50v, it appears very washed out compared to the M600, and even the aging iPAQ h1940. I should point out that these four images (one above, three below) aren't entirely accurate (especially Figure 12) - I feel that these images portray the M600's screen as over-exposed when it actually isn't. With the device in-hand, you'll soon realise that the screen's level of brightness, contrast and saturation is simply spot on. Of course, due to the QVGA resolution, images and text won't appear as sharp as they would on a VGA device (such as the Axim X50v).


Figure 13: From left, the Dell Axim X50v, E-TEN M600, and the HP iPAQ h1940 - all set at maximum brightness. Background lighting conditions were dull, and all three Pocket PCs were configured to display an image primarily dominated by red hues. Click the image above for a larger version (1024 x 512).


Figure 14: From left, the Dell Axim X50v, E-TEN M600, and the HP iPAQ h1940 - all set at maximum brightness. Background lighting conditions were dull, and all three Pocket PCs were configured to display an image primarily dominated by green hues. Click the image above for a larger version (1024 x 512).


Figure 15: From left, the Dell Axim X50v, E-TEN M600, and the HP iPAQ h1940 - all set at maximum brightness. Background lighting conditions were dull, and all three Pocket PCs were configured to display an image primarily dominated by blue hues. Click the image above for a larger version (1024 x 512).

Cradle
The M600 cradle, which is rated at 5V/2A, is uniquely circular with a diameter of around ten centimetres. It's made out of a tough, durable plastic, and it feels light - in fact, almost too light (you would almost mistaken it for a Frisbee). But with rubber grips on the bottom, it helps prevent the cradle from sliding around on the table.


Figure 16: The M600 cradle, with the device and stylus inserted into it. A touch of class. A tad dusty too. ;)

The cradle has the added benefit of being able to charge a second battery, even with the M600 docked. Adjacent to it is a charging LED indicator (it's red whilst charging; green when fully charged). Interestingly, there is an indentation within this LED indicator for you to store your stylus. With the stylus situated at the bottom of the device, it makes sense to have it accessible separately whilst the M600 is docked.


Figure 17: The M600 synchronisation cable (which can be connected to the cradle or directly into the device) and AC adapter (which plugs into the synchronisation cable). Note the synchronisation cable alone can be used to charge the device.

Toward the rear of the cradle is a connector for the USB-synchronisation cable and a USB-Host port. Funnily enough, because the M600 no longer supports USB-Host, this port is a bit redundant. However, any M500 inserted into this cradle will be able to make use of it.

Case
The leather belt-clip case that's bundled with the M600 is well-constructed. In fact, it's almost what the i-mate SP5m case should have been (you can read more about that case in Mike Temporale's review over at our sister site, Smartphone Thoughts). The M600 fits snugly within the case as can be seen in Figure 19. The case makes use of a magnetic closure mechanism - it's rather strong, so you won't have to worry about the device falling out at odd angles.


Figure 18: An empty M600 case, closed.

The case also includes a lanyard - perfect for... those dangling occasions.


Figure 19: A shot of the M600 within the case. Note the firm fit.

Evidently, the case doesn't allow for 'in-case' use, though I don't have a real problem with this. I'd much rather use my Pocket PC as-is than have it next to my ear with a flap of leather hanging off it.

And remember how I said black goes well with just about anything? Here's a good example. ;)

Headset
Bundled with the M600 is a 2.5mm stereo headset, complete with a clip, microphone, a call button and a volume dial. It's a multi-purpose headset designed for hands-free phone operation and casual music listening. Surprisingly, the M600's headset delivers better-than-expected audio quality over most other generic headsets. The bass and treble response is rather decent, though I'm sure some sort of DSP-driven enhancement, which the M600 lacks by default, would push it to its full potential. Audio through the headset is adequately loud; enough to shut out any background noise if need be.


Figure 20: The stereo headset connected to the M600.

If you're wanting to use a set of headphones with the M600, you may find that when coupled with certain 3.5mm to 2.5mm stereo adapters, it might not work as expected (with sound being heard in one ear only). Basically, it all boils down to the pinout configuration of the device. The M600's 2.5mm stereo/microphone jack was designed with headsets in mind to allow greater headset interoperability. Naturally, this comes at the cost of lost headphone interoperability, but this is a Pocket PC Phone Edition after all - so, I wouldn't really consider this a design flaw. i-mate K-JAM users may find themselves to be in the same boat, so the only way around this is to purchase a separate 3.5mm to 2.5mm stereo adapter designed for this particular class of device. Pocket PC Techs offers a great selection.