Yesterday (Tuesday, November 25) working day HPCru correspondent saw the press conference, organized by one of the largest manufacturers of cell phones by Motorola in conjunction with software giant Microsoft. At the event, where, as usual, journalists were collected from the majority of IT-editions, represented a new smartphone based operating system, Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone. This "smart tube" will be one of the first devices powered by Windows, to arrive in Russia. In Europe and the U.S. has already sold its analogs, which we have repeatedly told in our news. However, our debutante is not much delayed visit to Moscow. Its supply to overseas markets began two weeks earlier.
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New made in not unusual for vehicles of this class form-factor clamshell. However, folder-type-Motorola phones have always been able to quite interesting and most successful models implemented in this type of housing. In fact, this is not the first device with Windows for SmartPhone as an operating system, to get to our market. Back in mid-September we did a full review of the i-Mate SmartPhone, which is not too active, but still sold in Moscow. In order not to repeat this text, we will not really describe in detail the features of the operating system, so we encourage pre-reading test i-Mate.
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Do i-Mate at the start of sales was only one serious problem - it's not too "good attitude" to the Russian language. In the case of the MPx200 things are much better. Russification of the device completed by Quarta Technologies, which once made the localization of the CPC from HP and Rover Computers. We must pay tribute, at the press conference was a model with a fully translated interface correctly processed Russian letters, web-pages and file names. Tell a little about how to position themselves novelty software companies. According to representatives of Motorola, in order to meet the needs of customers, Microsoft has developed the concept of smart phone (smartphone), through which employees of enterprises, traditionally used personal computers in their work, could for the most common tasks used regular phones. Since the machine is running Windows Mobile operating system with an intuitive interface, so users will be relatively easy to get comfortable with it. Unlike PDAs, smart phones have the following features:
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- device is primarily intended for telephone conversations and work with data is important, but secondary in addition to the basic functionality;
- device offers improved ergonomics for use with one hand and not equipped with a touch screen, all management is carried out using the keyboard;
- "Smart phone" is equipped with PIM-manager, or otherwise, a standard set of PDA applications for use with personal data: calendar, list of meetings, tasks, etc.etc.;
- Microsoft is a provider of operating systems, the devices themselves are developing handset manufacturers, and Motorola is the first of such companies in the Russian market;
- software platform has an open architecture, the documentation to develop applications for the device is open, but the platform is familiar
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Now let's talk about the technical characteristics of the Motorola MPx200. This tri-band GSM-phone (900/1800/1900 MHz). Its dimensions are 48h89h27 mm. Weight, unfortunately, could not figure out, but according to our feelings, it's something of the order of 120-150 grams. Of course, this is not a standard miniature, but in the breast pocket of his jacket fits the phone without problems, and any discomfort while using the device is not felt. Of course, there is support for GPRS (class B). Color screen, quite bright (very similar to that transflective), supports the transfer of 65,000 colors. Battery capacity too has remained a mystery, but, according to the developers, the device can operate autonomously up to 270 minutes of talk time or a little more than 110 hours of standby time. From add that during the event (2-3 hours in a row) unit is almost never for a moment let go by journalists. At the end of a press conference battery life indicator shows two of the three divisions.
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| Demonstration video |
The core of the system is a standard for low cost PDA Intel XScale processor with 200 MHz. However, his power is enough to turn the video, which was immediately confirmed by playing on the Motorola MPx200 hilarious excerpt from the movie "Monsters Inc.". Indeed, it would be very strange if one of the most versatile smartphones end of 2003 would not be able to work with multimedia.
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| Motorola MPx200 Camera |
From the technical features can not dwell on the amount of internal memory. The user is available 32 MB (the other 32 "meters" set aside by the operating system). If it is not enough, you can always buy a separate memory card. The device has a SD / MMC-slot. The developers claim that the new well-drawn with cards up to 1 GB (apparently, we are talking about SD'shkah), although it was lying in the pocket of MMC on the Nokia 6600, formatted for FAT, MPx200 is not apprehended. Also on the sidelines of the journalists were shown a special camera that connect to SD / MMC-slot device. Built-in "digit", no matter how awesome it now did not seem to have a smartphone is not :-)) but also external camera, like the memory card to work with the presentation model is not wanted. Venture to suggest that he is out of order slot, which had suffered enough for the evening. Now we can only hope that the sale will go to the serial model with a more robust slot.
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| Left - right: SonyEricsson T68i, Motorola MPx200, Samsung S200, SonyEricsson T610 |
At the bottom of the device was spotted jack miniUSB.Clearly, this connector is used for synchronization (for this purpose on a desktop PC, as in the case of any other Pocket PC must be installed ActiveSync), but the inputs for connecting the charger for your smartphone no. A little later, it became clear that for this purpose it uses the same miniUSB. In our natural question: "That is to connect the phone to the PC and at the same time it can not be recharged??" Was received very interesting response. It turns out, MPx200 without any problems can be charged via USB, using the power of the desktop (such as, for example, employs a large number of lapochek notebook, plug in the USB). Specifically for laptop owners who are known to stress, often issued to a USB noticeably below the standard, we developed a special power supply circuit, works correctly with such devices. In this case, however, simultaneously charge the phone and sync it will not work. Here for laptop users who may want to become owners of the smartphone, it may be advisable to think about purchasing an active hub of issuing a standard output voltage. Of the shortcomings of the new MPx200 note also the lack of backlight. Although this shortcoming to some extent offset by a very bright screen, light from which one way or another, but gets on the keyboard. But what really seemed terribly uncomfortable, so that's what all the buttons are flush with the body. That is the button you'll first need to see, and then manage to push :-)
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Also at the press conference, much attention has been given specific examples of using the device. On the one hand, all the expected areas of application have been typical for most devices of this class, but on the other hand, the market had long since reached the stage of development, when buyers "do not know what they hochut. Do not say that all the examples, in our opinion, were successful, but here's a couple of the most clearly demonstrates the possibility of Motorola MPx200 (yes, and for that matter, so many other smartphones and communicators, now existing in the market): 1. Manager, located on the path to the client receives a message that the time and place of the meeting have changed. Notice sent by email, as the organizers of the meeting must notify several of its participants, that is most convenient to set as it is by email. Letter comes to the mail server Microsoft Exchange Server, which initiates a synchronization mechanism ActiveSync with a smartphone. Managers need to either confirm their participation, or reject on the basis of information from your calendar, as well as the new time and venue. Synchronization leads to what appears on the screen of the phone notification of the request for a meeting, which the manager confirms or rejects, and then again to resume the process of synchronizing with Microsoft Exchange.
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| Motorola MPx200 and Samsung S200 |
Interface and the rules of the Exchange Server using the same phone with the principles of work on a PC with Microsoft Outlook: There are lists of folders including inbox messages, calendar, task list, contacts, etc. Finding a calendar invitation to another meeting, the employee is able to accept it, reject or accept conditionally, depending on how much time to reach a new destination - that is, do the same thing, what he would do at your desk. In addition, it is possible to view a list of contacts and global address book Microsoft Exchange, so that we can immediately call back to the organizer of the meeting and discuss the details. 2. Quite similar to Exchange Server will notify the manager of new messages, new or changed contacts, or tasks, ieall that is a very important part of productive work "mobile worker". Synchronization can occur either on schedule or on demand, or triggered by the mail server when receiving critical messages. The volume of information transmitted can be limited, but messages can be transmitted partially. Only in the event that the employee understands that the message for him is crucial, he can "order" it dosylku. In addition, the presentation of new items have been demonstrated ease of use mobile internet on MPx200 (present as a WEB-, and WAP-Bowser) and e-mail. Microsoft also drew attention to the built-in instant messaging system MSN Messenger. In the meantime, we can only add that this miracle of a foreign thought to be available to domestic customers in about a month - at the end of this year. Approximate price of new items - $ 550 - $ 600. The authors, translation: