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| Product: Sharp TelMail TM-20 |
Company: Sharp Electronics |
| Web: www.sharpelectronics.com |
Phone: 800-447-9469 |
| Platform: Most analog phones (Win95/98/NT for PC Link feature) |
SRP: US$149
Street Price: same |
Cred Rating: | Special Award: |
When we reviewed the JVC PocketMail device on Street Tech a few months ago, we thought it looked like promising technology that still had some bugs to work out and some critical features to add and change.
The wizards at Sharp have answered our geekboy prayers with their implementation of PocketMail. Their TelMail TM-20 device works exactly the same as the JVC (see the JVC review for more details). Basically, you compose your mail on the handheld unit, dial an 800 number, hold the TelMail against the phone handset and your mail is transferred. Because the device doesn't use a conventional modem, it works on almost any type of phone: desktop, portable, cellular, payphone, etc. The PocketMail service is US$10/month. If you have an existing email account, you have to gateway it through the pocketmail.com domain (which is a bit of a drawback) to receive your regular mail.
The design of the TelMail is so much better than the JVC model. The cups on the acoustic coupler on the back of the unit don't have to be adjusted for each use. The cup that connects to your telephone handset's earpiece pops up and into position triggered by a little switch. The cup that goes over the phone's mouthpiece, slides up and down and clicks into place. This was a huge hassle on the JVC (making adjustments each time you used the unit, even on the same phone). Looking at the TelMail, you can't help but think: "Duh...why wouldn't any intelligent designer have come up with the Sharp solution?"
The TelMail also adds a memo pad and calendar. They're very basic, but if all you need is to track a few meetings and make a few short to-do lists, they work just fine. Finally, someone has realized the importance of cut and paste functions for such an email device. This missing feature really annoyed me about both the JVC and the InfoGear iPhone. Yes, we know it's not a full-blown computer or PDA, and yes, we know the price needs to be kept low, but Sharp managed to add this feature, why not other manufacturers? They were also able to offer a link to your PC (with the included "PC Interface Software" and serial cable). It allows you to back up and restore your TelMail data files and it even includes a basic address book editing utility. A third-party app called PocketLynx, which adds additional connectivity to popular PIMs such as Outlook and Act!, is also available for a disappointingly-high $70.
The TelMail also sports a better keyboard (with slightly larger keys and better action), a slimmer case and a cooler all-around design. Bravo, Sharp! Some designer there is actually paying attention for a change -- a welcome, but all-too-rarely-spotted, sign.
- Gareth Branwyn [4/8/99]
Other portable email devices reviewed on Street Tech:
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