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Compaq Aero 2100: A Handy Windows CE Handheld August 23, 1999 As well-designed as it is, the unit is fat compared with the Palm Pilot, partly because of the color screen. At 5.27x3.34x.78 inches, the Aero 2100 is almost twice as thick as a Palm V at .4 inches. There is no way it will fit into your pocket--especially in its case--and I almost lost my test unit in one instance because there was no convenient way to carry it. The battery in the Aero 2100 is a rechargeable lithium-ion type, and while it doesn't power the unit for anywhere close to the kind of use you'll get out of a Palm III with two AAA alkalines, I found it sufficient for up to a week of normal use, and it charged quickly in the included cradle. For travelers who would prefer not to have to lug around the cradle, the AC adapter also plugs directly into the Aero.
All of the included programs (Calendar, Contacts, Note Taker, Inbox, Tasks/ To-Do and Voice Recorder) worked adequately as my primary organizer components during the month's use, though they were at times a bit sluggish, and I did have a few unexplained glitches and system lockups that required a system reset. To be fair, some of the lockups seemed to be related to use of third-party shareware programs, but a few of the glitches (an appointment suddenly spawning "children" uncontrollably until the system hung, for instance) occurred with no other programs running. Nevertheless, using primarily the included software, the unit was relatively stable, especially compared with a typical Windows 95/98 desktop. Is the color screen a necessity? Not really. After using the Aero 2100 for a while, I went back to a Palm Pilot, and a sharp grayscale screen is just about as usable in practical terms. But now that color screens are available, users will come to expect them. And there are some real advantages to color, especially for vertical/enterprise applications, which will be an increasing segment of the Palm-format market.
Strange Things, Indeed The pen digitizer was oversensitive for "ink"-type use, but I was able to work around it in the memo program by zooming to the 200 percent view. Handwriting recognition was not as easy to use as Grafitti, but I think that's largely a matter of personal preference. I found it much faster to enter information using the well-designed onscreen keyboard. Unlike the Palm Pilot, the Aero has no dedicated handwriting area--the bottom section of the screen becomes either the onscreen keyboard or handwriting area as needed, which is more flexible use of screen real estate. Compaq includes asset management software on the Aero 2100; IT managers responsible for deploying these units will find it valuable for tracking purposes. Such manageability surely will be of critical importance for enterprise use of palmtops of any kind. Be aware that Microsoft is reportedly in the process of redesigning the Windows CE operating system, and current CE units might find themselves orphaned. That caveat aside, if you're looking for a palm-format CE device, you won't go wrong choosing a Compaq Aero 2100. So can anybody out there suggest a good name for these things? My favorite is "POD," (Personal Organizing Device), as in "Oh, no, I left my POD on the train! My life is over!" But I'm open to suggestions; please send them to me at rhoffman@nwc.com. The winner earns my eternal gratitude. Send your comments on this article to Richard Hoffman at rhoffman@nwc.com.
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