Built-in 3G broadband makes the new breed of notebook PCs truly mobile, reports Rupert White


Recently the Gazette has seen a lot of kit pass through its offices, mainly for use by our 'guinea pig' testers. Some of it we could not review separately, but here are a few machines that have recently impressed, as well as a few that have not.



Most admirable has been the development of the laptop with a built-in 3G telephone. The Gazette used one - an Acer TravelMate 4260 - for two months at the end of 2006 on Vodafone. Two months in the insane world of churn the IT industry lives in was just long enough for the 4260 to become obsolete and be superseded by the 4280 (pictured middle), which is the model now available. Dell, Lenovo, Sony Vaio and others are also selling laptops that have built-in 3G systems.



The Acer is not too heavy (2.77kg), has a large screen and was quick enough on its feet even to run some games. Office programs and DVDs were taken in its stride, and Acer claims an offline three-hour battery life for it. At £899 plus VAT, the TravelMate represents good bang for the buck.



But it was the connectivity afforded by built-in HSDPA that really impressed. HSDPA is a 3G protocol that gives the system around 1.2Mbps data speeds now, rising to 7Mbps in years to come.



Using the Acer's built-in 3G, connecting to the network was much faster than when using a slot-in datacard, and there is even a handy physical button to do this on the front of the machine. However, it did not always work, and we found we regularly had to connect using the operating system.



But to have a laptop that managed megabit broadband wherever needed - without protruding bits - was, without wishing to stray into hyperbole, bliss. It really is a 'broadband anywhere' experience.



All of which makes Nokia's 770 Internet Tablet (pictured bottom) more baffling. It is a major surprise to say the least that - for a product from Nokia - it does not have a telephone inside. The designers would have been right to include one.



Sadly, the 770 was pretty useless in the WiFi desert that is the Gazette offices. Used in a Caffé Nero, it was vaguely interesting and sort of useful. These are not plaudits on which futures are pinned. When it, like most other Nokias, comes with built-in GPS, it might be worth having.



Another recent disappointment was the IRISCard Pro business card scanner, which involves a tiny scanner and some software. There are jobs that you find tedious and wish there was some automation for, and typing in people's business cards is one of them.



Unfortunately, the IRIS system just did not get enough cards right to warrant a thumbs-up. Whenever a card had an odd layout, or a dark background, the IRIS had a problem with it. When it worked, it was a real boon, as it creates VCF format files that can be flowed straight into a contacts database, such as

in Outlook.



But to be a big hit it needs to get a card 100% right 95% of the time, and it was some way from that. Secretaries across the UK can rest easy, as it is doubtful any product can deliver this.



A big thumbs up, meanwhile, to the Palm Treo (pictured top) and the HP iPAQ hw6500 mobile devices (both on Vodafone) for saving the day. Lay testers praised the Treo's looks and the iPAQ's flip-down screen protector, but the Palm Treo gets extra marks for its 3G data speeds and better keyboard, easier fit in the hand and pleasant rubberised feel. The Treo does not have an 'off' button, however, the lack of which is odd.



The iPAQ, now superseded by the 6900, has slower GPRS-only data speeds and a keyboard that is not nearly as good as the Palm's, but it comes with built-in GPS navigation and a free TomTom map, which could easily outweigh its other flaws.



Want to be a Gazette guinea pig, helping us test kit? Email: rupert.white@lawsociety.org.uk.





Pricing



Acer TravelMate 4280

£899 plus VAT (£1,056),

Vodafone monthly tariff £25-£95



Nokia 770 Internet Tablet: £244 from Expansys.com



IRISCard Pro scanner and software bundle:

around £130



Palm Treo 750v on Vodafone: prices from free to £150,

for more information visit www.vodafone.co.uk/palmtreo or call 08080 741 741



HP iPAQ hw6900 on

Vodafone: between £60

(if on a £50 monthly contract) and £180 (£12.50 monthly)