Pocket PC Thoughts: Take Another Loox - The N560 Pocket PC Reviewed

Product Category: Pocket PC
Manufacturer: Fujitsu Siemens
Where to Buy: Clove Technology
Price: £320 ($600 USD at current exchange rate)
Specifications: Windows Mobile 2005, 3.5" VGA screen, Integrated GPS Complete specifications

Pros:

• Screen is sharp and bright; better than Loox 720;
  
• Very compact;
  
• Very speedy;
  
• Very good GPS reception;
  
• No loss of stored data if battery is fully drained.

Cons:

• Battery life only fair;
  
• Cradle a bit difficult to use.

As HP seems to be scaling down their range of Pocket PC offerings, the options for folks in North America are becoming limited. There are few options aside from the limited offerings from HP and Dell, and HP doesn't even make a unit available that combines the big breakthrough from the last generation (VGA) with that of the current generations (Windows Mobile 2005).

But take heart, all you Pocket PC diehards... as long as you're willing to buy from overseas, the options are still plentiful. European-based Fujitsu-Siemens (FSC) offers a wide range of Pocket PCs, with QVGA and VGA screens and with or without integrated GPS receivers.

I became a fan of FSC's products with my Loox 720, a VGA unit that was at the top of the company's previous generation Pocket PC lineup. With their latest generation, the top-of-the-line is represented by the N560. Let's see this new player stacks up.