Features:
- Large touch-type keyboard
- Bright VGA touch screen with stylus
- 16 MB of RAM
- Modem
- What's in the box: Mobilon PV-6000, Serial cable, CD-ROM software, AC adapter, Main battery pack, Travel Dock, Operation manual
Description:
The Sharp Mobilon TriPad PV-6000 has the features and specifications of a handheld-class device but has the look and feel of a notebook PC. Loaded with software, the TriPad connects to your PC through a travel dock via the PC's 9-pin serial port. The TriPad has three modes of operation--conventional notebook (clamshell), writing tablet (slate), and presentation display (easel)--depending on how you open and fold the TriPad case. The TriPad is ready to go as soon as it comes out of the box. All we had to do was charge the battery pack (already installed) and install the software on our desktop PC. When testing the TriPad, we found the keyboard so comfortable and the display so large and bright that we easily forgot that the TriPad is a Windows CE-based handheld, not a true notebook. We set up the TriPad to connect to an ISP through its internal data/fax modem and to send and receive e-mail through the ISP. This process was easy and intuitive--we just ran the Make New Connection wizard and answered its questions. (Make sure that you have your ISP's mail-protocol information handy.) We also installed and tested the Jot 2.0 handwriting-recognition software (15-day trial version). The software takes a little getting used to, but it is flexible and trainable, and you can actually write quickly using the stylus on the TriPad's wide touch screen. After an initial battery charge, we did all of our tests without the AC adapter and with the Tripad set to the brightest screen setting over a period of about seven hours. At the end of our testing, the battery level indicated about 25% power remaining and the TriPad was still fast and responsive. With its VGA touch screen and stylus (which makes a great pointing device for activating links on Web pages), comfortable keyboard, sturdy and attractive design, and long battery life, the TriPad makes a great low-cost alternative to notebook computing. Pros:
- Comfortable keyboard
- Large, bright display
- Sturdy, attractive construction
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Large and heavy for a handheld unit
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