Pocket PC review: Acer N311

The N311 is the more powerful and highly specified version of two new Pocket PCs from Acer.

It houses a full VGA resolution display, Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless networking, and is powered by a 400MHz Samsung processor.

Build quality is excellent. Finished in two-tone silver and black, the casing is extremely thin and light for a product so packed with power and features.

At only 135g and just 13.7mm thick it’s, superbly portable and the well-built chassis doesn’t creak or flex.

Its 3.7in, 640 x 480 pixel display is both clear and bright, taking up nearly the whole of the front of the device, while beneath it four control buttons and a thumb-operated joystick offer a responsive, polished feel.

A rather interesting-looking, angular cradle comes in two parts; a black, rubberised base and a clear plastic support that slots into place to offer the Pocket PC additional support.

The strange, asymmetrical shape of the cradle allows you to use the N311 in a horizontal, landscape orientation.

The rubberised parts keep the whole thing stable whichever way up you use it and a built-in socket allows you to charge a spare battery while the Pocket PC is in use.

Also provided is a USB socket which allows you to connect USB memory devices to the handheld device.

Although faster handhelds are available, the 400MHz Samsung S3C2440 CPU delivers solid performance, keeping the N311 agile and responsive. The Activesync synchronisation tool is also impressively quick.

Its 1,200mA Li-ion battery has rated life of eight-hours with the display inactive and takes three-hours to charge. During testing, we found power drained considerably quicker under continuous use with the LCD turned on.

The N311 is a solid Windows Mobile Pocket PC that’s well-designed and houses some decent features. If the price is outside your budget, you can buy the N310 for around £100 less but you’ll have to forego the cradle and built-in Wifi while also making do with a slower, 300MHz CPU.

See also:

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