Loox N560

Fujitsu Siemens Loox N560 Introduction Fujitsu-Siemens are building themselves quite a reputation in the Windows Mobile arena. Building on the late Lord Tekguru's review of the Loox 720, Clove Technology have graciously allowed us to follow up with a review of the Loox N560, hot from the new 500 range of Fujitsu-Siemens PDAs. So can it live up to the hype, does what lurks beneath that shiny, modern exterior deliver what it promises? There's only one way to find out, read on!!!!!!! Supplier: Clove Technology Manufacturer: Fujitsu-Siemens Product: Pocket Loox N560 Colour: Blue/Grey Cost: From £320 (£376 Inc VAT) Supplier Web Site: Clove Technology Supplier Product Web Site: Loox N560 Manufacturers Page: Fujitsu-Siemens Welcome to the next instalment in the tradition that has become the 4WM PocketPC review series. Once again, good fortune has smiled on us, and we have been extremely pleased to recieve a Pocket Loox N560 for review. So many thanks go out to Chris Love at Clove Technology for providing us with the opportunity to review this fantastic device. For your delectation all photographs are thumbnails which may be clicked on to load an image. Specifications Technical Intel PXA270 624 MHz based on Intel XScale microarchitecture System memory (RAM) 64 MB Flash memory (ROM) 128 MB Full integrated SiRF Star IIIChip 3.5-inch VGA 480 x 640 colour transflective TFT Touchscreen, 65.536 colours, LED backlight Integrated, 802.11 b/g, Wi-Fi certified Integrated Bluetooth 1.2 Interfaces 1 x built-in microphone 1 x speaker 1 x headphone (3.5 mm) 4 pin 1 x IrDA USB 1.1 (slave) via sync cable USB 1.1 (host) via sync cable Serial (RS232) via sync cable Stereo Audio Out on cradle connector Expansion slots SD card/MM card (SDIO) Battery Exchangeable Lithium-Ion battery, rechargeable Main battery 1200 mAh Power supply Rated voltage 110 – 240 V Power cord with EU plug, UK plug additionally available, standard in UK versions Standby time Fully charged 500 h Battery life may vary depending on product model, configuration, applications, power management settings and features utilized. Battery recharge time depends on usage. Dimensions / weight Dimensions (H x W x D) 116 x 71x 14 mm Weight app. 160g Wireless Technologies (WLAN) Import and usage according to country-specific regulations The Pocket LOOX Series is Wi-Fi certified Operating system Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Premium Edition Applications Fujitsu Siemens Computers SpeedMenu Fujitsu Siemens Computers Key lock Fujitsu Siemens Computers CONNECTMOBILITY – E2C Fujitsu Siemens Computers Voice Recorder Fujitsu Siemens Computers Audio Path Fujitsu Siemens Computers Panning Fujitsu Siemens Computers Password Outlook Mobile, Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile MSN Mobile Pocket Internet Explorer Windows Media® Player 10 for Pocket PC Pictures Terminal Services Client Bubble Breaker Solitaire Voice recorder Microsoft Active Sync 4.1 Microsoft Outlook 2002 Supports Microsoft Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003, XP Packaging The days until the Loox arrived were filled with the usual excitement and trepidation, culminating in the raw urge to rip the packaging to shreds when the package finally arrived. In the spirit of good reviewing, I fought that urge with all my might, pausing long enough to take the photographs of the packaging and box. The N560 was well protected, ensconsed in copious bubble wrap, with the eye-catching retail packaging providing an extremely cosseted cocoon. No harm was going to befall the prize within. Once the photographs were done, I quickly reverted to my childhood activity on christmas day when finally getting my hands on the presents!!! Whats in the box? Loox N560 Docking station Two stylus pens Carrying case USB sync cable AC adapter with cable (country specific EU/UK) Microsoft Getting Started CD Getting Started poster Safety instructions and warranty flyer Easy Guide on CD Warranty manual on CD Design and Form Aesthetics I quickly wrested the N560 from its well packaged hiding place, and this being the first time I had seen a Loox in the flesh, I was immediately struck by the exceptional looks of the device. This Loox is one suave and smooth looking device, clad in Blue/Greys, and complemented excellently with silver edges, it looks every inch the sophisticated business machine, whilst retaining a certain sense of style, meaning that it isn't out of place as a device for personal use. Fujitsu-Siemens have obviously put a lot of work into the exterior design of their PDA ranges, and this effort has paid off. In my opinion, the Loox is the best looking PDA I've had the good fortune to use. Read on to find out if the N560 lives up to the expectation it delivers visually. Screen Once the dreaded initial charge was completed, I powered the Loox on for the very first time, and at that point I was in total awe of the the incredible VGA screen! It's so clear, crisp and ever so bright, it looks awesome.... I haven't fawned over a screen this much since my review of the Dell Axim X50v many moons ago. As you can see from the screen shot, PocketPlan from Twiddlebit looks absolutely awesome, and is totally usable on the Loox N560. PocketPlan is one of my most used apps, and is the real reason why I need a PDA with a VGA screen, and the Loox fills that role magnificently. Construction Following on from the aesthetics, the N560 is also incredibly well constructed, with no visible gaps along the edges of the casing. The device feels very sturdy in the hand. The keys are superbly made, with a very positive travel when pushed, providing excellent tactile feedback, and finished off with the aforementioned superb backlighting, that all important blue led light!! Another thing that I noticed immediately, is that the N560 is incredibly light, far lighter than the Dell Axim X50v, the XDA Exec, and definitely a lot lighter the OQO O1. The svelte nature of the Loox made it incredibly pocketable, even in a shirt front pocket. It really is a joy to carry, I almost forgot that I had it about my person. Moving on to the PDA size comparisons, I found that the N560 is quite svelte in comparison to my other children..... I mean devices. From top to bottom in the photo to the immediate left: I-Mate SP5m WM5 Smartphone Loox N560 WM5 Pocket PC O2 XDA Exec WM5 Pocket PC Phone Edition OQO 01+ Ultra Mobile Personal Computer Taking the size comparison one stage further, I've extrapolated the following information from the Loox 720 review previously posted by Tekguru, and as you can see from the figures, the N560 is quite small in comparison, and only pipped at the post by iPAQ2215. Buttons and Ports The Loox N560 is very minimalist in the button arena, I hadn't noticed myself, but in my discussions with the 4WM Admin team, it was pointed out that the Loox doesn't have the hardware buttons for activating the on screen soft keys that devices such as the XDA Exec does. Obviously since I hadn't noticed the lack of the extra buttons, it isn't much of an issue for me, but it's a very worthwhile thing to point out, so my thanks go to the rest of the team. Back to the buttons on the Loox, and breaking it down on a side by side basis we have... The Left hand side, which plays host to the microphone opening, the one touch record button and the Infra-Red Window!! Slightly unusually, the microphone is at the top of the device, make using Skype interesting, although it seemed to have no effect on the call quality. I can see the reason for this, as it gives me the impression that the device is laid out more like a Dictaphone... You know, you see people talking into their thumbs, as the record button on a dictaphone is near the microphone. The Right hand side, here we find zilch, not a single button!! Looking at the top, the SD Card Slot, full SD mind, no mini or micro stuff here, the Headphone socket, comprising of a standard 3.5mm socket and the Stylus Silo! Earphone socket is a standard 3.5mm jack, and the sound quality through my old Aiwa headphones was excellent (I can't find my Sony's that I bought at London Airport!!). Moving on to the bottom of the device, we find it carries the soft-reset recess and the Sync/Charge socket. One thing to note, Fujitsu have chosen to go down the non-standard connector route rather than using Mini-USB. A pity, as I have a plethora of mini-USB cables laying around. This meant I had to remember to carry the N560 cable with me when working in other offices, a minor gripe though. Finally arriving at the back of the device, yes, the back, an unusual place to find connectors on a normal PDA, but not so strange on a phone edition device. Here, the N560 sports an external antenna connector for the built-in GPS, so if you get poor reception, you can boost the signal this way. Not that I had a problem with signal strength when putting the Loox through its paces. Also note the small grey strip running across the lower back of the device, this isn't just a cosmetic touch, it actually provides a very useful function!! The strip is made of rubber, and when the device is laid on a table, it stops the N560 from moving or sliding around, a neat little touch. Top marks here for this simple but effective design. Initial Boot As is customary in the current reviewing standards, I duly recorded the amount of memory that is free after the initial boot and WM5 Setup routine, with the figures thus: Memory at boot time Storage Total: 78.20Mb In Use: 2.04Mb Free: 76.15Mb Program Total: 50.01Mb In Use: 14.59Mb Free 35.42Mb As you can see, compared to the usual 64MBm the Loox beats most WM5 devices out there hands down in the Storage Memory stakes, whilst proving equal to most in the Program memory arena. Connectivity The N560 comes fully loaded comms wise, carrying all the essentials that a road warrior needs to remain connected. The built in Wi-Fi provides the industry standard 802.11b connectivity found on nearly all Wi-Fi PDAs. But Fujitsu-Siemens have also included a major bonus, the N560 also sports 802.11g, allowing those with compatible Wi-Fi routers/Access points to benefit from the substantial speed increase. I do wonder when we will see the first devices carrying the 802.11n standard, should that be ratified any time soon!! (although it may have been already, and I simply missed the announcements). I had no issues connecting the Loox N560 wirelessly to my Draytek Vigor 2600G router, it worked first time and re-connected every time, allowing me to Sync quickly and easily with my Exchange Server. Alongside the Wireless capabilities, sits the Microsoft Bluetooth 1.2 Stack, although allegedly, this does contain A2DP. I don't have any compatible headphones to try out this functionality. The customary Infra-Red is also on board, and I have to admit I do use it occasionally when I can't be bothered to dig out cables. But once used, I always make sure I untick 'Receive all incoming beams' in the hope of conserving battery life. Included Accessories Docking Station The Loox N560 Dock is a cunning beast, not only is it superbly stylish looking, but, also hides another very interesting feature! At the rear it sports a3.5mm earphone jack. Match that with the ability to control the sound output in the FSC Audio Path program (more later on that!), you now have a handy music capable dock for the PDA. I don't have a seperate MP3 player, relying on my PDAs to play music, so this ability was a godsend whilst working. I plugged a couple of powered Aiwa speakers that I had laying around my home office into the dock, left FSC Audio Path at automatic, powered up WMP10 and away I went, listening to my own music whilst working, marvellous.... I would have included a desk shot of the setup, but my desk is such a mess at the moment you'll back thankful I didn't!! Spare Stylus Not really much to say on this, but thoughtfully included for the careless amongst us. USB Sync Cable As with all PDAs these days, the Loox comes with a Sync and Charge cable. The device connector end sports a power connector socket, to allow the device to be charged via the mains adapter whilst being synced. Especially handy if you have a PC or laptop that doesn't output a lot of power via the USB ports. I'll talk about the connectors themselves in the Additional Functionality section. European Charger, UK Plug Attachments and Head Adapter The Charging brick, or should that be plug, well let's say transformer, is a pretty standard affair. As seen on the original XDA range of PDAs the charger comes with a standard end-plug, but also has an adapter to allow it to be directly connected to the PDA itself. Leather Slip Case Black, good construction, provides good protection for the Loox N560. Sadly, no belt clip, so purely for your pocket or bag. The Fujitsu-Siemens offering compares directly to the standard cases that are provided with the bulk of PDAs today, and it is definitely handy to have straight out of the box, affording protection to your new toy while you scout around for that perfect case. Add-On Accessories When using a PDA for Satellite Navigation, the availablility of mounts for a device is an absolute necessity, with that in mind I decided to have a search of what is available for the N560 in the here and now. I didn't have to look further than DSL Developments, the dedicated UK supplier of Brodit Mounts, who can supply both passive and active mounts for the N560, along with the very easy to install (It is easy, even I've done it for my Exec!!) Brodit ProClip system. I simply popped along to the website, selected the Country, PDA Manafacturer and PDA model, and I was presented with the options in a flash. Additional Functionality GPS One unique aspect of the device is that it has built in GPS, but, there is no bundled SatNav software with the device, so this will be an additional purchase if you don't already own an application like TomTom or Destinator. So, to test this exciting functionality, I duly installed my own copy of TomTom5 and immediately hit a snag, I couldn't activate the Software!! TomTom support were superb here, I provided them proof of the loan unit, and an activation code was forthcoming the same day!! The GPS takes quite a long time to acquire an initial satellite lock if it hasn't been used for a day, but once on, the sat re-lock is around 5-6 seconds, duly noted as I surfaced from a tunnel on the M25 at junction 25. USB Host Loox N560 offers USB Host functionality, but I didn't have a chance to try it out unfortunately. The device ships with a special cable that has a dual function. The cable itself offers the usual USB plug for your PC, but it also offers A female, if that's the right term, USB Socket in a dual head arrangement. The PDA end is once again a proprietary connector, meaning that you can't mix and match your existing cables. Software Performance The Loox N560 is no slouch, being blessed with a 624Mhz Intel PXA270 processor, so you're getting a lot of ooomph for your money, and this is intelligently controlled to maximise that all important battery life. Turbo mode gives you full power, permanently, but, as suggested in the screenshot, you could shorten battery life considerably. Standard mode, trading power off against longer battery life. Power Saving, for those times where battery life is paramount!. Automatic, the software decides depending on the application load on the device. I used the N560 in automatic mode during my testing, I found the device to be perfectly responsive, coupled with great battery life. In my opinion, I would imagine that most users would leave the Loox in automatic mode, it simply does what it is supposed to do, and does it well. Fujitsu-Siemens Additional Software Fujitsu-Siemens have put a lot of thought into the customisations that they provide on top of the base WM5 operating system. A breakdown of what's included follows below. FSC Mobile Zip Does exactly what it says on the tin, a built-in compress-decompress package, written by the Fujitsu Siemens Embedded System Group, currently sitting at version 1.0.6040. Very quick at decompressing in my tests, and equally as quick at compressing, albeit I only really tried this with a few of my picture files that I'd taken with the XDA Exec, and that were still on the SD card I was using in the N560.... FSC SpeedMenu Once again, what the name implies. This is a very handy quick launch application. The benefit of speedmenu is that it groups applications that you would wish to access together, Organize giving access to PIM functions, Messaging giving access to email and internet related apps, Office as the name implies, the mobile equivalents of Microsoft Office, Entertainment pulling together Windows Media Player and games and last but not least, System giving quick access to the PDAs configuration layer. Below these main groupings, there is quick access to File Explorer, Running programs, FSC Keylock, Screen Toggle and FSC AudioPath. I found that the Running Programs takes you straight to the Running Programs screen in the Memory applet found in settings/system, I had been hoping for a little more, so I carried on using Magic Button, which I have grown to love for its complete simplicity and power. FSC AudioPath This is something I haven't seen on other PDAs; it gives complete control over how the audio delivered by the Loox N560. You can either leave it set to automatic, or you can choose to customise for each type of audio connection, be it headphones, speaker, BT headset, or the Cradle out functionality. FSC VoiceRecorder Once again developed by the Fujitsu-Siemens Embedded System Group, currently sitting at v1.0.5341. This app looks very much like the basic recorder app supplied with WM5, but customised to give big button access, and very welcome it is; it made one handed operation of the recorder very easy. And the buttons are large enough to take audio notes whilst in the car, although this isn't something I'd recommend within our current legal framework. The options screen allows you to configure the filename, whether or not to capture time info for appending to the filename, what storage location to use (flash/SD) and last but not least, what sampling rate to use when recording. FSC KeyLock Does exactly what it says on the tin, it locks out all the application buttons apart from the Power button when the device is in standy. Only foible I've noticed with this is that when active, Keylock leaves a permanent notification alert in place of the left hand soft key, and I couldn't find out how to configure it off!! That being said, it performed as it should, and no accidental activations occurred. FSC Password I'm assuming this to be the secure lock applet in the Settings/System menu, as I couldn't find a program called FSC Password. As the name implies, the program allows you to set a password, or Theft Protection as it is called on the screen, on or off. A interesting facet here is that you are also given the ability to select the complexity of the password itself, choosing from either a simple 4 digit code, akin to a PIN, or a strong alphanumeric sequence. If you select strong alphanumeric, then the password is then vetted to ensure strength compliance, attempting to set a soft password at this point results in you being told to try again. Top marks here for ensuring strong passwords are used, but I still think something like Pocket Secure is a much better bet as well as being aesthetically more pleasing. FSC Connect Mobility E2C This is a strange add-on, the program is actually a trial version, requiring that your purchase a license to carry on using it. A bit unusual in that most other PocketPC suppliers include a fully featured comms manager..... So, minus 1 point for this I'm afraid! The application allows you to configure multiple comms profiles, which could be useful, if, say, you have a general GPRS APN for normal internet use, but a secure APN for accessing the company network. This app makes that quite a doddle.... And it also allows control of the WLAN and BLUETOOTH radio connectivity, also showing a button for CF, although I'm not sure what that means, as the Loox doesn't have a CF slot. In practice though, I found I didn't really use this application at all, instead simply configuring my GPRS settings in settings/connections in the usual way, and allowing the Wi-Fi to discover any wireless networks I wished to connect to, once again, I must re-enable security on my router. Standard Applications The Loox N560 comes with all the old favourites, oh ok, ok, the not so old favourites since their makeover with WM5.... No real need to go through the list, we all know these ones!! Word Mobile Excel Mobile Powerpoint Mobile Notes Messaging Tasks Contacts In Use One thing that is clearly apparent, is that the Loox N560 is one very fast hombre, running TTN5 is like greased lightning when compared to the Exec, putting me in 7th heaven. Trips are recalced superfast, although continuous use of the GPS does have an adverse affect on Battery life. In use, using the GPS knocked the battery down by 70% within 2 hours, so, my advice is to keep that charger handy!! Luckily, I was able to use the Loox in the car with the Cigar Lighter USB charger socket that I use with the SP5m... Simply plug the Loox USB cable in and away you go. One thing I did note is that the device seemed to take a lot longer to charge than either the Exec or the SP5m, so maybe the output voltage of the USB cigarette adapter was a little low for the Loox hardware, but it charged all the same. I used TTN5 as an example here, but the Loox ran all the software I loaded on it with great gusto, not once did I notice the N560 slow down for any reason, even when using it to access the Internet, it was still quick and responsive. I make extensive use of Twiddlebit's PocketPlan, allowing me to carry my Project Plans wherever I go, giving immediate and quick access without being tied to my PC/Laptop. The VGA screen on the Loox makes using it a joy, as the extra real-estate allows much more detail to be viewed at one time. The other primary function for the Loox was email, my Pocket PCs are relied on heavily to keep me in touch with my personal E-mail whilst out and about., The corporate policy at work does not allow us to access private mail on business laptops. The Loox and it's bright clear VGA screen made this a joy, at this point, I really missed the keyboard of the O2 XDA Exec, and found it a lot longer to type my replies. The lack of a keyboard could be a deciding point for many, and not concern others, once again, a matter of personal taste! A particular idiosyncrasy of the N560 worthy of mentioning is the naming convention used by the device for inserted SD Memory Cards. Rather than using the standard 'Storage Card' identifier, the N560 refers to an inserted SD card as 'SD-MMCard'. This has been known to cause problems with certain software applications, that hard-code the reference to 'Storage Card' within the application code itself. I had no issues with the applications I used during the duration of the review. Battery Life On the whole, my perception of the battery life is superb, The N560 has always lasted the entire business day, with regular use. Even with Bluetooth on, the N560 showed only 1% battery drain overnight after a full charge. Although I will admit this usage pattern was without using the GPS during the testing. I fully attribute this good battery performance to the processor scaling in automatic mode, which must ramp the processor down considerably to save on those precious milliamps. Pro's and Cons Pros Superb VGA Screen. Small form factor. Good feel in hand. Extremely Light weight. 802.11g Wi-Fi on board. USB Host Functionality (although I couldn't test it! ) Cons Lack of hardware buttons for soft function keys. Slow initial GPS lock. High battery usage by GPS hardware. Comms Manager requiring Registration. Conclusion There's no doubt about it, the Loox N560 is one sweet device. It packs everything you could possibly need into an extremely small and light form factor. Delivering performance when necessary, but encompassing the very latest features for extending battery life. An all important aspect for the busy Road-Warrior! The built in GPS is a major draw for this device, and although TomTom told me that the device wasn't one they had tested and cleared TomTom Navigator 5 for use on, I had no issues at all. I seriously considered purchasing the review model, the only thing that stopped me was literally the lack of available funds, and I don't mind admitting that!! The Cons for the N560 really are minor niggles in my view, rather than full blown show stoppers. But once again, that is my perception, and may not be everyone elses! 4WinMobile rating:- 95%