Systemax Vitality DH463

Systemax Vitality DH463Inexpensive and expandable system lacks graphics power.
The Vitality DH463's case--basic black with brushed aluminum trim--doesn't jump out at you, but this $1200 (as of October 6, 2006) Media Center PC delivers respectable performance, great upgrade options, and some nice hardware for the price.
Foremost among the system's components is Intel's cutting-edge 1.86-GHz Core 2 Duo E6300 CPU. Combined with 1GB of RAM, this processor pushed the Vitality DH463 to a WorldBench 5 score of 108 ranking it third among currently tested value systems. Other hardware pluses include a nice wireless mouse and keyboard combination from Logitech, and a TV tuner and remote. The keyboard has good heft and lots of well-placed function buttons.
With a Radeon X1600 graphics card and 256MB of graphics RAM, the Vitality DH463 should be able to handle older, less-demanding games easily, but don't expect fast-moving, high-resolution graphics action on the latest first-person shooter. The Vitality's frame rate score of 118 frames per second on our Unreal Tournament gaming test at 1280 by 1024 resolution lagged behind the average score of 245 fps for the seven Top 10 value systems that have a dedicated graphics cards. Gamers on a budget should consider the Velocity Micro Vector GX Campus Edition, which offers better graphics at a cheaper price than this system.
Hands-on play of Return to Castle Wolfenstein proceeded smoothly, but appeared unacceptably dark on the $200, 19-inch Hanns G flat-panel display that came bundled with our system. Small (6.8-point) text looked a bit fuzzy but was readable.
For upgradability, this system rivals pricey, high-end gaming systems. After removing two thumbscrews, you can open the case, where you'll find one free PCI slot, two free PCI Express slots, and more unoccupied hard drive and external drive bays than you'll ever need. You may have to wrestle a bit with the cables that spill throughout the case, but access to slots and bays is generally unhindered. The simple user manual covers basic use and will be of value primarily to less experienced users.
The Vitality DH463 could be a good fit for someone who expects to upgrade hardware in the future but doesn't need powerful graphics.

Dell Dimension E521

Dell's Dimension E521 doesn't set the field afire with its performance or looks. However, at $489 (as of November 6, 2006), including a 17-inch LCD monitor, this system is powerful enough to handle basic computing tasks.
Equipped with a 1.8-GHz AMD Sempron 3400+ processor and 512MB of RAM, the E521 achieved a modest WorldBench 5 score of 80--adequate for many tasks, such as Web browsing or word processing, but below the typical cheap PC score we've seen recently. The system simply isn't up to running games: In Doom 3, it managed a skimpy (and unplayable) 6 frames per second at a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels. It also choked when we tried to play a DVD movie and convert an MP3 file simultaneously; the video became jerky and unwatchable. Our review system came with a 17-inch Dell E177FP LCD monitor. Although we welcomed the inclusion of a small, unobtrusive LCD, the monitor is merely adequate, with undistinguished color.
The E521 comes in a standard silver-and-black Dell Dimension minitower case, whose clean design vents hot air without requiring additional (and potentially noisy) fans. The case provides a reasonable amount of expansion room, too, in the form of two vacant drive bays--one internal and one externally accessible. The former is useful if you decide to add a second hard drive, and the unit's small 80GB hard drive will likely fill up quickly if you use it to store digital photos, music, and videos. You'll also likely want to add a DVD burner someday to the DVD-ROM drive that came with our system. The drive bays and the system's PCI slots don't require you to use a screwdriver to install new drives or cards.
The Dimension E521 is supposed to be Vista-capable, and Dell posts information about upgrading to Vista on its site.
The E521 is the least-expensive system we tested, but it's slow, has a small hard drive, and carries the bare minimum amount of memory you should even consider.

HP Media Center TV m7690y

HP Media Center TV m7690yThis home-theater-ready system came through with good performance--and it gives you room to expand.
The ability to capture and enjoy media is at the heart of the Hewlett-Packard Media Center TV m7690y. This $1000 system (as of November 6, 2006) runs Windows XP Media Center Edition and includes a TV tuner for recording television shows. Our test system also came with a remote control and with audio support for up to 5.1 channels of surround sound.
Among the m7690y's multitude of design conveniences is its variety of ports. On the front of the silver case, a sliding cover hides an array of video and audio inputs, plus two USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire port. The system's integrated audio decoder has SPDIF inputs and outputs, useful for connecting it to a satellite or cable TV box or to a stereo receiver.
On the back of the case is a bay for HP's Personal Media Drive, a removable hard drive that you can operate in the system, or via a USB 2.0 connection. An optional 160GB Personal Media Drive costs $140 (about $40 more than you'd pay for an ordinary external hard drive).
The m7690y earned a mark of 109 on our WorldBench 5 tests, the second highest score among our cheap PCs. Unfortunately, its graphics performance was subpar, making the system (as configured, with an nVidia GeForce 7300LE graphics card bearing 128MB of video memory) a poor choice if you plan to use your PC for gaming.
The case's interior has no room for a second internal hard drive, and it includes just one open externally accessible drive bay. Our test system came with a 200GB hard drive, which will fill up fast as you record TV and share the drive with other content and data.
The monitor accompanying our system--HP's 19-inch f1905e LCD--had a clear, bright screen, and produced good color and smooth movement during DVD playback. We found it easy to adjust the height and angle of the monitor-details you rarely see on monitors paired with low-cost PCs.
HP says that the m7960y is Vista-capable, and the company offers Vista upgrade information on its site.
For the price, the m7960y is an attractive package. Though it lands at the top end of the cheap PCs price scale, its features justify the difference in cost

CyberPower Gamer Ultra 7500SE

CyberPower Gamer Ultra 7500SEThis budget gaming system offers midrange performance and plenty of expansion room, but its mediocre design lessens its appeal.
Priced at $999 (as of November 6, 2006), the Gamer Ultra 7500SE is a budget system can handle most computing tasks, including many games.
The Gamer Ultra 7500SE parlayed its Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor and 1GB of RAM into a WorldBench 5 score of 98-above average for a cheap PC.
The 7500SE's gaming performance was even better. Sparked by an EVGA e-GeForce 7600GS graphics board with 256MB of RAM, it had a frame rate of 76 frames per second on our Doom 3 test, at 1280-by-1024-pixel resolution.
A number of blue LEDs illuminate the case's curved plastic front, which nevertheless looks and feels fragile and cheaply made. CyberPower sets aside plenty of bays for adding extra hard drives: Four internal 3.5-inch drive bays and two externally accessible 5.25-inch drive bays are open (a dual-layer DVD burner, a DVD-ROM drive, and a five-in-one media card reader fill the remaining externally accessible drive bays). The system runs Windows XP Media Center Edition, but CyberPower did not include a TV tuner or a remote control with our review unit, to keep the system's price under $1000 (you can buy a tuner and remote bundled as a $99 option).
The 19-inch ViewSonic Optiquest Q9B LCD monitor included with our test system rendered our test images, games, and DVDs in dark and dull colors. And the LCD provides only a VGA input, which yields fuzzier video than would a DVI connection (which the system's graphics card supports).
CyberPower backs this system with a three-year parts-and-labor warranty that includes 24-hour daily tech support; unfortunately, it scored poorly in our most recent reliability and service survey. The 7500SE is Vista-capable, according to its maker, and the company offers Vista upgrade information on its sit

Dell Dimension E520

Dell Dimension E520Sensibly priced PC delivers acceptable performance and a solid set of features.
The Dimension E520 may look like its cousin the E521 on the outside, but inside it's a different beast. It has a faster processor, more memory, a bigger hard drive, and a dedicated graphics card that makes it a more desirable proposition for a wider range of activities. But it's also more expensive at $989 (as of November 6, 2006) versus $489.
For the higher price, you get above-average components--including a 200GB hard drive and dual optical drives (a dual-layer DVD burner and a DVD-ROM drive)--and reasonable performance. The system contains a 1.86-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 processor and 1GB of RAM, and it achieved a respectable WorldBench 5 score of 105. That's well above the average mark posted in our roundup of cheap PCs, but it's 29 percent lower than the 148 turned in by the Micro Express MicroFlex 66B.
Still, the E520 is not for gamers. Its nVidia GeForce 7300LE graphics board generated hit-or-miss graphics performance; our test games were playable, barely, at 1024 by 768 resolution. For example, at a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels, the system achieved frame rates of 24 frames per second on our Doom 3 test and 32 fps on our Far Cry test.
Like most sub-$1000 PCs, this system doesn't leave you much room for expansion. Housed in a standard Dell Dimension midsize tower case; our test configuration provided a single internal 3.5-inch bay, and two expansion slots (one PCI and one PCI Express x1).
The system is Vista-capable, according to Dell, which offers Vista upgrade information on its site

Dell Dimension C521

Dell Dimension C521Moderately priced, slim-line Dell combines attractive looks and a balance of performance and expandability.
The Dell Dimension C521 sacrifices some expansion room to keep its case skinnier than a typical midsize tower PC. Even so, the $729 (as of November 6, 2006) C521 is a good choice if you seek a space-conscious, low-cost system that retains some expansion options.
Set up vertically, the well-designed case has a width of just 4.5 inches (you can also situate it horizontally). Even so, it retains a modicum of expansion room, including three open expansion-card slots--one each for PCI, PCI Express x1, and PCI Express x16. The thin chassis limits you to half-height PCI cards, however. The system's other expansion options are limited to one 5.25-inch externally accessible bay (which a dual-layer DVD burner occupies) and two 3.5-inch bays (claimed by a 160GB hard drive and a five-in-one memory card reader).
Our test system came with Windows XP Media Center Edition installed, but it lacked a TV tuner. In fact, Dell doesn't offer a TV tuner as an option for this model, but you can buy a third-party TV tuner card for about $80.
The C521 configuration we tested packed a 2-GHz Athlon 64 X2 3800+ dual-core processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a combination that powered the C521 to a creditable WorldBench 5 score of 95--more than adequate for tasks like word processing, Web browsing, and even video and image editing. Thanks in part to its ATI Radeon X1300 graphics card with 256MB of memory, the C521 did reasonably well in our games tests, too, managing about 24 frames per second on Doom 3 at a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels on the included 17-inch E177FP LCD monitor. We consider Doom 3 barely playable at that frame rate, but the PC would adequately handle less graphically demanding games.
Dell bills the C521 as Vista-capable and offers Vista upgrade information on its site.
Though its performance trails far behind that of more-expensive systems, it's fast enough to make the C521 a realistic choice as a casual gaming system for the kids or as a versatile second PC

Micro Express MicroFlex 66B

Micro Express MicroFlex 66BThis model may be priced as a cheap system, but its components make it a performance powerhouse.
When it comes to performance, the Micro Express MicroFlex 66B ($999 as of November 6, 2006) is a winner: It managed an impressive WorldBench 5 score of 148. The MicroFlex 66B carries a speedy 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo E6600 processor and 2GB of memory--the only system in our roundup to do so. It also came configured with an ATI Radeon X1600 graphics card. This system produced the best graphics performance of any cheap PC on our gaming tests, making it a good choice as a versatile, low-cost gaming system.
The large, imposing case has plenty of room for expansion, with five open externally accessible drive bays (one of which is a 3.5-inch bay) and one open internal bay. The system's construction improves on previous Micro Express models: Cables are tidily bundled inside the case with reusable ties that prevent them from blocking fans and airflow.
Our only major complaint involves the system's paltry 380-watt power supply, which could become overloaded if you add several hard drives or optical drives.
The MicroFlex 66B came with a 17-inch ViewSonic VP720b LCD monitor that rendered graphics adequately but produced text lacking in sharpness and rather difficult to read at smaller font sizes. Peripherals include a comfortable wireless keyboard and mouse from Microsoft.
Micro Express describes the system as Vista-capable and offers Vista upgrade information on its site.
The fastest cheap PC we reviewed, the MicroFlex 66B is a great value. It's well worth considering if you're on a tight budget and need to perform intensive tasks like video or graphics editing.

LG EnV

LG vx9900 EnVThe EnV isn't the slimmest cell phone around, but it offers excellent messaging features and great multimedia options.
The LG vx9900 EnV is a standard cell phone with a secret: At first glance, it looks like a slightly bulky, run-of-the-mill candy bar-style phone. But this phone opens horizontally to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Available from Verizon Wireless for $250 with a two-year contract, the EnV is an impressive messaging and multimedia device.
When closed, the handset sports a small display, basic navigation controls, and a numeric keypad. The phone's exterior has a nice-looking silver finish, but its external screen is disappointingly small. At just 1.25 inches diagonally, the display is hard to see, and the empty space surrounding it could have been put to better use. The keys, though small, are easy to enter phone numbers on.
Despite feeling slightly thick and heavy, the EnV provided reasonably good call quality. I occasionally noticed background fuzziness on some calls, but most callers were easy to hear. Talk-time battery life was only fair: the EnV lasted 5 hours, 5 minutes in our lab tests--longer than the vendor-stated talk time of 4.5 hours, but not as good as many standard cell phones we've tested recently.
When the EnV springs open, however, you see its full potential: Inside are a spacious QWERTY keyboard, a bright 2.25-inch screen, and keys for accessing the phone's many features. If you don't need a full-fledged PDA phone with mobile office applications but still want a QWERTY keyboard for easy typing, the EnV is an excellent choice. It comes with a dedicated e-mail key for quick access to Verizon Wireless's VCast Wireless Sync e-mail service. This app costs an additional $20, but lets you easily sync your phone with your POP3 or IMAP e-mail account. The EnV also includes mobile versions of AOL, MSN, and Yahoo instant messaging clients.
In addition, the EnV supports Verizon's VCast music service, which offers over-the-air song downloads for $1.99 each. The service is nicely laid out and easy to navigate, though you can't access all of its features when the phone is closed. From the external screen, you can play your existing collection of songs; but to browse the store and purchase new music, you must open the phone, which can be inconvenient. You can transfer your own music to the phone, too, but the phone doesn't ship with a microSD Card for storage, a USB cable for connecting the phone to your PC, or a headset for listening to your tunes; you'll have to purchase each of these accessories separately. A Music Essentials Kit--which includes a USB cable, a headset, and software for managing your music collection--is available from Verizon for $30. You'll need to buy an adapter if you want to use your own stereo headphones with the handset.
The built-in, 2.0-megapixel camera takes adequate photos. The lens sits on the back of the handset and is protected by a sliding lens cover--a nice touch. The camera's autofocus tool captures still shots well, but the resulting shutter lag of up to 2 seconds can cause you to miss a moving subject. However, you can switch this feature off, and use the phone in fixed-focus mode instead. The phone's shutter-release button (on its right side) doesn't allow you to start up the camera, and you have to dig deeper than you should in the phone's menu system to reach this instruction. Still, the button is positioned nicely when you hold the phone horizontally for use as a camera; and the EnV also captures serviceable video clips.
The phone supports Verizon's 3G EvDO service, which makes for reasonably speedy Web browsing, and Verizon's VZ Navigator service, which (with an additional subscription) offers turn-by-turn GPS-based directions

Nokia 5300 XpressMusic Phone

Nokia 5300 XpressMusic PhoneThis handset offers excellent music playback features, and works well as a phone, too.
At first glance, you may not realize that the Nokia 5300 XpressMusic Phone is a cell phone at all. With its boxy black-and-white case, prominent music controls, and large screen, you could easily mistake it for a digital audio player. And you wouldn't be wrong: The 5300 is, in fact, almost equal parts music player and cell phone, and the music features are some of the best that we've seen on a phone.
When closed, this slider-style phone looks squared-off and slightly bulky, but its gorgeous 2-inch display takes center stage. The music controls sit in the black rim around the display (a red-and white-version also is available); to the left are keys for scrolling through your music collection, as well as keys for playing and pausing tracks. Volume keys sit on the right side of the handset. Since the keys are rubbery, they're simple to locate by touch, and easy to push.
Basic controls below the screen make navigating the phone's many features a breeze. Sliding the device open reveals the one disappointing aspect of its controls: a phone keypad that feels overly plasticky. Still, the keys are nicely raised, so dialing is easy.
But the music features really make the phone shine. The music player, which is easily accessible through the unit's home page or via the external music controls, is very user-friendly. You can quickly scroll through your music library, which is organized by artists, albums, genres, composers, or playlists. The phone ships with Nokia's Music Manager software for organizing your library on your PC and a USB cable for transferring tunes to the phone, which includes a 1GB microSD card for storing them. While the desktop software isn't as intuitive as the phone's music player, it is still relatively easy to use. It scans your PC for audio files and lets you transfer any of them to your phone with one click. You can also use the Music Manager app to delete songs from the phone and to create playlists, which you can't do on the phone itself. T-Mobile does not offer its own music service with over-the-air downloads, so you'll have to obtain your music collection elsewhere.
The audio quality won't rival that of your iPod; but, whether the sound plays through the included 2.5mm headphones or the external speaker, it's better than what we've heard from most music phones. Songs occasionally sounded tinny when played over the speaker, but overall the audio was very good.
As a phone, the 5300 works well. Its rubbery exterior makes it comfortable to hold, and it slides open nicely with one hand. The unit is light enough to hold comfortably next to your ear during long conversations. Call quality and volume were quite good, but the talk-time battery life was only fair: It lasted 5 hours, 6 minutes in our lab tests.
The 5300 also includes a 1.3-megapixel camera that takes serviceable to very good snapshots. Still-life photos came out great, but like many camera phones, this model suffers from a significant shutter delay, so capturing moving subjects is hard. The phone also takes video clips, but they look pixelated and slightly grainy (typical for a camera phone).
Overall, the 5300, with its stellar music features, is impressive, especially when you factor in the price: T-Mobile is offering the phone for $99 with a two-year contract. That's less than you might pay for a dedicated MP3 player--so it's an excellent price for a device that makes calls, too

Samsung SCH-u740

Samsung SCH-u740This phone sports an unusual dual-hinge design and some deep messaging capabilities.
When looking for a new phone, I have some very specific priorities. I like phones with a clamshell design; I want a better-than-T9 predictive-text input system for messaging; and I'm tied to Verizon Wireless by the vagaries of signal strength at my house. And with expensive and incredibly cool new models like the iPhone waiting just around the corner, I don't want to spend too much right now. If you're in a similar frame of mind, Samsung's SCH-u740 (available for $200 with a two-year Verizon Wireless contract as of March 23, 2007) is an outstanding choice. If you have less exacting requirements, you'll probably find a better fit elsewhere.
The SCH-u740 pulls off an impressive design feat: Its dual-hinge design lets the phone open horizontally or vertically. Open it like a normal clamshell phone, and you're ready to talk or take pictures. Open it the other way, and you're ready to use the full QWERTY keyboard for text messaging, IM, or e-mail. Though the phone is small--it's almost exactly the same size and weight as a Motorola Razr--its keyboard is incredibly comfortable, thanks to keys that are taller than those on most thumb keyboards. The hinge feels quite solid; after a month of use, I wasn't at all worried that it might wear out down the road.
The dual-hinge design does have a few drawbacks. Most notably, certain features on the phone don't work in both modes. Occasionally I tried to start a game or a message in regular clamshell mode only to be told that the service was available only in rotated mode. You use the NumLock key to access symbols on the QWERTY keyboard, except in the phone's Mobile Web 2.0 browser, which disappointingly shunts them off to a menu option. Oh well. It's not like Web addresses contain lots of punctuation.
Oh. Right.
Verizon offers a number of text-based services on the SCH-u740. Its Mobile IM app lets you connect to AIM, MSN, or Yahoo instant messaging accounts, though any instant messages you send count as text messages, and you're charged for them as such on your data plan. An e-mail app uses Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 to access AOL, Hotmail, or Yahoo Mail accounts. For an additional fee, you can download Verizon's Wireless sync e-mail application, which will push e-mail down to your phone Blackberry-style.
The device's battery life was far less impressive than its text capabilities. The SCH-u740 lasted 4.75 hours in our lab tests--better than the quoted talk time of 3.5 hours, but worse than talk time of many phones we've tested. Calls sounded clear at various signal strengths, and the clamshell design makes the phone comfortable to hold for even long calls.
The SCH-u740's built-in, 1.3-megapixel digital camera is easy to use and takes good but not great photos; it can also record short movie clips to its internal memory or to a microSD Card in the phone's slot. Using a card reader, you can also sync MP3 or WMA music to the microSD Card and play it alongside any tunes you download from Verizon's VCast music service. The phone's external playback controls make it easy to switch tracks without opening the device up. Unfortunately, the SCH-u740 doesn't include a headphone jack, so you'll need to supply Bluetooth headphones--or an annoying little adapter--to listen to music.
Despite having a few quirks, the SCH-u740 should appeal to anyone looking for an attractive, inexpensive phone with deep messaging capabilities

Motorola RIZR Z3

Motorola Rizr Z3This well-designed multimedia phone performs satisfactorily, though its keys are a bit stiff.
If you're tired of carrying around a music player, a digital camera, and a cell phone, the Motorola Rizr Z3 can help you consolidate. This midnight-blue cell phone is the slider-style cousin of Motorola's popular Razr. It's available from T-Mobile for $150 (with a two-year contract, as of March 23, 2007) and has a magnificent screen, a 2.0-megapixel still-and-video camera, and a digital music player. Oh yes, and it works well as a phone. But be forewarned: With the phone's plethora of features and the software required to run them, you'll need quick access to your manual for the first week or more.
The Rizr is small--2.75 inches wide by 4 inches tall with slider closed, and just over 5.5 inches tall with the slider open. At 0.5 inch thick, it's also quite slim, and it's comfortable to use when making long phone calls. Call quality was good though not exceptional; battery life was great. The phone pulled down 10 hours of talk time in our lab tests--the maximum length we test for. On the other hand, the keypad and the navigation controls--while extremely easy to access with my small fingers--were stiff, which made entering phone numbers, commands, and data tougher than I would have liked.
Still, the Rizr has many appealing features. One is a slot that can accommodate a microSD Card with up to 2GB of storage space. Unfortunately you must remove the battery door to get the memory card into the phone--and you'll have to spring for your own card, as the Rizr doesn't ship with one. T-Mobile sells a 1GB microSD Card for $60.
You can drag and drop music files onto the card after connecting the phone to your PC via the included mini-USB cable. And in the Rizr Z3's airplane mode, you can listen to your music without activating the cell phone while flying. Audiophiles take note: The phone may not play files whose bit rate is above 128 kbps. When played over the external speaker, songs sounded quite tinny.
Taking digital photos with the Rizr Z3 was a snap. While the phone's slider is closed, you can shoot only in landscape mode; but you can also use portrait mode when the slider is open. The shutter control is nicely situated on the right side of the phone in thumb range. Though snapshots looked sharper than photos I've taken with other camera phones, they often looked dark and a little murky.
Many phones are now three-in-one devices, but the well-thought-out design and easy handling of the Rizr Z3 as a phone, camera, and music player make it a multimedia device I'd be happy to put in my pocket

Sony Ericsson W810

Sony Ericsson W810Sony calls on its Walkman roots to create this impressive cell phone/music player hybrid.
While it's no iPod, Sony Ericsson's W810 does a more-than-adequate job as both a cell phone and a multimedia player.
The W810 is a candy bar-style standard cell phone, and at first glance its dimensions of 3.9 by 1.8 by 0.8 inches make it look somewhat boxy. It works well in light use, offering adequate voice quality and volume, but it can be uncomfortable during long conversations. It offers impressive talk-time battery life, as it lasted 10 hours in our lab tests (the maximum amount of time we test).
The W810 is the latest addition to Sony Ericsson's Walkman line of phones, and its impressive roots are on display--its music and multimedia features, including an FM radio, really set it apart. When you start up the phone, you're given the choice between launching just the Walkman functions or all of the phone's features. The W810 also automatically pauses songs when you receive an incoming call, and resumes them when you hang up.
The W810 comes with its own PC software for transferring songs onto the included 512MB Memory Stick Duo card. The software is simple to use, though unfortunately it does not let you create playlists on your PC--you can do that on the phone, but it isn't as easy as it could be. A 2-megapixel camera and Memory Stick Duo slot round out the features.
I have one minor complaint about the W810, regarding its navigation controls. Sony packs a lot of features--including the music player controls--into a small space. The controls are tiny, and the limited real estate leaves no room for dedicated send and end phone buttons. I adjusted to the controls quickly, and I was able to scroll through my music collection in no time, but the device's layout left me longing for the minimalist look of my iPod.
The W810 doesn't come cheap; an unlocked handset will cost you $500. (We tested a handset from Cingular; the carrier is expected to offer the phone by September for the same price.) But if you're in the market for a cell phone that doubles as a digital music player, the W810 is worth a look

RIM Blackberry Pearl

RIM Blackberry Pearl

The BlackBerry has long been synonymous with business. Known best as an addictive corporate tool for professionals who need always-on access to e-mail, Research In Motion's device has had something of a staid image compared with today's multimedia-savvy phones.But that's about to change. With the BlackBerry Pearl 8100--the first BlackBerry to offer a camera, an audio player, and a video player--the BlackBerry loosens up and sheds its business-only image. In my tests of a shipping version, I found the makeover mostly successful.
Available now from T-Mobile (for $350 with a two-year contract), the candy bar-style Pearl has a pleasingly shiny black-and-silver finish. It is noticeably lighter and more petite than its predecessors, and--unlike most BlackBerry devices--it looks remarkably like an ordinary cell phone. The small size comes with a trade-off, however: The Pearl's keys are tiny, and, thanks to the slick finish, slippery--two traits that make the keys difficult to push. The keys are so small that pressing them with a finger is nearly impossible; even dialing with a fingernail is difficult.
Like the BlackBerry 7100 series, the Pearl features a SureType keyboard--a modified QWERTY keyboard that saves space by combining two letters on most keys. Once you start to type, the SureType system suggests words based on the letters you've entered. When SureType guesses correctly, this system is a huge time-saver; when it doesn't (which happens often), typing is a time-consuming chore.
The SureType keyboard is not the Pearl's only departure from typical BlackBerry navigation tools. The jog wheel typically found on the right-hand side of the device has been replaced with a white trackball that sits on the face of the phone, directly below the display. The trackball turns an incandescent white when the phone is active, making it look like--you guessed it--a pearl. While the effect is aesthetically pleasing, it's not a functional improvement. I found the trackwheel harder to use than the jog wheel on other BlackBerrys; it also makes one-handed operation more difficult.
In my use of the phone, I found call quality a mixed bag. On some calls, voices sounded loud and clear, but on others I noticed an echo or muffled voices. Talk-time battery life was excellent, however: the Pearl last 8 hours, 34 minutes in our tests, earning a score of Very Good.
One of the big attractions of the Pearl is its multimedia capabilities. The Pearl's 1.3-megapixel camera is easy to access, though it lacks a dedicated shutter control (you press the trackball to capture shots). You use the 2.25-inch screen to frame photos, and roll the trackball to zoom in or out. While the controls make operating the 5X digital zoom easy, I also found them frustrating: Occasionally, I accidentally rolled the trackball instead of pressing it, causing me to zoom in and miss a moment I had hoped to capture. If you're shooting in dark environments, the built-in flash can help illuminate your scene.
Picture quality was about what you'd expect from a camera phone. Bright colors often looked washed out, and the snapshots sometimes lacked crispness. Unfortunately, the Pearl doesn't capture video; but it will play back video clips, which look fantastic, if small, on its 240-by-260 TFT display.
In addition to sporting a camera, the Pearl is also the first BlackBerry to include a music player. You can transfer AAC, MP3, and WAV files to the device via the included Desktop Manager software, which is easy to install and use. You can also store music files on a microSD Card (not included). While this is the first BlackBerry to support an expandable media card, the card slot's location behind the battery is as inconvenient as it gets. To add or remove the card, you need to first slide the back off of the phone and then remove the battery.
Like the camera, the media player lacks dedicated controls. Nonetheless, I found the Pearl easy to use for playing music. The player itself features a nice, clean interface. I found it a breeze to scroll through my music collection, as well as select tunes and pause them.
Die-hard BlackBerry fans will be glad to hear that the addition of all these consumer-friendly features hasn't lessened the device's prowess as a stellar messaging device. The Pearl supports the RIM push e-mail technology that has made the BlackBerry so popular, and adding a POP3 e-mail account is a snap. You enter your e-mail address and password, and within minutes your messages will be delivered to the device. It also supports AOL, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo instant messaging networks.
None of the new features on the Pearl are earth-shattering; most smart phones have offered music players and cameras for some time. And the phone has rough spots in audio quality and key design. Nonetheless, when you combine its well-executed features with RIM's messaging capabilities and the Pearl's sleek look, this device is a winner

More.....................

Nokia E62

Nokia E62

This newcomer to the PDA phone scene has quickly become a top contender thanks to a bevy of features and a keyboard that's a pleasure to type on. Available from Cingular, this handset lacks high-speed HSDPA support (it does support EDGE) and has some interface quirks that take a little getting used to, but it's one of the most capable smart phones on the market.
As a phone, the E62 is on the quiet side, so your callers may be hard to hear. Dialing is easy, however, and the unit is comfortably light to hold. Talk-time battery life is excellent, reaching the 10-hour maximum that we test for.
The E62's roomy keyboard is its biggest draw: It's one of the most spacious arrangements I've ever seen on a candy-bar handset, with wide, flat keys that are beautifully sized and spaced. Setting up e-mail is a breeze, and sending and receiving messages are just as simple. The E62 handles attachments with aplomb, and its included office suite lets you edit documents easily. Though the included MP3 player is loud and clear, you'll want to use the bundled headset in lieu of the tinny internal speaker.
My few complaints center on features that the E62 lacks: It has no camera and no 3G service. The Symbian OS is surprisingly sluggish, too; I found myself hitting commands several times, thinking that the button presses hadn't registered, when in reality the E62 was just processing them slowly.
Otherwise, it's a stellar little device. Factor in its reasonable $200 price, and the E62 is a top contender-and number one on our chart

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