BIOS: Technology Means Business

The SPV M500 is one of the smallest Windows Mobile communicators, but Orange has done a great job at packing a relatively powerful operating system into a highly pocketable package. Ideal for business users thanks to its excellent pre-installed productivity software, voice recorder, and 1.3-Megapixel camera, the only real limitations of the device are lack of built-in Wi-Fi and just 64MB of memory. If you're looking for a solid business companion to stay in touch with the office when you're on the road, but don't want a full-size PDA or regular smartphone, the SPV M500 would make a good choice. Just don't expect a cutting-edge design or bells-and-whistle features.

Pros: Compact; 1.3 Megapixel camera; Bluetooth; excellent software
Cons: Ugly; small screen; no Wi-Fi or 3G; only 64MB RAM; no flash

The latest PDA Smartphone from Orange can be used as a multimedia device or tri-band mobile phone (900/1800/1900MHz with GPRS Class 8/10), thanks to its compact size and all-round performance. It's particularly suitable for those who use a PDA (personal digital assistant) for business, as its ability to synchronise with office data (e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, and so on) is seamless. The tiny all-rounder also offers advanced voice command functionality, allowing you to take voice annotations in meetings for playback in your office at a later date.

The Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Phone Edition-powered SPV M500 joins the Orange SPV range and is designed to succeed the SPV M1000. The device is considerably smaller (58x108x18mm, 150g) and is now slimmer and narrower than a packet of cigarettes. Another neat new feature is the integrated voice command software for telephone number dialling, which allows you to allocate a voice signature to each individual contact. We also liked the USB charging feature that does away with a desk-hogging docking station.

Orange hasn't forgotten about multimedia features, either. The SPV M500 is the first Smartphone from Orange with a built-in 1.3-Megapixel (1280x960 pixels) digital camera. Business users, such as estate agents and architects, can capture images and then view them on the 320x240-pixel (2.8-inch) screen which supports 65000 colours. You can also send the images directly from the Smartphone using the integrated e-mail application. Unfortunately, there's no flash and the 2.8-inch screen is smaller and a little duller than most standard-sized Pocket PCs.

Technical specifications aren't out-of-this-world either, but the SPV M500 is more than capable of helping you to run your business on the move and enjoy a little multimedia in your spare time. It's powered by a 416MHz Intel PXA270 processor and 64MB of RAM, and external storage support comes in the form of a single SD card slot (SDIO-compatible). Navigating the device is done via the 5-way jog dial, two programmable buttons, as well as phone call/end buttons. The dedicated call buttons are a great feature because it means you don't have to wade through menus to make a quick call. Having said that, finding a contact requires two hands.

On the left edge of the unit is a slider that activates both device and in-call volume. This is flanked by two buttons: on a short press, the lower one activates the built-in voice dialling, while on a long press it starts the voice recording software; the upper button launches the built-in camera takes a photo on a second press. The right-hand side accommodates the power button, which is flush with the casing to guard against an accidental press. An infrared port is on the lower right edge. There's also the customary stylus, which resides in a dedicated recess at the right-hand side of the PDA, as well as a mono speaker.

The pre-installed ActiveSync application supports access to office data anywhere and at anytime through data synchronisation both with a PC/laptop and via GPRS with a server (Exchange 2003). As with the previous Orange SPV M1000 and SPV M2000, Pocket Excel and Word are pre-installed, along with programs to view PDF files and PowerPoint presentations. You also get pocket versions of Windows Media Player (Supports MP3, MPEG-4, WAV, MID, WMA) and Internet Explorer.

The integrated GPRS monitoring function shows the amount of data being sent and received via the SPV M500 at any time. You can produce hourly, daily or monthly transmission reports and transfer them to your PC. This is a great feature for business users who need to take a tighter grip to their data communications. Using this software, developed by Spb, you can also obtain estimate of costs or of the remaining data volume included in your price plan.

Orange quotes the SPV M500's 1000mAh Lithium-Ion battery life at around 5 hours' talk time and 7.5 days on standby. In our tests we very much got similar results, which are actually very good for this type of device. You should note however, that an add-on Wi-Fi card will reduce the battery life considerably when connecting to a network. [7.5]