Monday, January 15, 2007
Let's Glofiishing with the X500
Posted by Darius Wey in "HARDWARE" @ 06:00 AM
Because benchmark results appeal to some of you, I've included X500 benchmark results in this review. It was only appropriate to compare the X500 to other devices running Windows Mobile 5.0, so I called the E-TEN M600, Sprint PPC-6700, i-mate JASJAR, Dell Axim X50v, and Dell Axim X51v to duty. The Dell Axim X50v was upgraded to Windows Mobile 5.0 and the latest A02 ROM (AKU 2.3.1).
Figure 49: The overall Spb Benchmark index tells an accurate story. The X500 feels fast and the results prove it.
Figure 50: As expected, the Dell Axim X50v and X51v dominate the CPU index, thanks to their 624MHz processors. The i-mate JASJAR (520MHz) is next, followed by the X500.
Figure 51: When it comes to reading and writing files, the X500 excels. Not surprisingly, the upgraded Dell Axim X50v falls well short of the leaders due to its different memory structure.
Figure 52: It's hard to take the graphical index results too seriously as Spb Benchmark isn't optimized for the Intel 2700g GPUs of the Dell Axim X50v and X51v. However, as far as basic graphical performance is concerned, the X500 flies.
Figure 53: I was surprised by this result, but then again, I also wasn't. The X500 choked during a Word Mobile test. Could that have contributed to its apparent poorer performance?
Does Anyone Have Bug Spray?
No one likes bugs, yet no matter how hard we try to eradicate them, they exist, and unfortunately, the X500 is filled with two major bugs that impact usability to a significant degree.
Most X500s ship with either ROMs 0273 or 0291, and both are plagued with echo issues. During a phone conversation, there's a good chance that you can hear your own voice in the background, despite the other party not using a loudspeaker. It's not an isolated incident, as several other X500 users have also reported this issue. Sadly, the next bug (again, plaguing both ROMs 0273 and 0291) is even more severe than the last, and it concerns a failure to receive incoming SMS messages. Some X500 users have even reported a failure to send SMS messages, though I've not yet experienced this. There is a working patch circulating an E-TEN enthusiast site, E-TEN Users Forum, but still no official fix via a ROM upgrade.
It is definitely in E-TEN's best interests to cure its ROMs of these bugs as soon as possible, and I have little doubt that it will happen (in fact, rumours already suggest so), though just "when" that may be is still a question mark.
Conclusions
It's hard to look down on the Glofiish X500. It's a top-notch package consisting of quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, an FM radio, and a 2.0-megapixel camera, all packed into a slim and lightweight shell. Despite a few shortcomings, it's the most complete converged Windows Mobile-based device I have ever played with, and one that I highly recommend to anyone on the hunt for an "everything but the kitchen sink" device. If QWERTY is your cup of tea, then take a look at the Glofiish M700.
Darius Wey enjoys all forms of technology. His time is usually channeled into mobile devices, digital media, application and web development, graphic design, and his Xbox 360. He lives in Perth, Western Australia, and dreads hot summers.
