not bad, but useful? not really... (Ericsson R380s)

Member Name: groovebutcher

Product:	Ericsson R380s
Date:	27/12/00 (334 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Basic PDA in a phone, clear screen

Disadvantages: Software buggy, phone usage poor

I saw this in the local mobile phone shop a month or so ago and, being a gadget freak, felt compelled to pick it up. I've tried most PDA's and was always frustrated at the number of 'portable' bits i carry around (mobile phone, pda, laptop, etc..). So this phone seemed like the ideal in-between.

It comes supplied with all the necessary accessories, except a cover, carrying case and being as the phone opens up via the keyboard, I can't see their being a cover. Plugged it in, slipped in the BT Cellnet SIM card and switched it on.

It struck me straight away that the basic 'phone' screen is very clear compared to my Nokia 7110, and the menu's look very EPOC / Psion like. Opening the phone up, it came into its own. With full, although very basic, PDA functionality. Good calendar program, contacts, tasks, notes, WAP browser, pop3 email, even a little reversi game. Inputting is good, and I would say that the handwriting recognition is much better than the Palm graffiti system, in that you can write normally.

I had read that people were having problems synchronising with Outlook on their PC, but I have to be honest and say I had absolutely no problems at all, and it synched beautifully.

So far, sounds like I like the phone. Well, sorry to ruin this image, but I don't. I found the stylus inputting unnerving as the screen seems very delicate and you do have to press firmly to write.

The software is buggy. I couldn't seem to keep the owner details. Just kept dissapearing. Other little things like not being able to scroll across a calendar entry on the normal phone screen were annoying.

The actual phone itself, theoretically its main purpose in life(!), is very average. I found reception to be worse than the Nokia, and the quality of calls pretty poor. This started to put me off very quickly.

I think what limited it the most for me was having used a number of PDA's befo
re. Now I use a Palm with my Nokia 7110 phone. With a PDA you can customise it, load up the most useful, or not, applications, and so on. This phone is limited with what you get out of the box, and it frustrated me.

Something else jumped out at me as well... you couldn't use this on a plane for those PDA essential notes or calendar bits and bobs, what with it being a mobile phone. The other thing worth noting is that having everything in one such as the r380s, when it gets stolen, you lose a lot more.

For the price, I would recommend getting a Palm V (x) and a mobile phone with an IR modem built in. It's slightly cheaper, going to be much more useful and flexible and basically, allows you to use the mobile phone properly as a mobile phone.

Summary: