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Member since:18.07.2004
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The Acer N30 PDA is, for me at least, an ideal buddy for the travelling businessman. It is very good at what it does, and does what it does well, but a niggling factor for me is that it is not quite what it is marketed as.
The N30 is supposedly a 'Wireless Wonder' that can wirelessly connect to any computer, anywhere, but this is not really true. Below are its main features, some of which I will come to later on:
**Hardware** - Wireless Bluetooth & IR - S.D. Card Expansion slot - Internal Speaker - 266 MHz Processor - 64MB RAM - 32MB Storage space - 3.5" LCD Screen
**Software** - Windows Mobile 2003 SE - Microsoft Pocket Word - Microsoft Pocket Excel - Microsoft Pocket Outlook - Windows Media Player - Handwriting Recognition software - Calculator - Solitaire, Ball-breaker games
**What's
in the box** - Acer N30 PDA - Quick-start Instruction manual (covers the obvious bits - charging, turning on etc) - Soft Carry case - Windows driver CD for image uploads - USB Connector lead - Charging plug/adapter
**In-Use** The N30 is very light and pretty easy to use once you've had a play with it. Sometimes it goes on a 'go slow' where for some reason takes a pause before carrying out the task you asked it to do. It does however switch itself on and off almost instantly which is very nice when you want to start writing/typing straight away. It also has a very high quality colour screen that seems to render images perfectly, and is nice and bright too.
While this PDA features handwriting recognition I wouldn't say it is its best feature. The first few times you use it, it is still working out what you are trying to write (ie. Learning the patterns in your handwriting) and gets lots of words wrong. This does improve dramatically but it isn't perfect and I often find myself reading back text only to find silly errors (construction/constriction as an example). This is actually an error in the Windows software rather than a fault of Acer who have built a lovely machine which looks pretty good to boot!
As mentioned above, the PDA comes with a soft carry case (couldn't tell you what material) but I found this worse than useless as the N30 has slipped straight out of it on several occasions - once on a staircase where it proceeded to bounce its way all the way down the steps. Luckily, it survived but the reasonably soft plastic case is now cracked in two corners which I detract from its appearance for me. A decent case really is a must for this PDA so I invested in a very nice Piel Frama leather wallet which is also padded so will hopefully take any sudden knocks.
The PDA's best feature I would say is its ability to play music, watch videos and view photos. I have found that it's able to display images (still or moving) in as good quality as a full size PC and as long as you have the right software, you will be able to watch/hear/view pretty much any file while on the move. I'm sure this is where this machine excels itself - an added bonus of being able to write documents, play games and wirelessly connect to your computer………IF YOU DARE!!! One negative however is that the headphone port only accepts the smaller mobile phone (hands-free) headphones. This isn't too much of a problem for me as it means I only carry about one set of headphones but I realise some people may not like this.
**Wireless Modes** Now, as this PDA is marketed as a 'Wireless Wonder' (written in big ol' letters across the box), I feel that I should mention its wireless features specially. If you consider wireless to mean you can you it without being plugged in then yes, it is wireless. I feel however that wireless should mean connecting to other computers or networks. The N30 does not live up to this expectation.
Basically, the two on-board wireless features - Infra Red and Bluetooth - aren't anything special. Infra Red is basically redundant these days and Bluetooth has a fairly limited range. Now that wouldn't be so bad if you could easily connect to other machines but to use the Bluetooth, you have to purchase a Bluetooth adapter, install the correct software, set-up passwords and a few other settings and even after all this trouble, it's dead slow. Transferring even the smallest of files can take some time, so much so that you may as well plug the PDA into your computer directly.
One bonus of having Bluetooth I have noticed is being able to transfer files from some of the latest mobile phones which also use Bluetooth - more speed would be a bonus but there's nothing you can do about that.
Available separately is a GPS add-on which fills the S.D. expansion card slot but, I haven't had the need for a GPS system as of yet, so obviously haven't tried it. I would hope that this makes it more of a 'wireless wonder' but straight out of the box it isn't much use wirelessly.
Really, the lack of wireless connectivity isn't much of a problem to me as I don't need to use it in many different places, and plugging in to charge is always a good opportunity to transfer files anyway (it uses the same cable).
**Price & Summary** This PDA was £179.99 brand new when I bought it and I'd still stand by this as a pretty good price. However, with a bit of shopping around now you can probably get slightly better models for your money.
In summary, the screen is excellent, sound from the tiny speaker amazing (but don't expect any sort of bass) and the battery life is great - it'll quite easily outlast your phone and charges really quickly too!
I would definitely recommend it as long as you realise that while being to use it on the move, it will not act as wirelessly as Acer would have you think.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Handheld - 128 MB RAM - Screen: 4 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: XScale PXA310 - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi - Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic
Handheld - 64 MB RAM - Screen: 3.5 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: S3C2410 - Infrared - Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2003 Premium, Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2003 Second Edition
Does this connect to the internet? ~ .................................................................................................... ~ ♥ ~ jes ~ ♥♥
lindsayjayne 29.06.2006 23:48
I've been looking into PDAs, so I found your review really helpful thanks. x
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with top quality cells using the most up-to-date technology to give a long lasting charge with no memory effect.All our Batteries conform to ISO9001, RoHS and CE certification. All our prices include VAT and you will receive a VAT invoice.CodeCS-N30SLTypeLithium-ionVoltage3.7Capac ity900mAhWarranty12 MonthsEquivalent Battery Codes :20-00598-02A-EM
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This Brand New Extended Battery will give you a longer battery life than your original. ... more
Manufactured with top quality cells using the most up-to-date technology to give a long lasting charge with no memory effect.All our Batteries conform to ISO9001, RoHS and CE certification. All our prices include VAT and you will receive a VAT invoice.CodeCS-N30XLTypeLithium-PolymerVoltage3.7C apacity1350mAhWarranty12 MonthsEquivalent Battery Codes :20-00598-02A-EM
Postage & Packaging:£2.99 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
This Brand New replacement battery is equivalent to your original battery. Manufactured ... more
with top quality cells using the most up-to-date technology to give a long lasting charge with no memory effect.All our Batteries conform to ISO9001, RoHS and CE certification. All our prices include VAT and you will receive a VAT invoice.CodeCS-N30SLTypeLithium-ionVoltage3.7Capac ity900mAhWarranty12 MonthsEquivalent Battery Codes :20-00598-02A-EM
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With your iPod in a holder attached onto the dashboard it is always within easy reach ... more
-safe and convenient. The holder is mounted onto a tilt swivel so it is adjustable for avoiding light reflection on the screen. It is easy to put the iPod in the holder, and to take it out of the holder. Attach onto a ProClip Mounting Platform.
Postage & Packaging:£4.99 Availability:Usually dispatched within 6-10 business days...
Advantages: Excellent sat-nav package at low price, well-spec'd handheld computer Disadvantages: Advertising unclear: hidden costs of full European package
wmspillett 21.04.2005 (21.04.2005)
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