OoO review

PHYSICAL OVERVIEW

i-mate JASJAR

The JASJAR shown here at actual size.
The i-mate JasJar can be simply described in three words: mini laptop phone. Its not a light small phone you can slip into your shirt pocket. If thats what youre after then this isnt the device youre looking for. If, on the other hand, youre looking for a device that can replace both your laptop and your phone than keep reading. Sure, when compared to a phone, the JasJar is on the large side. But its when compared to a laptop (since it has almost the same functions), that this devices really shines. Its about 10 times lighter and smaller than most laptops and it can make calls. The JasJar measures 127 x 81 x 25mm and weighs in at a hefty 285 grams. The reason its on the heavy side is that it has a lot of capabilities packed inside. When you look at it from top, it only has an ear-speaker hole nothing else. But when you flip it open as you would a laptop, a large screen and a full QWERTY keyboard appear. The screen is a TFT touchscreen with 65k colours. The resolution is 640 x 480 pixels and its bright and easy to look at (it looks OK in sunlight as well). To the right of the screen are four navigational keys, a centre action-key, and a CIF camera used for video-calling. The 62 key keyboard has alpha-numeric keys, navigational arrows, shortcut and control keys and 2 soft keys. It is high quality build and comfortable to use. The keyboard also has an ambient light sensor if you need to work on the JasJar in low light, the orange backlight turns on automatically a great battery saving feature. You cannot manually turn the backlight on or off. One unique feature of the JasJar is that the screen can swivel at

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the hinge (just like tablet-PC). When you turn the screen around, its orientation automatically switches from landscape to portrait. In this mode the navigation keys are below the screen, so the JasJar resembles a standard PDA. Even on this side of the screen there is an ear-speaker which lets you talk using the JasJar as you would a standard phone. On the rear, theres a 1.3 megapixel camera and photo-light with a one to two metres range. Below the camera there is a lock-operated battery cover. Inside youll find the battery (and the SIM card goes under the battery). On the left hand side there is a power button and a SD memory card slot JasJar has 64MB of RAM and 128MB of Flash memory. Unlike Windows Mobile 2003, version 5.0 doesnt use RAM to store data anymore so if the battery goes completely flat you wont loose your data. At the front there are shortcut buttons for camera, voice-dialing and voice-control, infrared port, and two stereo speakers for multimedia functions and acting as a speakerphone. On the top (or left if in PDA mode) there are two buttons Send and End keys for answering and ending calls, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, universal mini-USB port for charger and cable to connect to the computer and a small Reset button used to reset the device to the factory settings. When you push the power button, the device starts almost instantly.

NAVIGATION

JasJar has two main navigation methods: the keyboard and the stylus pen (using the touchscreen). The keyboard has so many function keys you seldom need to use the stylus (unless you actually want to). Usually you navigate using

the arrow keys (up, down, left, right) and then pressing the OK button. You can open specific applications directly by using the Function key on the keyboard and pressing a key associated with that application. To learn all the functions available on the keyboard is a bit of a learning curve (yes, reading the manual is HIGHLY recommended). The keys are easy to read and the backlight is perfectly spread. Operating via the stylus is accurate and it feels comfortable in the hand. The Windows Mobile 5.0 interface feels smooth and the menus are familiar. Even if youve never seen the Mobile version, if youve used any Windows OS youll feel right at home. The Today screen is the first thing you see when you turn the JasJar on and it gives you a run-down on your day, unread messages (including SMS, MMS and email), missed calls, appointments and tasks. You can also login to MSN network from here,

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Good quality low light 1.3 megapixel shots.
namely MSN Messenger (which is builtin) and Hotmail. There are also shortcut keys for Contacts, Calendar, making and ending calls. Two soft keys are located at the top row of the keyboard and their action changes depending on which application youre currently using. Overall, navigating and using the JasJar felt easy and comfortable.

CALLING TECH SPECS

www.clubimate.com
Recommended Price > $1999 Dimensions > 127 x 81 x 25 mm Weight > 285 grams Talktime (quoted) > Up to 4.5 hours Standby (quoted) >Up to 9 days Special Features > Camera 1.3 MegaPix > Video Camera > 65k colour screen > Radio > Extra Memory > Infrared/USB > Bluetooth
The JasJar is a tri-band phone (GSM 900/1800/1900) operating locally on the Vodafone network with support for UMTS 3G, which means it supports fast data connections, up to 384Kbps. The phone function worked well. You start the phone by either clicking the Start button then selecting Phone, or by going to Contacts and selecting a name, or to make it real simple, if you start dialling numbers from the today screen it automatically takes you to the Phone function. When Phone is open, you can dial numbers or select a name from Contacts and choose from either a Video (within coverage areas) or a standard Voice-call. The audio quality was good for both parties. In connectivity terms, the JasJar is about the most connected device on the planet with GPRS and UMTS (3G) capability, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options

as well. Add to that a miniUSB port and infrared and the only thing missing is a direct satellite connection. To connect to the internet (including MSN Messenger, email or browser) you can use GPRS or UMTS connection, or WiFi at work or home, or any HotSpot area. Connecting to a wireless network was a breeze. You search for an Access Point, enter the network key and youre connected. The settings are saved so next time youre within reach, JasJar connects automatically. In Bluetooth terms, the JasJar supports exchange of objects (business cards, photos, videos, etc) and Bluetooth headset. Connecting the headset through Bluetooth was a simple three-step process. First search for devices around you by clicking on the New Partnership button, then find the headset in the list, enter the passkey (which is usually 0000) and click.

CAMERA

The JasJar 1.3 megapixel camera supports still and video photography. To start, you simply push the dedicated Camera button at the bottom of the device and youre ready to shoot in only a few seconds. You can also use menus to start the camera. The photos are quite
reasonable. The night-shot was particularly surprising, working very well in low-light. There are multiple options available anything from quality and size, to effects (sepia, grayscale, negative etc), ambience (auto, daylight, night, fluorescent, etc), to actual mode (photo, video, MMS video, contacts picture, panorama, etc). Overall, the camera is easy to use and takes good shots considering the JasJar is not a dedicated imaging device.

MESSAGING

JasJar sports full support for SMS, MMS (both PXT and Video-PXT), internet email accounts (such as Hotmail), as well as full email support for POP/SMTP/ IMAP. MSN Messenger is also built-in so you can be available on chat even when away from your computer. The connection to MSN Messenger was seamless you enter the username and password the first time you try to connect and voila. Youre online chatting in no time. The quoted standby time is up to 10.8 days and talk-time is up to eight hours. In our tests we found the battery lasted eight days in standby mode, and about a day and a half in standard usage (some SMS messages sent and received, one MMS message sent, email checked, 2 hours worth of phone calls and about 30 minutes of video calls), so theres plenty of juice to get you through the day.

tion of additional applications you can find on the Internet. You can also download and install a Skype (www.skype. com) application on the JasJar that lets you talk to other Skype users anywhere in the world. Skype works wherever you have a wireless connection. Additional applications can be found at www.handago.com. To demonstrate real-word application of these programs, this entire review was written on the JasJar using Mobile Word, and then emailed to the editor using Mobile Outlook right from the device. The whole process worked perfectly and effortlessly.

MyMOBILE VERDICT

IMAGE/STYLE

EASE OF USE

SUMMARY
The i-mate JasJar is a perfectly designed business and entertainment device, supporting almost all connectivity options available today. It has personal management functions and full communication tools. Messaging includes SMS, MMS, full email functions as well as MSN Messenger. The camera is good quality 1.3MP. As we said at the start, if youre looking for a great device that provides synergy between laptop and mobile phone, then you cant go wrong with the i-mate JasJar. OoO Dushan Delic

FEATURES

CALL QUALITY

APPLICATIONS

JasJar comes packed with applications such as Mobile Word, Excel, Outlook, PDF Viewer, File Explorer, Internet Explorer, Voice Dial and Control, Zip Application, Calculator, Hotmail, MSN Messenger, as well as games such as Solitaire. But being a PocketPC device, it supports installa-

VALUE FOR MONEY

OVERALL

GPRS Setting for i-mate JASJAR

(Internet Setting):

To configure your i-mate device Internet GPRS settings, log-in to www.clubimate.com , select your device from club support directory and download.cab file that will populate your device with a particular operator's settings (Your operator). Download the file that matches your settings and copy it to your device. Run the copied file using File Explorer on the device. If your operator is not listed between the i-mate operator settings which are posted on www.clubimate.com then please find below the i-mate device GPRS manual settings. 1- Navigate to the Connection settings page. Start > Settings > Connections > Connections 2- Choose Advanced > Select Networks
3- Tap New and create new connection with your operators name.
4- Tap Ok then Ok again in the Network management window > Tasks Tap Add New Modem connection under Operator Name to start adding the data Connections.
5- Create the Internet GPRS connection selecting Cellular Line (GPRS) in the modem section. Enter the Access point name. Then press Finish in the next screen, after entering username or password if necessary.
Please Note: you should perform a soft reset after the previous procedure so that the settings will take its place.

(MMS Setting):

To configure your i-mate device MMS setting, log-in to www.clubimate.com, select your device from club support directory and download.cab file that will populate your device with a particular operator's settings (Your operator). Download the file that matches your settings and copy it to your device. Run the copied file using File Explorer on the device. If your operator is not listed between the i-mate operator settings which are posted on www.clubimate.com then please find below the imate device MMS manual settings. 1- Navigate to the Connection settings page. Start > Settings > Connections > Connections 2- Choose Advanced > Select Networks
5- Create the MMS GPRS connection selecting Cellular Line (GPRS) in the modem section. Enter the Access point name. Then press Finish in the next screen, after entering username or password if necessary.
6- Then go to Start > Messaging > Menu > MMS Configuration > Servers > New.
After you fill the information, tap ok then perform Soft Reset.