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The day before yesterday I was preparing material for PDA NEC MobilePro 300E, and now engaged in a brand new MITAC MIO528. It is curious that the first impression was: "And I just gave the warehouse NEC and not put it there by accident in a box labeled MIO?". However, the first impression was misleading. Cars are very similar, but there are differences (mainly, by the way, not in favor NEC'a). Twins but not twins. MITAC company is known to us as one of leading Taiwanese, and even the world's notebook manufacturers. Let's see how well she was able to adjust to the more mobile sector. Breaking with tradition, and will not start with a box (though it has something to look at). The first step greedily grab the very machine. Well, the cabinet is very nice, did not immediately say, it is made of plastic (this becomes obvious if povertet in the hands of the lid covering the battery compartment). Really looks cool combination of blue with a silver and two vertical blue stripes on the front panel attached to a typewriter elegantsnost and completeness. In his hand is convenient, the weight is almost not felt - MITAC even a little lighter than the NEC - 143 grams, only three grams more than the Toshiba e310 and three less than the MobilePro 300E.
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All very nice, but always present oschuenie that lacks something important. The front panel of machine so organically and looks so complete that it took to realize that there is no customary for all Pocket PC joystick takes some time. Thus, there is no joystick. At first glance - a big disadvantage. However, after a few hours I start to seriously wonder, why me this joystick, which I used on all PDAs that fell into my hands? Unfortunately, the answer lies in a while when I start a brand new toy Rayman. Still, without this entertaining accessories to play with toys that are for the Pocket PC more and are becoming more attractive, very difficult, but some are just impossible. But, as practice shows, for the rest of the joystick, in general, is not needed, since there wheel Jog-Dial, which allows you to navigate through the application list and activate necessary. The rest of the design is no different special delights. Four buttons on the front panel launches four PIM-applications: Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Tasks. All very standard, which, however, might be expected, since no additional utilities, such as in iTask iPaq, Fujitsu-Siemens'ovskogo own menu in Pocket LOOX, a MIO not. There, embedded image viewer, but about it below. Thus, the four buttons on the front panel underneath the one hand loudspeaker with beautiful curved slits and the right - on / off switch power supply. Contrary to the fears of all time, until I had a typewriter, I never clicked on this button when you do not like it himself. And it seemed that this place will make their own fingers to get into it. Apparently, the developers have thought through it. After that, everything as always: left wheel Jog-Dial, beneath the power button voice recorder, tiny buttons on reboot. One-in-one, as the NEC MobilePro. Top slot for cards SD / MMC, mikrofonchik, headphone jack, a small window infrkrasnogo port, and guess what?, Of course stylus. The stylus is simply inserted into a hole on the body, without any spring mechanism. Simply and reliably. We get it ... why is it so hard? .. It turns out that the stylus is as much of the three sliding tubes and during the "withdrawal" by themselves apart. It is unclear whether this idea of developers - that the stylus itself apart before using, or simply a hole in the hull is too narrow and the stylus is not "climbs" (sorry) when folded.But the number of "kolenets" MITAC'ovsky stylus has overtaken all. It's no joke, three of them! As already mentioned, have a built-MIO expansion slot - the format for the cards Secure Digital / MultiMediaCard. However, with a flick of the wrist of the owner that the CCP acquires another slot - Compact Flash Type II, which can be connected not only memory cards but also various peripheral devices: cameras, modems, wireless modules, even mobile projectors for presentations in the field conditions. The second slot is, like NEC (well, after all, no less than the twins!) Snap-in "jacket". However, in the case of MIO 528 this device is more appropriate to call the "backpacker" - it hangs on the back "machine, going up to about the middle of the body. Not too tiny "supplement", but at least less and less noticeable than the "brick", which tacked on to the NEC. On the other hand, and an extra battery in it no ...
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Now for the bonus software that will please user MITAC. At the ROM is already recorded graphics viewer E-Viewer. Really, by the way, nice programm with the possibility of starting a slide show and create a voice or written notes to each photo. But on the drive happy owner MITAC awaits many enjoyable. Dictionary CEWord (Chinese-English-Chinese, for those interested), CEUnzip - a program to unzip the archive reader electronic books CEBook (understands all known formats), and CETravelMate - a program with a set of useful functions for travelers. Separate line item - toys, which on a disk is in the set as many as six! Even Hewlett Packard, famous for its generosity in giving user bonus programs do not offer this. So, here is ZIO Golf 2, which could be found on the disk NEC, - an excellent three-dimensional simulation golf, allowing use of different clubs, to take into account wind speed and hit with backspin. Pow Wow - uncomplicated, but addictive toy. The meaning of it - shoot by pressing the stylus various nefarious crooks, appearing on the PDA screen. The game has 28 levels, each shooting must put in an increasingly tough time limits.
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| Golf, Pow Wow, Metallion |
Fun2Link - a puzzle game in which two points on the screen should be connected by laying the pipe. Nice, of course, but boring. However, a gift horse ... Next on the list should be playing "Metallion" (though only "demo") - a magnificent fully three-dimensional action, in which the player will have to battle with various naughty aliens who want to seize land. "Metallion", probably one of the best games for Pocket PC to date - 16-bit color, excellent sound effects ... Four years ago this was rare, even on desktop computers. The last two games - "Expresso Run", in which you acted as a supplier of coffee to distant Earth colony and "Pocket Gambler" - a set of gambling. Finally, we came and to boxes, which we left on the "next". Left, because in reality, boxes may be different - and the usual array of Deluxe. Normally there is only a machine, cradle and power supply. Spare stylus there is none, and it included NEC. Cradle, again, as in the case of the MobilePro, equipped with a connector to charge an additional battery (battery for 1000 mAh). Moreover (similarity goes here and here) - on the front panel, the same as in NEC'e light indicating charging this extra battery. But the power supply is made is very interesting: its wire ends quite normal in appearance shtyrechkom, but on the body machine suitable openings there. Look further ... However! Desired "hole" is not on the cradle. Where is she? And it turns out, at the end of the USB-cable.Originally mad, but honestly, it is absolutely embarrassing. And here is a set of Deluxe costs just $ 40 more expensive (minimum equipment $ 445, Deluxe - $ 485), but it has the above-described jacket for cards Compact Flash, sync cable, pouch-book (quite incidentally, comfortable, with pockets for credit cards and Flash -cards and two protective films for the screen.
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Total. It is not that remarkable machine, rather the opposite - very srednennkaya. But it's not her problem. MIO - probably the best on the market today, the combination of price quality. The buyer gets everything needed, and quite "tasty" bonus set (and software, and "accessory") for a very reasonable price. When compared to the same NEC MobilePro, MIO, almost similar in features, costs less and gives the user more. In general, a very successful market solution and an excellent choice for those looking for is not exotic, but the simplicity, reliability and quality for little money. The authors, translation:
Caustic