PocketSurfer offers unlimited browsing for £60
Datawind upgrades dedicated web browsing device
Written by Daniel Robinson
vnunet.com, 01 Oct 2008
Datawind has unveiled a new version of its PocketSurfer mobile internet device with the option of unlimited web access for a £60 fee.
The PocketSurfer2R, available from late October, is the third generation of the pocket-sized clamshell device which opens up to reveal a Qwerty keyboard and 640 x 240 screen.
Unlike a smartphone, PocketSurfer is a dedicated web browsing device, and its £199 price includes 20 hours per month of web access for a year.
After this, a subscription fee of £39.99 provides an additional year's access, while users can upgrade to unlimited access for £5.99 per month.
isited="1">The PocketSurfer2R features an improved colour display and a touchpad that replaces the four-way navigation key in older models. This enables users to navigate around pages faster, according to Datawind.
The device is aimed at users wanting to access the web anywhere while on the move, according to Datawind UK head David Elder.
"You can browse the web on a bus or a train, anywhere where you might have two or three minutes and you need to check on something," he said.
Although limited compared with smartphones, Elder said that PocketSurfer2R offers faster access to web pages than any other device, and enables users to access email, instant messaging and Google's online applications.
With built-in GPS, the device can also be used as a navigation aid when used with Google Maps.
Also new with the PocketSurfer2R is that users can now pay an additional £59.99 fee to get unlimited web access for the life of the device.
Users can also surf the web while abroad for just 5p per minute in the US and Europe, according to Elder, rising to 25p per minute elsewhere.
"You do not have to sign a contract, and there is no fair use policy, and no asterisks. When we say unlimited, we mean it," Elder said.
The company is able to offer this to customers because the device uses little bandwidth, receiving web pages from a proxy server in a compressed form over a GPRS connection.
Datawind also makes some money by placing small banner adverts along the top of the display.
Relevant Links
PC Advisor PocketSurfer 2R Review
Pocket Lint PocketSurfer 2R Review
Tech Radar PocketSurfer 2R Review
Stuff TV PocketSurfer 2R Review
PC Advisor Blog PocketSurfer 2R Review
Absolute Gadget PocketSurfer 2R Review
Beautimos PocketSurfer 2R Review
IT Pro Portal PocketSurfer 2R Review
GPS Junk 2R PocketSurfer Review
Datawind cranks out PockerSurfer2R
Datawind’s PocketSurfer2 garnered a bit of a cult following when it rolled up last year. So much that they’ve just brought us word of a spanking new model, the PocketSurfer2R.
Like it’s older sibling, the new PocketSurfer2R is all about sating your obscene web addiction on the move. There’s a 640x420 VGA screen, a backlit QWERTY keyboard, with web pages rendered in their original form, not in some pesky mobile version.
On top of that Datawind says it’ll rock ‘touchpad mouse navigation’ – so basically a trackpad you’d find on your regular lappie.
Other neat additions include GPS, but no 3G, so getting online might be an issue. Pricing also remains a bit of a mystery. After laying out £200, you’ll be expected to front up £60 for unlimited web, or pay £5.99 a month for the same deal.
Nice try Datawind, but with the Archos 5g already doing a similar job and offering space for thousands of tunes and videos, it looks like you’ll need to try harder next time.
Essentials
PocketSurfer2R
Price: £199
Contact: Datawind