A pocketful of handhelds - Compaq's PC Companion Model C140 and NEC Technologies' NEC MobilePro 200 personal digital assistants - Hardware Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, April, 1997 by Erik Sherman

PC Companion Model C140

RATING: ***

WIN CE

NEC MobilePro 200

RATING: *** 1/2

At times, all business travelers thinK, "It only I had my computer." Notebooks aren't always convenient, or even available, and paper organizers don't allow access to your important files.

The new Windows CE (a stripped-down version of Windows 95) handheld PCs (HPCs), however, offer such great options as file sharing with your Windows 95 desktop, synchronizing contact and scheduling databases, and trimmed, portable versions of Word, Excel, and Schedule . You also get pocket versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Exchange for Web browsing and sending and receiving e-mail.

We tested the Compaq PC Companion Model C140 and the NEC MobilePro 200--both of which weigh in at well under a pound. Both units flip open, with the top half of the device housing a speaker and a 5.1-inch touchscreen LCD offering 480 by 240 resolution and four levels of gray. The Compaq model offers adjustable back lighting for poor viewing conditions; the NEC unit has a contrast control. The images are usable, but viewing Web pages would prove challenging. (Neither unit shipped with a modem card, but both Compaq and NEC offer them as part of upgrade bundles.)

Each HPC uses a stylus for precision touchscreen work. NEC smartly positioned the edge of its stylus so the closed unit locks the stylus into place; the Compaq stylus might be dislodged more easily during your travels. If you did lose a stylus, though, fingers also work.

Though HPCs come with keyboards. their tiny keys make note taking or data entry challenging at best. But the true purpose of the devices is not to write memos and build spreadsheets from scratch but to have ready access to information. This might be documents, schedules, or spreadsheets. The HPC's touchscreen approach is excellent for this purpose.

HPCs use serial cables to connect to your desktop computer. You'll need to install some software on the desktop to allow file transfer and data synchronization, but installation is easy and claims very little hard-disk space. You have two choices with files: You can transfer them unchanged, or if you're working with Excel or Word documents, the system will translate them to work with Windows CE. Not all feats:ires are supported, so you can't format a report in a taxi, but you'll get enough to view the plain text portion of documents.

Both units run on a pair of AA batteries or with AC power adapters--included with the Compaq PC Companion, an option for the NEC MobilePro 200. The adapter will be handy if you use the PC Card slot for a modem or flash RAM card. The NEC unit has a door for the slot. The Compaq unit comes with a blank card insert that you're supposed to keep in place when the slot is not in use. The NEC unit definitely has the convenience advantage here.

The Compaq model sports 4MB of RAM and 4MB of ROM, the NEC has 2MB of RAM and 8MB of ROM. ROM, or read only memory, is the method for storing the operating system and vital applications in the unit. Despite the units' different amounts of RAM, we saw little difference in performance, although we found that the Compaq opened spreadsheets and text documents slightly faster. Therefore, the amount of RAM in these units isn't necessarily an indicator of speed or power, as it is with PCs.

As this new technology matures, we expect prices to drop. For now, we opt for the MobilePro, mainly due to its greater convenience and extra polish. Although the MobilePro doesn't include an AC adapter, it has a door--instead of just a plastic insert--for the PC Card slot, and the unit locks the stylus in place. If an included AC adapter is an absolute necessity, you should consider the NEC MobilePro 400, which ships with one.

--Erik Sherman

OUR RATINGS
The one-to-four-star ratings are based on performance,
features, setup, ease of learning and use, availability,
warranty, support, documentation, and price.

EXCELLENT
* * * *

GOOD
* * *

FAIR
* *

POOR
 *




PC Companion Model C140
Manufacturer: Compaq Computer, 800-345-1518, www.compaq.com

Est. Street Price: $599

Configuration: 4MB of RAM, 4MB of ROM, slot for Type II
PC Card, speaker, infrared port, RS-232C interface, powered
by two AA batteries or AC adapter (both included)




NEC MobilePro 200
Manufacturer: NEC Technologies, 800-NEC-INFO, www.nec.com

Est. Street Price: $499

Configuration: 2MB of RAM, 8MB of ROM, slot for Type
II PC Card, speaker, powered by two AA batteries or AC
adapter (not included), lithium ion backup