Easy Shift into PDA, mobile computer or Tablet PC

Aimie Pardas


But when you slide out the keyboard, tilt the screen and power the device up, you will get a mobile computer complete with Windows Vista Business.

I found the keyboard small, though, and could not type like how I would on a full-sized keyboard. The easiest way to reduce possible mistakes is by using the two-finger method.

The company has included a microPad, which functions just like a touchpad, as well as left and right mouse buttons. The microPad and left and right mouse buttons are located on the right and left side of the screen respectively.

There is also a button that switches between Windows Vista and SnapVUE easily, plus other dedicated buttons that connect to the communications manager and changes the screen resolution from 800 by 480 pixels to 1,024 by 600 pixels.

Now, you can also turn the Shift into a Tablet PC with Windows Vista, thanks to the stylus and touch-screen.

HTC pointed out that the Shift is a device for those who don’t want to worry about connectivity. So, there is the regular Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) connection, and a wired LAN (local area network) connection available through the extension kit, which gives you an additional three USB (universal serial bus) ports.

The Shift also comes with a built-in SIM card slot, so you have a choice of GPRS (general packet radio service)/EDGE (enhanced data rates for global evolution)/3G (third-generation)/HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) data connection whenever Wi-Fi or wired connection is not available.

Slot in a SIM card and the Shift will automatically configure the device to suit the operator. So, you should be able to surf the Internet using any available connection

right out of the box.

Despite the mobile SIM card slotted in, you still need to carry your mobile phone if you want to make or receive calls.

Although there is a call option in SnapVUE, similar to the one on a Windows Mobile device, nothing happens when that key is pushed. Plus, any call made to the Shift will go into voice mail. But you are able to send and receive SMS messages using SnapVUE.

And data connection comes in handy for e-mailing and surfing the Web at places without wired LAN support or Wi-Fi connection.

Although the Shift comes with only 800 megahertz of processing power, this should be enough for general document editing, Web browsing and e-mailing. No problems were encountered when editing slide shows, although adding heavy animation in the slide show did slow it down a bit.

Don’t expect to do a lot of multi-tasking with the Shift. Just having Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, OpenOffice.org Impress and Windows Media Player running at the same time was enough to tax the system and slow it down.

And this was without installing Trend Micro Internet Security that came with Windows Vista. While trying to install the software, a message popped up, saying that the clock speed had fallen below the minimum recommended requirements and that installing it would slow down the system. So, you will need to rely on Windows security options or find a security software that fits the system requirements.

There was also a slight delay when playing video off the Internet. Even some of the sample videos that came with Vista lagged when in full screen mode, so don’t expect to play any 1,080p high-definition video on the Shift.

It must be noted that although it is nice not to have to worry about connectivity with the Shift, you will still need to carry two SIM cards. You can’t leave your mobile phone at home if you want to make or receive calls, although it may look funny if you hold up the Shift to your ear like a regular phone.

And the Shift should see stiff competition from similarly sized notebook computers that are expected to come out this year.

Product: Shift
Manufacturer: HTC
Enquiries: HTC Corp (www.htc.com/sea/)
Price: RM5,499


Specifications

Copyright © Tech&U . New Straits Times Press Sdn.Bhd . All rights reserved.