Pharos Traveller 505 Pocket PC
It is a clear fact that the past decade has been the best and the fastest developing of all in the history of mankind. Science and Technology have been beautifying our lives throughout the last few years. As a result of this wonderful and lightning quick evolution of technology, we have seen many devices get smaller and smarter and also more personal in their way of performance. User interfacing has also been improved quite a lot and when you look at the electronic devices that are coming out at this point in time, you will find out that there is an inundation of technology involved. Out of all these, the evolution of pocket PCs from the heavy looking desktop computers can be regarded as one of the best outcomes. We are here to discuss one such topic.
Now, the frequently travelling multitude needs a very good pocket PC in order to fulfill most of their requirements. If you are also a part of that multitude, then here is a good device for you. The Traveller 505 is the latest pocket PC introduced into the market recently by Pharos, a company that has been producing pretty good PDAs at very affordable prices. The most important feature of this is the GPS equipment that it possesses. But, that is it for now. All the details are coming up and hence sit back and look at them as we bring out all the features of the Pharos Traveller 505 Pocket PC.
Design:
Comfort icon:
The Traveller 505 is a special kind of a Pocket PC. It looks quite comfortable, since the device is perfectly engineered and is made to fit into the hands of almost all sizes. To be more specific, look at the measurements of the device which read that the Pharos Traveller 505 is 4.8 inches wide, 2.8 inches deep and 0.9 inches high, and weighs about 5.6 ounces. Now, let us move on to the details of the design. When you have a closer look at the Traveller 505, you will find out that there is some speciality in its design. It looks like it is both portrait and landscape oriented and hence has some uniqueness in the way it looks. On the front side, the display occupies most of the real estate as it is the most important user interface for any device. But, even then, Pharos has managed to put many buttons and dials that make things easy for you. There is the microphone, indicator light, and then there are volume control buttons atop the device.
Display:
The 3.5 inch TFT LCD screen is a big one for any PDA device. Most of the PDAs do come with at most a 2.7 inch screen and even 3 inch screen is a rarity. So, a very good visual experience is guaranteed when you have such a good and big screen. Traveller 505 comes with a screen resolution of 340 x 240 pixels, which is good enough for most of the applications. You normally do not associate a high resolution screen with a PDA since the device is mainly aimed at the business or official usage. Now, since we have seen that the screen is a very big one and it covers a lot of area, it is hence clear that the screen is touch responsive. This makes it very easy for the users to interface the device and this feature means that the busy people can quickly access all their application by the means of only a mere touch. Isn’t that a pretty good option? This can be preferred to the strenuous pressing of the buttons on the keypad, if ever there was one. Hence, the display part of the device leaves a positive note on the Pharos Traveller 505 GPS pocket PC.
Buttons and Controls:
Then, below the display, you will find the usual controls. There is a jog dial or the navigation button at the bottom centre and a few buttons known as the program buttons which are dedicated to some of the functions in the device around it. The speaker is at the bottom most point of the device. Coming to the right hand side, which is full of buttons unlike the empty left hand side, you will find an earphone connector, hold switch and rotate button, SD card slot and the power button. The left hand side looks empty bit it is not. There is the mini USB output port here and also the stylus is placed along the left hand side edge of the device. Hence, the device will provide a lot of shortcuts and thereby help the busy people, saving their valuable time.
Stylus:
The Stylus is also one of the important accessories of any PDA. The screens of these devices are made of liquid crystals and hence they are meant to be quite delicate. Hence, using your hand at all times and under all circumstances is not that advisable. It would be better off if the device is operating taking the help of the stylus. Most people use their finger nails but this not that good for the health of the screen. Now, coming to the usage details of this stylus, the screen is programmed for multiple functions when the stylus is used depending upon how it is used. They are the Tap, Drag, and Tap and Hold; By tapping the screen once, you can select options on the screen and also open various applications. By dragging the items like texts and pictures on the screen with the stylus, you can select multiple items at a time and hence also move them, delete them or copy them all at once. The tap and hold function is to view all the options for a particular application and also to select from a pop up list that appears after holding. Hence, the stylus provides great functionality to the device and also adds value.
Features:
There are a few features that you can afford to look at for the Pharos Traveller GPS 505 pocket PC. However, when you compare these features to those found on the more popular PDAs from manufacturers such as Dell and HP you will find that these are lesser in number, it is still good news that whatever features are present, have made their presence felt by giving excellent performance. Here is an analysis of the features found on the Pharos Traveller 505 pocket PC.
Processor:
There is no doubt that when it comes to processors that are found inside the electronic devices, Intel is the best and the most renowned manufacturer. This very fact made Pharos to incorporate one of Intel’s processor into the Pharos Traveller 505 pocket PC. The Intel Bulverde PXA270 processor is seen inside this device. The uniqueness of this processor is that it has got an unusual clock speed of 416 MHz. While the maximum clock speeds that you will see on various high end pocket PCs is about 600 MHz and some manufacturers even go with the 800 MHz one, this very processor on the Pharos Traveller 505 may look quite inferior, but still it is quite an impressive clock speed. But the fact is that, this device suffers from performance deficiency when the GPS is switched on along with some other important applications. When you have an application that is as big and imposing as the GPS, you would normally expect a higher performing processor. But, having said that, this processor is not that cheap and it still performs well. But, a better processor would have brought home better and quicker performance and nothing more than that. The device was tested under various circumstances and it showed quite a time lag when the GPS mode is switched on. This means that the processor is taking a toll when multiple applications are being run on the device.
Operating System:
The Pharos Traveller GPS 505 Pocket PC PDA comes with an in built operating system, which turns out to be Windows Mobile 5.0 platform this time and it is regarded as the present trend for most Windows based GPS navigation devices and also other personal and portable devices. There is a lot to tell you about this new operating system from Windows, which is specially designed for use in the PDAs and pocket PCs. It has got in it many new functions and shortcuts that make things easy for you while you are browsing through your device. These relatively new shortcuts are quite special in the way they perform and, this is not the only thing. This new operating system designed by Windows, also makes your device look great on the inside, which complements the very cute outside design of the Traveller 505 pocket PC. There are very few problems or complaints regarding this operating system unlike the memory of the device and hence, this fact might turn off a couple of consumers.
GPS Functionality:
Finally, the long wait is over and the main attraction of this device is going to unveil itself as we discuss about the built-in GPS antenna and functionality of the Pharos Traveller 505 Pocket PC. This is one of the most important features of this device and from your careful and rather insightful observations you can notice that this paragraph will be having the most number of positive sentences and statistics regarding this device than any other. Since this is the main feature of this device, it is obvious that Pharos has taken the greatest care while designing it. When you compare this GPS functionality with the ones on the other similar counterparts of the Pharos Traveller 505 pocket PC, this one has surely got the better of them all others. Since4 it is a pocket PC, it features the typical TTFF functionality which is most commonly seen in the inbuilt GPS antennas. Notwithstanding this, you will find that depending on the type of functionality, different I/O results are obtained.
Looking at the statistics of this device, we see that the hot start of the GPS is just about 8 seconds, while many other devices sport a hot start that ranges between 30 and 40 seconds. This is a significantly great achievement of the Pharos Traveller. The warm start is about 38 seconds and the cold start is about 42 seconds. Even these above two aforementioned start times are quite ahead in the race when they are compared to those seen in the other devices. You also get updates within one second, faster than most devices on earth. With an altitude of 18000 m, a velocity of 515 m/sec, and a maximum acceleration of 4G, this has got to be one of the best GPA systems in the market. Hence, drawing conclusions from what we have seen during the tests, we assure you that you get an impeccable performance from the GPS functionality of the Traveller 505 pocket PC.
Shortcuts:
As we have seen previously, the Pharos Traveller 505 Pocket PC PDA has a very well programmed buttons that act as shortcuts to various important programs and applications on your device. The four important buttons that are placed near the joystick have specified functions which are as follows: The first program button is dedicated to the ezGO or the access to the quick menu. Just the press of this button takes you to the main menu of the device where you will find all the applications and programs. The second program button takes you to the navigation options or the GPS, about which we will be discussing in detail at a later point of time. The third program button is for the calendar under normal conditions and it acts as a zoom in button when the camera mode is switched on. The fourth and then the last program button is for the contacts list and it shows you all the saved contacts of your mobile. It also acts like a zoom out function when in the camera mode. The joystick is five way directional and hence many functions can be assigned to it. This makes the Pharos Traveller 505 a very good user friendly PDA.
Connectivity:
The Traveller 505 Pocket PC GPS device comes with a good deal of connectivity options and applications, although there are more negative points regarding their functionality than the positive ones. Features like Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi and other networks are found on this device. But, infrared is not that effective as the data transfer rate is a mere 115 kbps. This is also an obsolete application and normally, most of the devices in the market do not possess this feature. Coming to the Bluetooth feature, it is of the version 1.2, which is on the verge of extinction. It is now no more seen in most of the high end PDAs in the market. But it is still good enough to do your work.
Wi-Fi is also slow at times and it takes time to get connected to the networks which sometimes makes things worse. But, the only thing that is left out without any reported complaints is the mini USB port that enables you to connect your device to the computer. This is pretty useful and is also very quick responsive. One the whole, it has got a good deal of connectivity options, be them effective or not. Using the Active Sync software that is provided along with the device, you can sync your device with your computer and hence exchange the data such as documents, videos, music files and applications etc., between them. This concludes the list of connectivity options that are found on the Pharos Traveller 505 Pocket PC.
Memory:
Memory is one of the important features of almost any electronic device in the market. The Traveller 505 pocket PC comes with a minimal memory of 64 MB of RAM and also 64 MB of ROM. Now, this is an obvious and a direct indication of the level of performance of this device. When you come across a device and that too, a pocket PC, with a 64 MB of RAM, it means that the device is going to be slower than normal. The virtual memory is so low that you can least afford to play video and music files on your device because more often than not, you will only be left with frustration instead of a quick responsive play of videos or music. Moreover, since the ROM also has only 64 MB, there is very little for you to choose which files are to be synced to the device. Not more than ten songs can be supported by this minimal memory. You may think that thus memory can be upgraded, but it only makes the device slower. So, all you can do is insert an external memory card of required memory and this can solve your woes to some extent. If not for the memory card slot, this section of the device is not at all attractive.
Memory Card:
We have already discussed about the fact that the Traveller 505 is not great when it comes to memory. Hence, Pharos has given the slot for inserting external memory cards in order to fulfil the various requirements. Although you might be tempted to buy a big memory card, as big as a 4 GB one or maybe even an 8 GB one, we advice you not to do so as that will definitely decelerate the performance of the device considerably. What we came to know after the conduction of various tests on the device was that the device, or the processor of the device to be more precise, cannot withstand memory that exceeds 1 GB. You might well argue that this is unfair, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. The processor fails to perform fast when higher memory cards are used. The performance here not only refers to the playing of music and videos, but it refers to the overall gross performance. Hence, minimal memory always gives you better and faster overall performance. There is a slot provided for this and it is only compatible with SD cards, SD I/O cards and multimedia cards. And also please make a note that the security function of the SD memory card is disabled by Pharos due to some technical problems. Hence, the users shall be careful while purchasing a memory card for their device.
Adaptability:
We have already seen that the Pharos Traveller 505 is a very sleek and comfortable to hold. Along with this, it has got a few features that make it compatible in places where many other similar devices. It can be used in places of high altitudes and also deep waters. It can withstand higher air and water pressures, which makes it even more special. But an important notification to all the users of this device is that it is a very delicate electronic device, just like any other PDA and hence it may get damaged if placed near high electromagnetic fields such as a transformer or even the electronic devices in an industry. Hence, people working in industries must make a careful note of this. This can happen because the of the GPS facility. It gets damaged when there are static or moving electric fields in the vicinity and the electronic components and the circuitry inside the device may malfunction in severe cases.
Performance:
When a PDA is flooded with the best of features available in the market, you would normally expect it to perform at the very best. But, it is not the case here. The 416 MHz processor may not be the fastest on earth and hence it does not help the processor perform at lightning quick pace. But never mind. This is also not the worst processor in the world. It is manufactured by Intel and hence it got something in it to offer. The speed of the device slows down considerably when the GPS function is switched on. Call quality is generally quite clear but you find it quite disturbed frequently when in crowded areas. Adding to these woes, the response time of the touch screen is slow and also varies from time to time, making it frustrating for you busy people. Hence, in a conclusive manner, this is a good processor, but not the best and also not the worst at the same time. The audio and video performances of the device are in general fine, although not that great. It is the GPS functionality that stands out and it rightly deserves the applause. The overall performance of the device depends upon how it is used and how many applications are being activated at a time.
Battery:
The Pharos Traveller 505 pocket PC comes with a removable and rechargeable lithium-ion battery that has a power of 1320 mAh. This battery is a seriously good one and it is also pretty widely used. It is generally found on most Nokia devices. It is also renowned very well for its huge and longer power supply along with a quick recharge time and at the same time, a long battery life. The battery lasts up to 200 hours while in the standby mode and for more than six and a half hours of talk time. You will also get nearly 6 hours of battery life in the GPS mode. Even though the Pharos Traveller 505 pocket PC has not been particularly designed to be used as an entertaining multimedia device, it is still very quite interesting to know the fact that the battery of this device lasts for more than 8 hours of WMV playback and also an average of 12 hours of WMA playback.
The device also demands very less time for its complete charging to be done. It gets quickly charged up and when we tried to charge it full from a zero position, it took less than just four hours. But, even Pharos accepts the fact that when the device is charged in the car, it takes a very long time. This is the only problem but it is not that significant and it can be understood. The Pharos Traveller 505 pocket PC comes with 2 types of AC adaptors, namely the AC input adaptor with 100-240 volts at 50-60 Hz and then an AC output of 5V/1A and the second one is a universal AC-IN OUT car charger adaptor which allows you to charge the device in your car itself. It is very useful when you are travelling particularly long distances. The device takes the power from the battery of the car. But, this process might take a very long time, longer than the usual charging time.
Package Details:
Let us have a look at the package details of the Pharos Traveller 505 pocket PC so as to know what we are going to receive in addition to the device, at the time of purchase. Along with the Pharos Traveller Pocket PC 505, you will find some more components in the box. In the box, you will get in addition to 2 Pharos map CDs, an AC adaptor with mini USB plug, a battery, a car charger, a windshield bracket mount, a headset, the user manual, the quick start guide, the getting started CD, the PC Sync CD and the Cable. Another interesting fact is that in addition to all this, you will get a 1GB SD card preloaded with all the maps of UK.
Warranty:
The Pharos Traveller 505 pocket PC comes with a parts and labour warranty for period of one year from the original date of purchase.
Verdict:
Our opinion is generally quite clear and straightforward on most of the occasions. But, the review of the Pharos Traveller 505 has resulted in quite confusing conclusions. But let us try to clear the cloud in your minds. The design is pretty good and the features are really fine. The device also performs quite well on most of the occasions. The GPS is great except for a few upgrades which can make it even better. Everything else is fine. In fact, everything regarding this PDA is really admirable except the most important thing, unfortunately, which is the price of the device. The device is fairly costly and hence may not be that advisable the commons. It is not that useful for everyone, and hence those of you who are not that particular about this device, can choose from a wide variety of cheaper but still amazing PDAs that are in the market at present.
Check Pocket PCs Reviews, other Pharos Pocket PCs in this website.
Pharos Traveller 505 – Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | Pharos |
| Model Name | Pharos Traveller 505 Pocket PC |
| Product Type | Pocket PC with GPS navigation |
| Dimensions | 4.8” x 2.8” x 0.9” |
| Colour | Grey and Silver |
| Weight | 5.6 ounces |
| Display | 3.5″ Transflective TFT display |
| Colour depth | 16 bit/pixel |
| Resolution | Touchscreen |
| Primary:Keyboard | Not supported |
| Directional:Pad | 5 – way |
| Embedded:Operating System | Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Pocket PC Professional Edition Browse devices running this OS |
| Processing Speed | 412 MHz |
| Processor | Intel Bulverde |
| Processor core | PXA270 |
| CPU:Clock | 416 MHz |
| Level 1 cache | 32KB data cache / 32 KB instruction cache |
| RAM type | SD RAM |
| RAM Capacity | 64 megabytes out of which 48 MB is accessible |
| ROM type | Flash |
| ROM capacity | 64 MB |
| PC Connectivity | Yes |
| Audio output | 3.5mm jack |
| Interface | Touch screen |
| Expansion interface | SD, SDIO, MMC along with expandable memory card support up to 1GB |
| USB connectivity | 1.1 USB |
| Bluetooth connectivity | 1.2 internal antenna Bluetooth |
| Infrared connectivity | IrDA v 1.2 |
| Wireless connectivity | IEEE 802.11b, internal antenna Wi-Fi |
| Built-in:GPS:module | Supported |
| GPS Protocol | NMEA 0183, SIRF |
| Paralell Satellite Channels | 20 channels |
| Included GPS accessories | Headset, 512 MB SD Card, Car power adapter |
| Battery | 1320 mAh Lithium-ion battery |
| Estimated Battery Life | 8 hours |
| Warranty | One year |
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