.KEYWORD kyocera
.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE The Kyocera QCP 6035: a powerful tool for the enterprise
.OTHER
.SUMMARY Attempts to create a combination cell phone and PDA have had less than stellar results. Until now, that is. Kyocera has come up with a winner in the form of the QCP 6035, a smartphone that combines cellular phone functionality with the computing power of a Palm OS handheld. In this review, Jason Thibeault reveals why this two-in-one device is especially ideal for enterprise users.
.AUTHOR Jason Thibeault
What’s a smartphone? A smartphone is a combination cellular phone and Personal Digital Assistant. In the case of Kyocera’s new QCP 6035, pictured in Figure A, the smartphone’s PDA functions utilize the powerful Palm operating system.
.FIGPAIR A The Kyocera QCP 6035 is thin, lightweight, and pleasantly styled.
Any real review of the Kyocera QCP 6035 (at http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/kysmart/kysmart_series.htm) has to include a brief discussion of its predecessor, the pdQ smartphone. Fortunately, I owned a pdQ smartphone prior to purchasing a QCP 6035.
You can read Jason Perlow’s review of the pdQ smartphone in the January 2000 issue of PalmPower at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200001/pdq001.html. In Figure B, you can compare the old pdQ smartphone (on the left) to the QCP 6035 on the right.
.FIGPAIR B Compare the pdQ smartphone (left) to the QCP 6035 (right).
In looking back at the time when the smartphone was slung on my hip, I realize that it was the epitome of the phrase, "function over form." The pdQ was the Pontiac Aztec of the mobile phone world. But despite the smartphone being ugly and cumbersome, I used it religiously. The ability to dial straight from the contacts, the call History, and the Speed dial greatly simplified my work life. And the built-in modem allowed me to connect wirelessly to Earthlink (at http://www.earthlink.com) to get my email.
In all truth, at the time it came out, the pdQ smartphone was the closest thing to being the Holy Grail of handhelds.
But the pdQ, much maligned in the marketplace, had some serious drawbacks as a Palm handheld. First, it had only 2MB of non-upgradeable memory. Second, it had a non-upgradeable operating system, so you couldn’t take advantage of improved IR (infrared) functions like IR HotSync. Third, and this was perhaps its biggest drawback, it weighed 75 tons.
Okay, I’m exaggerating.
74 tons.
On the plus side, unlike any other cell phone, you could easily cradle it between your ear and shoulder like a real cordless phone (or one of those gigantic walki-talkies from those 1950 war movies).
I only owned the pdQ a few short months before upgrading to the QCP 6035, but during that time, it acquired a host of nicknames and monikers-the two best being the "Shoe Phone" (aptly named after Agent Maxwell Smart’s innovative technology) and the "Brick" (simply because it was). And, of course, everyone was always asking me to radio HQ about storming the bunker.
On the other hand, if the Kyocera QCP 6035 smartphone is saddled with any monikers, they are sure to include words like "beautiful," "styled," and "sleek" (and, yes, "pricey").
With 8MB of RAM, version 3.5 of the Palm OS, and support for Palm Web clipping applications, the Kyocera QCP 6035 is everything that the pdQ wasn’t. Thin, lightweight, and pleasantly styled, it’s easy to carry around, hold, and use. The QCP 6035 is slim enough to carry in a back or shirt pocket. The jog-dial is easily manipulated by your thumb while the flip is closed. You can see what the device looks like when the flip is closed in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C When the flip is closed, you can use the normal phone keypad.
The jog-dial makes getting to contacts, messages, and the built-in voice recorder (which, unfortunately, doesn’t hold enough voice) extremely easy. The jog-dial is a vast improvement over the front two buttons on the pdQ smartphone, which were impossible to use one-handed. And if you’ve got a few people in the room who all need to be on the call, a single button engages the built-in speakerphone.
Much like the pdQ smartphone, the QCP 6035 comes with a host of applications designed specifically for the phone elements. One of those applications, the Dialer, allows you to make calls while the flip is open. This is very convenient when you need to talk and check your schedule at the same time. All you need is a hands-free headset. There’s also a detailed Call History (of both incoming and outgoing calls) as well as a Modem Emulator, if you want to plug the device into your computer and use it like an external modem. Of course, the cable to do that costs a bit of money. There’s also Speed Dialer and the sometimes-it-works-but-the-technology-isn’t-perfected-yet Voice Dialer.
Perhaps the most awesome improvement of the QCP 6035 over its predecessor, though, is the support of the Palm VII Web clipping applications via the embedded wireless modem.
Using the free Mobile Office service offered by Verizon, connection to the wireless network takes only a few seconds–versus connecting wirelessly to an ISP (Internet Service Provider) like Earthlink which can take up to 25 seconds–and is billed as regular airtime. Once connected, all the familiar Palm VII applications can be launched and enjoyed. For example, there’s ThinAirApps ThinEmail (at http://www.thinairapps.com), which allows wireless connection to Hotmail. In addition, the wireless modem also allows access to POP (Post Office Protocol) mail (via the ROM-based Eudora mail program) and the Internet (via Eudora Web).
Don’t get me wrong, though, the QCP 6035 isn’t perfect. The screen is very small, the smallest of any Palm OS based device on the market, including the Palm m100. The RAM and OS are still non-upgradeable, although Kyocera could put out a ROM upgrade for the OS. And, if you break it, you lose a handful of devices rather than just one.
Still, this latest smartphone is a brilliant adaptation of many of the most innovative technologies for mobile professionals: a pager, SMS (Short Message Service), Palm VII, and a tri-mode (analog, digital PCS, and digital CDMA) cell phone, meaning you get more complete coverage. Of course, there’s always the Visor and its Phone Module that will get you the same results as the Kyocera QCP 6035. However, I believe that if you’re buying a phone, you should get a phone form-factor with PDA functionality, not a PDA form-factor with phone functionality.
I think what’s most telling about how perfect the QCP 6035 is for the mobile professional is that I’m typing this article on it via an attachable keyboard, an iBIZ KeySynch Keyboard (at http://www.ibizcorp.com/pda_accessories/pda_keysync.html) that utilizes the serial port. Only, unlike with a regular PDA, I could plug in a headset (or turn on the speaker phone) and make a phone call while I’m typing. This makes it great for taking notes during a meeting and sharing them via email quickly and easily.
.H1 Implications for the enterprise
I believe the enterprise will benefit most from the advanced features of the Kyocera QCP 6035. By equipping a sales force with these mobile powerhouses, data can be shared through Internet connection via Eudora Web (at http://www.eudora.com/internetsuite/), or, for those toting an application like thinkDB (at http://www.thinkingbytes.com), via IR connection across the meeting table.
There are a host of applications available for the Palm handheld that empower the employee with access to mission critical information and data. For example, you can create PowerPoint-type presentations–with applications like Slideshow Commander (at http://www.synsolutions.com/software/slideshowcommander/), or you can access project deliverables with applications like ProjectAtHand 1.5 (at http://www.natara.com/ProjectAtHand/index.cfm) or Project Planner 1.2 (at http://members.home.net/tropicaltree/PDA_soft.htm).
However, this is offline data. Now, with the QCP 6035, those same employees can get access to mission critical information and data when they need it most–whether through an extranet (via Eudora Web 2.1 with Secure Sockets Layer support) or directly to a database via a Palm VII Web clipping application. These PQAs (Palm Query Applications) could become the next generation of enterprise middleware.
The QCP 6035 is the best of everything–awesome Palm OS, wireless connectivity (like the Palm VII), built-in modem for Internet connectivity (like a modem attached to a Palm V), and more.
Because now, when you get the mission critical data, you can bounce over to your contact list, tap on a number, and share the latest sales results.
All from a single device.
.PAGE
.H1 Conclusion
The Kyocera QCP 6035 is the first real player in the growing market for smartphones. Other entrants, such as the Ericsson R380 and the Nokia 9110/9210, are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) phones. With Pacific Bell moving away from GSM, that makes those phones pretty useless in the U.S. However, there are several new entrants on the horizon, such as Samsung’s Palm OS phone due to come out this summer. With technology moving along as quickly as it is, there’s no doubt that future smartphone versions will be better than the Kyocera QCP 6035 is today, just as the QCP 6035 is better than the pdQ was in 1999.
But, if you’re like me, not having to carry around two devices in favor of something as comfortable and usable as the QCP 6035 is worth the thought of having to upgrade in the future. I guess if you want to be on the bleeding edge of technology, you’ve got to be willing to bleed a little–even if it’s your checkbook that’s loosing the blood.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on Kyocera QCP 6035, visit http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/kysmart/kysmart_series.htm.
For Jason Perlow’s review of the pdQ smartphone in the January 2000 issue of PalmPower, visit http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200001/pdq001.html.
For more information on Earthlink, visit http://www.earthlink.com.
For more information on ThinAirApps ThinEmail, visit http://www.thinairapps.com.
For more information on Eudora Web, visit http://www.eudora.com/internetsuite/.
For more information on thinkDB, visit http://www.thinkingbytes.com.
For more information on Slideshow Commander, visit http://www.synsolutions.com/software/slideshowcommander/.
For more information on ProjectAtHand 1.5, visit http://www.natara.com/ProjectAtHand/index.cfm.
For more information on Project Planner 1.2, visit http://members.home.net/tropicaltree/PDA_soft.htm.
For more information on iBIZ KeySynch Keyboard, visit http://www.ibizcorp.com/pda_accessories/pda_keysync.html.
For more information on the Ericsson R380, visit http://www.ericsson.com/WAP/products/r380.shtml.
For more information on Nokia, visit http://www.nokia.com.
For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO Jason Thibeault is a freelance technology strategist. He works with startup and established companies to help identify market opportunities, capitalize on trends, evaluate and implement new technologies, and develop new products. As a journalist, Jason applies his on-the-job experience to write articles and features about the technologies and trends that are helping to change the way we live. He can be reached through http://www.jasonthibeault.com.
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