Celio Redfly Windows smartphone terminal A more focused variation on the pointless ill-fated Palm Foleo, the Redfly attempts to bring laptop/netbook usability to the humble Windows smartphone. The first thing that strikes you about the Redfly is the quality, it is a very well constructed and a nice looking bit of kit. Measuring 2.5 x 15.2 x 23cm and weighing 0.9kg, …
So this thing is designed to do one, very basic thing. That one thing it seems to do REALLY poorly. It isn't compatible with most devices and, even when it is compatible, it doesn't support a substantial proportion of compatible software. It is also terrifically expensive.
So why 70% ?
It doesn't do it's job very well and it costs a fortune.
If someone marketed a can opener that only worked on some cans and, even then, kept leaving feck-off great jagged edges and cost you £30 would you give that 70% as well?
I thought the general idea of a percentage score was that it ranged from 0-100. I've never seen you guys give less than 60%. So, if we take the ACTUAL available range as 60-100 then a score of 70 is actually 25% which is a bit more like it, though still generous.
Not only are you going to get laughed at for buying a crock of a WM phone to start with, but doubly so when someone discovers its not actually a net-book you are using, but its just something which blows up all the inadequacies of Windows Mobile on to an 8" screen. When they find out you've paid almost twice as much as what an EEE PC 701 now goes for, they'll probably give themselves a hernia from laughing so hard.
As Cobblers says, get an EEE or any one of the hoard of similar net-books, and use any phone you like as a modem. You'll have a fast, reliable system (if you go with the Linux versions), running Firefox and all the plug-ins which is a universe away from the hopeless WM browsing experience. Open Office is also vastly more compatible than using the crippled little WM Office apps.
I dont think I'd give it house room. It does nothing very useful that my Eee701 wont do, and can't do a significant number of things that my Eee can.
Good battery life is the only killer app, and seeing as my Eee burns up most of its batteries playing DivX it loses on that front. as for charging the phone it seems a very big, expensive, complex way of carry a phone charger...or a spare battery...
Now, I'm no fan of this piece of crap (see above comments) but it does seem the "you should buy an Eee PC" brigade are missing the point some what.
The reason (Redfly thinks) companies are going to by fleets of these is because of the lack of risk. By keeping all the data and processing on the mobile phone, tucked safely away in Mr Big's very expensive suite pocket, it doesn't matter if they leave the laptop on the train, drop it on the airport concourse or have it stolen from their car whislst on holiday in Edinburgh They have lost nothing* because all the valuable stuff is still in their pocket and the Windows Mobile device offers remote wipe!
Yes, it would be cheaper to buy an Eee PC but it also increases the risk that the morons who use these things will go and give away all the company secrets.
Now, you (and I) may think that's an utterly moronic point and why not just implement over-the-air backup and decent security etc but, moronic or not, that is how they are trying to market these things so the Eee PC argument doesn't fly.
* where nothing = £330
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