Exclusive: nedge Previews... the Asus P750, Kaiser Killer? |
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 Oct 6 2007, 22:28
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#1
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 Editor Dude  Group: MoDaCo Plus Posts: 1,622 Joined: 23rd April 2003 From: Leicester, UK Occupation: Lazy Student Member No.: 4,973 Device(s): Orange SPV M700 / Asus P750  |
Design & Build Some of you may remember when when details of the Asus P526 came to light after it won the iF Product Design award. It was a sexy little device and it's bigger brother, the P750 is no exception. The rear of the device is covered in a nice touchy-feely rubberised coating which also makes it's way round to the borders of the front of the device too. The front and rear halves of the device are separated by strip of black chrome and some of the main device buttons also carry the chrome look. It makes a change for me to be able to say that a Windows Mobile device actually looks good and not only does it look good but it feels good too. The device is solid, it fits well in the palm of your hand and in case I didn't mention it enough already, it looks good, really good! Hardware So what hardware does this Smartphone-esque Pocket PC actually pack? Well, it has:
 Software Software-wise it's pretty much what you'd expect from a modern Pocket PC. It runs Windows Mobile 6.0 (or Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional as Microsoft would now have us know it), includes Office mobile, has a number of Asus-made applications such as a call filter, a device status monitoring tool, a backup utility and a few third-party applications too, like WorldCard Mobile. The device also has AGPS (Assisted GPS) software which allows the GPS hardware to acquire a fix quicker via regular software downloads (every three days or so). Finally, for those wondering how well the keypad works, Asus have included xT9, so it works very well indeed      Gallery          Dimensions At a mere 57mm(W)x112mm(H)x17mm(D) and weighing in at only 145g (with battery), the P750 beats the Kaiser on almost all counts. In fact, when I first held the P750, it actually felt lighter than my everyday workhorse, the (MoDaCo) Orange SPV C600. Obviously it isn't but the P750's increased width over the C600 means it's weight is spread over a larger surface area, thus giving the feeling of it being lighter (approx. dimensions measured by me) Accessories My sources tell me that the P750 will come bundled with the following:
Release Dates & Pricing I'm told to expect this device to hit stockists like Expansys within the next two months with network/carrier deals becoming available in Q1 of next year (most likely February). Pricing is a little vague at present but I'd expect it to go for a similar price as the Kaiser (£400-500 off-line). Conclusion So why do I think this is a Kaiser-killer? Ever since the crop of Smartphone-style Pocket PC devices from Gigabyte, I've longed for feature-packed device that I could use competently with one hand. This is it. It has almost every feature I could want, it's sexy looking, light, solid and I've only had to pull out the (full-size) stylus a few times in everyday use. I'm not fussed on the design of the Kaiser, nor the fact you have to flip it round to slide out the keypad (that little HTC trait has annoyed me since the Wizard) so for me, the Asus P750 is as close to my idea of Pocket PC perfection as I think I'm going to get. Anyway, that's just my opinion. What do you think? Any questions? PS: I wrote this article about two weeks ago and since then have used the P750 as my main device. It's awesome! Apart from the odd software glitches in its as yet unfinished ROM, it's been rock solid in performance and certainly gets some admiring glances. If you planned to shell out on a Kaiser and haven't yet, you may want to wait a little while for this puppy to come our way...it's a beast
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Oct 6 2007, 23:19
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#2
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 Addict  Group: MoDaCo Ad Free Posts: 867 Joined: 17th March 2003 From: UK - Burton on trent Member No.: 3,541 Device(s): P750 / IPHONE / I780 |
Wow.....i was only just searching on expansys today for a release on this device since seeing some comparison shots on smape.com.
Looks awesome.......I was going to get a touch dual but think i may hold out for this then if its going to be available in the next few coming months. -------------------- |
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Oct 6 2007, 23:21
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#3
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Addict Group: MoDaCo Ad Free Posts: 867 Joined: 17th March 2003 From: UK - Burton on trent Member No.: 3,541 Device(s): P750 / IPHONE / I780 |
when you say available in the next two months are we talking October/November time or November/December?
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Oct 6 2007, 23:29
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#4
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Editor Dude Group: MoDaCo Plus Posts: 1,622 Joined: 23rd April 2003 From: Leicester, UK Occupation: Lazy Student Member No.: 4,973 Device(s): Orange SPV M700 / Asus P750 |
I'm told October/November but you know how these things go...
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Oct 6 2007, 23:37
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#5
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Addict Group: MoDaCo Ad Free Posts: 867 Joined: 17th March 2003 From: UK - Burton on trent Member No.: 3,541 Device(s): P750 / IPHONE / I780 |
Think ill defo hold out for this then....thanks
Just one thing is it possible to use the GPS without an attached GPS antenna?....as i see there's a port on the side of the handset...does it have its own built in antenna do you know? -------------------- |
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Oct 6 2007, 23:42
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#6
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Editor Dude Group: MoDaCo Plus Posts: 1,622 Joined: 23rd April 2003 From: Leicester, UK Occupation: Lazy Student Member No.: 4,973 Device(s): Orange SPV M700 / Asus P750 |
An external antenna would only be needed in areas or extremely poor reception - i.e. inside a building etc. I've never needed to use an external antenna with a GPS equipped PPC and those with AGPS need one even less.
Incidentally, P750 has great GPS performance which I assume will only get better in the final ROM and GPS firmware. -------------------- <table><tr><td><embed src="http://www.modaco.com/content/manual_uploads/phone_history2.swf" height=210 width=450></embed></td><td width=400><center>
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Oct 7 2007, 04:23
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#7
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 Enthusiast  Group: Posters Posts: 162 Joined: 8th April 2006 From: Pune - India Member No.: 183,623 Device(s): HTC Vox |
This is the kind of device that i always wanted.
i have been searching all over the internet for a review. thanks Alex!  and the screenshot shows that it has usb mass storage mode, is that usb 2.0 full speed or plain usb1.1? finally when can we get a full review? -------------------- HTC Vox
ThinkPan.com |
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Oct 7 2007, 09:45
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#8
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 Regular  Group: Posters Posts: 59 Joined: 6th December 2004 From: LONDON Member No.: 100,646 Device(s): SPV E100, E200, C550 x3, M700 |
This does look awesome. My Orange contract runs out April 2008. Hopefully it'll be available by then. Just gotta play the waiting game.
 Web n Walk....here we come!
-------------------- Me? The 13th Duke of Wymbourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With my reputation?....What were they thinking of?
------------------------ M700 ROM: 1.23.61.5 (01-25-07) SKTools v3.1.5.0 Sprite Mobile Swipe v1.0 TomTom Navigator6 v.660.1219 UK & IE and major roads of WEurope |
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Oct 7 2007, 10:05
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#9
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Newbie  Group: Posters Posts: 3 Joined: 6th October 2007 Member No.: 308,215 Device(s): nokia E60 |
I had the first a730W pda from asus... I don't trust in asus anymore for pda. Poor construction, poor battery, poor camera and poor support... Hope situation has changed
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Oct 7 2007, 10:20
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#10
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 Addict Group: Posters Posts: 722 Joined: 13th January 2005 From: Eire Member No.: 105,252 Device(s): HTC S620 |
My only concern would be the joystick over a dpad. How does it feel?
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Oct 7 2007, 11:24
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#11
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Newbie Group: Posters Posts: 11 Joined: 24th March 2005 Member No.: 119,194 |
hmm how can this be a kaiser killer when it has no qwerty keyboard??
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Oct 7 2007, 12:11
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#12
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Addict Group: Posters Posts: 722 Joined: 13th January 2005 From: Eire Member No.: 105,252 Device(s): HTC S620 |
I'd sacrafice qwerty for that form factor.
So long as it has some type of keyboard for one handed text entry so I don't need to pull out a stylus every time I want to write a quick txt. -------------------- 1111100111
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Oct 7 2007, 12:55
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#13
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Addict Group: MoDaCo Ad Free Posts: 867 Joined: 17th March 2003 From: UK - Burton on trent Member No.: 3,541 Device(s): P750 / IPHONE / I780 |
QUOTE(floc_ @ Oct 7 2007, 11:05)  I had the first a730W pda from asus... I don't trust in asus anymore for pda. Poor construction, poor battery, poor camera and poor support... Hope situation has changed Hmm that's put me off slightly.....what do you think to the build quality Alex? Also is there a black border around the edge of the screen like there is on the treo 750? This post has been edited by J273: Oct 7 2007, 13:00 -------------------- |
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Oct 7 2007, 14:13
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#14
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Editor Dude Group: MoDaCo Plus Posts: 1,622 Joined: 23rd April 2003 From: Leicester, UK Occupation: Lazy Student Member No.: 4,973 Device(s): Orange SPV M700 / Asus P750 |
Ok, full review will be coming as soon as I get my hands on the full retail unit, build quality is excellent (especially for an engineering sample!) and the screen itself goes from edge to edge...no borders
oh and for what it's worth, being able to use a device with one had wins over a qwerty keyboard any day...in my opinion anyway
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Oct 7 2007, 16:54
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#15
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Newbie Group: Posters Posts: 19 Joined: 24th November 2003 Member No.: 21,973 |
QUOTE(gerryr @ Oct 7 2007, 12:11) I'd sacrafice(sic) qwerty for that form factor. So long as it has some type of keyboard for one handed text entry so I don't need to pull out a stylus every time I want to write a quick txt. Seems to me that smart phone interaction is primarily about voice commands, i.e. - hands free operation. Keyboards are secondary. This post has been edited by maxnix: Oct 7 2007, 16:54 |
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Oct 7 2007, 17:08
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#16
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Addict Group: Posters Posts: 722 Joined: 13th January 2005 From: Eire Member No.: 105,252 Device(s): HTC S620 |
QUOTE(maxnix @ Oct 7 2007, 17:54) Seems to me that smart phone interaction is primarily about voice commands, i.e. - hands free operation. Keyboards are secondary. If I understand you correctly then I'd have to disagree. Any voice command features in Smartphone are also available in PPC. What Smartphone gives you over PPC is the keys to allow you to type/ txt without having to use a stylus. This post has been edited by gerryr: Oct 7 2007, 17:15 -------------------- 1111100111
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Oct 7 2007, 18:52
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#17
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 Resident nutter Group: News Team Posts: 151 Joined: 6th December 2002 From: Brighton, UK Member No.: 803 |
I use my device primarily to reply to emails on the road so for me QWERTY is essential.
So near to my perfect device now - just add a sliding QWERTY to this or GPS and WM6 Pro to the Wings and we're there. When this was first rumoured earlier in the summer, Sirf III was touted for the GPS hardware, can you confirm this is the case? -------------------- Paul Cuckoo - - Contact me to see how VoIP can improve your business - - Meridian Options HTC Tytn II (Kaiser) / OS: WM6 5.2.1620 / ROM: 1.56.405.5 / Radio: 1.27.12.11 |
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Oct 7 2007, 19:02
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#18
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Editor Dude Group: MoDaCo Plus Posts: 1,622 Joined: 23rd April 2003 From: Leicester, UK Occupation: Lazy Student Member No.: 4,973 Device(s): Orange SPV M700 / Asus P750 |
QUOTE(magic_peanuts @ Oct 7 2007, 19:52) I use my device primarily to reply to emails on the road so for me QWERTY is essential. So near to my perfect device now - just add a sliding QWERTY to this or GPS and WM6 Pro to the Wings and we're there. When this was first rumoured earlier in the summer, Sirf III was touted for the GPS hardware, can you confirm this is the case? Yep SiRF Star III is pretty standard these days and the P750 packs it. -------------------- <table><tr><td><embed src="http://www.modaco.com/content/manual_uploads/phone_history2.swf" height=210 width=450></embed></td><td width=400><center>
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Oct 7 2007, 19:42
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#19
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Resident nutter Group: News Team Posts: 151 Joined: 6th December 2002 From: Brighton, UK Member No.: 803 |
QUOTE(Alex (nedge2k) @ Oct 7 2007, 20:02) Yep SiRF Star III is pretty standard these days and the P750 packs it. I beg to differ...neither the Kaiser or Ameo have it, hence the interest. -------------------- Paul Cuckoo - - Contact me to see how VoIP can improve your business - - Meridian Options HTC Tytn II (Kaiser) / OS: WM6 5.2.1620 / ROM: 1.56.405.5 / Radio: 1.27.12.11 |
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