Audiovox PPC 4100 / SP230
Average Ratings
Awesome
Great Phone -
IE that comes with the phone is slow and basically garbage. -- But if you download NetFront 3.1 and install that, pages load fast.. IE requires Image downloads before the page displays.. NetFront browser will show text and page layout before the page is completely loaded.
Probably overkill for the wanna be techno geeks. A big feature is Terminal Services! You can admin your server from this pda/phone!
Wish for win 2003 SE because of SE's portrait mode.
Good if you're a die-hard PPC user
Have had the phone for about 2 weeks in active use as my main phone, temporarily replacing my SE T616.
PROS:
- Great synchronization with Outlook, thanks to Microsoft ActiveSync.
- A joy for plane rides; respond to queued email and SMS's with the Flight Mode on.
- AvantGo sync'ing over GPRS is handy when travelling
- Decent battery life if you play with brightness and power controls
- Great for business users who absolutely depend on Outlook-based contact data
- Better signal reception than T616, but seems to quickly drop calls when signal gets low rather than try to 'hang on'
- better than average handwriting recognition
CONS:
- WIth 17 hrs. of talk time, have experienced 6 hardware crashes/lock-ups, all requiring hard reset.
- Battery life dwindles rapidly when Speakerphone is in use
- no included non-cradle recharging; you'll need either a USB sync/charge cable, or a seperate AC adapter
- built-in memory disappears rapidly with a large phone book and a handful of PPC apps installed
- IE Browser nice, but can't readily display all webpages, causing 'suffered surfing'. If surfing over GPRS, expect exceptionally slow page load times. (slower than dialup)
- cramped Contacts views take time to get used to vs. desktop PC Outlook views
- bulky size makes for difficult placement when on foot, in the car, or in meetings
- bizarre: two different places to set ringtone preferences, with little clarity as to which pref setting overwrites the other
- included holster doesn't allow screen area access; must remove from holster to get to the screen.
- minor irk: harder to 'dial' a phone number in the car than with a traditional cell phone, since the 'soft keys' have no tactile feedback; requires you to look at the phone to dial a number, causing greater distraction.
Note: I did not use/try infrared, SDIO slot, or stereo headphones.
Nice idea, missed execution. Returned product to store within 30 days.
