This isn’t a full review, but I wanted to at least get some reactions down sooner rather than later.
In general, I really like the device. I’ve been unhappy with the increasing trend toward smaller and smaller devices, so the size and weight seem just about right to me. The belt case it comes with is adequate and is my preferred way to carry it (since it has a sturdy belt clip and a magnetic flap that actually works), so I don’t have to worry about the logistics of carrying it in a pocket.
My biggest complaint about it is probably that it feels slightly unstable. I’ve been having constant problems with the GPRS service only working until I plug it in for a recharge, at which point it says it is connected but is no longer actually passing data (email won’t sync, DNS won’t resolve) and I have to completely reboot the device to get it to work. It also seems very sluggish and slow at times, and I find myself having to reset it on average once every other day. Other than that, though, I like how it works. The keyboard is great — I’ve built up a decent amount of speed quickly — and the stylus is conveniently placed. Windows Mobile 5.0 seems a lot nicer to work with than earlier versions, and I like it a lot better than the various versions of Palm OS I’ve used. It’s nice to have Outlook on my device and not have to worry about contact synchronization weirdness.
The wired stereo headset that came with it scraped up my ears, so I punted and got a Motorola Bluetooth headset. That’s been an interesting experience worth a separate blog posting.
I suspect that I will find a lot of my problems will just go away once I find a reliable set of ROMS to upgrade the device. Once I’ve done that and had a chance to compare, I’ll write the full review.
One important issue that I wonder about is how secure a device like this really is? Is there any antivirus protection in it? you can check your e-mails and you can surf on the Internet etc. and doing such things nowadays without any of antivirus protection is with an ordinary computer considered very unwise. As far as I can judge the same should go for these kind of devices? Before I buy this thing I want to make sure the security is sufficient.
I don’t have any dedicated A/V software on my device, but you can certainly get it for them. I tend to think it’s overkill — I’m very wary about where I browse to from my device, and I avoid opening attachments from email unless they’re documents I’ve already opened on my PC and just need to look at again — but that’s only for my usage patterns.
Generally, I’d say that Windows Mobile 5.0 is a secure platform, but when you buy a fully unlocked device (like the Qtek 9100), you’re able to get around a llot of those restrictions. On the other hand, you’re not tied down to the settings your network operator thinks you should have, so it’s easier to add software like A/V software and such.
My advice is to make sure you have adequate A/V scanning on your inbound email at the server, be cautious about how much Internet browsing you do on your device (directions and store web pages seem to be it for me), and generally be cautious and conservative. I can’t imagine wanting to use my device as my primary browser — it’s just too painful to pull up large pages — so my habits coincide with the device’s security defaults. As always, your usage may vary.