Pocket PC Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"Like the Curve 8900, it turns out that Motorola's SURF is a device that kinda needs to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated. In light of TouchFLO and its endless competitors, the skin Moto's developed for this thing -- while tasteful and seemingly finger-friendly -- really isn't anything to get terribly excited about, but it does an adequate job of making the superficial surface of Windows Mobile reasonably finger-friendly."

Not a bad effort, especially for those who remember the MPX220. If I'm not mistaken (I'm not that familiar with Motorola's offerings over the years), this is the first WinMo touchscreen phone from Motorola since the aforementioned ill-fated MPX. This isn't exactly a flagship device, but should fit nicely for those who don't need a hardware keyboard. Running WM6.1 Pro, the SURF has a Qualcomm 528MHz processor, 128MB RAM (nice to see this becoming standard), quadband GSM, triband HSPA, 3.1MP camera, and a trackball control. It's not clear whether GPS is available except in the AGPS category. Pricing and availability has yet to be announced.

"That's some beefy phone Motorola's got there. Assuming, of course, we're not looking at a KIRF which is entirely possible in the three months since the initial leaked Attila (or is it Atila?) image -- that iPhone looking UI / theme pictured after the break doesn't help with the legitimacy either. Regardless, it's not like you're holding out for this 320 x 240 pixel WinMo 6.1 candybar anyway, right? No matter how many HSPA frequencies (three, ok) it supports. Embarrassing Moto, embarrassing. One more shot after the break just to rub it in."

Perhaps it's a good thing the Attila's shipment has been pushed back from Q4 2008 into the next quarter, as some specs posted in a Hong Kong enthusiast site don't seem to be that impressive. It's not that it seems to be a bad phone...just not an especially good one either. Maybe it's a form of mobile oatmeal: it tastes OK and seems to get the job done; that or it's an engadget KIRF.

"The VC6096 all-in-one in-cab solution is designed to help transportation and logistics providers achieve cost-effective compliance, maximize driver productivity, improve safety and vehicle utilization, reduce costs and improve customer service. Built to handle the rigors of the road, the device provides drivers with the comprehensive simultaneous wireless voice and data capabilities needed to maximize operational efficiency - including wireless WAN (WWAN), wireless LAN (WLAN), Bluetooth, GPS and telematics support. An open-platform solution, the VC6096 gives you the power of choice, allowing you to select and control the applications and peripherals that best meet your business needs."

Not your father's Moto Q, the enterprise-focued VC6096 is designed to be fixed in a vehicle and provide both information to the driver, as well as to the company, such as mileage, location, driver performance and hours and times of vehicle operation. The Windows Mobile 6.1 device offers an integrated GPS can provide directions and also give updates for fleet dispatchers. One of my many previous part-time jobs was doing some job dispatching to repair technicians and we had to rely on their word regarding location; not always the most reliable when it's close to quiting time! The VC6096 also offers 3.5G WAN voice and data connectivity over a GSM network. One significant benefit for fleet maintenance is integrated SAE J1708 and SAE J1939 telematics support. According to the news release, Motorola expects it to be available 4Q this year.

"Another leaked Motorola handset? You bet! This time we've got the brother-in-law to the Motorola Alexander - no QWERTY keyboard - with a pretty decent spec sheet. This one is codenamed Atila, and if you haven't caught on to Motorola's code names for Windows Mobile devices, they are all named after great conquerors; Alexander, Atila, Ghenghis, etc. The Atila is actually the first Motorola device that will have tri-band UMTS/HSDPA. Finally, right? We're not sure on a release date, but here's an introduction of the specs, followed by the actual spec sheet..."

BoyGeniusReport has the goods on a possible upcoming Motorola phone. Unlike an earlier leaked report from BGR on the Motorola Alexander, there's no sliding QWERTY keyboard hiding underneath. Here are the specs from BGR:

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850MHz/1900MHz/2100MHz)
• 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 1.8Mbps HSUPA
• 1130mAh battery
• 2.8″ QVGA 240 x 320 screen
• Wi-Fi b/g
• Qualcomm 7201A chipset
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional

Ed will be pleased to note there's no Bluetooth listed. Still, it's a nice combo of acronymns. No release date yet.