Aptly named the Voice Messenger, this GSM/EDGE smartphone reads text messages and e-mail aloud in a voice reminiscent of the Jetsons' robot maid, Rosie. While we found her speech somewhat endearing, it was often unintelligible, choppy, and very mechanical. The voice recognition did a good job of obeying our commands for operations like playing music and composing audio e-mail (a message with an attached, voice-recorded note). On the flipside though, the phone often flubbed voice dialing and frequently called wrong numbers. To make up for these imperfections, the iPAQ 510 packs many elements geared for the constantly-has-to-check-e-mail set, including Wi-Fi connection and the well-designed Windows Mobile 6.0 OS.
Review: HP iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger
Aptly named the Voice Messenger, this GSM/EDGE smartphone reads text messages and e-mail aloud in a voice reminiscent of the Jetsons’ robot maid, Rosie. While we found her speech somewhat endearing, it was often unintelligible, choppy, and very mechanical. The voice recognition did a good job of obeying our commands for operations like playing music […]
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WIRED
View, create, and edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents. Slick appointment calendar provides quick access to a specific date. Handy Shortcuts button quickly launches frequently used apps. Sync Outlook e-mail and contacts using Wi-Fi or USB. Makes VoIP calls. Expandable memory via microSD slot.
TIRED
Echoey call quality. No 3G support. Cramped keypad and slippery, rounded keys. Some voice commands (especially ones involving messaging or data entry) require additional button presses to work. OS is a little sluggish.