Nokia's E51 - Smart and Professional

Nokia's Eseries has been making as many waves in the business device ocean just as the Nseries has for multimedia devices, and like its Nseries brethren, the Eseries keeps getting better and better. Thankfully, Nokia doesn't just try to cram more and more features into a device line to achieve this result, instead designing devices that cater to specific segments of the market.

The latest Eseries device, and subject of this review, is a perfect example of this. Nokia's E51, spiritual successor to the E50, might not pack a super high-resolution camera and incredible multimedia functions, but it does include most everything business users will need in a smart device, and does so in a very thin and light package. The E51 is also herald to some changes in certain long-running traits for Nokia's S60 smartphones, including the design of the look and functionality of the menu key, and the removal of the edit key.

Physical Aspects

To begin, the Nokia E51 is available in three color schemes: chrome, black, and rose. Don't get the chrome scheme if you want any sort of subtlety in your phone. The chrome color scheme, which our review example is graced with, is far too loud for a business device. With mirror chrome trim around the front, and an almost total mirror chrome rear, it is simply not a good choice for those looking for a more practical device. The black scheme dulls this mirror down vastly, making it the tasteful alternative, and even the rose version brings its own level of style to the table.

Apart from the above gripe, the Nokia E51 is a great example of simple and smart phone design. Everything about the device feels solid and durable. This is a good thing, as the device measures up at just 12mm (0.47.) thick, meaning any less could have made it feel very flimsy. A weight of 100g (3.53oz), though high for such a slim device, feels just right in the hand. Its other measurements aren't as impressive, at 114mm x 46mm (4.49" x 1.81"), which is about average for a bar style device of this class.

Grasp the Nokia E51 in your hand and you'll feel instantly familiar with the keypad. With the exception of the delete key, which has been placed directly underneath the d-pad as opposed to toward the right of the phone as on most other devices, the keypad is as close to perfect as I have seen on a phone in a very long time. The key travel and weight are spot on, and Nokia has shunned super-stylish keys for a basic design that just works. Big thumbs will feel right at home, as even the collection of quick access keys have a highly convex design, meaning it is hard to press more than one at a time. It is here in the collection of keys around the d-pad that we see our first interesting thing about the E51, as on top of access keys for the phone book, calendar, and messaging applications, which are totally customizable, we see a redesigned menu key that now sports a very Windows Mobile-like home icon. This key also behaves differently than in other S60 devices, but we'll get to that later in the review. Nokia has finally thought to include an automatic keylock for the E51, complete with a customizable lock time.

ASUS W5Fe with an additional display

ASUSTeK Computer has unveiled a new notebook series W5Fe. These 12” notebooks are based on the W5F series. But the new series differs from the previous one in an additional small LCD display on the top of the cover. Like the W5F it is equipped with the revolving Web-camera for video conferences.

The company notes that the model has a revolutionary peculiarity – an additional display, which works on Windows SideShow independent platform without launching the operating system. It provides access to diary, contacts, recent e-mail, photos, besides you can play some simple games and listen to the music. The W5Fe notebook can be used as a navigator, with the cover closed.

The specs of the W5Fe:

* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T7600/T7400/T7200/T5600/T5500
* Chipset: Mobile Intel 945GM Express
* Up to 1536 MB DDR2 533/667 MHz
* Main LCD 12.1” WXGA
* HDD: SATA 80/120/160 GB
* 1.3-megapixel Web-camera
* Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g
* Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
* 3 USB-ports, TV-out, card reader, Express Card slot, VGA-connector
* Additional 2.8” QVGA LCD
* 1 GB flash ROM
* Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium
* Dimensions – 30.5x22x3.1 cm
* Weight – 1.7 kg

New UMPC powered by Vista

At CES 2007 show Medion has unveiled its new ultra mobile PC MD RIM 1000. This is one of the first models with Origami Experience interface introduced by Microsoft. I’d note that UMPC of the last year featured similar form and dimensions and now everything is getting different. For example, the UMPC by Medion is equipped with a 6.5” display. It is peculiar for variety of input methods – the stylus or the finger with the touchscreen or the keyboard. The release is set for the end of January. Most likely we’ll see the device under different brands, as it is released on the OEM-basis.

The specs of Medion UMPC:

* Operating system - Microsoft Windows Vista
* Display - 6.5” 800x480 pixels
* CPU - VIA C7-M 770
* Chipset - VX700
* 512/768 MB DDR2 RAM
* HDD 30 GB
* VGA-camera
* Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0
* Slot for SD/SDIO/MMC cards
* VGA-out, USB 2.0 x 2, connector for the headphones and the microphone
* Optionally - GPS, TV-tuner, TPM
* Dimensions – 190x120.8x28.3 mm
* Weight - 720 g
* Battery life on a single charge - 4 - 5 hours

New photo frame by Parrot

Parrot has unveiled its new digital photo frame PHOTO VIEWER 7” in addition to a 3.5” frame introduced a year ago. The new model features a big 7” display with higher resolution. There is much memory onboard, now it can store up to 500 images instead of 100.

The photo frame supports Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR interface. The frame can automatically adjust brightness. There is the support of both landscape and portrait display modes. The frame is decorated with natural materials – leather or wood. The European release is set for February. The recommended price makes up €199 in Europe and $249 in the US (in the second quarter).

The specs of Parrot PHOTO VIEWER 7”:

* 7” TFT display 720x480 pixels, 262K colors
* Formats - JPEG, from 700-kpix to 7-mpix
* CPU - Samsung 2412, 128 MB SDRAM plus 128 MB of internal memory to store photos
* Interface - Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
* Dimensions – 222x176x22 mm
* Weight - 490 g

KDDI W51T – a 3-megaixel camera and a rotating display

Here comes another product by the Japanese operator produced by Toshiba. KDDI W51T is a stylish clamshell with the rotating display, which enables you to snap and view photos more comfortably. Besides there is a 3-megapixel camera.

Its internal display has a 2.6” diagonal, QVGA resolution, 262K colors. The external OLED display is a monochrome one, 96x39 pixels, 0.8” diagonal. It is designed to display service info, for example, on the network signal level and incoming SMS. There is an expansion slot for microSD cards.

Measuring 51x103x21 mm it weighs 142 g. Battery life in CDMA 1X networks makes up about 290 hours standby and 220 minutes in the talk mode. The model is available in 3 color solutions.