Fujitsu Pocket LOOX 600 Pocket PC Review
With the advancement in the business sector, the need for PDAs, which are also known as the miniaturised computers, has increased. The advent of PDAs turned out to be successful and hence, many companies tried their luck in producing Pocket PCs. One such company is the Fujitsu-Siemens.
Fujitsu-Siemens has hit the PDA market with its first product, The Pocket Loox 600, realising the needs of business professionals. The company is tagged as one of the very few to use Intel’s latest and the fastest processor for mobile PCs, the X Scale mobile processor. The Loox 600 is especially for the people who are awaiting a very good, stylish and an easily affordable pocket PC.
Design:
The Fujitsu Siemens Loox 600 Pocket PC PDA is sleek and chic, with smooth and rounded corners that give a professional look. It has sleek dimensions of (H x W x D) 3.2″ x 5.2″ x 0.7″ and its 3.5 inch screen is reasonably big with a two-toned colour scheme. Its TFT touch screen is another feature that is not uncommon these days. The 240 x 320 pixel, 16 bit coloured screen is very bright and has good contrast. Added to these, the built-in light sensor adjusts the brightness according to the conditions outside. The display sensitivity to the pen is very good and just a soft touch is enough to finish the job. Its sides are protected with rubber strips to prevent severe damage in case of an accident. Its silver finish, unlike the metallic, does not retain any fingerprints. So, it always looks neat.
The metallic stylus is placed on the right and is engrafted with a spring mechanism that is not fine-tuned and hence its durability is doubted. But that is not a big concern, as it does not happen that often. But if at all the spring comes off, then you must get another one from the Fujitsu stores, and more often than not, they are unavailable. There is a jog dial on the left, for browsing purposes. The most important one is the five-way directional pad, which has a push and hold function and hence, making multitasking very easy.
Features:
Like most others, the Pocket Loox 600 has integrated Bluetooth software that avails you wireless connectivity in the office or within a public –access hotspot. It has a Bluetooth switch that makes sure that the Bluetooth is switched off when not used, which prevents many problems, including draining off of the battery. The Loox is one of the very few models to have a switch mechanism for the Bluetooth software. With this, the Loox can be connected to any other device supported by Bluetooth software. When there is no Bluetooth device, then the conventional methods, such as the USB cable connection method, can be used. The CompactFlash slot allows you to enhance the built-in 64MB RAM. IBM micro drives, which are currently available with a maximum capacity of 1 GB, can be used for CompactFlash. The Loox 600 also features a wireless IrDA, which is slow, but very effective and is especially very useful in the absence of Bluetooth. The wireless feature works better if the connection is with another Loox 600 pocket PC.
Software:
The kit provides you with 3 CDs to install some basic software. The most important one is the Nyditot Virtual Display 3.0, which helps you create a virtual display and thereby enhance the resolution of the Loox 600 up to 2040 x 2080 pixels. The Message Master Mobile Client software from Derdack can manage your contacts, send and receive messages and do a lot more. Westtek ClearVue can help you a lot in displaying the power point presentations and other MS-Office documents like Word, Excel etc. If you feel that your security is at stake, then the F-Secure FileCrypto can cipher your files so there is no problem of leakage of private or confidential data even if the PDA is lost. The Space2go Organiser software is very unique that, it stores data on a web server and then can recover the data again from anywhere.
Applications:
One of the best applications the Loox 600 has is the FSC SpeedMenu that can launch many applications at a time and can switch between them. The scroll button makes it easier to handle and operate the Loox 600 with one hand. Another important application is the LX-Backup which can backup your files and data securely into a memory card. Few other applets are the plug-on module status that shows you the modules you are using at present and their current status, the processor clock adjustment, which permits you to adjust yourself, the speed of the processor, backlight control that allows you set the percentage of backlight depending on the outside light conditions, and the extra skin for the screen, that features on the “Today’s” screen. The KSE-TrueFax is a very important tool for sending and receiving fax messages, which is the key factor in the repertoire of any businessman. They are very utile anywhere and at anytime. It serves as a quick tool when you are on the job.
Performance:
With the built-in 400MHz version of the X Scale chip, which is the latest, and with the Intel PXA250 processor, the Loox 600 works very fast. Also with 32MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM it is easy to store data and run programs at a good pace. A Compact Flash slot of Type II is provided for faster running and an SD card is rendered for the storage of data but it does not support SDIO. The Loox 600 can be expanded by plug-on modules, which are add-ons that enhance its performance to a greater extent. The virtual memory, which can be obtained by these add-ons, helps the Loox 600 increase its performance and reduces the extra pressure on the RAM itself.
Accessories:
A USB cable connector and a Cradle are included in the set. The cable is detachable and it can easily be connected to any personal computer for data transfer, and the cradle is strong and mobile. The set also features a two-part power cable with plugs for both Europe and the UK. It also has a safety bag that can prevent scratches and small damages. The bag also prevents accidental opening. A Headphone jack and the Headphones are also featured in the kit. A triad of CDs is also in the kit that helps you install some software. Sadly, there is no such facility as microphone recording in the Loox 600. It can play music files, but only mp3, but not wma files, which is another software gimmick.
Battery:
The Fujitsu Siemens Pockt Loox 600 PDA Pocket PC claims theoretically, a maximum of 12 hours of battery usage, which, as a matter of fact, is neither amazingly great nor that competitive when compared to the battery lives of the other brands in the market. But when tested by using different methods, the 1520mAh Lithium polymer battery gave a life of about three and a half hours, which is just on par with its counterparts. When in the standby mode, the battery of the Loox 600 lasted a bit longer. If you are not satisfied with the battery performance, then you can always add another battery, which is of the same kind, to increase the battery life or the performance.
Warranty:
Fujitsu Siemens offers its Loox 600 a limited warranty of just 6 months.
Verdict:
The Fujitsu Pocket Loox 600 is very affordable and modish. Not only it looks pretty in your hand, but also it works smart. It has an array of unprecedented applications and software that ease your work. It may not be regarded as a High end pocket PC in its ilk, but it has maintained a great balance between its features and serviceability. It may be a tad low on the battery life and yes, it does not support SDIO, but the wireless connectivity and the processor speed are satisfactory. It scores over its similitude when it comes to the cost. The expandable memory and the display, both normal and virtual, are very distinctive features. The processor is really good and the add-ons and the expandability only add to the quality of the Loox 600. It is a great boon for businessmen and a good pocket PC to help you when you are on the move. The warranty period is only 6 months while many others are offering a warranty period of 1 year. This is certainly going to cost Fujitsu a substantial amount of customers.
Fujitsu Pocket LOOX 600 Pocket PC – Technical Specification Details
| Manufacturer | Fujitsu-Siemens |
| Model Name | Pocket Loox 600 |
| Product Type | Personal Digital Assistant (Pocket PC) |
| Form factor | Slide |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) mm | 132 x 82 x 17 |
| Colour | 16 bit |
| Display Type | TFT |
| Display Size | 3.5 inch |
| Resolution | 240 x 320 pixel |
| LCD brightness | Automatic |
| Processor | Intel PXA250 (400 MHz) |
| Memory | 32 MB Flash ROM, 64 MB SDRAM |
| Operating System | Windows Mobile Pocket PC 2002 |
| Navigation | Jog Dial |
| Expansion Slots | CompactFlash type I/II |
| Infrared | Yes |
| Synchronization connector | Yes |
| Audio | Yes |
| Supported Digital Audio Formats | Mp3 (“wma” not supported) |
| Audio controller | Yes |
| Stereo conversion | Yes |
| Record | Yes |
| Wireless Connectivity | Yes |
| Games included | Yes |
| Applications | Fujitsu Siemens SpeedMenu; Plugfree (Bluetooth software); Pocket Outlook; Pocket Word; Pocket Excel; Calculator; Terminal Services Client; MSN Messenger; Windows Media Player; Transcriber; Pocket Internet Explorer; Microsoft Reader 2.0; Voice Recorder |
| Battery Type | Lithium Polymer |
| Battery life | 12 Hours |
| Warranty | 6 Months |
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