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Big review of FSC Pocket LOOX 720
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(3873 votes) | category - -Big review of FSC Pocket LOOX 720
There we go:) After a few delays, a courier has delivered a long and eagerly awaited package containing the final version of Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX 720. When I write "long and eagerly awaited", I mean an unprecedented mania comparable perhaps to waiting for new adventures of an apprentice wizard name Harry P.;) But waiting is over and the family of VGA-enabled PDAs has a new, fourth member. It is most likely going to compete with Asus MyPal A730 that I have reviewed recently (its version with combined Bluetooth and WiFi modules and 128 MB of RAM but it is not available, yet); the HP iPAQ hx4700 and Toshiba e800 are quite different. The question is whether its quality will be comparable to the excellent LOOX 420 or even excel it. I would like to thank AH Mobile and Fujitsu Siemens Computers for lending me a specimen for review purposes.
Let me note that there is another model in this series, called PL710. It has less memory, a slower processor, QVGA display and lacks a digital camera – quite a lot of differences. I was not able to test that, perhaps next time.
What is in the box?
The LOOX comes in a surprisingly small box. I wonder how the manufacturers do it but I always struggle to get all the stuff back in the box to be able to close it:)
- FSC Pocket LOOX 720
- Cradle
- USB synchronisation cable
- AC adapter with replaceable plugs for different types of mains outlets, and an adapter for direct charging
- Spare stylus
- Basic case
- Two CD-ROMs – one from FSC, one from Sunnysoft (localisation)
- LOOX Choice voucher
- Quick start guide
- Other documents
The cradle is quite simple, similar to that supplied with the PL420. Its colours and elegant design match those of the device. It takes up little space on the desktop, showing good stability due to big weight and four rubber knobs on the bottom. The device is held upright in the cradle by a transparent plastic support. The cradle makes it possible to charge the device simultaneously with a spare battery in an extra slot.
The synchronisation cable is detachable. I may be repeating myself but this solution is superb – you are getting a cradle and a travel cable bundled, no need to buy it extra. The synchronisation cable integrates a USB connector supporting USB Host. Otherwise it is a usual USB cable with a slot to connect the power cable.
The case is the simplest possible but we should be glad it is there:) It is a strip of leatherette joined together on the sides by an elastic material to form a pocket protecting the device against the dangers of the merciless world around. It is lightly padded on the inside, an FSC logo impressed on the front.
The AC adapter (5V, 2A) is compact, very small and versatile due to replaceable plugs for different types of mains outlets. The version for Central Europe includes the standard continental plug and the one used in the UK. On the other end, there is a round connector; a special adapter is needed for direct charging (the same principle as in iPAQs).
There are two styluses (or shall I say styli?) in the package – positive points for FSC. The stylus is a 92 millimetres long and 4 millimetres thick metal stick with a plastic tip and a top that can be unscrewed to reveal a thinner tip necessary to perform a software reset. I did not like this solution because it took too long when I needed to reset the device quickly.
There is nothing special about the other items in the box. A very brief user manual will help beginners with the first steps; a full version is on the CD-ROM. The same CD-ROM contains also a few bonus applications. Thos who find the offer insufficient can “buy” other applications on the LOOX Choice server for a 5-point voucher. That’s all, the rest is not worth elaborating on.
Design
The new LOOX is on of those Pocket PC devices whose design I consider as very neat. Those who have followed news about LOOX coming models will spot a difference immediately. Unlike the pre-production unit that I was able to introduce a few weeks ago (time’s running fast:), the body of the device is not black or dark blue but dark grey with matt metallic finish. This is reportedly in reaction to comments from testers of pre-production units. The original colour was quite attractive but this shade of grey is not bad either. Buttons and thin slats at the edges are silver; a dark grey part at the top adds another shade to the colour combination. The shape of the LOOX is derived from that of the PL400 series but is more elongated. The dimensions of 4.80 x 2.83 x 0.59 inches / 122 x 72 x 15 millimetres are similar to those of Asus A730 (the LOOX is a little longer, the Asus thicker), both devices weigh 6 ounces / 170 grams.
Assembly is good but not perfect. There is leeway between some parts (especially in the lower left corner), other parts do not fit precisely. It is not critical, you do not need to worry about the device falling apart. What I found more annoying was screeching of the battery compartment cover. If you use an extra battery, this may deteriorate due to frequent opening and closing the lid.
| Pocket PC with VGA display | Dimensions (in / mm) | Weight (oz / g) |
|---|---|---|
| FSC Pocket LOOX 720 | 4.80 x 2.83 x 0.60 122 x 72 x 15 | 6.0 170 |
| HP iPAQ hx4700 | 5.17 x 3.03 x .59 131 x 77 x 15 | 6.6 187 |
| Asus MyPal A730 | 4.62 x 2.86 x 0.66 118 x 73 x 17 | 5.46 170 |
| Toshiba e800 | 5.30 x 3.00 x 0.60 134 x 76 x 15 | 6.8 193 |
The front panel is dominated by a large display, as usual. Underneath, there is a rectangular joypad with a separate central button and four soft buttons around – a similar design to that of the PL400 series. Right next to it, on the right, there is one of the device’s two (!) loudspeakers, hidden under a decorative grill. Over the display, there is the other loudspeaker (for VoIP), two LED indicators (the one on the left indicates wireless activity, the one on the right indicates charging and various events), an infrared eye and a power switch.
On the back, there is a complete digital photographer’s set – lens, flash, and mirror. The largest part of the back is occupied by battery compartment cover with a rubber anti-slip strip. Finally, I should mention the stylus shaft.
There are more controls on the sides than in competing devices. On the left, there is a usual three-way scroll button (up, down, action), a button tat launches LOOX system application and a mechanism to attach a neck strap or something. On the right, there is a sound record button.
On the top, there are two expansion slots – one for SD/MMC, the other for CompactFlash type II cards, and a standard stereo headphones jack (3.5-millimetre). The top-down view reveals also the infrared sensor and stylus shaft due to rounded corners. Finally, on the bottom side, there is a data connector, microphone and a soft reset button in the pinhole. As I mentioned above, you need to unscrew the top of the stylus to be able to reset the device, which I found a little annoying.
Parameters
As far as technical specifications are concerned, the Pocket LOOX 720 resembles Asus MyPal A730 (the A730w version). It is powered by the most powerful processor of the Intel PXA270 series but running at a “mere” 520 MHz. Unlike the iPAQa hx4700, this LOOX makes it possible to switch between three different clock speeds using a software utility (Turbo, Standard and power save mode) or let the system adjust processor performance automatically according to the workload. The device sports more than enough memory as compared to competition: 128 MB of RAM and 64 MB of rewritable ROM. The user can access a little less memory – 114 MB of RAM for data and applications and 28 MB of the rewritable ROM in the form of a safe storage (LOOX store). There are no conveniences such as a utility to format the safe storage.
The display is the same as that used in the iPAQ hx4700. However, unlike in the iPAQ, its quality has not improved as compared to the pre-production unit. That does not mean that the display is bad, not at all:) Especially users of devices with usual QVGA (240 x 320) displays will be excited. It lags behind competition in size (the diagonal of the visible part of the screen is only 3.58 in / 91 millimetres), backlight quality (it has the strongest yellowish tint, although it depends largely on surrounding conditions) and the width of black margins. From the technical point of view, it is a transflexive TFT display with the VGA resolution (480 x 640 pixels), supporting up to 65 thousand colours. Both brightness and contrast are fine. The same backlight settings apply to battery and mains operation, which is rather inconvenient. Changing the settings requires a lot of tapping around because LOOX does not offer automatic backlight adjustment. In direct sunlight, the LOOX is as readable as hx4700 and significantly better than Asus A730. Yet there is room for improvement. Sensitivity of the touch-layer is quite good but there is an unwelcome feature – when you touch the display, a shadow appears under the stylus tip. It is best visible on grey background, and almost unnoticeable on white background. ClearType and display rotation are available as in other brands.
The device’s audio capabilities are excellent. Lovers of clear sound will appreciate zero noise level both in silence and during playback. A software equaliser offers nine levels for bass and treble as well as a pseudo 3D effect. Real connoisseurs will probably ignore such enhancements but most of us will be happy to give some boost to the beat:) Otherwise, there is a slider which adjusts the volume for the headphones independent of the main control. More precisely, you can further increase or decrease the volume relative to the main setting. The maximum volume is sufficient even in noisy environments. Sound record quality is perfect, too. I tried recording a dialogue on the TV and the LOOX had no problems with it. Finally, the loudspeakers. The one to the right of the joypad takes care of ordinary playback. Its quality and volume are fine. The other speaker is a unique feature, making the device ready for VoIP communication. It does not work as yet but FSC is about to release an application that will make full use of this speaker.
The device offers a high standard of communication capabilities. LOOX communicates over USB, like all Pocket PC devices. It supports not only client version 1.1 but also host version 1.1, something to be appreciated by power users;) The USB Host functionality offers immense possibilities. There are countless USB device, although a lack of appropriate drivers is a limiting factor for the time being. Besides standard USB memory (both flash and USB hard drive), it is possible to connect advanced digital cameras – viewing photos on a VGA display in the field is a great experience. If you need a serial connection, you need to buy an extra cable. As far as wireless data transmission is concerned, first option is a standard serial infra port. Besides transferring files between computers it can control your home appliances. I could control my JVC DVD from a distance of 10ft / 3 metres without any problem.
Another way to transfer data to and from the PDA without wires is Bluetooth. The much criticised Plugfree is hopefully gone forever, having been replaced with software from Widcomm, a trouble-free solution, as usual. I tested the LOOX with several other BT-enabled devices. A GPS Haicom HI-303E helped me locate my position in the map. I could browse the internet over GPRS with Sony Ericsson T610 mobile phone as well as copy images and ring tones between the device and the phone. I have a Bluetooth MSI key connected to the desktop which enabled me to synchronise data over ActiveSync. Everything worked at first attempt. Bluetooth implementation in the LOOX looks excellent.
The last way to communicate over the airwaves is WLAN 802.11b. According to the documentation, the module was produced by Texas Instruments. I have not noticed any problems with it during testing. The WLAN module can work in two modes – normal and a power-saving mode. You can switch between the modes manually or let the device choose automatically. The antenna seems sufficiently sensitive; one of the screenshots below shows a signal strength meter in my office. It does not say much on its own but will gain importance over the time as I test more devices. An icon in the Settings suggests that the LOOX can handle LEAP but I cannot test that. The module supports all the common security protocols, such as WPA, WEP, PEAP etc. If you know what those abbreviations mean, you must be satisfied:)
Now, onto the battery. I was able to keep the device for some time and perform five time-consuming tests for different modes of operation. I’ll get to that later. The device is powered by a 1640-mAh Lithium-Ion battery. Those who find it insufficient can buy an extra one but according available information, there are no bigger capacities available. The device has an integrated backup battery which will protect memory contents for up to half an hour when the main battery is flat or being replaced. What I missed was charging over the USB cable. In addition, the LOOX misleads the users by flashing an orange LED indicator when connected over the USB but the battery meter keeps heading downwards.
But back to the tests – in the standard test with maximum backlight intensity and normal usage, the device lasted for 3 hours and 6 minutes. It could have been better but it is not bad either. The other results are along those lines – the device can replay MP3 music for 7 hours and 35 minutes and video for 3 hours and 42 minutes. With active WiFi, it will last for 2 hours and 38 minutes, and 4 hours and 39 minutes with Bluetooth (which shows that Bluetooth is less power-intensive than a processor under full workload). All in all – the LOOX is better in this respect than Asus A730, worse than iPAQ hx4700. If you need to work with your PDA all day, you will most likely have to buy a spare battery.
Camera
The number of Pocket PC with an integrated digital camera has been growing lately. LOOX is the third camera-equipped PDA that I have been able to test over the past three weeks. Unfortunately, the LOOX did not do very well in direct comparison with HP iPAQ hx3715 and Asus MyPal A730, although the final version is significantly better than the pre-production unit. Technical parameters of the chip remain unknown, the only thing we now is the resolution – 1.3 MPix. There is also and integrated flash. The camera is easily controlled by an intuitive application called simply Camera. The camera can worked in three modes – still images, video and some "artistic" collages.
Let’s start with capturing still photos. The resolution of 1.3 MPix suggests that the largest photo can be 960 by 1280 pixels. If you want to economise on memory space, you can make smaller photos (480 x 640, 240 x 320 or 120 x 160). It is also possible to use a 4x digital zoom. Photos can be saved either uncompressed in the BMP format or as JPEG (you cannot adjust the compression level, though). The overall impression depends largely on white colour balance. You can leave it up to the device to do it automatically or choose from four environment presets – daylight, bulb, fluorescent lamp, and night. Besides, you can achieve interesting results by applying colour adjustments, such as B/W, “old” photo (yellowish), blue-and-white photo simulating winter and cold, and a classic negative. Other settings are available in the Options, where you can adjust Contrast, Brightness, Saturation, Colour balance, Gamma correction and Sharpness. That’s all for the settings, now take a look at some photos.
As usual in this category of cameras, the best results are achieved in optimum light conditions without small details.
I encountered almost no problems when taking photos in a shopping mall (I would not want to foot their electricity bills:) There is plenty of light, a precondition for good-quality photos, even though I took them with my trembling hand.
Next, close-ups of aquariums and terrariums in a hobby&garden centre.
If there is something moving in the scene (various animals in this case), it is impossible to prevent them from being blurred without flash.
The pocket camera may come handy whenever you need to quickly record a large volume of information, e.g. a bus timetable. The result is not particularly impressive but if you have a steady hand and sharp eye, you will work it out.
I tried taking photos with the flash, of course, but my impressions are rather negative. The flash’s high power is more to the detriment than benefit. All photos I took with the flash were too light. Obviously, it depends on the scene. In the second sample photo, the scene lit with the flash is visibly clearer. If you are better friends with a camera flash than me, please share your experience in the discussion:) Unedited photos in the original size [4367KB]
The LOOX can capture motion pictures, too. The resolution is smaller, 288 x 352 pixels maximum, which is a standard in mobile devices. It can also be smaller (144 x 176 or 96 x 128 pixels). In that case, digital 2x zoom becomes available. Videos are saved either in the MPEG-4 or Motion JPEG format. The MPEG4 is more compressed to take up less space. White colour can be balanced the same way as in photos. Sample videos [2270KB]
Finally, I should mention the possibility to create collages where one or more photographs are automatically combined with an image. I am not sure if this is the right functionality for owners of a nearly 700-dollar device but it is there:)
Expandability
It is common to all high-end devices that whatever functionality they lack, it can be easily added using expansion cards or wireless accessories. Apart from synchronisation, the data connector (the same as that in the PL400 series) will most often be used for connecting an external keyboard, even though Bluetooth-enabled keyboards are becoming ever more common. Another option is a standard USB keyboard, provided someone writes a driver for Pocket PC:) As I have noted above, the LOOX supports USB Host, which makes it possible to connect the PDA not only to a USB device (e.g. a desktop computer) as a guest but also to use it as a host for other devices. The most common option is undoubtedly going to be USB storage devices (including some cameras but my old Canon G1 is not recognised...), but there are numerous peripherals, the only limiting factor being availability of drivers. The new LOOX resembles all the other VGA devices in that it has two expansion slots, SDIO and Compact Flash type II (without an eject mechanism again, [sigh]...). I tried several memory cards and an IBM Microdrive as well as an SDIO camera and a WiFi module and LOOX did not seem to have any problem handling those. Of course, you can connect peripherals, accessories and other devices over Bluetooth, IrDA or WiFi.
Software
The FSC Pocket LOOX 720 comes with pre-installed OS Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Premium. That means that the device’s ROM contains all available applications from Microsoft except those designed for GSM-enabled devices. There are few other applications preloaded – camera-related applets that I mentioned above and four bonus applications.
Setting up all the communication protocols may be a tough nut to crack especially for beginners. That is why FSC bundled an application called ConnectMobility - E2C, a central control for all kinds of network connections including the Internet over Bluetooth, WiFi as well as IrDA and a CompactFlash GPRS card. Besides that, there is room on this screen for the most popular net applications. I am used to configuring everything the standard way but a long-time LOOX user will surely welcome the possibility to access everything by taping one icon.
FSC, too, thinks that Microsoft Pictures is nothing to write home about and installed their own, very good, image viewer called simply Album in the ROM. It is nothing but a viewer which can rotate and add comments but is fast and supports even not very common data formats, including images, video and music.
FSC correctly assumes that high-end customers will want to use a backup utility and has bundled one with the device. It is called FSC Backup and is one of the more sophisticated ones. It can back up not only the whole memory contents but also selected types of data (PIM, notes, documents, connection settings, user profile). The backup data can be saved either to a storage card or the LOOX Store.
One of the utilities that are traditionally supplied with FSC LOOX PDA’s is FSCSpeedMenu. This basic application launcher is invoked by a press of a button on the side of the device. Its main advantage is that you can control everything with one hand using the scroll wheel. An inconspicuous utility called FSC Panning, I gather, makes it possible to scroll part of a window by dragging the stylus anywhere on the display, not just by the standard scroll bar on the right side of the display.
The CD contains the usual applications such as Microsoft Outlook 2002 and Microsoft ActiveSync 3.7 as well as several manuals in the PDF format – you need to look elsewhere for other applications (on this site, for instance:). You can get some applications from the Pocket LOOX Software Choice server in exchange for a five-point voucher included in the package. All you need to do is to register and start downloading.
Pricing
The official recommended end-user price is approximately USD 630. It is not a bargain but significantly less than for an iPAQ. Besides, it is possible to buy it somewhat cheaper thanks to competition.
[POLL]Benchmarks & Tests
Demands increasing, my collection of applications and data for testing has grown to two memory cards. I have added a few applications, videos and MP3 songs to be able to perform more complex tests. But let’s start with ergonomics. As the photos suggest, the LOOX 720 does not differ very much in size from common Pocket PCs with a QVGA display. As compared to the relatively large iPAQa hx4700, the LOOX should be comfortable to grip for most users. I have found the scroll wheel highly convenient and grown used to it very fast because it enabled me to control the device comfortably with one hand. On the contrary, I was rather annoyed by the aforementioned screeching, especially when playing games. Another objection is also related to gaming experience – I struggled to squeeze my fingers on the controls. For instance, pressing the Calendar key and cursor left sometimes just did not work, resulting in a wasted e-life of an e-hero.
I have already mentioned the display – it is nice but others offer better ones. If you cannot compare directly, you will not realise that. After a few hours, it no longer occurred to me that the display had a yellowish tint. What I disliked the most was a single backlight control for battery and mains operation. Visibility in direct sunlight is not bad but far from ideal (still much better than Asus MyPal A730).
The device is very fast and everything works fine even at a reduced processor speed. The amount of memory is luxurious, especially as compared to the hx4700. Unfortunately, we cannot compare the nominal values of 64 MB and 128 MB but available memory after a HW reset (47 MB and 114 MB, respectively). It is not enough to store MP3 files but more than enough for various applications.
Support for USB Host and cleverly designed connector for connecting peripherals give LOOX the best expandability of all the VGA devices I have tested. Although its application is fairly limited due to absence of drivers, I believe it is just a matter of time. The USB Host functionality is meaningful especially for users who do not normally use a desktop computer. A 40-GB USB hard drive will provide enough room for all their data, which can be easily backed up to a desktop PC occasionally. Most users will most likely use it for connecting a digital camera – viewing photos on a VGA display is a completely different experience (although some older camera models do not support that, unfortunately). The time of USB peripherals for Pocket PC devices is yet to come.
Whatever the camera lacks in quality is compensated for by its swift response and ease of use. I was surprised at the speed in comparison with the Asus – although the LOOX slows down in bad lighting conditions, it remains several times faster then the Asus. In addition, if you view your photos only on the PDA, you will hardly notice lower sharpness, which will become apparent on a desktop PC.
I cannot think of anything else to add from the technical point of view, so let’s look at the software side. The device will most typically be used for work. Its combination of a powerful processor, large memory and VGA display is ideal for applications that display a lot of information, such as the excellent Pocket Informant or AgendaFusion as well as other PIMs, spreadsheets etc. The LOOX may be a good choice for photographers who will be able to view their photos on a good-quality display.
Aside from the difficulties of technical nature, LOOX is a good gaming machine, too. There are only two games designed for the VGA resolution ((Acky's XP Breakout and Meteor)), both of whom work perfectly. Especially the XP Breakout with multi-layer all-screen scrolling, dynamic music and lots of effects demonstrates the LOOX’s capabilities.
The device performed equally well in video playback. BetaPlayer had absolutely no problems with DivX films, both those optimised and not optimised for the VGA resolution. The only problem was excessive darkness of the films, similarly as in the hx4700, although the iPAQ fared worse. And that’s all for my subjective perception of the device.
Finally, some figures. I use Spb Benchmark for a complete performance test. If you are interested in detailed results, the complete .XML file is available for download here:: FSC Pocket LOOX 720 (2003 SE, 520MHz) [4KB]. To compare with other devices, copy the contents of the file to this form and click on Add device.
ROM version of the tested device :: 2004-08-12
Note:: There are only three benchmark tests. I had some problems with testing data transfer speed over ActiveSync, which is why the overall result would not be comparable with other devices. As soon as people from Spb Softwarehouse find and correct the bug, I will update the tests.
Detailed evaluation
The FSC Pocket LOOX 720 is the third device to which I have applied a more detailed and stricter evaluation system. This is because the rating of most devices I have reviewed lately ranged from 90 to 95 percent and it was difficult to tell which device is better (I tried to avoid a 100-percent rating). Another reason is that this new system is more transparent... That is why the final rating is NOT BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE. 90 percent now and 90 percent before are completely incomparable figures. The only devices I have rated this way are Asus MyPal A730 and HP iPAQ hx4700.
A few words to explain the new system: Type can be Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone edition, or Smartphone. Class means the target group, which is key for understanding the other categories. Number of points in the other categories are relative with regard to the class. For instance, a device with a VGA display, two expansion slots, BT and WiFi modules in the high-end category will receive nine points for a certain weight, whereas a device in the “entry” class with a QVGA display, one slot and no radio module will receive three points for the same weight. The date is also important – if I am rating a 1.3-Mpix integrated camera today, it will receive 10 points because there is nothing better available. Half a year later, when 2-Mpix integrated cameras will become available, this one would receive fewer points.
If you would like to comment on the evaluation, please join the discussion. I am not doing for my own pleasure but to make choosing a new device easier for you. If you think it is a wrong idea, just let me know:)
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| Name: | FSC Pocket LOOX 720 |
| Type: | Pocket PC |
| Class: | High-end |
| Date: | November 3, 2004 |
| Design, user friendliness | |
| Design: | 9 |
| Dimensions: | 9 |
| Weight: | 8 |
| Buttons, user comfort: | 8 |
| Assembly quality: | 7 |
| Performance, memory | |
| Processor: | 8 |
| Free RAM: | 9 |
| Free ROM: | 5 |
| Display | |
| Dimensions: | 10 |
| Size: | 7 |
| Quality (indoors): | 7,5 |
| Quality (outdoors): | 8 |
| Backlight: | 6 |
| Touch layer: | 7 |
| Camera | |
| Features: | 9 |
| Resolution: | 10 |
| Quality: | 4 |
| Audio | |
| Microphone: | 9 |
| Loudspeaker: | 9 |
| Headphones output: | 9 |
| Communication | |
| USB: | 9 |
| Infra: | 8 |
| Bluetooth: | 9 |
| WiFi: | 9 |
| Battery, power settings | |
| Features: | 6 |
| Battery life: | 6 |
| Expandability | |
| General: | 10 |
| Software | |
| System, settings: | 8 |
| Bonus apps in ROM: | 6 |
| Bonus apps on CD: | 5 |
| Accessories | |
| Quantity: | 9 |
| Quality: | 9 |
| Other | |
| Overall impression: | 8 |
| Manufacturer's support: | 9 |
| Price/performance ratio | 8 |
| Total | |
| FSC Pocket LOOX 720 | 7,93 out of 10 |
Notes :: Rating on the scale from 1 to 10. The higher the figure, the closer to the ideal. If a device receives 10 points for "Design", it means it is beauty from heaven. On the other hand, if it receives 10 points for "Weight", it means it is extremely light.
That’s all, folks:)
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