CELL PHONES
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
SMARTPHONES
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
CAMERAS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
REVIEWS
» Cell phones
» Cameras
» Camcorders
» Archive » Product Guide
» Compare » Expert guides
» RSS & Alerts » Ask The Editors
Home / Review Center / /
Review: Orange SPV - Page 2By Jørgen Sundgot, Tuesday 22 October 2002
GALLERY
Enlarge
 
 
Review summary of the :
         Gallery »
Pros:
Cons:
%
POOR
Mediocre
Good
Very good
Excellent
Full Review:
QUICK LINKS 
Hardware
Operative system
Software
Wireless connectivity
Conclusion
Specifications
Is that Windows in there?

Actually, it is. And all jokes aside, I haven't seen any blue screens or had any virus land in Pocket Inbox for them to send spam to all of my contacts yet, but I've had a couple of fun errors arise while using the device. Using Windows CE 3.0 as its core, Smartphone 2002 will, for those who have used a Pocket PC 2002 device appear very familiar, and the main part of what has changed is the way one moves around and inputs data. Obviously, not having touch screen capabilities has led to some compromises - some of which are good, and some of which are bad.

Dialing a number is just a matter of typing and pressing 'Send', just like on any other phone
Also like a Pocket PC, Smartphone 2002 is centered around the Pocket Outlook PIM suite, which consists of Pocket Calendar, Pocket Inbox and Pocket Tasks (text notes apparently don't get synchronized, but voice notes do). The primary function of Smartphone 2002 is however not to process data while on the road, but to access it and be able to respond should something important come up. Through ActiveSync 3.6, Smartphone 2002 synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook on the desktop just as any Pocket PC does, with the same speed and the same amount of data transferred. For Microsoft Exchange users, the big advantage will (as with PPCPE devices) be the ability to connect and synchronize information wirelessly with an Exchange server running the Mobile Information Server extension.

Moving about

The Home screen of the device is the equivalent of the Today screen on a device, and is highly customizable since it's made up of an XML document and plug-ins in its entirety. In fact, I'll go as far as saying Microsoft has improved on its most brilliant concept: the ability to draw information from all sorts of applications and gather it all in one single overview is a feat no other company has managed to mimic (probably because it's patented to death).

Like Pocket PC Phone Edition devices, the Orange SPV can synchronize with a Mobile Information Server
Two things are always present when navigating the OS, the first of which is the taskbar providing information about battery status, signal reception and whether or not GPRS is available and/or a connection of any kind - voice or data - is active. Also, it supports a notification well like Pocket PC 2002, which allows applications to deliver notifications through it - for instance, a notification icon will show up if you've got a new SMS, MMS (3rd party feature courtesy of EZOS, pre-installed on the SPV) or e-mail, or if someone's trying to reach you through MSN Messenger. The second thing always present is the soft key area, where the choices the left and right soft keys render are displayed - commonly used by applications to let users gain quick access to menus that allow them to perform various functions.

To move around the list of applications available on the device, users go to the Home screen and select Programs through using the left soft key. This takes them to a list that can be navigated not only by means of the directional pad, but also through an ingenious little feature that places a number left of each entry. Just press the corresponding number on the keypad, and you're getting from A to B with a minimum of key presses - a very efficient way of moving around. Combined with the option to place shortcuts to your favorite applications on the Home screen, it's actually the best solution I've seen in a while for moving around a phone.
Best Phones
Name Score Price Carrier
C
Nokia N95 8GB NAM 85% $450Unlocked
Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 85% $100Verizon Wireless
Apple iPhone 3G 81% $200AT&T
Nokia N95 80% $350Unlocked
Nokia N85 80% $350Unlocked
RIM BlackBerry Storm 9530 80% $200Verizon Wireless
T-Mobile G1 79% $180T-Mobile
HTC Touch Pro (Sprint) 77% $400Sprint
HTC Fuze 77% $300AT&T
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 76% $800Unlocked
Click here to see full and advanced chart »
 
 
 
HOTTEST
Smartphones
 
Cell Phones
 
Upcoming Smartphones
TOP STORIES
Best 8-megapixel camera phones
 
10 Hottest Verizon Wireless Phones
 
5 Best All-Touch Smartphones
Hottest Nokia Phones
 
5 Best Smartphones for Calling
 
Android Smartphone Comparison
10 Hottest Touchscreen Phones
 
Hottest Smartphones Set for November Release
 
Upcoming T-Mobile Phones
NEW CELL PHONE RELEASES
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530
Samsung Behold II
RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700
Nokia N900
Motorola Droid
HTC Droid Eris
LG Chocolate Touch
Samsung Moment
RIM BlackBerry Storm 2
CELL PHONE RESOURCE CENTER
Expert Guides
 
Advanced Search
 
Side-by-Side
IN-DEPTH REVIEWS
Cell Phones & Smartphones
 
Digital Cameras
 
Camcorders
NOW IN PHONES
Best 8-megapixel camera phones
 
Gameloft Cuts Back Android Investment
 
Smartphone Leaks of the Week
 
10 Hottest Verizon Wireless Phones
 
Motorola Droid Is No Challenge Says Palm
Nokia Nseries Roadmap Explained
gPhone Is Likely Not Real
BlackBerry 9900 QWERTY Slider Coming in 2010?
Next 25 stories
MUST READ
CELL PHONES
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
SMARTPHONES
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
LAPTOPS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
CAMERAS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
INTERNET TABLETS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
GPS NAVIGATORS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
HDTVs
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
CAMCORDERS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
About us | Site map | How to advertise | Feedback | RSS Feeds | | Archive
Copyright 1999-2009 © infoSync World