I bought this little beauty about six months ago. I had previously owned a Psion 3c. I decided that I wanted an integrated keyboard to facilitate typing; my major need however was for a machine which could connect to my PC at work so that I could copy across documents between the machines to enable me to work remotely. Initially I couldn't decide between the Psion 5mx and the Revo Plus. Then more by chance than anything else I stumbled across the MC218 which is in fact a rebadged and improved version of the Psion 5mx. I must say I have not regretted my purchase one little bit. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Outlook and it is simple to transfer Word docs and spreadsheets between the MC218 and the PC via the cable link supplied with the machine.
My one disappointment with the machine is that I had expected it to be compatible with my Ericsson A2628s mobile phone. I had purchased the DI 28 modem (it came with a DI27 modem initially) although it then became apparent that the "My Phone" application was not compatible with the phone. After contacting Ericsson Support I found out that the MC218 is only designed to be fully compatible with their "earlier" mobile phones although the email function would work with later phones including the A2628s. I couldn't get it to work, however, and decided to return the DI 28 and fortunately managed to get a refund on it.
My advice is that if you need a machine to transfer documents between a pda and a pc and you need to input a fair amount of data then the MC218 is perfect. If you need a communication tool (ie email and internet browsing) then you should carefully look into the compatibility with your mobile phone.
ON the whole I find it a great machine and I have not had any problems with it. It uses 2 x AA batteries and I find that alkalines are perfect.
I payed £200 from expansys.co.uk and I would recommend them for their speed of delivery and the level of service. If you are after the cheapest price, I understand that themobileshop.co.uk are offering it for £179.95.
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: XScale PXA310 - Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi - Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic
Advantages: excellent software, great for sending e-mails on the move, runs your life Disadvantages: quite big (for a PDA), poor support, sticky keyboard,
Advantages: excellent software, great for sending e-mails on the move, runs your life Disadvantages: quite big (for a PDA), poor support, sticky keyboard,
Jan 5th, 2002
very helpful by (88%):
helpful by (6%):
somewhat helpful by (6%):
