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

Performance
From the start of the review, I said the device was snappy. Here's the proof.

Memory (RAM)
Under Windows Mobile 5.0's 'persistent storage' model, RAM is used purely for program execution, whilst flash ROM is used for data storage. Now, at the time I received my M600, I had heard some pretty shocking stories about the i-mate JASJAR chewing up RAM unexpectedly, so I thought I'd put the M600 to the test to see if it was in the same boat. Of the 64MB RAM in the M600, 49.01MB is usable. At the time, plug-ins I had running on my Today screen were Date, Owner Information, Messaging, Spb Diary, Pocket MSN, and Device Lock. That load, plus the requirements to keep Windows Mobile 5.0 running, had 17.67MB of RAM being consumed on startup, leaving 31.34MB for use.

With that in mind, I decided to put the device under some real pressure. Being the raging multi-tasker that I am, I turned on Wi-Fi and launched E-TEN's Wireless Manager, Internet Explorer Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, Word Mobile, Resco Explorer 2005, Calendar, and Contacts. After leaving all applications open for thirty minutes and using Internet Explorer Mobile to browse some of my favourite sites, the Memory applet stated that 21.80MB is in use. That huge load had used a mere 4.13MB of RAM, quite unlike that of the JASJAR, and even an Axim X51v I played around with last week.

Wireless (Phone, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi)
Where I live, major centres tend to have excellent GSM coverage, so in using the M600, I've had zero problems with signal dropout. In fact, 99% of the time, I enjoy full signal strength. Overall, voice quality is excellent - the earpiece speaker is definitely loud enough for conversations.


Figure 36: The Wireless Manager application is very simple to use. Icons on the left enable and disable each form of wireless communication, whilst icons on the right configures each one.

E-TEN's Wireless Manager, which can be launched via the Today screen, is as easy to use as it appears. The M600 features Bluetooth 1.2 (Class 2), supporting roughly ten metres. It uses an E-TEN-customised version of the Microsoft Bluetooth stack (with support for AKU 1.1), which visually, looks very similar to the Widcomm stack, supporting most of the well-known services that most of you are familiar with (headset partnerships, device browsing, ActiveSync via Bluetooth, file transfers, and business card exchanges).


Figure 37: E-TEN M600 + Bluetooth Headset: 100% Geek.

The M600's 802.11b Wi-Fi is accompanied by WLAN Utility. Thanks to the speed improvements in Internet Explorer Mobile, browsing feels fast. Who needs EDGE when you have Wi-Fi? ;)


Figure 38: The WLAN Utility display key network details and allows you to configure certain aspects of Wi-Fi.

Camera
I stated earlier that the image quality produced by the M600's camera was what I expected from any camera-enabled Pocket PC - nothing great, yet nothing shabby. I've included a couple of example pictures below. Both are 960 x 1280 when enlarged.


Figure 39: An outdoor picture of a lemon tree, taken on a bright, sunny day with some shade cover being provided by surrounding trees. Click the image above for a larger version (960 x 1280).


Figure 40: Another outdoor picture, taken late afternoon. Click the image above for a larger version (960 x 1280).

Battery Life
In my opinion, benchmarking Pocket PC Phone Edition devices for battery life has little value. Usage patterns vary considerably from person to person, so I feel it's best if I deliver an account of my daily usage patterns.

On the phone side of things, I might talk for one to two hours and send a couple of SMS messages each day. Bluetooth might be running for half a day (even in standby) as my Bluetooth headset is connected to the device. On the PDA side of things, I might have Wi-Fi turned on, browse the internet and check my e-mail for around an hour a day. I tend to use the device to listen to music for around two hours a day. I ritualistically use Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, Spb Finance, Resco File Explorer, FlexWallet 2006 and Resco Photo Viewer - altogether totaling another one to two hours. Considering the aforementioned, I tend to have roughly 60% of battery power left (an average figure I arrived at after a week of solid testing).

The M600 includes a 1440mAh Li-Ion battery. The official E-TEN specifications sheet states that the battery can get you through 3.5-4.0 hours of talk time, 150-200 hours of standby time, and 10-15 hours of standard Pocket PC usage. In light of my usage patterns, I'd say that these figures don't lie.

Overall, I'm very happy with the M600's battery life. Based on my usage patterns, I've managed to go for two to three days without worrying about charging the battery. In fact, all this time, I've been using the M600 at medium brightness. Given the superb quality of the LTPS TFT-LCD, I have no hesitation in tuning it down to the second lowest setting over the next week to see how battery life works out.