T-mobile MDA Vario

5 March 2008

HTC Wizard - T Mobile Vario The T-mobile MDA Vario is one of the new breed of MDAs – mobile digital assistants – and as such is capable of far more than phonecalls and diaries. While getting the best from this device might require relying on a mini SD memory expansions, its 99mhz processor still does the job, providing the user with a smartphone device that takes photos and video, handles push email and exchange synchronisation, and much more.

Manufactured as the HTC Wizard the Vario is also available in the UK as the Orange SPV M6000 and the O2 XDA Mini Pro.

The device comes with Windows Mobile 5 preinstalled, although the OS does suffer from performance issues on slower devices such as the Wizard. Removing the mobile provider’s branding improves the performance of the devices no end, however, so bear this in mind before purchasing.

The slider form-factor QWERTY keyboard is a good size, although some of the keys are awkward, so watch out for typos. Pocket MSN comes as standard, providing the user with full mobile connectivity should they want it. You can even go that step further and install the now vital TomTom GPS navigation software.

The web browser isn’t too happy rendering made for PC webpages, although it can be fun to access services such as logmein.com and check on your desktop PC back at home or the office. There are the familiar Windows Mobile 5 issues however. For instance, shutting down a program requires accessing the “Running Programs” tool and closing applications manually.

Design-wise, although slightly bulkier than some of its competitors, the Wizard is sleek and smooth, and looks the part. Sadly the stylus can easily be lost after a few weeks as the catch which locks it in place tends to wear down. On the plus side however with USB 2.0 support, infra red, 128MB ROM, 64 RAM as standard, 802.11b Wi-Fi and mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, the Windows Mobile OS provides distinct benefits and compatibility to smartphone/MDA users that just aren’t available to the Palm platform devices.

For all it’s communications ability, the T-mobile MDA Vario works well as a media player and runs emulation software well - currently, I’m running a Commodore 64 emulator and “Worms Armageddon” as optional extras.

While the Wizard is not perfect and certainly not an all singing and dancing mobile, it is the perfect entry-level device for smartphone newbies with enough bells and whistles and sufficient power to run all but the most advanced mobile applications.

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The Gadget Monkey

5 March 2008

T-mobile MDA Vario

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