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Dopod U1000

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One thing you notice about the U1000 is that it is meant to be used only in landscape mode. You can switch it to portrait mode in the settings, but once the keyboard is attached, it goes into landscape mode. The other writing options such as Block Recognizer and Transcriber are available as well, but unless you decide to throw the keyboard out and use the portrait orientation completely, they won't be very useful.

If you do still choose to use the U1000 in landscape mode without the keyboard, left-handers will find it difficult because the navigator is on the left and the stylus silo on the right. The fact that the bezel is thicker on the left side than the right also indicates that it is meant to be carried in the left hand, leaving the right hand free for writing.

Features
When it comes to wireless options, there's no faulting the U1000. Besides HSDPA and 3G capabilities, it also comes with Wi-Fi and GPS. As such, there's no reason you can't be connected at all times with it. The large display also makes it perfect for use as a GPS device in the car. Note that no GPS application or maps are bundled with the U1000, so factor in that extra cost if navigation is an important feature for you.


The three connectors on the left side of the U1000.

Update: We took the U1000 for a drive to test out its GPS function. Usually, getting a location fix is the most time-consuming process, but that wasn't the case with the U1000. It came with an application which downloads a small file using the GSM network. This gives an approximation of the location of the device, making it easier to get a GPS fix on the current location. The MapKing application along with the Singapore map we tested was accurate and gave clear spoken directions when driving from location to location. What really stood out when navigating using the U1000 was the sheer size of the screen. There was no danger of not being able to see the map because the 5-inch display is as large as or, in some cases, larger than what you will find on dedicated GPS devices. The standard U1000 bundle does not include the software, maps or a car cradle, so take these into account during purchase if you will be using it as a navigation tool.

Connectors are found on the left side of the device. Besides the regular mini-USB jack for charging and syncing, there is also a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting a headset or a pair of headphones for music playback. This is a good inclusion as no adapter is required to hook up a favorite set of headphones.

That feature is especially useful considering the U1000 has an 8GB MicroDrive built in. This makes it a perfect candidate as a portable media player. Music playback is good, comparable with most flash-based MP3 players, though the Audio Manager application may not be as advanced as those found on dedicated MP3 players. For videos, most files that will run on your desktop's Windows Media Player will run fine on the U1000 as well. For those that don't, well, there are applications out there for Windows Mobile which will allow playback of other files.

The third connector right beside the other two is one that lets you attach a provided accessory which ends in a VGA connector. A monitor or projector can then be hooked up to the U1000, displaying whatever that's on the 5-inch touchscreen on a much larger display. Together with Office Mobile, this feature makes it possible not to have a notebook around and still be able to give a presentation. Of course, don't expect to be able to show as many cells in Excel Mobile or have many fancy animations on PowerPoint Mobile as they are possible only in the desktop versions.

One application that is especially useful on the U1000 is the Task Manager utility, which closes programs instead of just minimizing them when the X button is tapped. Long time Windows Mobile users will know that tapping X usually will just put the program in the background. If many applications are active, using the device will start to feel sluggish. The Task Manager application solves that problem, making the U1000 more efficient.

The shortcut key which brings you to the browser also acts as an activator for the VueFLO motion sensor. This feature makes scrolling through Webpages more convenient by allowing the user to tilt the U1000 to get the scroll bar moving. Pressing and holding the button will activate the sensor, and an icon on the information bar at the top appears to show that it is active. The angle which the U1000 is at when VueFLO starts becomes its default position. Tilting downward scrolls the page down, while tilting upward scrolls the page up. This even works for scrolling left and right, so even if you were viewing full desktop pages, it would be useful. The option screen for the VueFLO application shows that it works for only Internet Explorer and the Opera browser installed, but we hope developers will take note of this and make it useful for other applications and games as well.

 
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jimmun: I like to know whether my u1000's second port ( for vga out plus usb ) can be used ...

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