Pocket PC Thoughts: O2 XDA Atom Reviewed

Introduction
Ever since HTC Magician owners were denied an upgrade path to Windows Mobile 5.0, I took it upon myself to find the next great compact Pocket PC Phone Edition (PPCPE) device that would try to last into the next generation of devices. A number of PPCPEs came out, and HTC finally released a successor, the Prophet. However, another device did make it out the door with wild initial speculation that it came from HTC. It was the XDA Atom, but was actually manufactured by Quanta and released by O2.

I asked my good friend and reseller MadMonkeyBoy to obtain an Atom for me through his connections, and he practically did it with his eyes closed. When the box arrived, I discovered that the device's packaging was obviously designed with a little style, using a glossy finish and a magnetic flap.


Figure 1: The box isn't the only thing that's shiny.

Upon opening the box, you're immediately presented with the Atom in all its glory, along with the following accessories:

• Manual & Quick Start Guide with CD (Outlook 2002);
  
• mini-USB cable;
  
• Extra stylus;
  
• AC charger with multiple adapters;
  
• Wired headset.

Figure 2: The bare necessities included in the box.