Donka's Mobile Rambles

If you have treated yourself to one of the 5th generation iPod’s with video or are planning on one for Christmas, Proporta have you covered – literally of course! A whole range of accessories including silicon and leather cases are available on their store. Both the 30 and 60GB models are supported so head on over to Proporta Music for more details.

With all the speculation surrounding upcoming new devices, it was noticed that Piel Frama, famous for their excellent quality leather cases, had listed a case that fits the N500 and C500 range of pocket pc. I have now had confirmation that Fujitsu Siemens Germany informed Piel Frama that this case will fit both series so we can assume that the C550 will be physically the same as the N500 range which we know more about. For those of you looking at the new devices, you will now be able to compare the dimensions of the C550 with other devices based on the N500 information.

I wanted to say a quick thank you to RealDice for some very impressive support. I was on the look out for a good Texas Hold’Em Poker game and thought I would check out Multiplayer Championship Poker after it won the Poker category top spot in the Pocket PC Mag 2005 awards. I was dismayed that it tried to display in VGA mode on my QVGA h4150 cutting off ¾ of the playing area. After a quick email to RealDice they responded within a couple of hours asking for more details after confirming they had never heard of this issue. The following day the developer emailed me back directly having fixed this issue and put up a revised release. Credit where credit is due and I like to highlight companies like this who put such a great effort into the support of their products. If you are looking for a great Poker game then I suggest you visit the RealDice website.

For those of you interested in this new Pocket PC from Acer, it has just passed FCC approval. What does this mean? Well, technically it means it has now been certified as a wireless communications device for the US should Acer decide to sell it there. More importantly for us inquisitive users, it is an opportunity to learn more details about the device, see pictures and check out the user’s manual.
Head on over to the FCC website for more information.

It looks like the Acer n300 series will have a competitor in the small form, VGA Pocket PC market. With the announcement that the Loox 718/720 will not receive a Windows Mobile 5 upgrade and the subsequent cancellation of the replacement 750/760 series, a new device has come into the fray in the shape of the C550. Features include a compact form factor, VGA screen, WM5, 128MB ROM / 64MB RAM and an SD I/O socket. Bluetooth and WiFi are also present as is USB host functionality to round off a well equipped and small package. No pictures or dimensions are available at the moment or information on battery capacity or processor speed but with the respect the Loox 720 earned, I would envisage these will be more than competent. Expect to see this product on the market in the first quarter, 2006.

The leather case from Sena Cases is a very impressive product. The quality of leather is good and the fit and finish of this case are perfect. All holes match up exactly with their related components and provide you with easy access to all areas of the device including the headphone socket and soft reset on the back. Internally there are two credit sized pockets and two smaller slots to hold SD cards. Protection on offer is very good although the bottom corners are exposed to ensure a snug fit around the curved bottom section of the device. The tight fit of this case and magnetic front closure keep this as possibly the smallest leather flip case for the Axim X50 series and also lend to the ability to sync in the cradle. This is a plain but stylish case that adds to the overall impression of the product although the internally embossed Sena logo is gone from earlier models. There is the option of an attractively finished two tone leather flip for those who prefer a snazzier design. This is all packaged up in a protective cloth bag inside a presentation box. A choice of colours and whether you'd like it with or without a belt clip is also available and Sena is one of the few manufacturers to offer a leather case to accommodate the Axim with the extended battery pack. I have always favoured Sena Cases as my personal choice for my Pocket PC and nothing has changed with this release. I believe this is the best all rounder in the leather case market and would always have a Sena Cases product at the top of my short list. I highly recommend you have it on your list too.

This case is designed for the X50, X50v, X51 and X51v range from Dell. More details can be found at the Sena Cases website.