Redfly
Celio corporation recently began shipping their Redfly Windows Mobile companion. Being a gadget freak (some would argue rivaling the fictional king of geeks Mr. Gadget himself) as well as a Windows Mobile nut (I use it for everything), I had to get one. Having placed the order on Monday it complying arrived today, just in time for a weekend gadget fest. I’ve been using it for a few minutes now (including typing this post) and I have to say that aside from pressing up arrow instead of shift with my right hand, it is eminently useable. However useful I have found my phone in the past, the Redfly takes it to a whole new level.
Out of the box the first thing that surprised me was the weight. Actually, in the box I was surprised by the weight. I was fully expecting a 500 page manual. While it weighs in at 2lbs even, combined with the diminutive size (roughly 9×6in), it’s a very dense device. Like the HTC TyTNII, the Redfly has a solid build and feel to it. The keyboard is very typeable (if cramped) and has a good feel. Slightly squishier than my thinkpad but the given only goes down to the middle of the device, not all the way through.
The outside is a deep burgendy and has a rubbery finish (like the back of the HTC). The device definitely does not require a case, which is a plus. Connectivity is painless, especialy after setting it up. Drivers on the phone install ota and connecting it via USB authenticates the device. From there I just need to click the bluetooth button and I get my phone on a 7″ screen and 9″ keyboard. Combined with 3g (hello AT&T) that makes this a ery practical laptop alternative for 75% of what I do all day (now if only I could get openvpn to work).
The device is not without its faults. There’s some wierdness on my home screen and it doesn’t really work well with touchcommander. Of course I can see all of your programs (I have about 40 installed) on one page, so that’s less useful. A touch screen would be nice as would a standard plug (anyone know of a way to get 9v out of an iGo?). The screen updates and scrolling can be jerky, but that’s a Windows Mobile thing. Celio has also indicated that there are some optiizations to come wrt the display. I’m also using it primarily over bluetooth, which is slower than USB but wires are the spawn of the devil so it’s a resonable trade off.
Finaly question - is the Redfly worth $500? Given their target market (me?) - I would have to say yes. We’ll see how much less I open my laptop over the next week. That is, after all, the real goal.