Datawind's PocketSurfer 2R hits the market! (see all PocketSurfer 2R Reviews)
Accessories
Proporta Alu-Leather Case £26.95
Stylz Case £11.99
Stylz Leather Case £14.99
Car Charger £5.98
Charger £8.99
USB Charger £11.99
Datawind PocketSurfer 2 - Fastest Draw in the West?
For a page that normally takes the average web enabled device a minute or 2 to download, the PocketSurfer 2 does in 7 to 9 seconds. That stat becomes even more amazing when you consider the PocketSurfer 2 (PS2? rofl) is the only device in it’s size category that can render pages in their original layout with full graphics. Albeit on a teeny tiny screen. Haven’t read anything about downloads and how it supports those
From the DataWind Press release yesterday, also reported on ministry of tech:
DataWind Net Access Corporation, “DataWind,” a leading provider of wireless web access products and services, today unveiled the new version of PocketSurfer™, the World’s fastest handheld Internet device according to Datawind. PocketSurfer™ is an ultra thin, sleek mobile device, the first of its kind to actually deliver the full power and original graphic intensity of the desktop web, rapidly and wirelessly - to the palm of your hand. PocketSurfer “just works” - no more caveats restricting your productivity on any web site or application.
On the main stage at the Canadian Pavilion at 3GSM, DataWind CEO Suneet S. Tuli presented the new PocketSurfer 2 to an audience of international press and analysts. Mr. Tuli then challenged the audience to see if anyone’s handheld device or PDA could download web pages faster than PocketSurfer - anyone that managed to beat PocketSurfer would have received a free device. However, as expected, PocketSurfer held strong with its claim of the fastest speed of a handheld Internet device!
Now me personally, the moment he said that I would have pulled out my trusty device and cached 3 or 4 pages because hey, free is free yanno? But alas the friendly Barcelonian atmosphere kept everyone honest. DataWind will be exhibiting PocketSurfer at their stand at 3GSM in Barcelona February 12 - 15 (Stand 2.1C58) and they have stated that the offer is still open. So if you’re in the area run up to the stand like a mad man, whip out your PDA, and yell CHALLENGE!
The new PocketSurfer 2 is much thinner than the first one, and now has a backlight on the full QWERTY keyboard.
At 3GSM, DataWind CEO Suneet S. Tuli showed the new PocketSurfer 2 to the audience and challenged anyone’s handheld device or PDA to download web pages faster than PocketSurfer - anyone who could beat the PocketSurfer would have received a free one. Apparently, no one beat it.
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DataWind Unveils World’s Fastest Handheld Device, “PocketSurfer 2”
Posted Feb 12th, 2007 by Chief Gizmateer
I love it when a gadget company lives up to the hype by “eating their own dog food.” Well today on the main stage at the Canadian Pavilion at 3GSM, DataWind CEO Suneet S. Tuli presented the new PocketSurfer 2. Then he challenged the audience to see if anyone’s handheld devices or PDA could download web pages faster than PocketSurfer. Mr. Tuli offered anyone that could beat the PocketSurfer a free device; however, the PocketSurfer held strong with its claim of the fastest speed of any handheld Internet device.
Tuli went on to speak about the forthcoming UK launch of PocketSurfer this spring, which will feature the unprecedented offer of FREE wireless internet service included with every PocketSurfer sold in the UK. This valuable offer, especially when the UK has yet to see a value-for-money unlimited data plan, is made possible by DataWind’s high-speed delivery platform that can reduce pages up to 1/30th of their original size, reducing network load and therefore costs. Apart from the end-user perspective, PocketSurfer also offers mobile operators, for the very first time, the ability to increase and earn new ARPU without charging subscriber fees. Conventionally it is the other way around.
The Geeks love it when a demo goes awry, but we love it even more when a new product works as described in a real world test. We like the look of this new device BUT the product name has a bit to be desired…
BARCELONA, Spain (3GSM World Congress) - February 12, 2007 - DataWind Net Access Corporation, “DataWind,” a leading provider of wireless web access products and services, today unveiled the new version of PocketSurfer™, the World’s fastest handheld Internet device. PocketSurfer™ is an ultra thin, sleek mobile device, the first of its kind to actually deliver the full power and original graphic intensity of the desktop web, rapidly and wirelessly - to the palm of your hand. PocketSurfer™ “just works” – no more caveats restricting your productivity on any web site or application.
PocketSurfer™ downloads web pages at the speedy rate of 7-9 seconds per page, the fastest way to view the web on any cellular network. PocketSurfer™ is the only handheld Internet device in its size category able to render web pages in their original layout, with full graphic functionality. The second version of this groundbreaking device improves upon the original PocketSurfer™ in a number of ways; firstly the form factor has been improved for a thinner, sleeker device that meets the design esthetic of today’s modern cell phones and devices, and second, it now has a backlight on the full QWERTY keyboard from the original model. Most importantly, the PocketSurfer™ now has a fully-integrated cellular radio-modem to deliver those blistering speeds independently, wherever the user happens to be.
Today on the main stage at the Canadian Pavilion at 3GSM, DataWind CEO Suneet S. Tuli presented the new PocketSurfer™ 2 to an audience of international press and analysts. Mr. Tuli then challenged the audience to see if anyone’s handheld device or PDA could download web pages faster than PocketSurfer™ – anyone that managed to beat PocketSurfer™ would have received a free device. However, as expected, PocketSurfer™ held strong with its claim of the fastest speed of any handheld Internet device!
Mr. Tuli also spoke about the forthcoming UK launch of PocketSurfer™ this spring, which will feature the unprecedented offer of FREE wireless internet service included with every PocketSurfer™, sold in the UK. This valuable offer, especially when the UK has yet to see a value-for-money unlimited data plan, is made possible by DataWind’s high-speed delivery platform that can reduce pages up to 1/30th of their original size, reducing network load and therefore costs. Apart from the end-user perspective, PocketSurfer™ also offers mobile operators, for the very first time, the ability to increase and earn new ARPU without charging subscriber fees. Conventionally it is the other way around.
On the launch of PocketSurfer™ Version 2 in Barcelona, Suneet S. Tuli, CEO of DataWind, commented: “With PocketSurfer™, mobile users can surf the Internet anytime, anyplace and enjoy the same rich media graphics and browser functionality of the desktop experience! This device is going to revolutionize the way we work, play, communicate and fully leverage the web wirelessly.”
DataWind will be exhibiting PocketSurfer™ at their stand at 3GSM in Barcelona February 12 - 15. Please stop by and visit them in Stand 2.1C58, Hall 2-1 (Canadian Pavilion) If your PDA or handheld downloads web pages faster than PocketSurfer™, you will win a free PocketSurfer™ on the spot!
DataWind is a leading provider of wireless web access products and services. Based on several international patents, DataWind’s breakthrough technologies solve the bandwidth limitations of cellular networks by accelerating content delivery by factors of 10X to 30X. The DataWind PocketSurfer™ Web Viewer is the first product to deliver the experience of the desktop Internet efficiently to a mobile cellular customer. DataWind is based in Montreal, Canada. For more information please visit: www.datawind.com
Super fast internet on the go is here
PocketSurfer2 loads web pages 30x faster than iPhone
Canadian wireless internet device maker DataWind showed off its PocketSurfer2 device to Tech.co.uk at the Canadian High Commission in London last night. The company claims that the device will speed up web searches by up to 30 times. It could be the answer to efficient web surfing on the go.
Imagine being in a taxi on the way to a meeting. To fill the 10 minute journey time, you think of doing an internet search of the company you're travelling to. Doing this with a standard web-enabled phone can be a gruelling experience, but the PocketSurfer2 could change this.
In those 10 minutes in the cab, you'd be able to check up on the company history, its management, stock information, plus check your email and the latest news while you're at it.
The PocketSurfer2 works by effectively compressing content down, while still retaining the look and feel of a website as you'd expect from a standard-sized computer.
Ultra-portable
It's an ultra-portable internet communications device. It allows you to browse the web in its original HTML layout, with full graphics, Java support and other functionalities, on its 640 x 240 colour widescreen display. An integrated mouse pointer and a full-format, backlit Qwerty keyboard completes the package.
"Our goal was to deliver the real web, fast and free," Suneet Tuli, CEO of Datawind, told us.
"With PocketSurfer2 mobile users can surf the internet anytime, anyplace and enjoy the same rich media graphics and browser functionality of the desktop experience. This device is going to revolutionise the way we work, play, communicate and take advantage of the wireless web," Tuli added.
The PocketSurfer2 uses GPRS rather than the faster 3G technology. DataWind said they chose the GPRS technology since it's cheaper and has a much broader coverage than 3G networks.
"Even on GPRS, the PocketSurfer2 is faster than most handheld devices running on EDGE or UMTS 3G, eliminating the need for an expensive 3G modem, which would significantly increase the cost of the service."
Look and feel
The web pages we tested ( Tech.co.uk ) as well as graphics heavy web pages such as CNN.com ) loaded in less than seven seconds. And they retained their look and feel.
DataWind's back-end acceleration technology couples the device with the power of a high-end server with pretty much infinite bandwidth. This combination reduces page size, which can bring down data consumption by factors of 10x to 30x. And this causes the speed-increase, compared to other devices.
Tuli compared the PocketSurfer2 web experience to that of the Apple iPhone . "It's a great product - a great phone and a great iPod. In reviews of the device, its Safari web browser has been widely praised - but the overall speed and responsiveness hasn't been great. So much for Apple's 'real internet' claims," he said.
The PocketSurfer will be on sale in the UK as of the first week of August for £180. Basic usage (20 hours per month) is included free for the first year, with no additional fees. Basic use for the second year costs a maximum of £40 for the whole year. Heavy users can opt for the unlimited access option for £6 per month.
Now tempting your wallet via the Clove website is the Datawind PocketSurfer2, a small, simple web-connected device with
low cost connection fees providing “pocket broadband access.”
Priced at a reasonable £180, the PocketSurfer 2 comes with a built SIM that lets you connect to the Internet for up to 20 hours per month for one year for free. After that, users get hit with a £39.95 yearly connection fee.
Sporting a rather bizarre design that looks like Tron meets the Motorola Razr, the keypad offers oddly shaped, angular keys, with a selection of quick access keys running down the left hand side.
Reviews so far have borne out this nippy surfing, with web pages sent from Datawind’s server, with clever-clogs algorithms prioritising straight text page elements and shrinking down images, resulting in web page content being compressed by a factor of up to 30.
Pages are navigated via a clunky four-way navipad with a dedicated button letting you switch between standard and full screen mode.
Content can be uploaded to the free 25GB online storage vault provided by Datawind, and there’s support for email, SMS, IM and remote PC access, although anyone looking for a mobile multimedia experience will be disappointed to discover there’s no speaker onboard (and thus no VoIP).
Unfortunately, the Flash-tastic website was frustratingly low on detail, so we’re not sure what other apps are on board, neither was their any indication of what the operating system looks like. There’s still a lot to be said for simple HTML when manufacturers are trying to inform the public about their product rather than trying to bedazzle us with swishy animations.
So long as you stay within your allocated time limit, there are no separate network operator fees or service charges, with heavier users invited to shell out an additional £5.99/month for unlimited web access.
Comments
Wed 16 January, 2008 5:02am
Played with one for ages in PC World today. Very impressed. Finally found the controls to alter the contrast and brightness - made a huge difference. Great picture. Got straight onto eBay and could go through the listings just the same as at home on my PC. Does anyone know if it is safe to use with personal info such as eBay accounts - don't want my account to be hacked. Also, what about the issue of safety when banking through it? Any answers yet? Mind you, I can live without banking on it but I'd love to be able to bid on eBay - I've missed so many auctions as eBay access is blocked on our works computers. This would be ideal. Trawling the internet now for the best price. Can't wait to get one.
Sun 27 April, 2008 2:50pm
I have just bought my pocket surfer 2 and think it is great for what i want it for MSN & e-mails, I take it in the car and it lasts 5 hrs as my laptop only lasts 1 hour,it is also very quick, it takes a little time to get used to like everything else, but after that it is great.The only thing i didn't like was the light going out all the time but i suppose thats to save on the battery,but you get used to that the more you use it. I would recommend it to all my friends.
Mon 30 June, 2008 11:13am
I own a Pocket Surfer 2 and i am impressed with the speed that it is able to process an internet page. My computer broke down last month and was not easy to repair. In this time i used my Pocet Surfer 2 to update my profiles and check other internet functions. The best part is, i saved money in this month on internet bills! The internet on this product is FREE!
PC Retail went to the worldwide launch of Canadian company, Datawind's PocketSurfer2 – a peripheral for mobile phones which allows high speed Internet browsing on a clamshell device with full QWERTY input – with no contracts and no cost other than the cost of data used by your mobile phone
.
The product, which is being distributed in the UK by Widget, works by connecting to the Internet via a regular GPRS, but offers speeds comparable to HSDPA, or 3.5G as it is sometime known.
Indeed, many of the demonstrations highlighted the fact with the most striking being a comparison between the PocketSurfer2 and the iPhone, with the iPhone taking over three minutes to load the eBay site while the PocketSurfer2 easily coped with eBay.
It then moved onto the National Rail website which is well known for being slow on mobile devices, even on 3G, yet loaded it with five to seven seconds. Not as fast as a desktop but massively faster than any other mobile Internet device to date.
Some at the event were positive about company's decision to split the product into two markets with the consumer model being handled by one company and the business model being handled by another.
Indeed, while the business model was being aimed squarely as a device to complement the use of a Blackberry – a device which the Canadian trade commissioner was keen to point out was another Canadian product – the consumer model was the one that excited much of the channel that was in attendance with different colours and pre-installed programs promised.
One of the device's major selling points is it's compatibility with services such as MSN Messenger and full website functionality with sites such as MySpace and Facebook – something that Datawind was keen to push as no-other phone to its knowledge can achieve the same.
Many at the event including investment firms and channel representatives were excited the product's potential, however, many erred on the side of caution warning that an RRP of £180 may be a bit pricy for some customers and that it's success would largely depend on how it was marketed.
Further coverage of this launch will be in the August issue of PC Retail magazine.
If you're worried about racking up huge bills surfing the web using a mobile connection, then Datawind's PocketSurfer2 should ease your mind.
Free web access is included with the device, so you don't need to pay extra every month just to use it. You get 20 hours a month included for the first year, and then it will cost you £39.95 to renew it for a further year. Compression technology is included to speed up web surfing, reducing page load times to around seven seconds.
It has a half height VGA screen, Qwerty keyboard and supports full HTML and Java. It's small enough to carry around with you, measuring just 152x75x15mm and weighing 174g. The built in battery will last for up to five hours of web surfing or five days in standby.
The Pocketsurfer2 will be available from 16 August for £179.99, see DataWind's site for more information.
PocketSurfer2 Features
Features:
- Independent self-contained unit
- GPS location information
- Lithium polymer battery
- 5 hours battery life for active usage, and 5 days standby
- Built-in high performance antenna
- Transreflective backlit display
- 640 x 240 VGA colour
- Mini USB charger
- Mouse pointer
- Backlit QWERTY keyboard
- Sub 7-second page-load
- Web browsing in original layout
- Weight - 174 grams
- Dimensions - 152 x 75 x 15 mm
Lacking 3G doesn’t seem to have hurt the iPhone, so DataWind has all its body parts crossed in the hope that it won’t hurt the prospects of its PocketSurfer2 (pictured) either.
Similar in function to Nokia’s N800 internet tablet, PocketSurfer2 shuns both Wi-Fi and 3G in favour of GPRS – that iPhone-revived internet solution that we thought died out years ago.
Despite the relatively aged tech, the eggheads at DataWind claim to have some superhuman compression in place to speed up loading times to a max of seven seconds, even with gloriously graphics heavy sites like Stuff.tv.
All pages are displayed in their full HTML glory on the 640x240 widescreen and a backlit full QWERTY keyboard should make email and leaving wall comments on Facebook easy.
Like the N800, it’s purely for browsing and can’t make calls but it can download PDFs and does pack GPS location info.
Those of us in the office with deep pockets but unusually short arms particularly like the fact that it’s completely free to use for up to 20 hours a month. While pricing plans for real hardcore users are yet to be announced it sounds like the perfect web pal for those of us a bit too stingy to splash out on an iPhone.
Internet for the older generation
12 Jun 2008
Susan Hall "Susan Hall" (Berkshire) - |
I have never had internet but recently have been under pressure from children and grandchildren to set up an email account. I didn't want to buy a laptop/computer (I couldn't afford to) so when I heard about the pocketSurfer it seemed like the perfect solution. Since buying it I have set up an email address and even use it to look up tv schedules. I must admit I found it a bit fiddly to begin with but now I'm used to it it's fine. It was a lot of money to begin with but nothing compared to what I would be paying if I was on a monthly contract with an Internet provider. I don't think i will ever use up my free hours! I would recommend this to anyone, especially the older generation who may not already have the internet...you don't know what you are missing.
Surprisingly handy!
2 Jan 2008
C. Hodges "bigchodge" (Wales, UK) - |
I bought this as a late Christmas present to myself after seeing it featured on several web-sites. I run a small internet business but in my full-time job I have no internet access and I was finding that I would have wait until the evening when I got home to do things like answer urgent emails (which of course was often too late!). The web on my mobile was a pain as my email would not display properly on it. This handy little device lets me view and answer emails in my lunch hour, as well as catch up on the news, weather reports and general surfing when I'm bored. I've quite surprised how often I reached for the device to check something online. Most of the web-pages load in the 7 second time the specs say, although scrolling down can be painfully slow on some web-pages. Text input of web-pages can also suffer from lag as well. The pages look like they should, but viewing videos and photos is out. The screen's colours are a little washed-out, the front cover is that glossy black that attracts finger-print marks and the build-quality could be better. I like the keyboard - the keys are generally well placed and I've had no trouble using it despite my big fingers. I bought the leather case for £15 and it protects the pocket surfer very well.
I haven't come close to using up my 20 hours per month of alloted usuage, but it remains to be seen how much they will try to charge me when my first-year usage runs out and whether it will be the £40 they have quoted. Generally though, I'm very happy with it and it's the closest thing to having the full web in your pocket without having to find a wi-fi spot.
