SIDEKICK CELLULAR PHONES PDF

The other major flaw is the fact that this device synchs with nothing at the moment except Danger servers. But send them as e-mail attachments and you realize they’re really color. One thing to note: On the Sidekick screen, your pictures are displayed in black and white. It’s easy to use, but the teeny, tiny, 120 x 90 pixel picture quality is horrible. My Sidekick came with a camera that plugs into the headset jack. Future updates will include downloadable applications and content, partnerships enabling users to sync to their corporate desktops and e-mail and improved instant messaging. If you need your corporate e-mail pushed to a wireless device, stick with RIM’s BlackBerry. You’re always connected to Danger’s server which means you’re always connected to your Danger POP e-mail address.

SIDEKICK CELLULAR PHONES PDF

The Sidekick allows for automatic over-the-air updating of software, opens HTML Web pages, Microsoft Word document attachments and PDF files and translates them for viewing on your device. Danger claims 3 hours of data/talk 60 hours of standby time. Charging is best left for overnight sessions (it takes a while), but battery life is nearly two days of mixed use. Inside the Sidekick is also a 1350 mA rechargeable lithium battery. Alerts range from annoying noises to pleasant music to a stern woman’s voice announcing you have a “NEW MESSAGE”. Sound quality is pretty good, thanks to a cool MIDI-synthesizer built-in.

There’s also a 4-way directional pad on the keyboard primarily for use during gaming. The learning curve is on the high side with these buttons when you first play with the Sidekick it takes a while to master. Beneath the dial is the Back button which takes you back one screen. The dial has another purpose: Multi-colored LEDs inside it light up when you get a phone call, or someone is trying to reach you with a data message. From there, you spin the thumb-wheel dial (on the right) to change and/or enter applications. Below it is the Jump button, which takes you to the home screen. There’s one called Menu which does what it says and shows you the pull-down menu for any program. There are a few, somewhat confusing, navigation buttons as well. And, when the screen pivots up or down the image on the screen flips so that everything is always readable whether the device is open or closed. That’s OK, because for a small device the keyboard is pretty easy to use. The Sidekick doesn’t have a touch-screen, so the keyboard is the basic means of input.

The most startling feature is that the screen pivots to reveal a terrific, hidden QWERTY keyboard underneath.

The Sidekick doesn’t easily fit in any pocket and although they sent a nice little pouch I’ve yet to see a holster to clip it to my bag or my hip. Just try holding a bar of Palmolive up to your ear and talking! At least Danger includes a cellular headset in the box. This shape works pretty well as a data device - but is horrible for a cellular phone. Because of rounded edges, the device looks and feels like a bar of soap with a black and white screen on one side. The dimensions don’t really tell the entire story. Officially, the Sidekick is 4.5 x 2.6.x 1.1 inches and weighs 6.2 ounces. But, overall, this device is a leap forward for the all-in-one wireless market. After playing with a Sidekick for a few weeks in two separate sessions I can say that it does some things incredibly well others, well, they leave a lot to be desired.

Sidekick cellular phones