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archos 605 wifi review

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introduction

In an age where the iPod seems to be found everywhere, it seems a bit odd that such a niche device manufacturer such as Archos should even exist. Afterall, Apple has created players which, together, have almost any feature someone could ever want in a device. Separated all out, and there's a device that fits nearly every price bracket. It's almost as if the competition should just give up hope now, because there's no territory left to claim that hasn't already been staked by Apple.

So what, then, is a device like the Archos 605 WiFi intending to do? It's essentially a giant iPod Touch, with similar features like a large touchscreen, built-in WiFi, and a wide variety of media playback features. However, that's where the similarities end, and the Archos begins to cover ground that will never be covered by an iPod Touch... or not the current iteration, anyways. Because while the iPod Touch is generally given the status of the highest-price-function bracket of the iPod hierarchy, with all of it's features essentially built-in, the Archos 605 spins things a bit differently. With devices featuring larger displays in it's product lineup, the 605 isn't exactly the king of the lot. It's available in many versions, ranging from a measly 4GB (flash) iteration to the top of the line 160GB which we have here.

It's sold quite simply, much akin to the iPod Touch. But then the additional extras shoot the 605 into an arena usually reserved for dedicated DVRs or other devices... something which we'll get into later.

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design

What an eye catching device, eh? Ignoring the fact that the 160GB model we have here is actually much thicker than the other capacities offered for this device, it's still quite a sleek unit to look at. From the built-in stand on the back (quite sturdy, I might add, something Nokia should take note of) to the "unfinished" metal appearance on the front, it's a truly unique and good looking device. The screen (a full 1.5in larger than an iPod Touch) drags a lot of focus to the device's video-centric capabilities. It's back is basically a flat-gray color, and appears to be removable only by a certified technician (it's a non-user replaceable battery... officially, anyway). The right side of the device has absolutely nothing on it, as seen in the above picture, while the top has two ports for audio/video/data connectors of Archos' own proprietary format. The top has the power and lock buttons, while the left side features the headphone plug. The front of the device houses the rather substantial touchscreen in addition to the lining of buttons along the side which can be used to control all of the same functions as the touchscreen. Also found on the front is a small speaker for direct audio output.

usage

This is, as stated on the back of the device, an "Archos 605 WiFi Audio Video Player". However, it's also so much more... with the right accessories and software additions. That's right, software additions... the Archos has a system somewhat similar to the Apple App Store, except that everything featured unlocks a feature or capability of the device for a small fee. This may be something as simple as a non-essential video codec, or a more crucial function such as the web browser. But these software options are trumped by the hardware extras available. A docking station transforms the 605 into a full DVR system, capable of recording scheduled video broadcasts and also outputting them to a television screen. A travel adapter allows similar functionality but without the scheduled recordings or video output (I think, I'll test later). These two also allow a much faster 3hr battery charge time, as opposed to the USB powered 8hr empty-to-full cycle. A final accessory allows GPS navigation.

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Of course, these are all accessories... what we're really after here is the device itself. It's UI is decently pleasing, with colorful and playful icons and a standard blue wallpaper that can be changed to anything your heart desires. If the menus were loaded with some nice transitions, then I would go so far as to say that the device is capable of competing with the iPod Touch on a software level, but it regrettably is not so. It feels much more barren and stripped down but doesn't expose these traits to the user. Unlike an Archos I owned nearly five years ago, the 605 manages to make everything feel technical and simplistic yet hide it's workings all at the same time. Instead of having to manually browse music folders (like on past units), the Archos will quickly scan for all of your media files and then sort them via tags they might have with them.

A problem I quickly ran into was with ID3 tags. Because I use a Mac, I use iTunes. And because I use iTunes, ID3 tags are often not recorded to the files correctly or at all. And so a direct export from iTunes to the 605 will result in a mess of organization on the device. I wish that this didn't happen, but unfortunately this is my own problem since I suspect most Archos users will be using Windows machines and software that correctly manages audio tags.

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Video, on the other hand, I found to be an absolute joy. The screen is large enough for me to happily stare at it for a few hours. While a few of my files didn't play correctly on the Archos (missing audio), this was due to me not wanting to purchase the necessary codec to play the files. My only other alternative was to re-encode the files, something I wasn't too interested in pursuing. As you can see in the above picture, playback is clear and the necessary playback controls are simple and easy to understand.

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WiFi was an entirely different story altogether. To be honest, when I first started up the web browser I wasn't sure what to expect... well, I actually did, I expected nothing to happen since I hadn't purchased the browser. However, when I realized that the previous owner apparently did, I became quite happy and gave the device a bit of a thorough run-through. While the browser appeared simplistic at first, it actually rendered pages quickly and flash content loaded properly. Once on YouTube, however, the device seemed to grind to a halt frequently, and patience was required to get what I wanted (video to play). Gotta hand it to the Archos 605 WiFi though... It's equipped with quite a capable browser and I often forget it even has this ability.

Other uses of the WiFi connection include a wireless file server. I've yet to mess around with it much but I very much like the ability to have this. It's amazing to think that I can essentially use the 605 as a file server, DVR, GPS, and PMP. Nothing else I have ever seen works like that except for maybe a netbook or UMPC!

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conclusion

If I had one complaint about the 605... it would be the cost of collecting all of it's accessories. The DVR dock on eBay costs just over fifty dollars, plus the GPS at over one-hundred, and the full software package which I'd estimate to be about another hundred, and it's quite a pricey device you've got here. And considering how Archos has a newer line of devices available, I'd be hard pressed to encourage anyone to buy a new 605. That said, as a used device, it certainly seems to be a winner. It's got all of the features of the newer devices minus some of the software updates (mostly aesthetic), and all of the non-software additions can be found for much cheaper than the new devices'.

To be honest, I was completely surprised by the Archos 605. Every player the company has sold in the past that I have gotten the chance to test has always struck me as being cold and unfeeling. They've always felt more like a hard-drive with a file explorer than a media player. Yet here comes the 605 WiFi, and while I still get this cold and efficient aura from it, it seems to have developed a bit of a soul. It's got features you'll forget it's even got, and then it surprises you time and time again with them. It hasn't replaced my iPod Touch, but I've never got the feeling that it was every trying to. It's just yet another additional device that serves it's purpose and then gets out of your way.

Will I keep my 605 WiFi? Most likely I will, for at least a time. I've already considered trading it off and then stopped myself with excuses of: "What will you use as your hard-drive then? How will you take videos home for the weekend? What will you use as a portable media player on a car trip?"

I've yet to travel with the 605 WiFi, but I have a feeling that very soon I will be. And that I'll begin to love the device even more... if I can only get this ID3 tag problem sorted out.

uh oh....

While working a couple of days ago up in Women's 1 (the first women's room you come across when walking into Abercrombie & Fitch) I heard a very loud bang. Well, not so much a bang but a boom... perhaps a mix of the two... but what is certain is that this noise was substantial. Bearing in mind that the loud music in the store still was not able to drown out the noise (which had obviously come from outside), so I immediately came to the conclusion that something profound had occured outside. It didn't occur to me for nearly 5 minutes that the source of this calamity might have originated from immediately outside our store, but then I caught a glimpse of this sight outside. Turns out that one of the cabinets belonging to the kiosk selling cell phone covers had somehow been knocked over, shattering it's glass panes and sending fragments all over the place.
After taking this picture, a mere half hour was all it took for the entire mess to be picked up and a new/fixed cabinet to be installed. I was quite impressed!

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new equipment: nikon d40

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My HP Mini Note 2133 wasn't receiving a whole lot of use. So I decided to trade it off... and what I got in exchange is a Nikon D40 digital-SLR camera. It's only got a 6 megapixel sensor but that so far seems to be more than enough... it's pictures have so far blown the Z812 out of the water entirely. (See the ROKR E8 review for examples.) It's rather compact for a DSLR (not as compact as a Four-Thirds or Micro Four-Thirds, though). It's got a rather sizable display, and certainly doesn't appear old like many of my other DSLR options. If I had two things extra I wish it could take 12fps photos (it does more like 3 or 2), and one or two more megapixels just to make me feel better. As I've learned, though, less megapixels in the same space means larger (and more sensitive) pixels, and a better quality image. Still... here's wishing...

I'm not big into zoom photos (and neither am I planning to use this seriously for sports or anything), so a nice telephoto lens prolly isn't going to be a purchase ever. A fisheye lens would be quite nice... I've yet to find anything substantial that isn't pricey, but I might get a threaded attachment to achieve nearly the same result. A remote and an external flash attachment would be awesome additions, too. We'll see though... right now I'm just wowed by the wide-angle I can already achieve and the amazing macro abilities.

motorola rokr e8 review

introduction

What is this? Can it really be?… a phone created from Motorola, who’s infamous for not having created a good handset for over 3 years? Have they really come out of their rut? Well… the short answer is no. Unfortunately, the ROKR E8 is a device released by Motorola which went right under the radar of just about everybody, myself included. And I say that because I actually remember the marketing for this device when I had wandered into a T-Mobile store a while ago and yet I never once thought twice about the darned thing. However, when bored on craigslist, and looking for something I could trade my Sidekick 2008 for, I came across it again. And I instantly became hooked on it. I just had to have it. And sure enough, I got it.

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design

The ROKR appears to be a slab of dark glass at first glance. It’s parallelogram profile and lack of any “real” buttons on it’s face only contribute to it’s minimalistic aura. It’s quite astonishing considering that most candybar-style handsets are unable to achieve simplicity without sacrificing functionality. For example, look at how the iPhone was created: only the most necessary buttons were included, the rest were thrown away in favor of a touchscreen.

But what if you want a device with lines as clean as an iPhone but prefer the user-experience of physical keys? That seems to have been the design principle behind the E8. When turned off or in standby mode, the device appears to have no display or keys at all… the only interruptions to be found are the silver crescent and directional toggle (neither of which have any give to them which would hint to their actual purpose). It’s this eery and unassuming persona that makes the E8 so tempting to play with.

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Of course, at this point you’ve probably turned on the device or awakened it from standby. All of a sudden keys appear out of the blackness that existed before! Only a moment ago these were completely invisible to the eye no matter what angle the device was being held. This is no cheap trick… the keys really do disappear for good when the device is turned off.

However, things get yet more tricky, as pressing one of these keys results in a tactile response never before felt from a touchscreen device. The keys seem to have some give to them, and an accompanying physical click. Releasing the key seems to bring the key back to it’s original state as it clicks back up. How is this accomplished? I believe a sophisticated capacitive screen is at work here, which either has a special piezo-electric ability to depress. Because once the device is turned off, all of the magic stops.

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Pressing the music button results in yet more magic. All of the keys transition to music controls, and the previously visible keys completely vanish. Pressing the empty vastness where they used to exist results in nothing… only the newly visible keys work now. And did I mention the scroll wheel? That silver crescent is actually 2/3 of a scroll wheel, and can be operated similarly to an iPod…. with the exception being that it’s not a complete circle, and thus has a deadzone at the bottom.

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There exists yet one more key layout dedicated to camera controls… which I should think is rather wasted on such a lowly-spec’d camera module, but should prove as an excellent testing ground for a future Motorola handset.

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Located on the back, the camera takes a rather unassuming location with an opening quite similar to that of the iPhone. (More on that later.) The top of the device is adorned with a rather pronounced 3.5mm stereo headphone jack (in addition to a lanyard/neck loop). The ROKR E8 comes with a rather stylish (and not too bad) set of headphones that have a built-in microphone.

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Unfortunately, the MicroSD card slot is located underneath the battery cover, and only accessible when the battery is removed. Perhaps this isn’t such a bad thing, given the device already has a significant amount of built-in memory. Also seen in the picture is the red slot that serves as the loudspeaker grille… it has little nubs on the far ends which lift the device off of a flat surface so as to avoid muffling the speaker. A nice touch.

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usage

I have to say… the E8 is unlike any other device I’ve ever owned. Using it is so similar and yet so different from anything else. The menu, for example, is on one hand very plain and generic and the other beautifully minimalistic. (It’s pictured above.) Only further complicating matters is the ability for the scroll wheel to be used in this setting, usually without making a mess of things, either. The software is so much more advanced from the Motorola devices I’m used to (like the RAZR line), that I was completely taken back. Indeed, this is for a reason, as the ROKR E8 runs a highly modified version of linux instead of a very simple Java based operating system. And it’s because of this that such an active modifying community exists dedicated to this system.

The screen is bright and well contrasted- or perhaps that is because of the themes Motorola has given the device- and the keys are always amazing to look at. I’m a bit confused about the little nubs located over each numeric key, as I find that they don’t do a whole lot. This is a device I find myself using my fingernails a lot on, and as such the nubs don’t do a whole lot. And yet… without them the device would seem unusual an a way I can’t quite express with words.

As a whole, the phone is quite well built. It’s size is just about perfect, and doesn’t feel awkward when held up to the head. Unfortunately I cannot comment on audio quality, as I never used the phone functions (since I do not have T-Mobile). (See my review of the 3G Storm to understand yet more reasons for the omission of this part of the review.) It’s build is quite sturdy and feels like it would live up to a lot of abuse, although I have to worry about scratching on the front due to mine coming with one already on the screen.

I did find some annoyances with the phone, though. First off, the power/hold-switch is rather awkward to use, and requires the use of a fingernail or pointed object (such as the point of a pen). Also, the system isn’t the most speedy. Granted, I don’t mind watching the screen as it transitions from phone to camera mode, but the fact that pushing the camera button resulted in a 5 second delay before anything happened at all is simply unacceptable. This has been fixed in a software update, but the lag of 2 seconds is still significant in comparison to modern handsets.

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conclusion

I’m not sure if you can tell, but I am absolutely crazy about this handset. It’s design is thought-provoking and inspiring, and the user experience is completely unusual (in a good way) from everything else out there. In fact, after playing with this phone for a couple of minutes, I couldn’t help but wonder aloud why Motorola couldn’t make all of their handsets this good.

You may or may not know, but I’m not the biggest fan of the iPhone. Granted, I love it’s SMS application to the point of almost acquiring another just for that one feature. But it’s “chubby” design and widespread adoption are two factors I simply cannot deal with. That and I like buttons. I don’t care about an overpopulated application store or always-on internet. In fact, I don’t even subscribe to a data plan, so I couldn’t use such features even if I wanted to.

I almost feel as if I’m the type of consumer that the designers behind the E8 were thinking of. It’s like the design team for the iPhone was split in half, with part wanted to cater to me and half wanting to make what we now all know as the infamous touchscreen phone to be found all over the place. The ones who catered to me wanted a consumer that liked the appearance of a touchscreen, but would rather sacrifice it for physical buttons due to the lack of a suitable compromise. Someone who didn’t need always-on internet. A user that would revel in something groundbreaking because it truly was, rather than mere hype.

You might be asking why I think that the design team of the original iPhone has something to do with this phone. Well, that’s quite simple… the lens on the back of the E8 looks remarkably like that of the iPhone. And the scroll wheel is remarkably similar to an iPod yet functions perfectly well in a phone environment. The headphone jack is centered at the top, exactly where it was on the original iPhone. Of course, it’s obvious that this wasn’t actually designed by the iPhone team, but you get my point… this device was aimed as a different type of consumer.

It’s for that reason that I’m amazed at this device. Motorola can make cool devices, if they put their mind to it. The Motorola ZN5 is an example of what happens when Motorola becomes inspired but doesn’t follow through. It too has a “morphing” keypad, but it’s execution is cheap and that’s likely the reason for it’s apparent failure at capturing much of a market. The ROKR E8 was released with firmware that was buggy and very slow, but has since been refined to a very usable state.

If I were to make some demands for a handset based on the E8, I would be wishing for the stuff of fantasy- that’s how complete this handset already is. A full display would be nice, but only if it features the virtual keys that this one is equipped with. A high-spec camera with autofocus would be a nice addition as well, but that might chance the physical dimensions of the device.

In short… this phone is amazing. It has some flaws, but for the price you can nab one of these now, it’s a bargain.

t-mobile sidekick 2008 review

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introduction
[----]The Sidekick is a device that has something of a cult-following. Since it’s original release, it nabbed a dedicated set of users that have messaging and design at the forefront of their requirements. With it’s roomy keyboard and unique spring-loaded display swivel, the device was poised to nab a niche market. It has since undergone many revisions and releases, resulting in the model you are about to read about. Note, however, that this is actually one or two models older than you can currently go out and purchase new… something I will touch base on in the conclusion.

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design
[----]All Sidekick’s feature the same unique swiveling display (with the exception of the Sidekick Slide). This is a spring-loaded mechanism that pivots around an axis located at the top-center of the display. It is actuated by nudging the display in the direction of rotation or with a slight lift of the bottom-left corner of the display. The display then swings around till it’s perched just above the keyboard, with everything on-screen rotating 180-degrees to match the new top-bottom orientation of the display. I like the mechanical sound that the device makes when doing this… reminds me of pulling the bolt back on an old rifle.
[----]The keyboard is just as roomy as I remember from my experience with a Sidekick 2 a few years ago. Although, while the one-piece rubber that makes up the keys feels much more attached than it did with the 2, I’m still mystified as to why it doesn’t feel as usable. The keys feel harder, and more like the Peek. Something’s not normal here, but I have yet to place my fingers on it.
[----]Buttons abound on the Sidekick. They have on every Sidekick, actually. Two shoulder buttons line the top of the device, a power and volume rocket occupy the bottom. Sub-Menu, Cancel, Back, and Main-Menu keys are to be found on the front. These are used in combination with the keyboard to execute the countless shortcuts built into the device’s UI.
[----]Also located on the top of the device is a 3.5mm stereo jack and a MiniUSB port. The location of the stereo jack isn’t ideal for the same reasons as the N95… in a pocket, it results in some very awkward positioning when listening to music. It also poses a hazard for damage to the device in the exact same situation. I’m a bit confused how this actually happened, since the Sidekick 2 was equipped with a side-mounted audio jack. Perhaps it’s the fact that Sharp foresaw the awkwardness of holding the device with headphones connected if the port was on the side. We’ll never know I suppose.

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usage
[----]If I were to describe using the Sidekick 2008 in one word… “chilled” would be my word of choice. The device is well equipped, and quite fun to use (especially flipping the screen open and shut repeatedly when bored). At the same time though, the device isn’t entirely user-friendly and the learning curve is a bit unsteady. There are countless shortcuts, but it’s almost as if you have to be in-the-know to figure them out. For example, Menu + M send a text message, which basically makes it so you don’t have to scroll and hit the on-screen send button. The “M” key is a bit confusing… does it symbolize “Mail (Now)”?
[----]Thankfully, this is probably the only negative bit to be associated with the chilled description. Everything else about the Sidekick is just cool. The camera is actually quite a good one, with very pleasant colors and details that are decently sharp. It’s not quite E71 sharpness (and the lack of Autofocus or a quality flash is sad), but it’s capable of competing quite well with just your run-of-the-mill handsets. The small shoulder button used for actuating the shutter is, quite honestly, pathetic. It’s impossible to find in the dark, which I suppose isn’t the end of the world.
[----]Actually, in the dark, about the only thing you can discern on this is the keyboard and the Send and End keys. Everything else isn’t illuminated, requiring a knowledge of where the buttons are located by-feel. Once again, I felt like I was using a device that is only supposed to be used by special club members, a club which I am not a member of. Still, that keyboard looks quite pretty at night, and is very well illuminated. The transition from orange illumination to white and neon green is one I applaud greatly.
[----]Also, I applaud the ability to customize the launch screen (main menu/home screen). A few themes come packaged with the device out of the box, and while I don’t exactly like them, I’m still quite moved by the decision to allow such customizability in an otherwise one-minded device. (I’ll describe that later.)

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conclusion
[----]Overall, the phone functioned exactly as it should. I was a bit perturbed by the half-assed attempt at a pleasant UI. Granted, the Sidekick formula has existed successfully for quite a long time now, but it’s due for a graphic overhaul. It’s a bit like seeing S60 on the N85. It’s been spruced up a lot, but it’s still the same system. The lack of any eye-candy in the multimedia browser was a major disappointment. And the fact that the phone’s UI was built almost as if the device was a smartphone/touchscreen-device is confusing at this point.
[----]Let’s not forget, of course, that this device is only compatible with T-Mobile. I find it a bit odd that people complain about AT&T getting exclusive use of the iPhone when T-Mobile has had the Sidekick line under it’s control forever. Forget about unlocking this device or purchasing one of those SIM-unlock adapters. While they do work, internet will never work. And because internet doesn’t work, MMS will never work. So you’ll be equipping yourself with a highly crippled device that only works for phone calls, SMS messaging, and taking pictures. Kind of pointless, huh? That’s actually why I traded off this Sidekick 2008 yesterday for a much more exciting device.
[----]But what if you’re on T-Mobile? The Sidekick 2008, should you get it? It’s got interchangeable color shells, and a 2.0mp (versus 1.3 on the LX) camera. Well… no. If you were to ask me, I’d advise you to get a Blackberry. Keep in mind I’m not a big Blackberry fan, and yet I till you to get one. I don’t care if you’re a fashion-conscious teenager or business person, the Blackberry gives you much more bang for your buck. Not to mention, it’ll work on more networks, have more (and better) features, and cost less. Seriously.

(Note: This is a copy from my wordpress blog. Nothing has been changed.)

samsung eternity review (a867)

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Introduction:
[----]The Eternity was a device released in the immediate wake of the original Apple iPhone. In it’s time, it was usually accused of being a mere rip-off of the iPhone, something of a direct threat to Apple’s market-share. Of course, as history has proved, it’s much easier to build competent hardware than it is to match it with a stellar UI, and it’s one of the reasons why today the iPhone appears to be king of the hill even though countless touchscreen phones have appeared since it’s original iteration.
[----]Regardless, the Samsung Eternity is still a rather popular phone! So it’s lower price-point and different feature set must play a bit of a role here, helping to move units even while a “better” device existed. Of course, since there are now so many touchscreen phones available to choose from, one might ask if they should spring for the capable Eternity or for one of the other options available to them. Hopefully this review will cover all of those questions, and more.

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Design:
[----]Obviously, the Eternity is a tablet-style device. Some call it a candybar, but I usually reserve that design description for devices with a higher ratio of button-to-screen than the Eternity has. (Think Nokia.) Also, the fact that the Eternity can be used with a stylus, just like a rock tablet and a chisel gives me further reason to call it a tablet device. That’s right… it’s got a resistive touchscreen, not a capacitive. I’ll address this later on in usage.
[----]Built entirely out of plastic, the Eternity gives the impression of a surprisingly solid build, even though it has little weight to it. The screen and it’s border are all the same sheet of clear plastic… it gives the device a more seamless appearance, a nice touch which could be blamed for being a copy-cat of Apple design. Then again, since most devices these days seem to have this one-piece design language, I wouldn’t be too quick to accuse Samsung of unoriginality.
[----]And, actually, that’s a good way to lead to one of the perks of the Samsung Eternity… it’s stereo jack. It’s oddly located on the right-side of the device, near the top. While I am quite pleased to see Samsung went with a 3.5mm jack instead of the dwindling 2.5mm, I was still rather perturbed by it’s non-pocket-friendly location. It reminds me of the Nokia N95, which could at least pull off the excuse of it’s multimedia keys being right-side-up when the plug had been oriented so as to point downwards. The Eternity on the other hand… has none of that.
[----]Thankfully, the Eternity had no other user-unfriendly quirks… oh wait, yes it does, they decided to put the MicroSD slot under the battery cover. And, not only that, but they designed it such that removal of the battery is essential in order to insert-or-remove a memory card. Which means that hot-swapping cards is completely out of the question in almost any occasion in which you might lose all the different parts or are in a rush to access information stored. I wonder what Samsung was thinking when they designed this bit… 32GB MicroSD cards have only just been announced to be in the works, which obviously wasn’t something they planned on being available when the device was released.
[----]So with locations for the MicroSD slot and the stereo jack being wrong, this device obviously won’t shoot down any dedicated MP3 player in the near future. It sort of ties in to the original iPhone, which was equipped with a sunken stereo jack necessitating the use of only specific headphones. Without having tested any newer Samsung touch-phone devices, I can’t say for certain that this eccentricity has been fixed, but something pushes me to believe that just like how Apple gave the 3G a flush stereo jack, Samsung will fix the placement of the stereo jack.
[----]The rest of the device is, by comparison, very well thought out. Three buttons live at the bottom of the screen: Send, Back, and End. Around the side of the device can be found a Camera/Shutter, Multitask, and Volume keys. The top of the device is equipped with the hold button… a rather small button that is surprisingly easy to press when it needs to be, but resistant to accidental use when not intended.
[----]Around on the back, the brushed-steel battery cover (which is actually plastic) is interrupted only by a Samsung logo and the 3mp camera. Removal of the cover, which is done by sliding the cover downward, reveals the bettery, SIM card slot, and MicroSD card that I already bashed earlier on. The SIM card slot is rather minimalistic and a bit tricky to use, requiring a bit of downward pressure to remove the SIM.

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Usage:
[----]Of course, the Eternity is a touchscreen device, and as such, everything is accessed using the bright display taking a dominant position on the device’s face. Having owned an iPhone in the past and currently owning (and using) an iPod Touch, I immediately expected a crisp response from the Eternity the first time I held it in my hands. Yet instead I was greeted with touches that weren’t detected by the phone, or accuracy that was truly atrocious. I couldn’t understand… was the Eternity really just that bad? Or was it that the device and my fingers simply didn’t get along?
[----]With a bit of time, the answer to my problems showed it’s big ugly head… the touchscreen was resistive! I was quite certain, before acquiring this device, that it was capacitive, so I was taken aback quite a deal. What’s the point of using technology designed for use with a stylus in this day and age? Especially when the only “update” it receives for finger-use is a stiffer top layer and larger icons? Really Samsung… what a shame…
[----]Soon, though, I got over my disappointment and began to dig deeper into the devices features. First, I decided to investigate the MP3 player. To my massive disappointment, this was a complete flop… the UI for this application looked as if it came from the original iterations of S60. White was apparently the cool color to use, and Samsung went absolutely to town with it. If this device doesn’t illuminate your entire face when in a dark room, then it probably means that the battery died. Browsing for music was about as bland as could be expected… then again, this isn’t an Apple or Sony product, so I suppose I wasn’t sure what to expect since I’ve never used a Samsung MP3 player in my life.
[----]My general ho-hum attitude continued for the rest of the device. The main menu looks as if it’s the product of some AT&T propaganda, and in all probability it might be. With many icons dedicated to AT&T software, it’s likely that AT&T was looking over Samsung’s shoulder the entire time that it’s branded devices were being created. I’d love to get my hands on a non-branded A867 to see what features AT&T messed up.
[----]Not having a data plan, I didn’t get a chance to test out the web browser. And being equipped with only bluetooth, there wasn’t any way for me to bypass racking up a gargantuan data overage charge. Same goes for AT&T Navigator (TeleNav). While the device does come with a free trial, it still charges for all the data transmitted and received, which I think is totally unfair.
[----]Now, I know this is unfair, but I expected the Eternity to perform similarly to the Samsung Omnia in terms of camera performance. While I was actually blown away by the quality of the images captured by the Eternity, the ridiculous shutter lag and time between shots was enough to make me eat my own spiteful words about the Nokia E71’s camera. That said, when it did work, it worked quite well. I wish they had thrown in an autofocus somewhere, but then again with the shutter lag the whole camera process would be too lengthy to endure.
[----]Messaging is similar to the camera… not exactly bad, but not exactly speedy either. Punching out a message on the resistive touchscreen is something of a chore, and I can’t even count the number of times I would give up on the device, whip out my E71 (which I kept in my other pocket), and switch to using that. It’s just obnoxious to have to “hit” the screen with one’s fingernails or fingertips in order to register a press… a capacitive screen would have been a much better implementation here. Add to the fact that the same head-honchos who approved the white-everywhere MP3 player appear to have had a say in the Messaging application, as it’s full of glare-inducing whiteness. I’d go so far as to say anyone attempting to use the Messaging or MP3 Player applications at night should just save themselves the eyesore and wait to use the device in a well-lit environment.
[----]Of course everyone knows that the best well-lit environment is outside in the sun. Unfortunately, the Eternity can’t be used there. The screen washes out entirely, and may occasionally be discernible with a hand held up to block the direct path of the sun upon the screen. That’s right, the Eternity is not designed for SMS-addicted sunbathers. Blabber-mouth sunbathers, rejoice! The sun has no effect on the Eternity’s ability to make a phone call, but it will mean that the display will be quite oily after you finish your phone call. I honestly have a bit of trouble with this one… it would seem that the iPhone is still king-of-the-hill in regards to outdoor performance! I’m surprised at this one, because the general trend seems to be something more like the cheaper the handset, the better it performs outside (but the worse the “quality” of the display indoors).
[----]Perhaps I have strayed a bit from the path I wish to be taking. Let’s pretend like you’ve just received your Samsung Eternity, and are playing with it for the first time. First, you’ll notice that the lock mechanism is rather unusual… the wording displayed on the screen is a bit tricky, and what the phone is actually telling you to do is push the lock key. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be presented with the standby screen, which can be decorated with an assortment of widgets which range in function from clocks to application shortcuts. Pressing the on-screen menu key brings up the aforementioned main menu. Pressing the Back key from any application will bring you to the main menu, and pressing it again will take you to the standby screen.
[----]Of course, this device is a phone. And as a phone, the Samsung Eternity performs as expected. That is, it makes and receives phone calls. It’s proximity sensor shuts off the display when the device is held to the side of the head, and the Send and End keys do their respective functions. Oddly enough, putting the phone into speakerphone mode turned on the keyguard, meaning that to put the phone back into handset mode, one had to first press the Lock key and then press the on-screen button changing modes. It’s not exactly convenient. Then again, when the rather sharp top-edge of the phone is being pressed onto one’s ear, the phone quickly goes from awkward to painful. Then things get worse when one lends the phone to a friend who gets their face oil all over the display. A bit of a disappointment, really.

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Conclusion:
[----]By this point I’ve basically bashed on the Eternity in every category leaving little reason for why I should recommend such a device. And you’d be right to assume such a thing, as it’s been my opinion since I first saw the announcement for the Eternity that it wouldn’t be an especially appealing device. In the wake of the iPhone, I can understand the appeal of a much cheaper device. But with better devices now existing, I’m struggling to find any reason for why I would even encourage AT&T to continue selling the device.
[----]With it’s resistive display performing poorly in almost all conditions, and a capable yet simultaneously pathetic stab at all of it’s features, the Eternity isn’t really much more than a gimmick phone. It’s like a feature phone without any of the wow. It just exists. It’s design is actually quite unique but it’s not paired with an adequate UI. Knowing that the LG Viewty also has a resistive touchscreen, very similar design, and a much better UI (in addition to a very tasty camera), I’d push anyone looking for one of these second-hand to go for one of those. On the other hand, if someone was looking to get a phone with a contract, and could nab themselves one of these for $30 or less, I wouldn’t feel compelled to tell them off. It’s got a decent hardware set, and should prove to be quite a sturdy handset in the long run.

(Note: This is a direct copy from the other blog for archiving purposes. Nothing has been changed.)

Return To Normal Service

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Well... that was pointless. I switched to a Wordpress blog, as you may know, but decided I actually didn't like it all that much. So while it still exists (http://maptor.wordpress.com) this will once again be my main website/blog/photo storage. I was annoyed with the limited storage capacity, quirky text formatting, and much more lengthy web address than this page, hence the return. Granted, this website isn't exactly a role model for formatting, especially from a Macintosh point of view, but it's a lot more moldable and that's what I want.