Product ReviewsPDAs/Phones
Despite having virtually invented the pocket organiser with the Series 3, Psion's most recent successes have been machines for professionals, rather than everyday users. The company's attempt at a low-end consumer machine, the Siena, proved unpopular because of its tiny screen and awkward keyboard. By contrast, the company's latest low-cost hand-held, the Revo, is a neat, well thought-out little computer. It successfully identifies the areas that shouldn't be compromised on, such as the screen and keyboard, and presents them in a smart, light package. Like its larger sibling, the Series 5mx, Revo uses a folding clamshell design that slides the keyboard out, giving a larger keyboard and screen area. Neither is as large as the 5mx, but both are perfectly usable. In fact, because it uses a more advanced screen technology, the Revo is more readable in low light than the 5mx, although it lacks a backlight. Where the Revo stands out is in its design. Both in terms of weight (200g, including a built-in rechargeable battery) and looks, Revo makes the 5mx look old-fashioned, even though the older machine is generally well designed. The slim, light machine can even be realistically kept in a jacket pocket. And the package comes with a neat docking cradle that links to your Mac and charges the built-in batteries at the same time. However, there are some definite compromises. First, it comes with only 8Mb of memory as standard, 1.2Mb of which is used by the EPOC32 operating system. And, unlike it's bigger siblings, the Revo has no expansion capabilities, having neither CompactFlash nor PC Card slots. The Revo features almost all the same software as the Series 5mx. It comes complete with perfectly usable word processor, spreadsheet, and email software, as well as standard organiser features like an agenda and contacts book. It also
There are some nice little touches to the software that aren't present on the 5mx. For example, the main OS screen includes an extra Today view, which simply shows any to dos and appointments, as well as giving a battery-level indicator. Best of all, though, is the built-in Phone application. If you have a compatible mobile phone with an infrared port, this allows you to synchronise your phone book on your phone with your Revo, as well as dialling numbers stored in your Contacts application via infrared. Phonebook can even handle more than one phone, if you have them. Psion is emphasising Revo's use as a mobile email machine, and there are two ways of collecting email from it. The first is synchronisation. If you use a Windows PC, Revo's supplied PsiWin software will pass mail between the PC and the Psion, so you can send and receive via the PC. Unfortunately for Mac users, Mac Connect can't do any of this. So, instead, Mac users must directly connect to the Internet to send and receive email, using either the machine's infrared port or a serial cable and modem. The infrared connection allows you to either connect with a compatible mobile phone, including those from Ericsson, Nokia and others, or to use Psion's new IR modem to connect over a land line. Connecting to a modem requires a special cable, and you must be in the docking cradle to use it. Overall, the Revo is a very nice little machine, but like its predecessor, the Series 5mx, it's let down by poor Mac connection software. Revo is lovely to look at, and the bundled software is simple to use and powerful, but the lack of any Mac synchronisation capabilities in the current version of Mac Connect - especially for email - make it difficult to recommend over the Palm V, its nearest competitor. The Palm is nowhere near as good as a standalone machine, but its software for connecting to the Mac gives it a clear edge. Until Psion sorts out Mac connectivity, Mac users won't be getting the most out of the Revo. By Ian Betteridge
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
