Make Room for the Pros From NEC

MobilePro 800 and 770 offer large or small-screen portablity in a Handheld PC Pro

By Rich Hall

They're stylish and thin. It's very easy to type on their almost full-size keyboards. And one of them has a very large screen. I'm talking about NEC's new "notebook killers" ­ the MobilePro 770 and MobilePro 800 Handheld PC Pros.

NEC was one of the first manufacturers to buy into "bigger is better" with their Windows CE 2.0 Handheld PC, the MobilePro 750c (see my review of that product, in the July/August 1998 issue). The idea was that the keyboards on the smaller Handheld PCs were just too small to type on easily. Users, especially corporate users, were accustomed to notebook computers and wanted touch-typeable keyboards and color screens. NEC must have made the right decision with the 750c. All of the new H/PC Pros announced so far have large keyboards and color screens.

The same, but different

The NEC MobilePro 770 and 800 have a lot of common features, and a couple of very different characteristics. Both devices are built around a fast 131MHz MIPS processor ­ applications open and close quickly. Both devices come with 24 MB of upgradeable ROM and 32 MB of RAM. The 800 can be further upgraded to 48 MB RAM. Both devices have a Type II PC Card slot, a Type II CompactFlash+ slot, a VGA-out port, serial port, IrDA port and a jack for the built-in 56 kbps modem. The 800 has an additional USB port. Both devices come with a built-in microphone for recording voice memos, and a combo earphone/ microphone jack. At 2.56 lbs, the MobilePro 800 is þ of a pound heavier than the 770.

The units have some significant hardware differences. Although both units are capable of displaying 65K of colors, the MobilePro 800 is the larger unit, with a full-size 9.4" diagonal screen capable of displaying 800x600 or 640x480 pixels. If you are going to use your H/PC to browse the Web, this is a wonderful screen to do it on. The MobilePro 770's screen is a smaller 1/2 VGA 8.1" diagonal color screen displaying 640x240 pixels.

Both units are equipped with built-in rechargeable backup batteries. The main batteries are rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs. The MobilePro 800 gets about 8 hours of use on a fully-charged battery. The 770, with the smaller screen, gets about 10. One nice 770 option is a battery adapter tray that lets you replace the rechargeable battery pack with four AA batteries. They won't power the 770 very long so you won't want to do this on a regular basis. But it's very handy if you run out of power in out-of-the-way places. Unfortunately, this does not work with the 800.

Both MobilePros come with the following accessories: AC power adapter, serial connectivity cable, RJ-11 phone cable, VGA-out cable, manuals, a CD ROM with Windows CE Services (for synchronization and connectivity with a desktop PC) and a CD ROM with bonus software (see sidebar). In addition, the following accessories can be purchased for the Mobile Pro: AC power adapter; PC synchronization cable; lithium-ion battery pack; RAM memory upgrade module; stylus pen pack; carrying case; docking cradle.

Both MobilePros have the Windows CE 2.11 operating system, the same set of Pocket applications and utilities, and the same set of add-on programs (see the sidebar below for my comments).

A hands-on look

As I mentioned, performance was snappy on both units. I opened and closed applications, loaded large and small documents, and only once noticed a slowdown when I was loading a large database into Pocket Access.

The screen on the 770 is a little easier to see, but both are quite readable. Backlighting powers off on its own, and comes back on automatically when you start typing or tap the screen. The touchscreen on the 770 seemed a little more sensitive than the 800. I had to press down a little harder on the 800 and re-tap occasionally, until I got used to it.

The Control Panel comes with a special MobilePro Settings application that lets you change a number of the configurations. For one thing, you can reset the unit to display 256 colors instead of 65K. I did this and saw no appreciable difference with the applications. I did see a difference with some graphics on the Web. The Settings application also lets you set the VGA-out port to display a 800x600 or 640x480 screen and to display the screen on both the MobilePro and the VGA monitor. You can also change the keyboard layout from U.S. to international English; change the speed of the IrDA port from 115.2 kbps to 4Mbps, and set up the built-in 56.2 modem to operate in the U.S., U.K, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, or Italy. Finally, there is an option (on the 800 only) to configure the five Quick-Launch keys. Search as I might, I could not find the Quick Launch keys and had to call tech support. It turned out that they were staring me in the face all the time.

The Quick Launch keys are not really keys at all. They are located on the right side of the 800's touchscreen. You can configure the 800 to launch any five applications you like and simple tap on the permanent icons (1 through 5) on the right side of the screen. The 800 has five other "keys" on the left side of the screen that let you access your World Clock, MobilePro Settings, Power Properties (to check your batteries), Systems Properties (to check memory and other systems stats.), and your Volume & Sound properties.

I only tested the Mobile-Pro 800's 56 kbps modem. Connecting to my local ISP was easy, and browsing the Web faster than before. The full screen made it easy to view the Web sites not optimized for the H/PCs with Þ VGA screens.

The MobilePro 800 has its serial, VGA-out, and USB ports located in the back-edge of the unit, behind easy-to-access covers. The MoblePro 770's battery is located along the back edge, so NEC had to place its serial and VGA-out ports along the left edge. They are protected by little rubber covers that are a little more difficult to pop off and put back on.

Operating system and built-in applications

The NEC MobilePro 770 and 800 come with the Windows CE 2.11 operating system and H/PC Pro applications built into ROM. These include Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Outlook (Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Inbox), Pocket PowerPoint (presentations), Pocket Access (database), Pocket Internet Explorer, InkWriter (a pen-entry note taker), and various Accessories (Calculator, World Clock, Terminal, Solitaire, Voice Recorder).

They provide all the basic software you'll need for keeping an appointment book, tracking names and addresses, listing your tasks, word processing, using spreadsheets, and more. New to the built-in applications with the H/PC Pro are Inkwriter and Pocket Access. Inkwriter (see Screen 1) lets you make quick, handwritten notes or draw sketches, diagrams or maps. Pocket Access (see Screen in separate article here) lets you create Access databases on the H/PC Pro, or download existing Access databases from your desktop PC. You lose some features from the desktop version, but Pocket Access is still a great addition.

The other built-in applications are still there. But they're displayed a little larger on the MobilePro 800. See Screens 1 through 4 for examples of Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Inkwriter and Calendar displayed on the larger screen.

Is the NEC MobilePro a "Notebook Killer?"

That's the big question on everyone's mind, and it applies to all of the Handheld PC Pros. Both of the MobilePros look a lot like small notebook computers. They have keyboards like small notebook computers. And the MobilePro 800 even has a screen as good as some of the best notebook computers. MobilePros are instant-on/off devices, which means there's no long bootup process. The operating system and most of the applications you'll ever need come built into the unit. You (or your MIS department) won't have to install them or re-install them. Finally, the battery life surpasses Win95/98/NT notebooks and the price is very competitive.

I don't think Windows 95/98/NT notebook computers will die out, but two things will happen. First of all, I believe that MobilePros and other H/PC Pros will carve out a fair chunk of the notebook niche in a year or two. There will always be a few users that need the power of an 95/98NT notebook, but most don't. Sales of H/PC Pros will be driven by corporate adoption of the devices. They get the job done, are generally less expensive and easier to maintain. Secondly, I think that the competition from H/PC Pros will cause manufactures of traditional notebooks to adapt. Expect to see smaller, faster, less power-hungry notebooks. This will be good for notebook power users.

Is a NEC MobilePro for you?

It really depends on how you use, or plan to use a PC Companion when you're away from a desktop PC (office or home). Below are some user categories, along with recommendations.

1. Names, dates and notes please. This person uses a computer to keep track of where he or she is, should be, check on phone numbers, and make very brief notes. They may want to play a game occasionally. You can do this on the MobilePro, but it's overkill. Unless you fit into one of the other user categories, consider a Palm-size PC.

2. I need to do a little work and a little play. This person checks appointments and phone numbers, but will also do a little work away from his or her desk. Maybe write some memos or letters, send and receive e-mail, work on a spreadsheet. For fun, they might play a few games or occasionally browse the Web. A portable computer will not be a huge part of their business or personal life, but a handy thing to have when they need it. I think they need more than a Palm-size PC. Of the two units I reviewed, I'd probably recommend the MobilePro 770 for this person. (Ironically, as Editor of Handheld PC Magazine, I spend most of my time at the office in front of a desktop PC. I fit more into this category and would go for the 770.)

3. Motel productivity. This person not only spends a lot of time away from the office, he or she needs to communicate with the rest of the world and use the basic functions of a computer on the road. In other words, they need to take their office with them wherever they go, to write reports, send e-mail, track their contacts and schedules, browse the Web and more. If I were this person, I would choose the MobilePro 800 because of its larger screen. It's not only easier to browse the Web on a full-size screen, it's much easier to write and edit documents of any kind on a larger screen. You can see more of the document, and use the navigation keys less.

Some mobile users take a notebook with them, but leave it in their motel room or luggage when they out visiting a client. Although the MobilePro 800 is light enough to carry around in a briefcase, you might not want to. Some mobile users carry both a Palm-size PC (for appointments, phone numbers and quick notes) and an H/PC like the MobilePro (for memos, letters, and other keyboard-intensive work).

4. Corporate power user. This person absolutely has to have a computer that has lots of power, memory, or can run applications written for Windows 95/98/NT. This person would be dissatisfied with any H/PC or H/PC Pro, for now. However, more and more applications are being written for, or ported over to run on the Windows CE operating system. I doubt that sophisticated layout programs like Quark Express will make it to Windows CE anytime soon, but a lot of application developers are working on Windows CE solutions.

I liked both of these machines, but was more enamored by the larger screen of the MobilePro 800. My use of the machine would be to write and edit articles, browse the Web for information, e-mail back and forth between authors and vendors, and track the progress of projects with spreadsheets and Pocket Access databases. Most of these tasks are easier to do with a large screen.

The NEC MobilePro 800 H/PC Pro will retail for $1,000. The NEC MobilePro 770 H/PC Pro for $800. Both will be available through NEC dealers, and authorized online retailers including The NEC Online store (www.nec-now.com/necnow/).