Acer S60

Acer's S60, its first personal digital assistant (PDA), uses Palm OS 4.1 rather than the newer OS 5, but a Pocket PC version is expected in coming months.

Using OS 4.1 isn't a problem; indeed, it may be even a benefit, as there is a degree of incompatibility between OS 5 and some existing third-party software.

A 33MHz Dragonball processor has been chosen over the faster 66MHz version. This makes it very much a budget device, even though its price makes it quite expensive for a low-end model.

The S60's screen uses a 4,096-colour palette, which makes it rather average to look at, but it does have a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels, so text is relatively clear.

Battery life seems not to have been scrimped on, with Acer quoting 20 hours - or nine hours of continuous MP3 playback.

Aesthetically, the S60 isn't particularly special. The usual four application shortcut buttons are separated by a five-way rocker switch, and the Graffiti area is reasonably large.

What's not usual is the tiny Hold switch on the bottom of the casing, which prevents accidental pressing of buttons. It is most likely to be handy when playing MP3s.

Our review device lacked its installation CD so we couldn't test any of the add-on software, which includes image and sound management tools; but the suite looks fairly strong.

Overall impressions are of a Palm OS-based PDA where costs have been cut but some strong features remain.

Size and weight are on the low side, battery life is fair and the price is attractive. The choice of Memory Stick over the more widely shared Secure Digital (SD) may be a turn-off for some, though.

SPECS

• Motorola Dragonball VZ 33MHz processor
• 16MB Ram
• 4MB Flash Rom
• Palm OS 4.1
• 320 x 320 screen, 4,096 colours
• Memory Stick slot
• 145g
• 78 x 13 x 122mm (w x d x h)
• Audiobox, Backup, Photowiz, Clock, Filer, Recorder, Service Launcher, Walkreader
• USB connection

DETAILS

Price: £229 (£195 ex VAT)
Contact:0870 900 2237
www.acer.co.uk