After the Second World War, the pursuit of pleasure domains the entire world atmosphere, Lancel (Lancel) to adapt rapidly into the demand...
37 minutes ago by PokArrackpask on Spam sees Westnet blocked by BigPond
Breaking News: Qld govt IT to be raked by audit
ZDNet / Browsing / Review
PocketSurfer 2
Quick access
Overview
Want free Web surfing on an easy to use and speedy device? Then the PocketSurfer 2 is exactly not what you’re looking for.
RRP:
AU$399.00The good
- Sleek design
- Good battery life
The bad
- Slow navigation
- Many pages are still slow
- Low resolution display
- Not entirely “free”
Design
There must be something about living in a really cold country (such as, say, Canada) that prompts geeks to fiddle around with data compression techniques. We're not just throwing that theory out randomly here; the world's best known compression company (when it comes to email), RIM, is based in Canada. Datawind, makers of the PocketSurfer 2, are similarly of a far North American bent, but their particular gig isn't optimal email delivery, but web page compression. Their entry product into the Australian market is the PocketSurfer 2, a slim fold out web terminal that fits into your pocket.
With its lid closed, the PocketSurfer2 somewhat resembles the newer, slimmer Playstation Portable console. It measures in at 15.24x7.56x1.52cm and weighs a scant 174 grams. Opening it up reveals an entirely flat keyboard with directional controls in the bottom right hand corner. Aside from a mini-USB terminal, hidden under a rubber flap -- presumably as something has to keep the snow out -- that's your lot for physical details.
Features
The big hook with the AU$399 PocketSurfer 2 is the offer of free Internet access. How have Datawind managed this particular trick? Basically, they've taken a slow and cheap data technology -- GPRS -- and applied compression techniques to web pages to make them fit the PocketSurfer 2's display screen. Datawind's claim is that it can render web pages this way in under 7 seconds, which is faster than we'd expect out of a paltry GPRS connection -- especially when you consider that, like mail going through a Blackberry, data going to the PocketSurfer 2 has to route its way via Canada before it's presented to your eyes.
The PocketSurfer also includes an embedded email client and GPS functionality. The display is relatively low resolution at only 640x240. Datawind claims the battery life as being good for around 5 hours of surfing time or five days worth of standby time.
Performance
So far, so good -- we love the idea of a free Web service, especially in the data-constrained Australian broadband market. There's only one major fly in the ointment here -- actually using the PocketSurfer 2 is an exercise in testing your patience, or alternatively, your frustration levels.
Firstly, there's the keyboard. It's entirely flat, rather unresponsive, and uses a number of weird key conventions for Web surfing that take quite a while to become native responses. Then there's the low resolution screen, which, to put it politely, is going to send a lot of work to your optometrist if you stare at it for too long. Clearly, part of the speed caching that Datawind does is to strip out a lot of colour that the PocketSurfer 2 can't handle. Nice in theory, but the effect is to deliver web pages that look washed out, and text that is often far too small and simultaneously blurry to actually read.
Then there's the speed issue. Yes, the PocketSurfer 2 is quicker than you might expect a GPRS connection to be. It's just that unless you're surfing very popular pages, they've still got to be cached, and you can generally forget about getting sites in the claimed seven second time frame. Even when you do, we often found the PocketSurfer 2 -cheating", by only grabbing and rendering the first couple of screen depth's worth of content. Scroll down too far, and you've got to do the whole cache waiting dance again.
Finally, there's the issue of the definition of -free". Firstly, it's only -free" for the first year. Second up, it's only -free" for up to twenty hours per month. We can't imagine staring at the PocketSurfer 2 for twenty hours without starting to go blind, but even so, if you do want or need lots of access, you'll have to pay for it -- currently AU$9.99 for 50 hours or AU$19.99 for unlimited use. After the first year, the basic twenty hours package will cost you no more than AU$50/year. It's not that these are unreasonable basic data charges per se; it's just that there's a distance between what you might expect for -free" and what you actually get, and it's worth knowing that upfront.
Ultimately, the idea behind the PocketSurfer 2 is much better than the implementation. It works well enough in a basic GPRS sense, but the terrible screen, multi-page loading times and not-exactly-free structure make it a hard sell, especially as it's such a one-trick pony. For not much more money you could buy a much more capable Eee PC, or even a budget brand-name notebook PC.
Specifications
| General | |
|---|---|
| Service Type | Quad-band GPRS |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 152 x 15 x 75 mm |
| Weight | 172 g |
| Other | |
| Other Features | GPS, Java support |
| Expand | |
Resource Centre Useful content from our premier sponsors
-
Make IT COUNT
Win 5 x $10,000 cash for your business, Advertise your business for free.
Win 5 x $10,000. Enter Now
-
Try Microsoft Office 365 anywhere and anytime.
Click here to find out more. -
Introducing the Avaya Networking Portfolio
Supporting Networks with Performance, Reliability, and Security.
Click here and find out more. -
Seagate Black Armor: Secure storage for your valuable business data.
Click here to find out more. -
Find out what IT professionals in ANZ are planning for the coming year
Click here and find out more.
ZDNet Australia Live
RT @DellEnterprise: Dell Secureworks talks with ZDNet about Android's biggest #security flaws - http://t.co/LSFLQVFq #infosec
43 minutes ago by ostejskal on twitter, retweet
NBN users opt for 100Mbps: Customers are picking the top fibre plan that is available on the National Broadband ... http://t.co/sjtFSU3g
1 hour ago by ozspeedtest on twitter, retweet
"Customers are picking the top fibre plan that is available on the National Broadband Network (NBN), more than a... http://t.co/M3P24Htn
1 hour ago by redditau on twitter, retweetAnother thing I found so misleading here is the step on how you assume to make the USB bootable . (The NTLDR needs to be renamed to USBNT...
2 hours ago by WindowsAnalyzer on Boot Windows XP from a USB flash driveYou can also use the help of these links, just incase your stuff failed, I probably got Windows build by using the Pebuilder as per the i...
2 hours ago by WindowsAnalyzer on Boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive
RT @CorrieB: An iPad for every child: Inevitable or impossible? http://t.co/I7uS8l9s Thx to @timbuckteeth for this; http://t.co/jxkqIRIp
3 hours ago by njdixpin on twitter, retweet
RT @MADinMelbourne: roxon "will enable more families to access credit" @MLolderandwiser: Privacy Act amendments http://t.co/Mv4c7PC2 via @zdnetaustralia
4 hours ago by GreenUpOz on twitter, retweet
NBN users opt for 100Mbps - ZDNet Australia http://t.co/fLfHMzPn #australia #technews
4 hours ago by tweets4oz on twitter, retweet
RT @konradski: Whaddayaknow - turns out Wi-Fi CAN interfere with a plane's navigation systems http://t.co/ospQCU2S
5 hours ago by RooiRobot on twitter, retweetThis story has been voted 5 times in the last 24 hours!
5 hours ago, NBN's Tassie upgrade to cost $1.3 millionSorry no deal Cinders, I'd rather send my money to someone and watch them desperately try to stop the NBN as this has much better enterta...
5 hours ago by Hubert Cumberdale on NBN users opt for 100MbpsWhat else can you expect from a Dodo customer?
6 hours ago by Hubert Cumberdale on NBN users opt for 100Mbps
NBN users opt for 100Mbps - Communications - News - ZDNet Australia: NBN users opt for 100Mbps - Communications ... http://t.co/btB9gKWg
6 hours ago by tomlaing on twitter, retweet
NBN users opt for 100Mbps http://t.co/xKqEb4bE via @zdnetaustralia
7 hours ago by tomlaing on twitter, retweet
Biometric bugs too dangerous for public? http://t.co/8JLz5tdF via @zdnetaustralia
7 hours ago by thrunobulax on twitter, retweetOh please dont be unkind, I gotta have some fan's. btw I agree I dont set the standard, but who does I wonder?
8 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100MbpsYou agree but give him thumbs down... I think you'd better take the medication before one of your alter ego's Fred/Frank/Frergers appear...
8 hours ago by Beta on NBN users opt for 100Mbps
+1
8 hours ago by Beta on NBN users opt for 100Mbps
War talk dominates #AusCERT 2012 - http://t.co/SlBpMj0c - #security #cyber
8 hours ago by Secure_View on twitter, retweetSo we agree it was a stupid idea and even stupider comment then ;-)
8 hours ago by Beta on NBN users opt for 100MbpsNot you obviously ;-)
And stop giving yourself thumbs up FFS.
Ok Beta, understand now, just one point who sets the standard?
8 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100MbpsOh no Beta you misunderstand me. I like my waterfront home and deep water jetty, it's those "other" people who can move to Willunga.
8 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100MbpsI agree with you Magnus, but really most people like living on the coastal fringe.
8 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100Mbps
Travel Tech Q&A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/vYexrDwu #ipad
8 hours ago by MikeGari147 on twitter, retweet
Exploring: Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray: Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia ... http://t.co/bNLCyobv #ICTChallenge
8 hours ago by Valdy on twitter, retweet
Exploring: Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray: Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia ... http://t.co/HEPuJgyt #ICTChallenge
8 hours ago by dewacorp on twitter, retweet
#NewSouthWales ditches registration stickers 4 light #vehicles in favour of #technology http://t.co/xX5N0Rp9
9 hours ago by cyberactivsvces on twitter, retweetAnother use is city based top surgeons using 8K resolution monitors to provide real-time assistance to country surgeons and doctors to op...
9 hours ago by Magnus on NBN users opt for 100MbpsIn terms of capacity, fibre is basically future proof. Never mind 100Mbps or even 1Gbps. Computer scientists have already achieved 100 gi...
9 hours ago by Magnus on NBN users opt for 100MbpsWhat I like about Mike Quigley is that he is making it happen, despite all the bull**t barriers being put in front of him by Coalition po...
9 hours ago by Magnus on NBN users opt for 100Mbps
Anonymous hacks Reliance's Internet filtering server - ZDNet (blog) http://t.co/uObU1HBP http://t.co/0UBXxwX4
9 hours ago by whitelabelsec on twitter, retweet
Which Windows will make for a better tablet? http://t.co/4mAHg850
10 hours ago by Wippy0012 on twitter, retweetGonna be crowded when TA switches of the inter webby thingy and everyone moves there, just as you suggested though.
11 hours ago by Beta on NBN users opt for 100MbpsYes "without secure internet identification methods" I cannot see a future for online voting be it a referendum or selecting a Gov (at ...
11 hours ago by Taskmanager on A farewell to democracy: KasperskyOh of course you would would want something in return. hmmm I see, well maybe my best wishes for and your family. btw, Western Union is ...
11 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100MbpsWell Willunga looks like a nice place to live, close to wine growing areas, a golf club. Houses are probably reasonably priced. Very nice...
11 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100Mbps
Listening to @stilgherrian cover AusCERT and cyberwar, http://t.co/6lGUEz8H
11 hours ago by sylmobile on twitter, retweet
Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/VN5tGJzC
12 hours ago by iPad_Cable on twitter, retweet
#Westpac Board goes paperless with #Ipads with #Tabula #App http://t.co/duxuj2fd #Cybersecurity #Bank
12 hours ago by cyberactivsvces on twitter, retweet
Microsoft is serious about open source??? http://t.co/mqQGgta7
12 hours ago by ragavj on twitter, retweet
@joedamato just try varying caps randomly. Maybe they do this http://t.co/1FN5FwYv
12 hours ago by nzkoz on twitter, retweet
NSW outlines datacentre migration plans - Hardware - News - ZDNet Australia http://t.co/OQfUl0D1
12 hours ago by martinscerri on twitter, retweet
"on the new fast Internets everyone wants the fast plan" #orly #nareally #yarly http://t.co/kvfCa84A
13 hours ago by stirlo on twitter, retweet
Chrome overtakes IE: does it matter? http://t.co/e4SILk8a
13 hours ago by misscecille on twitter, retweet
A ZDNet study showed that British Facebook users are drunk in 76 percent of their photos.
13 hours ago by rolandirwin on twitter, retweet
The HDMI cable ripoff and why retail is really dying http://t.co/eFT7zEW7
13 hours ago by rensits on twitter, retweet
Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/IUysbyKf
14 hours ago by ForshawFlip on twitter, retweet
Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/V7vL5QB9
14 hours ago by JamesVickery on twitter, retweet
ZDNet reports Microsoft launches its own social service http://t.co/VJS5BkwF
14 hours ago by FoiExpertNSW on twitter, retweet
by http://t.co/vmlLt4bh: Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray: Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia P... http://t.co/4bfDRXo4
14 hours ago by InternetTechSec on twitter, retweet
Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/CtNlVWN7
14 hours ago by Cloud9Truths on twitter, retweet
Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray: Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia Pacific, shares some of h... http://t.co/ZxjpmqiM
14 hours ago by oztechguy on twitter, retweetThis story has been voted 12000 times in the last 24 hours!
2 days ago, Is Bill Gates a great leader?Facebook Activity
Keep up with ZDNet Australia
Linkedin 
RSS Feeds 
Newsletters 
AlertsZDNet Events Calendar
Sponsored resources
- Trend Micro EVOLVE.Cloud Security Event See John Sheridan, AGIMO, Rob Livingstone, Forrester & more
- Nimsoft ITSM Service Desk + IT Monitoring: Better Together
- What are the Software and App priorities for IT professionals in 2012? Click here for the ZDNet Webinar
- Buy HP ProLiant Servers Get $150 back
- Seagate Black Armor Secure Storage for your valuable business data
