Big review of T-Mobile MDA Compact

June 14, 2005 | Pavel Koza | format - Other (ar.) | viewed - 326x
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Big review of T-Mobile MDA Compact

With the growing number of different devices with Windows Mobile OS being thrown to the market, the chance has been diminishing that some of them will surprise or even enthuse reviewers like myself. This is a logical result of technological development and price pressures, which have led to withering of differences in hardware and software. The more I am happy to introduce a device which enchanted me at first sight, made my hands tremble and heart skip (OK, I am perhaps getting a bit too emotional, but understand...:). This was the case of T-Mobile MDA Compact, another device produced by HTC and sold under different brands. My lovesickness was not over until I trade a substantial part of my life savings for a pink box with the small MDA inside.

Let me make it clear that in spite of the fact that I own this device, unlike most other devices I have reviewed, it does not affect this article in any negative way. On the contrary, I had been using the device for about a month intensively before writing this review, so I had time to get to know the device much better than most others that I could borrow for just a few days.

What is in the box?

Considered the size of the device, the box is not very big either. It sports the traditional T-Mobile colours and contains the following:

MDA Compact
2x stylus
Case
Stereo headset
USB data cable
Travel AC adapter
Protective foil
3 application CD-ROMs
User manual
Quick-start guide

All that comprises a nice package, so it is surprising that T-Mobile omitted some of the items from a list printed on the box. One of them is a case, which looks quite cool. It is made of two rectangles of man-made material with rounded corners to match the shape of the device, joined together by three strips of stretchable fabric. The case is softly padded on the inside to provide protection against scratches. I only suspect that inscriptions "MDA" and "T-Mobile" above the display may wear off over the time... At the back, there is affixed a flip with magnetic clip that protects the device against slipping out accidentally. There is also a rugged belt hook. I have carried the Compact in my pocket since the very beginning, just with a protective foil on the display, but the case will undoubtedly find its users. Its protective properties are rather limited as the corners are left open but if the whole does not fall on the ground, the device should be quite safe. If you expect the device may be subjected to harsh treatment, I recommend buying a sturdier case.

The device ships with two styluses. A stylus is certainly an inexpensive accessory relative to the price of the device, so one would expect there is no need to economise on it. However, I am not very impressed by its qualities. The stylus is about 90 millimetres long. It is assembled from a metal body and plastic tip and top. Whereas the tip is fine, I am not very happy about the top. The parts do not seem to hold together very well, the plastic part is springy and I think it is a matter of time before it breaks off (well, T-Mobile knows why it bundles two styluses with the device...). Another problem is that the top is quite sharp and will scratch your hand. This part of the stylus rests again the soft tissue between my thumb and forefinger, the scratching is quite irritating. Users with a different size of the hand may be spared this inconvenience yet I have not encountered similar problems in any other device.

Before you save enough to buy a Bluetooth headset, you will have to make do with a bundled headset consisting of two earplug-type headphones and a remote with a button to accept call/hang up, microphone and volume control, as well as a collar clip and (probably) gold-plated connector. It is no technical miracle, made almost completely of cheap plastic, but does serve its purpose.

The package contains a 120-cm long USB cable for synchronisation with the PC. A standard mini-USB connector implemented in the device is a welcome solution that makes it possible to easily and cheaply replace the original cable with a longer one or buy a spare one. A synchronisation cradle is not bundled but is available as an extra accessory. The device comes with a plain travel AC adapter with 180-cm long fixed cable with a standard mini-USB connector.

I was nicely surprised to find bundled a protective foil for the display. It is a no-name product but did not show any substantial traces of wear and tear after a month of usage. Trouble is that it is smaller than the display, so you touch the display directly at the edges. Another issue is its glossiness. It is therefore advisable to buy a different one.

There are three CD-ROMs in the box. One of them contains a usual a package of applications from Microsoft, such as Microsoft Outlook 2002 and Microsoft ActiveSync. The second one contains four useful applications for your MDA, and the last, small-size one, contains a set of applications called T-Mobile Communication Centre. But more on that later.

T-Mobile deserves to big praise for the user manual. The small yet thick book describes everything, from the device to the operating system to all bonus applications on 250 pages. Those who would like to start using their device sooner than after several days of intensive reading will appreciate a considerably thinner quick-start guide that provides the most essential information. Excellent!

Design

It is apparent at first sight that the MDA Compact is not a device for everyone. Lumbermen, butchers and other professions who tend to have hands like shovels should choose a different model. MDA Compact is a VERY small Pocket PC. I must say that the small size and balanced performance is what impresses me most about the MDA Compact. When you compare the dimensions on paper, you will find that the MDA Compact with its 108.2x58x18.2 millimetres and 150 grams is significantly smaller than MDA III (125x72x19 millimetres, 210 grams). Nevertheless, the difference is striking when you see the devices side by side. MDA Compact is comparable to mobile phones and smartphones rather than other PDAs. I should add that it holds very well.

Pocket PC	Dimensions (mm/in)	Weight (g/oz)
T-Mobile MDA Compact	108 x 58 x 18 4.25" x 2.28" x .72"	150 5.29
T-Mobile MDA	147(129) x 73 x 18 5.08" x 2.87" x .71"	201 6.80
T-Mobile MDA II	130 x 70 x 19 5.12" x 2.76" x .75"	185 6.53
T-Mobile MDA III	125 x 72 x 19 4.92" x 2.83" x .75"	210 7.4
HP iPAQ h6340	119 x 75 x 18.7 5.42 x 2.94 x .82	190 6.7
Yakumo Omikron	117 x 67 x 23	165

As for the design, the Compact initially did not appeal to me very much. More precisely, I had considered it almost ugly until I could touch it. Its rounded shapes and simple, almost minimalist design enchanted me so much that I bought it. T-Mobile does not emphasise that but part of the device (the front panel and battery compartment cover) are made of light metal, probably aluminium (thanks to xp, his device and - most importantly - his compasses for confirming this hypothesis:) The top third of the rear is made of plastic (most likely because of an integrated antenna), the sides comprise a single piece (!) of dark, semitransparent plastic. The device is assembled quite well but not absolutely perfectly. Most problematic is the plastic part of the rear side, which is not fitted accurately. The rest is fine and feels robust, including the battery compartment cover.

On the front panel, there are two LED indicators (green/orange and blue) above the display, a four-directional control with a separate middle button, and four buttons. The upper pair of buttons controls the phone (pictograms of a handset have coloured backlight so that you can find them easily even in the dark), the two lower buttons are user-definable (can be assigned one action each). A key lock protecting against unwanted activation of the device is a matter of course. The overall small size is at the expense of user convenience in some respects, such as the four-directional control. Playing games is therefore rather uncomfortable, as it is hard to squeeze your fingers on the buttons. In addition, whereas you can press a button and the control simultaneously, diagonal directions do not work, which is a hindrance especially in action games. When you press a corner of the control, nothing happens.

The largest part of the rear side constitutes a removable cover. Underneath is a replaceable battery and yet deeper a SIM card slot. Just above the cover is camera lens and an absolutely indispensable mirror for self-portraits. Yet higher is a rubber plug protecting an external antenna connector.

On the left hand side is a volume control slider and two user-definable buttons that by default control sound recording and the camera, respectively. The position of the shutter release button is rather unfortunate - just opposite the main switch, so once in every three attempts on average, I activate the camera while switching the device on. On the opposite side is the aforementioned main switch, stylus shaft and an infrared sensor. The standard:)

The top and bottom sides are in the same strictly utilitarian style. On the top, there is an SDIO slot and a neck-strap hook; on the bottom side is a mini-USB connector for data communication and power, microphone, headset miniature connector and a sunken soft-reset switch.

Parameters

Quite frankly, the MDA Compact is no technical miracle. Considered the current state of the art, it is an average device. However, when evaluating the parameters, one should bear in mind the small size and overall balanced performance, although HTC developers disappointed me in some respects.

The most important part, the processor, is an Intel PXA272 model running at 416 MHz, which is a good choice with regard to the performance/consumption ratio. Surprisingly, the device performs some 10 percent worse than the older MDA II with a 400-MHz processor. In my opinion, this is due to the performance of the chipset rather than the processor. Bad for the battery, there is no was to regulate the processor clock, which is a double pity in a device which serves as a mobile phone - a lower frequency than the default 416 MHz would suffice for most everyday tasks. But my main criticism concerns the memory. We all know that 64 MB is so-so sufficient, but it is deplorable to find that you have only 40 megs of free RAM for both data and applications after tons of bonus software install automatically. You can live with it but 128 MB would be welcome. For instance, PPC Techs has showed that it is possible - the company will extend the memory to 128 MB for a bargain 200 bucks:) Similarly, the 64 MB of FlashROM shrinks to 7.6 MB accessible to the user because of Extended ROM (a part of ROM where installation files of bonus applications are loaded).

Before foldable displays get to the market (if ever...), there will always be a simple equation - the smaller the device, the smaller the display. In this case, it is a transflexive TFT display with a 2.8-inch (71-millimetre) diagonal, which is almost 2 centimetres less than the most common Pocket PC display (3.5 inches, 89 millimetres). The MDA Compact is not the first device with such a small display - see a recent review of Yakumo Omikron - but certainly the first one with a TFT display of this size, which makes a huge difference compared to the STN technology used in the Yakumo. Backlight can be adjusted at ten levels separately for battery and mains operation. The backlight intensity is by no means insufficient yet the maximum level lags behind other Pocket PCs. The display is not perfectly snow-white but is much better than MDA III which sports "weak tea" colour instead of white. The contrast is sufficient, only colours could perhaps been a little richer. The display is readable quite well under all conditions (readability decreases in full sunlight, especially if you use the bundled protective foil); in this respect, the device is comparable to other models on the market. I am going to share my experience with this unusually small display at the end of this review and deal with the other technical parameters first. Even though VGA displays of this size do exist, the one implemented in the Compact offers a resolution of 240x320 pixels (standard QVGA). It supports 65 thousand colours and is touch-sensitive, naturally. The touch layer is evenly responsive on the whole display area.

Audio features play a significant role in a device that serves as a mobile phone, especially the built-in loudspeaker, which is much more important than in an ordinary Pocket PC. My device has a good one, free of his and noise, which delivers both voice and music in good quality, especially if you lay it on the display (the loudspeaker outlet is on the back). The maximum volume is very loud; I was worried about the loudspeaker when it played some dynamic songs. (NB :: Unfortunately, it seems that some MDA Compact production series show problems with the loudspeaker. The problem is possible to solve on the software level.) The built-in microphone offers good quality, too. Direct recording is perfect; recording from a distance of five metres is about average, as you can judge for yourself - Audio recording, first part - direct recording, second part - recording from 5 metres [359KB] . Microphone sensitivity is set automatically, as in most new PDAs. The headset bundled in the package is atrocious as far as sound is concerned. It will suffice for making phone calls but listening to music anywhere else than in a noisy environment (where it makes no difference) is an insult for the composer and musicians. If you connect a good pair of headphones (needs an adapter for standard jack), such as my Koss Porta Pro, you will find out two things - one good, one bad, The good thing is that audio playback over the headphones is virtually noise-free. The bad thing is bad quality of the sound. I am no hi-fi freak but you do not need to be one to hear that the sound is flat, with shallow trebles and basses, and somewhat obscured in general, as compared e.g. with LOOX 420. It was as if I were listening to a concert behind a wall... Reactions from ce4you readers prompted me to seek the cause of the bad headphones output quality. I eventually found out that the problem was in a 2.5/3.5 jack adapter. Having replaced the adapter with one from Hama, I am happy to say that the MDA Compact plays nicely. It is not excellent but the MDA Compact could well serve as an MP3 player.

Besides GSM/GPRS, which we will deal with later, the Compact features also USB, IrDA and Bluetooth. The USB and IrDA are standard, the USB being client only and the infraport a common serial connection. To a surprise, I was able to control some home appliances from a distance of up to three metres using the infrared port and Total Remote software. The Bluetooth is version 1.2 but forget about Widcomm (Broadcomm) - HTC was bet on Microsoft and its drivers in this model. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be the best bet. in comparison with the Widcomm solution, the Compact's implementation of BT looks like a poor relative. On the other hand, I encountered absolutely no problems when I tested BT connection between the Compact and GPS Altina GBT-708, Jabra BT200 headset and a desktop PC over a MSI BT module. However, there is a fairly limited list of available profiles, so you won't be able to play your favourite network games over BT, for instance. In addition, activating and deactivating the BT module is quite uncomfortable, requiring too many steps - the icon is visible only on the main page, upon tapping on it, you are confronted with a dialog box asking you whether you wish to just activate the BT or switch it also to the visible mode. After tapping the OK button, the module starts to activate. I tried also transferring files between two devices (by coincidence, the other was an MDA Compact, too) and the result was funny - while I could not send a file, it worked the other way round... All in all, the BT module from Microsoft did not particularly impress me.

One of the main weaknesses of the MDA II was a short time on battery. The Compact fares better in this respect. In a standard test with maximum backlight it lasted for 5 hours and 47 minutes, which is just 47 minutes longer than the MDA II but in real life, I needed to charge the Compact every other day. The Compact gave an excellent result in an MP3 playback test with inactive display - more than 16 hours of uninterrupted playback, which is very, very long. The device can charge over the USB port, so you do not need to take a charger with you when travelling. AN integrated backup battery will suffice for a quick replacement of the main battery or the SIM card.

Digital camera

MDAs have for some time featured a built-in digital camera and the Compact is no exception. Unfortunately, the quality lags behind other devices. The parameters are as follows: f 4.8 mm/1:2.8, CMOS chip with maximum resolution of 960 x 1280 pixels, supported are also resolutions of 480 x 640, 240 x 320 and 120 x 160 pixels. An up to 8x digital zoom is available at lower resolutions. As you can see from the figures, the default orientation is portrait. You can save your snaps either as an uncompressed bitmap (each photo will take a considerable 3.5 MB) or compressed in the JPEG format. As in other MDAs, it is possible to balance the white colour in five modes (fully automatic, daylight, light bulb, fluorescent lamp, night) plus four effects to liven up images (greyscale, sepia, "cold" photo and negative). Well, it is better to show you some photos instead of describing everything - just look at the photo gallery below. The images are downsized and sharpened, originals are available in this archive [2255KB] .

Besides capturing photos, the Compact supports two other modes. One of them works with Photo ID, an application that makes it possible to immediately assign a photo to a contact in your address book. The other will enable you to quickly create an artistic collage from your images...

Apart from still images, the Compact can capture also video in different formats and resolutions. Supported formats include MPEG4 and MotionJPEG AVI. The highest resolution is 240 x 320 pixels, available is also 144 x 176 and 96 x 128 pixels, which is the lowest. All the effects applicable on still images are available here, too. Video for MMS messages can be captured in two resolutions, either 144 x 176 or 96 x 128 pixels; and the H.263 format becomes available. You can download two sample videos here [2275KB].

So, you have seen the qualities of the MDA Compact as a digital camera (well, nothing to write home about, indeed). Now, let's see how the camera operates. And user convenience is not its strength, either... There is a designated button on one side of the device that controls the camera. Its position is not ideal, though. For instance, taking snaps by one hand only is extremely difficult. I feared I might drop the device when taking landscape-oriented photos (you have to hold the device very close to the edge). On the other hand, when I used the middle cursor button, I often accidentally changed camera mode by pressing cursor right or left. But you can get used to all that. What is worse is the speed or rather sluggishness - it takes three or four seconds for the application to launch, colour calibration takes another while and only then you can take a picture. But do not expect any fast action then, either. When taking photos indoors at maximum resolution, it takes another three unbelievably long seconds from pressing the shutter release button to the photo being actually taken. It is a little faster outside yet quite slow in comparison with other devices. Objects in motion must be illuminated quite well; do not try indoors. Question is whether an integrated flash would help - I do not think so...

Al in all, the built-in camera is not very impressive - it will suffice for an informative photo but look elsewhere if you are more demanding. And yet another irritating feature comes to mind: in the settings, you can select a folder where photos and videos are to be stored but only the root directory (Main Memory, Storage Card...). The application will automatically save everything in My Documents folder, more precisely in sub-folders created separately for each day. After a few weeks, you end up with dozens of subfolders in My Documents that are difficult to orientate in.

MDA Compact as a mobile phone

We are getting to one of the most important features, the mobile phone. Basic facts first: the MDAC integrates a three-band GSM module (900/1800/1900) and supports GPRS Class 10 (4+2 timeslots). To be precise, you can use either 4+1 channel or 3+2 channels simultaneously, the "4+2" meaning maximum number of timeslots in each direction. The antenna is integrated, which may be a problem in places with low signal. First versions of the ROM had problems with loss of signal but I experienced this just a few times over a couple of weeks or months.

I have encountered no significant issues when using the device as a mobile phone even though I have lately been using it quite intensively. At the maximum volume, the loudspeaker occasionally produced a funny rattling sound, but it is due to great excitation of the loudspeaker (the maximum volume is very high, indeed). The other party has no problems understanding you, either. However, this is not the case of the loud handsfree mode when I could hear and understand perfectly while the other party complained about a strong echo and low quality of the sound in general. The quality is satisfactory when using a wired or BT headset - you would not want to listen to a violin concert over it but the quality is OK for common conversation.

Having bad experience with older MDAs, I was afraid of low reliability. Nevertheless, I experienced only two major problems over the few weeks - once SMS messages stopped coming and I had to perform a soft reset to correct the problem; the second time something similar happened with incoming calls. The stability was otherwise quite good; I needed to soft reset about once a week.

An incoming call is announced by ringing and/or vibrations. You can use WAV, MP3 and MIDI files as ring tones. However, MIDIs should be simple, complex polyphonic ones may not work. Finally, a I should mention a cool feature (not sure if it is implemented in other Phone Edition Pocket PCs, though) - if a phone call comes during MP3 playback, the audio is automatically muted and the volume raised back again after the call.

There are also several utilities connected with the phone part of the device. First of them is SIM Manager which manages contacts on the SIM card and can copy them between the card and the contact database in the device. Another is WModem, which makes it possible to use the PDA for connecting your desktop computer to the internet over the USB cable, infrared port or Bluetooth. I tested BT and USB and both connection not only worked but were stable too. Then there is SIM Toolkit, which you can use to control your bank account, for instance.

Expandability

Let's be brief about expandability as there is nothing really innovative. A USB and infrared are obvious, the latter usable e.g. for connecting a mobile phone. Even though the BT module driver is from Microsoft, it works fine, which I tested with a GPS receiver, BT headset as well as the desktop computer. There is also an SDIO expansion slot which makes it possible not only to enlarge the memory but also connect a better camera (such as HP Photosmart Mobile Camera). That's all.

Software

Magneto still being far away, we have to make do with Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition in its broadest configuration, i.e. Phone Edition. The package includes a complete set of applications from Microsoft, such as Pocket Outlook, Pocket IE, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel etc. T-Mobile devices traditionally carry a host of pre-installed bonus applications and the MDA Compact is no exception (if you have the device from another operator, the software suite will probably differ). To be precise, some of the bonus applications are installed directly in the ROM but most of them will install from so-called Extended_ROM after a hardware reset. If you wish to choose what to install, just perform a soft reset quickly after a hard reset, which will interrupt the installation. Then run LoadVDisk from the Windows directory (the file is hidden) to display the Extended_ROM and install whatever you like. There is more you can do with the Extended_ROM but that goes beyond the scope of this review. Look for more information in discussion forums.

The first to catch your attention is a Today screen plug-in that, together with a T-Mobile theme, gives the screen an unmistakable look (I am being ironic - I understand that T-Mobile promotes its corporate design but a combination of pink and grey colour is really nothing I would prefer...). The module is not configurable and enables you to perform five actions - connect to T-zones, and launch Contacts, Telephone, Messages and Camera. Just useless - most users will immediately replace it with something more sophisticated. And staying with the Today screen, I should mention a tiny utility, which will rotate the display by 90 degrees anticlockwise upon each tap (will skip bottom-up orientation).

The Start menu contains altered icons for most of the standard applications as well as one for an application called Organiser. This is nothing else but a shortcut to a menu offering Calculator, Calendar, Notes and Tasks.

Besides classic SMS messages, the MDA Compact supports also MMS messages. You can create them using a simple editor, where you can choose a photo or an image, add an audio or text message and send. When someone sends an MMS to you, the system will notify you and as son as it downloads over GPRS, you can view it, read it and listen to it. The MMS client is integrated in the Inbox as another mailbox and is easy and intuitive to operate. The only problem is that the MDA Compact cannot handle a simultaneous PC link and GPRS connection - when an MMS comes, it will disconnect your from the PC.

One of the main differences between a Pocket PC Phone Edition and Smartphone is that you can control the latter comfortably with one hand whereas it is quite a pain in Pocket PC - dialling the correct number on a commuter bus is as easy as checking Jaromir Jagr in a hockey match against Japan:) That is why T-Mobile offers an application called IntelliDialer, which works on a similar principle as the T9 technology but looks up keywords in the contacts instead of a dictionary. It has two major drawbacks, though - first, even though I have just a few dozen contacts, the process is very slow, and second, the application does not support - ignores - accented national characters. As you can see, it sports trendy pink and grey colours...

A utility called EmailWiz seems to be designed for those users who do not need to know more about their new device than where it switches on, where to plug the power cable and how to launch Calendar. This application will help set up access to your e-mail account by containing a database of e-mail providers, so if you tell it your e-mail address is joe.user@gmail.com, it will automatically set up connection to the POP account at GMail...

If you like keeping your accounts under control, you will surely like GPRS Monitor. The device comes preloaded with a basic utility that can count amount of data transmitted in total or in current session. More demanding customers can install a much more sophisticated tool called GPRS Monitor by Spb Software House from the bonus CD-ROM. The application not only counts data transmitted but also offers statistics in the form of various charts and reports.

MIDlet Manager takes care of Java applications. However, as far as I could judge the quality of applications available at MIDlet.org, I doubt about the usefulness of this utility in a Pocket PC device...

Photo Contacts (IA Caller ID) is a utility for those who wish to assign photographs to their contacts. You can easily take pictures of your colleagues and friends with the built-in camera and append them to respective phone numbers. When someone calls, you will see his or her image on the display instead of the phone number. In the same way, you can assign your contacts different ring tones and group them.

xBackup is a utility for those who care about security of their data. It is not very sophisticated, making it possible to backup either everything or just Contact and Calendar data, and restore.

Another application pre-installed in the device is ZIP which enables you to work with ZIP archives. It can not only open and extract them but also create and modify, which is very useful e.g. for sending e-mails.

One of the bundled CD-ROMs includes a standard suite of applications from Microsoft, such as Outlook 2002 and ActiveSync 3.7.1. The other CD contains the aforementioned Spb GPRS Monitor, two applications for reading PDF files and PPT presentations: ClearVue PDF and ClearVue PPT. If you like talking to your PDA, you will surely appreciate Fonix VoiceDial, a voice control utility that can dial phone numbers from Contacts and perform other actions to your order. I should not forget to mention KSE TrueFax, a faxing application, as the name suggests. Unfortunately, I could not receive a fax, being always left with a modem error message... And finally, there is a mini-CD containing tools from T-Mobile mainly for the desktop PC. It is all nice but for some mysterious reason, all five applications on the second CD install using one installation utility...

So, we are through with applications, at last:) There are many and even if not all users will start using all of them immediately, their wide range is surely welcome.

Pricing

The price is quite favourable, in my view. It would not be appropriate to compare the price with that of the more than a year old MDA II or the new feature-packed MDA III, yet the equivalent of $480 USD or so (in the Czech Republic) makes the Compact much more affordable than the $800 USD for MDA III. If you subscribe to T-Mobile services for two years, the price is yet lower.

[POLL]

Impressions, Benchmarks & Tests

Having read the previous paragraphs, I am finding what a lousy device I in fact own - mediocre performance, tiny display, bad sound, just acceptable communication features, a parody to a camera, and so on...

No, do not worry, just joking:) I am not about to throw the MDA Compact away. It must be clear to anyone who reads the technical specs that this device is not designed to be a top performer. It is true that when you compare each parameter of the Compact with other devices, you will find out that it often lags behind more than a little. Despite, there is something about it (I do not want to say "charisma") which somehow makes me tend to pardon its weaknesses.

The first undisputable advantage is the size of the device. After a long time (or maybe for the first time ever), I am taking a PDA with me to places where I would rather not take, say, the HP hx4700. There is at least one pocket in each pair of trousers where the MDA Compact will fit. I cannot use the case but for, me, a PDA is a work tool, so I have learned to live with scratches on it. Despite the size, the MDA Compact is a full-fledged Pocket PC, no functionally limited replacement (Smartphone users will forgive). This is probably the main reason I have fallen for it and won't abandon it despite its disadvantages. On a more objective note, there are some issues caused by the small size (especially of the display). Somewhat surprisingly, it is not reduced readability but controllability. Whereas I have no difficulties reading the small font even though I am no longer hawk-eyed, it took me a month or so to come to terms with the tiny software keyboard and I am still making a lot of mistakes. Likewise, it is more demanding to control some other applications (especially games) where precision matters.

Another advantage is a favourable price/performance ratio. As for performance, a faster processor, larger memory, better camera and stronger battery would be welcome, naturally. However, the configuration is perfectly acceptable for the price (spare the memory, perhaps, but anyone can afford a 128 MB flash card these days) and I encountered no problems running resources-intensive applications such as games or navigation software.

The third and the last nice surprise is an overall balance and stability of the device. Having first-hand experience with MDA I and II and having read dozens of online discussions about stability of MDA, I had been worried a little, but my concerns did not prove substantiated. I have been using the device daily quite intensively. I most frequently use the basic applications (mail, calendar, contacts, Internet Explorer, Word, Excel, and, of course, the mobile phone), I have installed a few additional applications (ICQ, Spb Pocket Weather...) and I run many others from an SD card. On the other hand, I have avoided tweaking utilities, task managers and the like, because this type of software generally causes most problems. The result is that I have to reset the device about once a week and it is often just because I am lazy to close running applications manually. Nothing like a self-induced HW reset has ever occurred. I have encountered some issues (mentioned above) but this being the first version of the ROM, I think it is a very good result.

Obviously, the MDA Compact is not a device for everyone. For instance, an accountant who frequently works with large spreadsheets will choose a device with a VGA display. But there is no device that will satisfy all needs.

I tested this device more intensively than others and found no application that would make any troubles. For comparison, I tested the device's video capabilities with BetaPlayer version 0.096 (beta) and a collection of clips compiled by the author of the application for this purpose (available here). The Compact could handle all files easily but one - the largest, naturally. Bitrate of 1.5 Mbps and downsizing from 640x480 pixels to a half was just too much sometimes. Any smaller files played smoothly; benchmark tests gave satisfactory results, too. The 102.56 percent is not a top performance as you can see in the table but still quite good. The device's performance is more than sufficient for MP3 playback even at the highest quality.

Pocket PC	BetaPlayer Benchmark
HP iPAQ hx2750	163,56%
Acer n50 Premium	141,45%
FSC Pocket LOOX 720 (VGA)	121,43%
MDA Compact	102,56%
HP iPAQ h4150	85,24%

I have mentioned my experience throughout (just cannot help mixing description with evaluation:) If you have any additional comments, place your questions in the discussion forum, I'll try to answer.

Finally, some figures. I use Spb Benchmark for a complete performance test. I have reviewed several new Pocket PC devices, so I can compare. If you are interested in detailed results, the complete .XML file is available for download here :: T-Mobile MDA Compact (2003SE, 416MHz) [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 :: 1.01.00 WWE

I tested the graphics performance also with the GXmark utility. It is far less sophisticated than Spb Benchmark and offers comparison only with iPAQ h3600, but at least you can find out how many objects can move on the display simultaneously:)

Detailed evaluation

The MDA Compact is another device I subjected to a more detailed and stricter evaluation. 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 intentionally 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.

Now, 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. The number of points in the other categories is 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 be available, this one would receive fewer points.

If you would like to comment on the evaluation, please join the discussion. I am not doing it for my own pleasure but to make it easier for you to choose a new device. If you think it is a wrong idea, just let me know:)

Rating
Name:	T-Mobile MDA Compact
Type:	Pocket PC Phone edition
Class:	For all
Date:	June 14, 2005
Design, user friendliness
Design:	9
Dimensions:	10
Weight:	9
Buttons, user comfort:	8
Assembly quality:	9
Performance, memory
Processor:	5
Free RAM:	4
Free ROM:	2
Display
Resolution:	5
Size:	3
Quality (indoors):	8
Quality (outdoors):	8
Podsvícení:	7
Dotyková vrstva:	9
Audio
Microphone:	8
Loudspeaker:	7
Headphones output:	8
Communication:
USB:	9
Infra:	9
Bluetooth:	7
WiFi:	8
Phone
GSM:	9
GPRS:	8
General:	8
Battery, power settings
Features:	10
Battery life:	7
Expandability
General:	9
Software
System, settings:	8
Bonus apps in ROM:	10
Bonus apps in CD:	4
Accessories
Quantity:	8
Quality:	9
Other
Overall impression:	10
Manufacturer support:	4
Price/performance ratio	9
Total
T-Mobile MDA Compact	7,34 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.

I think it is enough for today...