Great Pocket PC with Caveats
Written: May 01 '02 (Updated Jun 18 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Slim, Pocket PC 2002, terrific internal expansion
Cons: Few external expansion options, 32MB internal memory is a bit skimpy
The Bottom Line: A perfect PPC for a beginner in the market, considering it can be had for as little as $209 in some places. A good buy well worth the minor drawbacks.
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| therainking's Full Review: Audiovox Maestro PDA1032C |
I am a former Palm user. My last Palm was a Palm Vx, which seemed to have a lot going for it. I still like its ease of use and quick response. However, it has been nudged out of it's place of prominence in my geek arsenal by the Audiovox Maestro. Yes, I have joined the Pocket PC Dark Side.
The Basics
First thing's first: Audiovox does not manufacture this device.
Toshiba built its first Pocket PC device, the e570 (Genio for you Japanese fans out there). Audiovox simply rebrands the low end e570 and sells it as its own. The Toshiba name is stamped on the back, so that should raise your comfort level with buying an "Audiovox" product.
As a Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 device, it carries the standard Pocket Word and Pocket Excel. Do not delude yourself into thinking a lot of heavy duty work can be done with these mini-MS apps. The are not fully functioning versions, as any documents you bring to Pocket Word will be stripped of their formatting and complex settings. Get used to using it for carrying reference documents and you won't be disappointed.
Other base install applications include:
Pocket Internet Explorer (with a preinstalled AvantGo setup for downloading and viewing select websites offline)
PIM functions (calendar, contacts, to-do list, and Inbox)
ActiveSync 3.5 (for connecting with Windows PCs and Outlook)
Windows Media Player
Microsoft Reader
MSN Messenger
Terminal Services
File Explorer
Calculator
Solitaire
There is also the Home application, which functions as a program launcher, task switcher, and task killer
Audiovox skimped on any add-in software. The included install disk has nothing on it that isn't already preinstalled on the Maestro. The one attractive program mentioned on the disk, Microsoft Pocket Streets, has been superseded by a new version only available with purchase of MS Streets and Trips or MapPoint. I admit that for the price, I ought not complain, but it is slim pickings for such a potentially powerful device.
The Look
The Maestro is an attractive brushed silver package. It feels solid in your hand, and the replaceable side bars give a good grip. The 4 front panel buttons for Calendar, To-Dos, Home, and Contacts are places slightly above the joypad (which only works in four directions...more on that later).
Like all Pocket PCs of its generation, it also includes an external speaker, a small microphone with actuator on the side of the device, a headphone jack, and an IR port. The reset switch is recessed on the left side, and activated with the tip of the cheap included stylus. And wonder of wonders, they give you three of these poor pointers. Fear not, there is an outstanding replacement pen/stylus available from many outlets, including MobilePlanet. The power button is on the top right of the device. Some have complained that they occasionally turn their Maestro off while attempting to pull the stylus from its silo, but I have never had this issue. The included cradle is USB only. All in all, the Maestro won't embarrass you with its size or look. A faux leather carrying slipcover is also included.
This is not the brightest Pocket PC screen you will encounter, but I have found it to be quite adequate.
The Guts
The Maestro sports a StrongARM processor running at 206 Mhz, like the majority of its PPC brethren. This is more than adequate for most tasks. I have run MP3s, MPEG and WMA video files on the Maestro with little problem. Of course, videos must be rendered down so that the processor can deal with them, but this is not a major problem.
Now there is the issue of 32 MB of internal RAM. You may run into problems from time to time with this.
PPC devices install programs and run them in what is, essentially, the same memory space. So, an install of a program that is 450 k actually takes that much of memory away from available RAM for running a program. This can be managed with the Memory applet on the Settings page, but it is something to consider. Also, because of the multitasking nature of the operating system, PPC apps do not really close when you click on the little "X" to close them. Rather, they recede into the background. However, they are still taking up memory, hence the need for the task-killing capabilities of the Home application.
Toshiba/Audiovox gave Maestro users a great way around the memory limitation by including both a SD/MMC (SecureDigital/MultiMedia Card) and a Compact Flash port on the top of the device. This gives users and incredible amount of expansion flexibility. Need an example? Try slapping a 128 MB SD card in with a Socket Compact Flash modem card. Presto! Lots of storage and wireless Internet access for about $200. I currently have a 32 MB SD card and a 256 MB Compact Flash card, a very good thing indeed. OK, so the only gripes about the SD/CF slot combo is that there is no actual cover for the SD slot when it is not in use, and the cover for the CF slot is a rather cheap part, but those are minor quibbles.
The Daily Grind
Beauty and potential flexibility aside, how does it work?
I work in a large financial services company, and I synchronize my contact and datebook information with Lotus Notes R5. No PPC device does this natively, so I use Intellisync for WinCE to provide this function. this has been a so-so solution, with some occasional frustration as the system decides from time to time "The configuration is invalid." It wasn't invalid 5 minutes ago! But I digress.
ActiveSync, Microsoft's answer to Palm's HotSync tool, is not always the greatest tool, but it does provide the base connectivity I need for the rest of my day to day usage. I often drop some documents in the folder on my computer desktop that automatically syncs to my Maestro, then can head off to a meeting fully armed. I also synch only key emails to the Maestro, and make sure i can always send when i get back to my desk if necessary. All of these things are fairly simple with the Maestro.
Now, as a portable entertainment device, the Maestro does a pretty good job. With the right software, you can play GameBoy, turboGrafx16, NES, or some full arcade games on the 'Vox. Full length movies are not out of the question, and certainly not movie trailers or short films (with proper software), and of course the ubiquitous MP3 and less ubiquitous WMA files. But this is where you run into a small problem: the Maestro is not a stellar battery life device. The nonremovable LiIon could use some serious upgrading as far as performance. One of the most difficult transitions for me of going from Palm to PPC was the realization that the batteries last much less time. However, I had to remember I am asking the machines to do different things. My Palm Vx was not asked to play back MP3s or movie trailers. For those with a concern, there is a battery life extender that can be had for less than $10 which makes a lot of these concerns moot. However, if getting 7 or more hours of constant use from your handheld device is what you are looking for, look elsewhere.
One limitation the Maestro has out of the box for gamers is that the joypad is a four way device. However, you can get a patch that activates the full 8 way directional support you want. Search the Brighthand forums for this patch, and you will be all set.
The PIM features of the Maestro are functional, but not pretty. For better solutions, look to programs like Pocket Informant:3 or AgendaFusion. There is no lack of software out there for the PPC platform, from file managers to Registry editors (yes, you still might need this....it IS Windows, remember?). Be prepared to pony up, though. A lot of the software is not free, though many provide evaluation products so you can try before you buy.
There are not, and will not be, nearly the number of external expansion solutions for the Maestro or its mates. Compaq and HP dominate the landscape in that area, so don't look for snap on thumbpads or fold up keyboards. However, having a native Compact Flash solution can take away some of the sting, and keeps the size of the device down (as opposed to the sea of expansion jackets for the IPAQ).
In the Final Analysis
My gripes about the Audiovox Maestro pale next to the strengths it has. This is a perfect PPC for a beginner in the market, especially considering it can be had for as little as $209 in some places. True, there is some fear of orphanage of the product, as both toshiba and Audiovox have introduced their next generation devices. but since this can do so much today, why worry? Pick one up cheap, and you have lost nothing. A good buy, and well worth the minor drawbacks.
**Update: Lotus Notes R5 Synchronization**
I have seen the light, and it is called CommonTime Cadenza mNotes. This beauty of a product integrates itself seamlessly into your Notes client, and it handles synchronization between the Pocket PC and Notes flawlessly. I have not had one instance of a connectivity or data loss with it. For Notes users, this is your answer. You can find it at http://www.commontime.com for a 30 day eval, afterwhich you must pay $73.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 299
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Epinions.com ID:
therainking
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Member: George Washington III
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Technical advisor, opera singer, comic book reader, sports lover, Voice actor. Yeah.
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