A Sharp Handheld PC
and a Sharp
Picture
Review of the Sharp Mobilon
4500 and PC Card Digital Camera
By Rich Hall Managing Editor,
Handheld PC Magazine
I've been wanting to take an extended
look a the Sharp Mobilon 4500 ever since I saw it at COMDEX last November. It was one of
two color-screen H/PCs announced at that show and the Sharp booth was crowded with people
wanting to take a look at it. But the Mobilon's color screen was upstaged by the Sharp
Digital Camera Card; a small PC card device that slips into the Mobilon's card slot and
turns the 4500 into a portable digital camera.
It arrived today, about an hour ago. I dropped everything like a kid at Christmas, tore
open the box, inserted the Digital Camera Card into the Mobilon and turned it on. I got
the usual Windows CE warning about a PC Card draining the batteries. I ignored the
warning, double tapped the Camera icon on the Windows CE desktop, and immediately got a
message that the main battery was too low to run the camera.
The Mobilon 4500 uses a NiMH rechargeable battery pack that generally
doesn't come pre-charged. In fact, it was surprising that it was charged at all. I plugged
the Mobilon into its AC adapter and tapped the Camera icon again. Presto! I got a black
screen. I took a close look at the camera and noticed THE LENS COVER, which I popped off.
(The lens cover is tethered to the camera card with a short cord, so you don't loose it.)
I tapped on the Camera icon again and ¡ presto again! I took a digital picture.
Screen 1: The first digital photo I took from
the Mobilon is a piece of paper taped to the side of my desktop PC. The blurred black
object in the lower right corner is the lens cover, which I left laying on the table, in
front of the lens
Shown in Screen 1 is the first digital photo I took from the Mobilon -- a piece of
paper taped to the side of my desktop PC. The Mobilon with Digital Camera Card are resting
on the corner of my desk and the black object in the lower right corner of the screen is
the Digital Camera's lens cover, which is attached to the camera by a short cord so you
don't lose it. It has a tendency to get in the way of the lens if you set the Mobilon down
on a flat surface to take a picture. I have decent lighting coming through a window and
made no attempt to adjust anything on the camera. This is the actual "Fine"
resolution .JPG file, transferred to my desktop computer and dropped into the article by
our graphic designer. I asked him not to touch up this photo.
A fresh start!
I was not the first editor to use this particular Mobilon. There were additional names
in the Contact list and the software for the camera had been already installed. The
Digital Camera Card is sold as an option, so I wanted to see how easy it was to set up.
After I had satisfied the urge to take a couple of pictures, I pulled the main and backup
batteries from the Mobilon and started over with a clean machine.
I reinserted the batteries, turned on the Mobilon, and went through the Windows CE
initialization routine (i.e., calibrating the touch screen, setting time and date, etc.).
The desktop screen came up, without the Camera icon. Next I connected the Mobilon to my
desktop PC using the connectivity cable that came with the H/PC. Windows CE 2.0 devices
communicate with desktop and Notebook PCs using a program called Windows CE Services. This
program comes on a CD ROM with all H/PCs and Palm PCs, and installs on Windows 95 or
Windows NT PCs. I had already installed a copy of Windows CE Services on my desktop PC
(when I was reviewing another H/PC). As soon as I connected the cable from the Mobilon to
the desktop PC, a screen appeared on the Mobilon telling me it was communicating with the
desktop. Windows CE Services popped up on my desktop and asked me if I wanted to establish
a new partnership. I tapped OK and the two devices synchronized.
Installing software for the Digital Camera Card
The manual that came with the Digital Camera Card explained that I had to connect the
Mobilon to my PC, insert the floppy disk that came with the digital camera, and run setup.
(You must first install Windows CE Services). I did so and the setup worked smoothly. In
about 60 seconds two new icons were on the Mobilon's desktop: Camera and Album. Camera is
the application you use to take pictures. Album is used to look at them afterwards.
The camera manual warns that the Mobilon's rechargeable battery pack should be fully
charged before slipping the camera card in the slot. It further warns not to use the card
in a Mobilon running off of regular alkaline batteries. For my first test of the Camera
Card I left the Mobilon connected to its AC power adapter.
I think you're going to like this picture.
I slipped the card in the slot and tapped on the Camera icon on the
Mobilon's desktop and got the black screen (forgot the lens cover again), popped off the
lens cover and was up and running. I took a few pictures and a long look at the camera
application. Screen 2 shows how the open Camera application appears on the Mobilon. The
picture shown in the center of the screen is of the box the Mobilon came in.
Screen 2: This is the main screen of the
Camera application, as it appears on the Sharp Mobilon 4500. The center of the screen
shows the image you'll take when you press the button on the Digital Camera Card. The
actual .JPG file looks much better than the image as it is displayed on the Mobilon.
The left side of the main Camera application screen lets you set the Image
Size (VGA 640x120, 640x240, 1/4VGA 320x240, and 1/16VGA 160x120); the Image File Format
(Full Color JPEG Fine and JPEG Normal) and whether or not you want the photo to appear in
an album. To take the largest number of photos, you set the Image Size and Image File
Format to the lowest settings and do not have the photo appear in the album. The right
side of the Camera application screen lets you zoom or flip the image, set the contrast,
and divide the screen into 4 or 16 images.
Screen 3: Camera's Division Mode lets you
create a 4- or 16-panel image. Shown here is a 16-panel image of the cover of the
March/April issue. I set the camera up to take 16 images of the same picture, but you can
create something like this with 4 or 16 different images.
A walk and a few photos
After learning the basics of the Camera application, I decided to disconnect the
Mobilon from its AC adapter and walk around the office taking embarrassing pictures of
people. I got a "low power" message sooner than I expected. This surprised me
because the folks at Sharp told me that I could take up to 300 photos on a fully charged
battery. I noticed that if I let the Mobilon sit for about 10 minutes with the power off,
I could turn it back on and take some more photos without recharging. I experimented with
different settings, called Sharp technical support, and came up with four important tips
to maximize the number of photos you can take on a fully charged battery.
- Discharge periodically-- The Mobilon 4500 comes with a NiMH rechargeable battery
pack. According to Sharp, if you partially charge the battery over and over again, it can
lose capacity. It has to be periodically discharged completely to maintain the ability to
hold a full charge. To do this, you disconnect the Mobilon for the AC adapter, open the
Control Panel and activate the Discharge Utility, unique to the Sharp H/PC.
- Change Image Size and File Format-- The larger and higher resolution the photo
is, the fewer you can take and the quicker you drain the battery. I was able to take the
most photos when I set the camera's Image Size to "1/16VGA (160x120)" and the
Image File Format to "Full Color (JPEG Normal)". Another thing that increases
the number of photos you can take is if you uncheck the box labeled "Add Image to
Album." If you have this box checked, Camera actually captures two images of the same
photo. The second is a thumbnail-sized picture for display when you use the Album
application.
- Install Sharp backlighting utility. Sharp has included a special utility for the
Mobilon 4500 that manages the backlighting of the unit in a way that is easier on the
battery. This utility is found on the Sharp CD-ROM that comes with the Mobilon. It
installs easily and is invisible to the user.
- Turn off the Mobilon and let it sit. I don't know why this matters, but it seems
to. After I got the low-battery message I turned off the Mobilon, pulled the Digital
Camera Card out and let everything sit for 10 minutes. I did not connect the Mobilon to
its power adapter. When I put the card back in I could take more pictures.
Following this advice, I was able to get 259 photos on a fully-charged battery. I
probably could have gotten a few more photos buy turning the Mobilon off and letting it
sit some more. I did satisfied myself that Sharps estimate of 300 photos on a fully
charged battery was in the ballpark. Note that I got the 234 photos by setting the Mobilon
with camera down, aiming it at an object and clicking the shutter every two seconds, until
I got the low battery warning. I didn't move it around to find another shot, or change the
focus, or any of the normal stuff you'd do when you take a picture. I suspect that the
actual number of photos you would get is far less than 300, but certainly over 100. That
seems sufficient for most uses. That 300 photo estimate was under ideal conditions.
Album is another application that installs on the Mobilon when you run the
Digital Camera Card installation disk. Album lets you view a thumbnail album of the photos
you've taken (Screen 4). Tap on the desired thumbnail and the full picture displays. These
thumbnails take up some memory, but unless you are strapped for storage space on your
Mobilon, I don't think it will matter.
Screen 4: The album application lets you view
thumbnail views of the photos you've taken with the Digital Camera Card. Tap on the
desired thumbnail to see a full view of the photo.
Windows CE looks nice on a color screen
A few words and Windows CE for the people who buy this magazine of the newsstand and
aren't familiar with the handheld PCs. Windows CE is the operating system made by
Microsoft for handheld PCs (and now Palm PCs and Auto PCs). Handhelds like the Sharp
Mobilon come with the latest version of the operating system (Windows CE 2.0) built in. In
addition, H/PCs like the Mobilon come with standard built-in applications, including a
word processor (Pocket Word), a spreadsheet program (Pocket Excel), a presentation program
(Pocket PowerPoint), an information manager (Pocket Outlook) that contains a Contacts
list, a Calendar, a Tasks list, and an email Inbox. The H/PCs also come with an H/PC-sized
Internet browser (Pocket Internet Explorer), a calculator, clock, communications program
and a number of useful utilities.
I won't spend much time reviewing Windows CE 2.0 or its applications, other than to
mention that the various applications look nice on the Mobilon's color screen. They open
and close relatively fast on the 75 MHz Sharp Mobilon H/PC. However, I do want to mention
some things about the other applications that came with the Sharp. One is Voice Record.
Voice Record
All of the Windows CE 2.0 H/PCs come with voice record capability. The
Mobilon's Voice Record display lets you record messages, play recorded messages, and set
record and playback volume levels. You can access Voice Record with the Mobilon's case
closed by simply pressing and holding down the record button on the front of the case.
This makes it easy to record a voice memo on the go (and play it back later at the
office).
Screen 5: The Mobilon's Voice Record display
lists in the white box in the left part of the screen the messages you've recorded. You
can tap on a message to play it back. Use the "sliding" indicators on the right
to set the record or playback volume level.
Voice Record's sliding volume control does not effect the Control Panel volume setting.
The record quality is fine for messages, but I suggest that with this or any H/PC, you
speak directly into the microphone (left front edge of the Mobilon, by the Ctrl key) when
you record the message, especially if you are in a place with a lot of noise. When you
play a message back, turn the Mobilon over to expose the speaker. A five-second message
takes up about 60 Kb of storage space.
Image Editor
The Mobilon comes with a built-in Image Editor. This little utility lets
you create simple graphics and edit image files or the photos. I ignored the Image Editor
at first. Then I let my 9-year-old daughter look at the Mobilon for an hour. I asked her
what her favorite feature was. She tapped on the Image Editor to show me a little drawing
she'd done.
Screen 6 shows an Image Editor graphic
created by my 9-year-old daughter Ella on Valentine's Day. Image Editor lets you create
graphics, including circles, squares, straight lines, freehand drawing, and text. You can
change the colors of these graphical objects and save the files in .JPB or .BMP format.
You can create simple graphics that include circles, rectangles, straight
lines, freehand lines, and text. You can also use a palette of "stamps" to add
icon-sized objects to the graphics you create or edit. In addition, you can add
"refinements" to the photos you take with the Digital Camera Card.
Screen 7 shows how Image Editor can be used
to "enhance" photos you take with the Camera. The picture is of Peder Sweeney,
our Marketing Director. I used Image Editor's drawing and text features to add the bubble
where we can see his thoughts.
Some free software on the CD-ROM
A couple of nice programs can be found on a CD-ROM that comes with the Mobilon.
Actually there are two CD-ROMs. One is from Microsoft and has Windows CE Services on it.
The other one is from SHARP, and has two programs on it: bFAX Express and IntelliMigrate.
bFAX Express is a send-only fax utility from bsquare technologies (www.bsquare.com). bFAX lets you create and send faxes
from the Mobilon (or any H/PC). You can adjust fonts, select fax numbers, automatically
add a cover page, attach documents to the fax, and preview the fax before you send it. I
did not have a PC Card modem to test this utility, but it looks very simple and
straightforward.
The program I was most interested in was IntelliMigrate from Puma
Technologies (www.pumatech.com). IntelliMigrate
translates and integrates appointment book and phone book data from a number of PDAs to
the Calendar and Contacts applications on a Windows CE device. Notice that I did not use
the word "synchronize." IntelliMigrate is meant to be a one-way solution for
people who are changing over from another PDA to the Sharp Mobilon (or any H/PC).
IntelliMigrate "migrates" appointment book an address book data from several
types of palmtops or PDAs, including Sharp organizers, the Hewlett-Packard 100LX and 200LX
Palmtop PCs and OmniGo 100, and Casio organizers (Screen 8). I still have a 200LX (an
older, DOS-based palmtop computer) and I decided to test IntelliMigrate's capabilities.
Screen 8: IntelliMigrate's main screen as it
appears on the desktop PC. IntelliMigrate lets you translate and integrate Calendar and
Contact information from a number of different palmtops, PDAs and organizers. It is a
one-way process, assuming that you are switching over from the old PDA to the H/PC.
IntelliMigrate installs on, and runs from a desktop PC to which you connect the Mobilon
and the other PDA serial ports. Since I only had one useable serial port (COM 1), I chose
an IntelliMigrate option whereby I connected the 200LX up to COM 1; ran IntelliMigrate;
disconnected the 200LX and connected the Mobilon in its place; and finished the process.
I've over simplified the description a little, but the process is pretty straightforward.
It took a few minutes, and then notified me that it had been completely successful. I'm a
trusting soul, but I went ahead and checked the Mobilon's Contact application. Everything
was there, in the proper place.
IntelliMigrate lets you "re-map" data fields from one
application to another. For example, lets say the PDA device you have been using stores a
person's title in a field called, "Job Title." The same information is stored on
the H/PC in a field called "Title." You can re-map that data from Job Title on
one device to Title on the H/PC (Screen 9).
Screen 9: IntelliMigrate's Field Mapping
screen lets you "re-map" data from one field on the PDA to a different field on
the H/PC.
Sleek, gray, and slips in your pocket
Normally, I start a review with a look at the hardware. This review had a mind of it's
own -- I went where the fun was. The Mobilon 4500 without the Camera Card is a little
smaller and lighter than the other color H/PC I've tested (the HP 620LX). The Mobilon
slips in and out of my inside coat pocket easily (but I still know it's there). Traveling
to work and back, I wouldn't think twice about carrying it this way. If I were on the road
for long stretches, I'd probably keep it in my briefcase.
I liked the Mobilon's keyboard. The keys travel a short distance and don't require much
pressure. Touch typing on any H/PC requires that you modify your technique a little (using
three or four fingers per hand instead of five). But if you're a touch typist, once you
get used to the size difference, you'll be able to type pretty fast on this keyboard.
The color screen is a big improvement over monochrome screens on earlier H/PCs (and
some of the new ones). It's not quite as bright as the screen on the 620LX, but that's a
matter of small degrees. If you want, you can compare the two screens at a computer super
store. I don't believe the screens will be the deciding factor.
I didn't run the battery dry to see how long it would last (without the Camera Card). I
did take it home a couple of weekends and used it for notes and to play a few of the games
from the Microsoft Entertainment Pack. I had no problem with the batteries running low. My
advice on this is the same for any H/PC (and especially the color screen models). Connect
your H/PC to its AC adapter whenever you sit down at your desk, and keep an extra AC
adapter at home. If you're on the road a lot, take your AC adapter along. If circumstances
prevent you for using the AC adapter for long periods of time (long international flights,
etc.) then keep an extra charged battery pack in your pocket.
Don't forget the modem! The Mobilon 4500 comes with a built-in 33.6 Kbps modem. This
will be a popular feature for mobile professionals, letting them check their email, send
reports back home, and surf the net with Pocket Internet Explorer. The RJ-11 end of a
standard phone cable slips into a receptacle in the upper left corner of the keyboard by
the Esc key. A small hinged cover about half the size of a small postage stamp protects
it. It lifts up about 30 degrees and you slip a standard RJ-11 phone connector in the
slot. I had no problem slipping a phone connector in the slot and the arrangement is
remarkably sturdy. But be careful with this and don't force anything.
Sharp told me that they expect this combination to be popular with people in the
real-estate industry, insurance adjusters, and other professionals who have to
photographically document things. The Digital Camera Card is not that much more expensive
than a low-to-mid priced digital camera, and the Mobilon 4500 provides the user with a
small, very usable "PC Companion" to take care of business while away from the
office. It's a good combination and I think Sharp Mobilon and Digital Camera Card will be
successful.
