O2 xda

A really well-connected device should allow you to send and receive email and attachments as well as text messages. And if it's going to be any good, it needs to do this reasonably quickly too. The xda is very accommodating in this respect, being fully GPRS-compatible straight out of the box.

mmO2 has done a good job with the machinery. The aluminium casing is sleek, the relative absence of buttons is welcome and the colour screen, despite being smaller than what you might find on some handheld computers, is clear and tidy. The whole impression is from the 'less is more' school and it works a treat.

There is a single SD memory card slot on the underside, right next to the docking port, for expanding the on-board memory, if required. This is just as well, as the 32MB of memory that is provided is pretty paltry.

The xda is the first handheld computer to arrive in the shops that uses Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition software. It's based on the Pocket PC 2002 system that you'll find in the poshest handheld computers but it's had some nips and tucks which allow it to manage both voice and data calls. As such, you need to fit the Sim card from your mobile phone in the slot on its side for it to work properly.

The software that comes as part of Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition is impressive, but you'll almost certainly want to add more. A few new applications combined with all your own contacts and emails will eat into that 32MB very quickly.

Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition has been designed for people who have communications in mind. There is an entirely new application called Phone that provides an on-screen number pad, call log and speed dial options among its features.

It caters for the usual voice telephony features such as conference calling and hands-free use. When in the latter mode, just tapping at an icon on the application screen opens up a notepad for quick jottings while you're chatting. It's a nice thought, although switching to your Pocket PC applications, such as the contacts database or calendar is perfectly possible while on the phone so it's not really necessary.

Text messages have been been given admirable consideration. Text musings are treated rather like emails, with drafts, inbox, outbox and sent items folders. If typing out messages gets tiring, there are plenty of pre-defined My Text phrases to make creation easy. It feels strange at first to use text messaging in this way but it makes messages feel like mini-emails and it is very pleasant to use.

Microsoft has integrated communications features into Pocket PC applications with some care. For example, the Contacts database is similar to that found in Pocket PC 2002 but has features added so that you can use the tap-and-hold menu to create text messages for a selected contact, to make a voice call or to add a number to your speed dial list.

Probably the best use of the xda is accessing the web and Wap while on the move. Both are done via Pocket Internet Explorer. This application also claims to support secure shopping.

Professional users will like the fact that Microsoft has developed a new version of ActiveSync. This means that the always-on benefit of GPRS can be used to the full by businesspeople who want to synchronise their contacts, calendar and email without hooking up cables to a PC.

But the xda's not all sweetness and light. Two key gripes are the small amount of internal memory and the screen only being capable of 4,096 colours (although in everyday use the display limitations should be less of a bother than the memory situation).

The other key issue, as always with cutting-edge technology, is the price. The figure quoted below includes connection, though you'll have to pay extra for the use of data - there are several different tariffs depending on how much you think you'll use the service. Details are listed on the mmO2 website.

Price:£500
Contact: 020870 225 7879
www.O2.co.uk