Up to 15% off Select Desktops! Up to 20% off Select Notebooks! Up to 20% off Select Servers!
As a nice compliment to the Inspiron 700m review, Dell is offering an unprecedented coupon worth $750 off $1500 on laptops. This expires tomorrow 10/20, so move fast if you’re interested.
Click on the link above, then choose Shop Notebooks to get started. Pick the notebook system you want, make sure it’s configured to be at least $1500, and then apply coupon code ZD5$P0NS954P16 at checkout.
I won’t normally post coupons and deals here, but this one is too enticing to pass up. I’ve never seen a better coupon deal from Dell, so if you want a great deal on a laptop (around $750, depending on how you configure it), jump on this now.
TinyScreenfuls Review: Dell Inspiron 700m
I recently obtained a new laptop from a company I do some consulting for, Wright-Way Moving & Storage (contact them for all your moving needs!). After using it for a couple of months, I have written up a review. Want to know more? Read on for all the juicy details. If there’s a question I didn’t cover, feel free to contact me.
Here’s the review.
PalmOne Releases ‘Smarter’ Treo 650
The date that has been flying around for the official announcement of the palmOne Treo 650 was October 25, but it looks like palmOne either jumped the gun or the announcement unintentionally leaked a week early, because InternetNews has an interview with Greg Shirai, director of product marketing for palmOne, which basically announces the Treo 650.
It’s an interesting read - go check it out. Nothing we didn’t really know before - CDMA and GSM versions (with EDGE support!), new Tungsten T5 connector (so old accessories won’t work - what happened to the “Universal” connector?), Bluetooth, high res screen, removable battery, and a “better” camera. Most interesting:
Shirai said that carriers should announce the availability of the 650 in the next few weeks, with the product actually available before the holiday shopping season.
Looks like I might be able to get my hands on one before the holidays. Whee!
A moment of silence if you please. :: Mobile Gadget News - (MPx200.org)
It had to happen sooner or later, but it looks like AT&T Wireless has discontinued the Motorola MPX200 Smartphone, in preparation for the release of its successor, the MPX220.
The MPX200 has been my main phone/wireless data device for the past 10 months, and it has served me quite well. It converted me to the Windows Mobile Smartphone platform, and did the same for a half dozen of my coworkers.
Rest in peace, little friend. You’ll be remembered as a pioneer.
Motorola MPx220 Now Widely Available
Just as promised, the MPX220 has made its nationwide debut. It’s currently only available at Best Buy stores as a Cingular phone, but it’s not SIM locked, so if you get one, you can use it on any GSM carrier (T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless, etc.). List price is a steep $500, but activating a 1 year Cingular service contract drops that to $350. Sign a 2 year contract, and you get an additional $100 rebate. The phone should show up in Cingular retail locations soon.
Cingular has a 1 month exclusivity agreement on this phone, but it’s expected to show up on AT&T Wireless as soon as the exclusivity period is over.
My excitement for this phone, which has been building for almost a year now, has been dwindling as of late. Reports of the absolutely dismal camera, plus the advent of smaller, slimmer phones with almost the same featureset (Audiovox SMT5600) have made me question my desire to get one of these. I’d still like to get my hands on one, and try it out. On paper, at least, it seems like a worthy successor to my trusty MPX200.
Decisions, decisions…
New Motorola MPx220 - official release date 10/17/2004! : Online Phone Magazine : www.PhoneMag.com
Rednoc pointed this out to me, and I noticed it over at Gizmodo, but it looks like the Motorola MPX220 “soft launch” that has happened at some Best Buys around the country is going to go official, and nationwide:
“The model MPx220 with Cingular service is initially available at Best Buy stores nationwide beginning Sunday, October 17 and will hit Cingular retail stores later next month.”
So, if you’re in an area that Cingular serves (which I’m not, here in Oregon), you can get your eager little hands on this phone next week. That is, of course, if you don’t mind the crappy camera quality.
I’m still kind of torn between this and the Audiovox SMT5600. I guess time will tell which one I will end up with (if any).
Update: Follow the SmartphoneThoughts thread here for more availability reports and user experiences.
Smartphone Thoughts :: View topic - Audiovox SMT5600 Available On AT&T Now For $199.99
User pattywatty over on the SmartphoneThoughts Forums is reporting some more info from the folks at www.c500-unlock.com about people having problems unlocking their AT&T Wireless Audiovox SMT5600 Smartphones:
“I finally received response from the folks at unlock-c500. They said at this time it is unsafe to unlock as they have had to downgrade one they recently tried. I don’t know exactly what that means. They said I would need at least a 64Mb minisd card and card reader to read the firmware in order to help them work faster. Again, I am not sure what that means. I am now a little tempted to just cancel this phone and buy the unlocked version through expansys-usa.”
The unlock process involves getting an IMEI-specific unlock file, and using a firmware updater program to unlock the phone. In my initial email correspondence with c500-unlock, they claimed that they wouldn’t have any problem unlocking the phone, since it was based on the HTC Typhoon/SPV C500. However, people who have tried this unlock method have reported that the procedure left their new phone unbootable, and basically dead in the water.
It’s always risky dealing with firmware-level changes like this, and of course, the buyer should beware. Keep an eye on the thread linked above for updates on the situation, and I’ll definitely post here when I learn of a safe way to unlock this phone.
Amazon.com: Cell Phones: Audiovox SMT5600 Smartphone - Next Generation (AT&T)
The Audiovox SMT5600 Smartphone has shown up on Amazon.com, for a lower price than AT&T - $219 (with a service plan).
However, the Availability is listed as “This item is not stocked or has been discontinued.” I wonder if they just don’t have it in stock yet, or if it has disappeared due to demand.
Amazon generally has far better prices than the carriers on phones, and you can activate your plan when you order the phone. Keep an eye on this page - maybe it will become available again soon.
Update: Availability is showing now as “Usually ships in 1 to 2 weeks”, but the price has gone up to $224.99 (discounted from $349) when purchased with a service plan.
Download Opera Web Browser
Following the announcement about a month and a half ago that they were going to release a version of their popular web browser for Windows Mobile devices, Opera has now made a Technical Preview of their browser for the Windows Mobile Smartphone available for download.
I’m installing it now, and I’ll post my impressions. I’ve been pretty happy with Internet Explorer (WM2003 version) on my MPX200, but I’m very interested in what added value and functionality Opera can bring to the table.
Go check it out if you’ve got a Smartphone. Now, how about a version for Pocket PCs? They run Windows Mobile, too!
Update: Well, I can’t get it to install on my MPX200, because it wants a whopping 4.7MB of memory, and my MPX200 is only reporting 3.5MB available in “Phone” memory (even though I show 9+ MB free “storage” memory). I literally only have two apps installed - ConnectedBits Weather and PHM Registry Editor - so I don’t know where Opera expects to find all this memory available. I’ll try to install it to an SD card, but it disappointing that it’s such a monster, and it won’t install into my 9+ MB free “storage” space, but only wants to go into “phone” memory…
Motorola MPx220
I didn’t see this “review” at any of the usual suspects, so I’ll post it here. This is the most detailed info I’ve seen yet on the Motorola MPX220’s processor (which is presumably the same as the one in the Audiovox SMT5600/HTC Typhoon):
Motorola has equiped the MpX220 with a “Bleeding Edge” Texas Instruments OMAP 1611 Dual Core Processor. This processor combines a ARM926 and a TI Digital Signal Processor with a set of dedicated hardware accelerators for video, Java and security.
There you have it - the facts behind the speedy performance that everyone is reporting on the MPX220.
TinyScreenfuls Feed (this blog)
Seriously, though, sorry if I caused you any heartburn…