First 60 minutes with Acer c530

November 18, 2006 | Pavel Koza | format - Other (ar.) | viewed - 176x
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(1959 votes) | category - -

First 60 minutes with Acer c530

It has been a long six months since I put my last review of a device bearing the name of Acer on these pages. The device was called the Acer n300 and among its other advantages was, apart from an excellent display, its small dimensions, which are far from common amongst VGA devices. For a short time, I had in my hands a new product from the same producer, Acer. A new product that falls within a completely different category of devices with Windows Mobile than the abovementioned Acer n300. Its name is Acer c530, a navigation system compatible with Windows Mobile system, and I would like to thank Sunnysoft for lending it to me.

Notice: This article is not a review. The device in question was not subject to thorough testing and careful disclosure of possible weaknesses. This article describes just first impressions that are mostly positive. Therefore, it is not an objective report, but a totally subjective description of a brand new device, filled with uncritical admiration of and wild enthusiasm for its new functions and properties. If, for some reason, you are not satisfied with this form, you should wait for a proper report.

Even though the device I have seen was a pre-production unit, both its packaging and contents made it look like it was already a final model. The complete range of additional devices will be discussed in the detailed report. For now I can only say that you can expect (with this particular model - Acer c530) not only the usual equipment such as power supply, synchronizing USB cable or simple protection case, but also a practical two-part holder by which the device may be attached to glass, and a power supply unit for a car cigarette lighter socket. Simply said, it is a complete car navigation solution.

The device itself looks very elegant. At first glance, it seems bigger than it actually is, due to the dominant black surface on the front of the device. Only parts of the lateral edges are silver in colour. Due to its dimensions (58 x 108 x 17 millimeters) and round bottom edge, the device fits perfectly in the hand. The weight (122 grams) must satisfy even the most stubborn haters of pocket computers. For easy operation, the front part of the device is equipped with four programmable buttons with a mini-joystick in the middle. Special buttons for operation of the system (WM softkeys) are missing, but if you feel that these are of vital importance, you can assign their functions to the Calendar and Contacts buttons. Although the small joystick is convenient and looks promising, it cannot handle oblique directions, therefore making this device unsuitable for PC games. However, apart from the games, it can handle everything else, so this problem will affect only a minor group of users.

The whole design is very simple, which can especially be seen on the rear part, where there is nothing more than a loudspeaker cover grid. The whole rear part may be removed, providing access to the 200mAh Li-Ion battery. All the edges are also simple. A small connector for attaching a GPS aerial, protected by a rubber plug, the main on/off switch and one LED displaying only system events and reminders can be found on left side of the device. It was the only LED, which is moreover situated on the side, a praiseworthy initiative on part of Acer. LEDs in bright colours are not attractive anymore, and their bright blue or red light is annoying for a certain percentage of users (including me). Anyway, the state of various wireless modules can be determined in different ways apart from looking at the furiously flashing lights. The last control device that is situated on the left side is a HOLD button that deactivates all buttons when activated, ensuring safe shut down. An SD card slot and little reset button are situated on the right side. On the top edge only one hole can be found, serving to attach headphones, while on the bottom edge a mini-USB connector is located.

I must say that all input and output devices, such as headphone output, SD card slot or power supply/synchronization connector, are highly standardized, thus providing the highest extension options possible. The headphone connector has the usual 3.5 mm in diameter so it will not restrict the range of choice when choosing the right headphones. The integrated classic SD slot is also very convenient. It offers the best range of extensions (SDIO are by far the most common in the classic format), memory cards with the highest capacities (try to purchase a 4GB microSD...) and the best ratio of price/performance. And the advantages of mini-USB solutions don’t need to be discussed here at length, because they are known to everyone.

The performance of the device is not totally brilliant, but the Samsung S3C2442 processor and 300MHz can handle everything apart from extreme demands. At first glance the device carried out all instructions well and I did not encounter any serious defects. As for the memory, Acer offers a standard 128MB FlashROM and 64MB SDRAM. Because there are not many more programs apart from the system itself and its utilities in the ROM, a significant part of both memories can be used by the user. The device is equipped with a TFT display that is able to display 65 thousand colours. It is quite bright, and with the highest intensity of backlight set, the view of the display in dark environments is a bit unpleasant. The display offers a resolution of standard 240x320 dots and a touch screen for control with a pen.

The sound equipment is quite basic and it cannot be adjusted to specific requirements. However, due to the standard connector, mp3 songs can be listened to with good headphones, therefore offering a pleasant experience. An integrated loudspeaker has a similar quality, which is especially convenient during navigation. It emits the sound waves from the back side, as if away from the listener, but this is not a serious problem – maximal volume is sufficient. The last sound utility is sound recording, where an option for automatic regulation of microphone sensitivity also does not allow for any criticism. On the whole, the device records and plays sounds well and without any problems.

As I have implied in the introduction, the Acer c530 cannot be counted among the devices with a GPS module that could be described as "a GPS and nothing more". This is demonstrated most clearly when considering the possibilities for communication. Although it is true that an infrared port is not included, apart from the standard mini-USB port for recharging and synchronization, Acer offers both Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi b/g, the latter in a very sophisticated version. As opposed to most new Windows Mobiles, it has a Broadcomm controller, keeping the possibilities and capacities of the BT module at maximum. I did not have time to test everything, but BT stereo headphones from HP and Internet connection via HTC TyTN worked at the first try, and it did not even affect the quality of transmitted mp3, with bit rate of 320kbps! The WiFi module from SyChip has offered - due to the latest version of system support - not only older versions of coding and protection, but also WPA2 and WPA2-PSK. However, connection to such an equipped AP was a bit problematic, whereas connection to another AP with a standard WPA-PSK was absolutely fine – this may only be an easily-removable software insufficiency. In any case, the communication options offered by Acer are great. The only remaining question is whether the mini-USB connector can be used for USB Host, which is a very popular technology with Acer users.

Of course I could not test the battery duration (just very roughly: after 45 minutes of navigation with the lowest display backlight, the battery indicator went down by approximately 15%), so we can proceed to the most important feature, the GPS module. The producer does not offer many technical details, but in principle, it is a classic SiRF Star III LP GPS module. Most probably, it does not quite support a usual function of assisted GPS (AGPS), namely that some information on the satellites can be downloaded from the Internet, which makes the location function quicker, but even so, getting a location readout was quick and problem-free. Personally, I have tried both TomTom and iGO and despite the disadvantageous location of the device behind the front left post and the reflective layer of the windshield of my car, determining my location during my drive took less than a minute. In the following 45 minutes, the signal was lost only three times, mostly in places with a high density of buildings. On the whole, as far as receptivity is concerned, a great deal of work was done by Acer. According to the documentation, the TMC module for receiving information about the traffic situation should also be available, but I could not test it (I did not have the appropriate software).

As to the software, Acer is equipped in a standard “Acer” way – meaning quite poorly. Apart from a basic version of Windows Mobile 5 Premium edition, the last version AKU3.2 with all applications from Microsoft, the device contains only a simple utility for back-up and recovery of data, PocketTV Pro for playing films in MPEG format and MobiPocket Reader for reading books in .PRC format. There may be something on the CD, but the pack did not contain a final version of it and the burned CD contained only basic applications from Microsoft. Czech users may also appreciate localization from Sunnysoft, that will be provided with every device imported by legal channels.

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How much the device will cost or when it will appear on the market I don’t know. However, it is probable that Acer will be willing to make it available before the pre-Christmas shopping rush, so we may well hope it will be soon. Moreover, it will be available not only in two versions, but perhaps also with different map records. In the end, I would like to stress once more the fact that this article is under no circumstances a review of the device in question. It is purely a formulation of my first impressions, which are quite positive. If I was to sum up my few-hour experience with this the device, it would look great for Acer c530. What draws your attention at first glance is the compact look and the nice display, but there are also interesting and good-quality features under the surface that make this device a well-done and balanced appliance. If you plan to buy a Pocket PC navigation device without an integrated phone module, the c530 should be one of the potential candidates. Of course some imperfections may appear upon closer inspection, but after the first encounter, things look great.