Tim Bray has a piece

I’m not gonna get into, in depth, my personal opinion on the iPhone on this blog- yet.
Suffice it to say that it doesn’t have a hardware based keyboard, and I am a firm believer that any and all portable devices purposed for email must have a keyboard.

The secondary function of a mobile business device is almost always email. And where voice doesn’t grab the primary slot, email will. But either way, email is always gonna take either primary or secondary in the importance list for business users.

Which leads to this; I have yet to see a user- any user (uber nerdy hacker/hip teenage Sidekick types included) type as fast on a soft keyboard (like the iPhones’) as on a hardware keyboard (like a Blackberry’s). Can’t be done…Rory Reids cutesy car shenanigan notwithstanding. The tactile input that the fingers register when hitting a key can’t be duplicated. Why do you think the super cool I-Tech VKB never took off (Joseph’s opinion notwithstanding)?

And there’s my opinion piece for the week.

Michael Gartenberg, analyst extraordinaire at Jupiter Research, just wrote an article for ComputerWorld  about the necessity for Windows to introduce and market a slimmed down version of Windows XP for the so called Ultra-Light Mobile PC space.

Gartenberg had been using the Asus Eee PC, an incredibly small, light laptop based on Linux when he realized the potential of an Eee meets Windows XP, and he installed XP-on-a-diet on the Eee using a tool called nLite. According to Michael, however, Windows Vista simply isn’t designed to run on the specs of most current ultraportables. Although there are exceptions, like HTC’s new Shift, OEM’s don’t pre-install the bulky, hardware draining beast that Vista is on their ultraportables.

Palm Foleo

And with the continued proliferation of the ultraportable space, this means that there is a burgeoning opportunity for Windows based, small laptop like devices. Palm’s oft ridiculed Foleo device, would have, in my opinion, crashed and burned due to it’s non-Windows based architecture. It was based in a Linux core, and was meant to serve a device companion, although unlike the REDFLY below, it could run on its own…or walk. Evidently, Palm shared my, and many others view, since they nixed it  last September…in pace requiescat. More on what it would have been here by Alan Grassia.

Celio REDFLY Mobile Companion

Celio has just recently entered this space, albeit with a completely different approach to the platform question; the Celio REDFLY is essentially a big Windows Mobile phone with a screen and keyboard in the form factor of a laptop- video review here. Except that it isn’t a phone. REDFLY uses a Bluetooth or wired connection from your current Windows Mobile cell, and blows up your phone’s screen to 8.9". For your data entry needs, there is a 92%? size keyboard included. The idea is that such a platform (Windows Mobile), software wise, is really not all that much more than what your average user requires. Problems arise from the physical dimensions of current Smartphones…they just aren’t large enough to accommodate serious data entry keyboards or screens suitable for viewing web pages without scrolling strain.

HTC Shift

Another innovator in this space is the HTC Shift mentioned earlier. To understand Shift, think really small laptop meets AT&T Tilt- see ample pictures in this review. Shift’s entry card to this post of platforms, however, is not it’s unique form factor. HTC actually includes a dumbed down version of Windows Mobile on the UMPC. Ostensibly designed for MS DirectPush use and quick access to basic PIM data, enthusiasts have hacked the Shift WM UI (called SnapVUE, by the way) to run the full version of WM.

Solution- New Windows Mobile should be Beefed Up.

Which brings me full circle to the title of this post. Since XP is not something MS wants to support going forward, and the Windows Mobile group is something MS wants to develop, why not simply offer a another, more powerful version of WM. So we’d have four versions; Standard, Classic, Pro, and Pro Plus (or whatever else they’d want to call it- I would never underestimate the MS marketing folks at coming up with yet one more dreary and dull name). The biggest issue that this solution presents is the application compatibility problem. Currently, programs written for the x86 platform won’t run on the WM platform (which in it’s current iteration is based on a Windows CE 4.2 core).

Enthusiast Tangent:                                                                                               There are a number of ways around this, with all sorts of creative folks going to extreme lengths to be able to successfully run desktop class applications on their PDA…for instance, check out the software mod that allowed Windows ‘95/98SE to run on an old Asus Pocket PC…

(Screenshot credit to PocketGamer.org)

Project Xanadux has ported a Linux environment that on handhelds…

(Screenshot credit to XDA-Dev Wiki).

And then there’re always the RDP/VNC folks, who use free or paid tools to remotely login to their desktop on their smartphone…

(Screenshot credit to InspectMyGadget.com).

OK- Enthusiast Tangent over.

The easiest solution I can see for Windows Mobile is to take the Windows Mobile core and work it up so that it can run low level x86 applications. Clearly, as demonstrated above, the hardware is there. So why can’t the Windows Mobile group develop a fourth version that can run x86 apps? We know that standardization is always a priority for MS- in fact, I’ve heard that Windows Mobile 7, the upcoming Touch/Gesture based mobile OS should be mobile OS agnostic with regards to application compatibility. That is, applications written for any version of Windows Mobile (Standard, Classic or Professional) should work on any of the others. Or perhaps there will only be on version. Whatever the scenario, surely it’d behoove MS to look into the feasibility of a Windows Mobile core that could run desktop class applications.

So there you have it. My solution for world hunger, peace in the Middle East, and the rest of it.

(Credit to photopia).

Basically, RSS formats news posts/blog updates/thread posts for delivery in a standardized feed based system. Chances are that if you’re reading this you either know what RSS is, or more likely, are actually reading this in an RSS reader yourself. For those of you new to RSS, or still searching for a setup that works for you, I though I’d describe my setup and how I arrived at it for you here…and just so’s were clear about the finances involved, every one of the products covered in this post are absolutely free.

FYI: Those of you new to RSS looking for a more involved primer on the basics of RSS should look at this detailed guide.

Previously, I’d used Google Reader, which is an online based reader, and has many advantages over a typical RSS program that’s downloaded to your PC like FeedReader or BlogExpress. The obvious one is that its accessible from any internet equipped computer, and since its web based, is also cross platform compatible. As it happens, this wasn’t a feature that I rarely had opportunity to make use of, since 99% of my usage is performed on my Sony Vaio, be it docked or around and about. The most useful feature that I miss in my current setup that Google Reader does have is its capability to quickly scroll through hundreds of items at a time, albeit with the caveat listed below in “C”. (I use the Logitech Dinovo Edge -current street price about $150- for this; it has a “touch circle” that is particularly apt for scrolling with a continuous circular motion down long pages, like Google Reader’s main page with all your news items). My problem with GReader, as its known, was trifold.

A)- I couldn’t read my feeds offline. Although my Vaio TZ notebook has a built in Sprint Rev. A broadband card with an active unlimited data plan ($60 per month with a 2 year contract), there are certain scenarios that I frequently find myself in where I do not have a connection or signal. Those times are precisely when I like to catch up on my feeds, and since GReader is web based, it obviously made for a serious problem.

B) No Windows Mobile accessibility. I often find myself without my trusty Vaio laptop, and just my Windows Mobile phone of the day. Unfortunately, Google Reader doesn’t have a mobile access option, (yet), as opposed to Gmail and Picasa Mobile which are compatible with IE Mobile, so I can’t view or update my feeds on my device.

C) Caching problem when reading at high speed. Since Google Reader is web based, after scrolling at high speed through a number of items, GReader hits the end of its cache and needs to update, which makes for an annoying pause. I’m a big fan of the whole “My computer should work as fast as I do”, and when it doesn’t, I start to get ticked off and try to figure out how I can make it go faster.

Clearly, GReader wasn’t an option for me.

After some investigation, I found a great alternative that offers a solution to problems A and B, and sort of to C, and it goes by the NewsGator moniker…

NewsGator’s FeedDemon, formerly a paid for solution but now gone free, has a downloadable PC client, as well as a Windows Mobile compatible application, called NewsGator Go!, which performs well, all things considered.

Like almost all WM RSS readers, its a bit sluggish, especially when switching items/feeds.

FeedDemon has a “PreFetch” option that allows it to download, in addition to the feeds themselves, a specified number of links out of the post as well.

This is really convenient for users (like me) who frequently find themselves without a connection. In addition, aside from access on my mobile and PC, NewsGator has a web option. The kicker here is that NewsGator synchronizes the read status of items across all the feeds. This allows me to access and read my feeds from anywhere, and lets me knock off feeds whenever I have downtime. Should I wish to save an item or pursue a news bit further at a later date, I can conveniently “Clip” it for later viewing (NewsGator’s version of bookmarking/starring),and it will show up in a special “Clipped” folder. For the record, NewsGator also offers more options for accessing your feeds, such as through Outlook (similar to the built in RSS Feeds), or on your Blackberry/Java device. They also happen to have a Mac client, not that I care in the least way. If you’re still on the fence here, I’d recommend looking at this guy’s deeper look into NewsGator, where he lists ten specific features unique to NewsGator vs. Google Reader.

Understand that this setup is in many ways specific to me. In other words, it may very well be that for your use case, a different setup involving GReader or another reader may be more efficient. I am not harping on Google Reader categorically, and do not want letter bombs or hate mail detailing the many reasons why I don’t know anything about tech (most of them probably true anyway). A personal RSS setup will by definition vary from person to person for maximum efficiency. Take the time to study the different option out there, and you’ll end up with a setup that suits you.

So that’s that. That is how I access and keep up to date with the latest feeds. Should you be interested in subscribing to the MobileOfficing.com feed, simply look at the upper left hand corner of the homepage, where I’ve integrated a number of quicklink Chicklets to add MobileOfficing.com’s news feed into a number of different readers with a single click using a cool Wordpress plugin called Chicklet Creator. Enjoy!

PLANon DocuPen RC800:-$299.99

The Hardware:

James Bond, here we come. Almost unbelievable in its 22^nd century-ness, the DocuPen packs one wowser of a wow punch. Serendipitously sleek, sliding it out of its black leather casing reveals a slim wand-like fellow about 10″ long, wearing a suit of silver and blue. Putting size aside, however, it looks and feels slightly “cheap”, as if pushed out of an Oriental factory at high speed without QA. In this case, though, “don’t judge a book by its cover” comes into play; the DocuPen held up just fine during the week or so of intensive testing and traveling I threw at it. Of the three, the RC800 is also the only one to integrate a rechargeable battery (100 mAh), as well as a microSD card slot in addition to its 8MB of built in memory. I’d suggest picking up a 512MB microSD card for a couple of dollars, especially if you plan on performing hi-resolution scans, like of photos- note that according to PLANon, the RC800 only supports SanDisk memory cards. A plastic door on the right side of the top of the pen opens up to reveal the memory card slot and battery. On the left, there is an icon driven selection tool using colored LEDs on the face of the device, which allows you to select different resolutions and scanning types (Color, B&W, and Greyscale). RC800 scans at a maximum of 400dpi (dots per inch), which is par for the course of many, more powerful scanners, but it can be set to lower-res scans as well. Actually using the pen is the most tricky part; since there is no auto-feeder, the user needs to roll the pen over the document/image. It takes some practice to achieve the perfect pace necessary for the scanner to “see” the document correctly- and the fact that different resolution scanning can go faster or slower only makes it more confusing. PLANon did add a red “X” icon on the icon menu that flashes when you’re going too fast, but it still took me awhile to learn the speed wants of the device- your mileage may vary.

The Software:

There isn’t much to talk about here…you’ll need to install the proprietary TWAIN driver, which allows you to import from the RC800 into other TWAIN compatible apps, like Windows Imaging, and ScanSoft’s PaperPort, which is the DMS (Document Management Software) included. DocuPen Scanner Control is the applet that does the import, and it also controls erasing scans from the pen, as well as setting the hi/low quality resolution options in the pen. PaperPort is a popular application, but personally, I prefer the ScanSnap software above, mostly for its ease of use. PaperPort does have some nifty export options, and lets you send the scan to a multitude of formats, including PDF and Word.

The Bottom Line:

When it comes to portability, this is THE scanner of all scanners. I personally never leave home without it- after all, you’ll never know what you’ll need to scan. It’s earned a permanent residence in my inside coat pocket, where it’s always available if need be. For serious or quantity scanning, however, this is not the way to go. The awkwardness of the scan combined with the low speed restricts it to novelty status for most. I can see future iterations being easier to use and more powerful, but for now, I rate the RC800 a 7.5 out of 10, most of which was awarded for its diminutive size.

Part I of III here.

Part II of III here.

UPDATE: Since writing this review, PLANon has introduced a “Mobile Elite” package, which adds on some accessories, like a mobile charger and more memory.

The Hardware:

In contrast to the ScanSnap, the NR scanner is downright ugly. Although far smaller than the S300 at only 10.8″ x 1.6″ x 1.3″, the NR scanner doesn’t come close to the clean, sleek lines of its larger sized competition. Which brings me to an interesting point; the NEAT Receipts solution is more about the software than the hardware, in contrast to the ScanSnap, which is mostly about the hardware. In fact, the NR scanner is a rebranded clone of an obtuse scanner, OEM’d by a company called PlusTek (called the M10 for those of you interested in such things). Technically, you should be able to use any scanner with the NR application, although NR claims that their PlusTek rebrand has better integration- which doesn’t make all that much sense to me, but whatever. Either way, the NR scanner does have advantages, particularly when it come to portability- aside from the size, the NR scanner only requires one cable; the single USB A>B is all you’ll need to both power and connect the device. I do wish it was a miniUSB cable, but I suppose the single A-B is better than the ScanSnap’s dual cable arrangement. The two buttons on the top of the scanner are a simple SCAN button (which initiates, of all things, a scan), and a CUSTOM button that allows you to rescan/finish a scanned doc to PDF.

Since the NR solution is all about the software, however, let’s dive right into that…

The Software:

Scanalizer is the unique, patented technology that is the core of the NEAT Receipts solution. As far as I know, NR is the only application that can scan and populate data fields automatically, such as with receipts and business cards. As opposed to other solutions that scan to PDF, the NR app scans and populates your receipts into its own database (a SQL Express Server). That database is searchable (of course), and integrates with a host of third party options, including exporting to Excel, Quicken, Quickbooks, and MS Money.

It’s clear that NR is based around the receipts scanning function, and NR has definitely cornered that market. Because so many corporations require employees and field personnel to submit actual copies of receipts, NR is a true lifesaver for many- just take a look at their forums of you don’t believe me. Once the receipts have been scanned in- a relatively painless procedure- they can stored and categorized with IRS compliant forms, which can be a real savior come tax return season. Unfortunately, the applications GUI suffers from poor design, and incredibly ugly looking icons and menus; don’t expect Mac-like surface shine here. Worse, I found the application unbearable slow and cumbersome- switching panes and organizing receipts was molasses-like. You can also use NR to scan documents to PDF, as well as import business cards. Oddly, the NR application can’t import existing PDFs into its database; if you want to archive pre-scanned PDF receipts, you’ll need to print them out and rescan them. The good news is that according to sources at NeatReceipts, they plan to come out with a completely reworked GUI sometime next year…the bad news is just that- next year is too far away. As an aside, they are also hard at work on coming out with a MAC OS compatible version (also redesigned form the ground up), and supposedly are only months away from it.

The Bottom Line:

Clearly, NR has found a specific niche in receipts scanning, but although the only contender, they haven’t done a slam-bang job with it. Functionally, the application performs as advertised (on the whole), albeit very slowly. For day to day use, I found myself steering clear of the NR application for everything but receipt scanning, and even then with a grimace. On the flip side, NR promises to have a new and improved version out by Q4, and judging by the frequent updates, I’m almost holding my breath. NOTE: NR just released NR 3.0 SP 1; grab it here. Additionally, the NR website has an active community forum, and the NR staff is incredibly responsive. The owner and founder, a gentleman by the name of Rafi Spero, even responds personally to questions in the public forum here. Because of the slowness of the app, I had to knock off a couple of points, and overall, the NR solution rates a 7.3 out of 10.

Part I of III here.

Part III of III here. 

One particularly annoying remnant of the old analog days that we just can’t seem to escape from is…paper. Working in almost any office environment requires the processing, filing, and storage of reams of paper. And aside from the environmental issues, what happens when we need to go on the road? Today’s laptop cases and messenger bags are unforgiving on space, and when dealing with large briefs or lengthy, hundred-plus page documents, our papers tend to become dog-eared and tattered way too quickly. Let’s not even mention business cards, receipts, and other unrelated bits of paper. Any way you slice it, papers are a hassle. And yet, there are a number of ways to portably beat the paper monster…the three units discussed below range the gamut of features, and size, while all in the reasonable, sub-$300 price range. All of them have scan-to-PDF functionality, and 2 come with built in Business Card Recognition software, which will send your business cards over to Outlook in a jiffy.

Fujitsu ScanSnap S300:-$299

The Hardware:

By far the most powerful of the three, the Fujitsu S300 Color Image Scanner, although still marketed and targeted towards mobile users, isn’t really all that mobile at 3.1 lbs. I’d dread having to carry the S300 around, either in a laptop bag or attaché case, but then again, I’m in love with its feature set. Boasting a top speed of 8 PPM (Pages Per Minute)/16 IPM (Images Per Minute) and a top loading ADF (auto document feeder), the S300 is the only one of the three that is capable of scanning multiple documents in one go in addition to the time-saving duplex capability; and I can’t tell you how beautifully easy it is to simply dump a number of documents into the tray and wander off for a break while ScanSnap Manager does its thing. The unit’s specifications 11.18 in. x 3.74 in. x 3.03 in and it’s about the size of a large baguette, or small loaf of bread. Weightwise, it clocks in as slightly heavier than my Vaio TZ laptop, at just over 3 lbs, which admittedly isn’t all that impressive; somehow, the laptop’s accessories shouldn’t be heavier than the laptop itself. Only one simple button adorns its average looking, black/silver body- we’ll talk a little more about what it does in the software section. When it comes to power, the S300 is a veritable bloodsucker, and it requires a dedicated power feed via a standard barrel pin AC input, in addition to the standard miniUSB port for connecting to the PC. For travel, Fujitsu provides an extra cable that goes from a second USB port on your PC to the barrel pin jack. I’m happy with the miniUSB standardization, but a little annoyed at having to carry around two cables…at the very least, Fujitsu should have used a single cable with dual USB outputs into a single miniUSB, or some variation thereof, similar to some handheld external hard drives. In defense of the S300’s dual inputs, it should be noted that it features inline duplex scanning, which means that you can scan both sides of a document in one go- a feature not found on many high-end scanners. This functionality requires two separate scanning “eyes”, which may be the reason for the elevated power requirement. The only other point to mention here is the lack of a bundled carrying case, since the other two products both come with some form of protection. You can, however, go online and send in for a free case until March 30^th (Warning- PDF Link).

The Software:

ScanSnap Manager/Organizer is Fujitsu’s fantastic application set for the ScanSnap series, and it has several notable features. Primary among them is it’s searchable PDF conversion. What this does is scans the documents in at high-speed, and while your computer is idle, runs the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the previously scanned in pages-as opposed to reading the pages as a searchable PDF as they’re scanned, which is considerably slower. The Manager application allows you to set the settings how the S300 will scan in images/documents, and program in what pushing the scan button will do. Initially and by default, a menu will pop up, offering four options- you can scan-to-print, email, save to a specific folder, or save to ScanSnap Organizer, which will let you manage and browse your scanned PDF’s in an Explorer type view. A unique fifth, user installable option is scan-to-SharePoint, which seamlessly uploads the PDF to your SharePoint server. I played around with this, and after the one time setup of my SharePoint username/password, everything worked as expected. The other application that Fujitsu bundles is a program called CardMinder, which is meant for scanning in business cards and allows for export to Outlook. Obviously, it isn’t as robust as dedicated business card scanning applications (like CardScan Executive), but it’ll do nicely if you don’t have a dedicated business card scanning solution.

The Bottom Line: 8.3/10

While the S300 doesn’t offer any particular niche applications (such as NeatReceipts receipt scanning functionality), and suffers from a severe bulk problem (it’s huge, comparatively), it does do the job better than the other solutions mentioned. That said, I hesitate to carry it out of the office, and find myself only bringing it out and about when there will be serious scanning to be done, or on extended leaves. Because of its power draw issue, super-size, and other miscellaneous niggles (like no bundled case) I had to knock off a point or so, and it ends up with an 8.3 out of 10 rating. If you are the business user who will be taking this along on infrequent trips, but mostly sitting tight in the office/home, then this without question the scanner for you.

FYI: WIRED also ran a small review on this late January. They basically liked it (I think), and mentioned something about Bluetooth.

Which got me wondering- why don’t these things have Bluetooth built in, along with a battery. The battery part has been done by PlanON,-hang on for Part III-, but without Bluetooth, the portability factor will always suffer. Any ideas anyone?

Part II of III here.

Part III of III here.