By Jon L. Jacobi
(01/04/01)
Each generation of the Rex handheld has garnered significant acclaim for packing a fully
functional handheld onto a Type II PC Card. The latest version, the Rex 6000 (sold under
the Xircom brand), adds a touch screen and other improvements, making it a possible
competitor to Palm and Pocket PC devices.
PDA on a PC Card
Like its predecessor, the Rex 5000 (the PDA formerly known as the Pro5), the Rex 6000 is
designed to slip into a Type II PC Card slot for easy data synchronization with notebooks.
But new to this model are its technochic silver coating and sharper, 240-by-120-pixel
screen. Alas, there's still no backlight, but that's just being picky for a unit this
small. With 2MB of memory, the Rex 6000 can also store four times more data than its
predecessor. It's powered by two lithium batteries, which Xircom promises will provide
enough juice for about six months of normal usage.
An onscreen keyboard automatically pops up on the Rex 6000's display, making it easy to use the stylus for data entry. And though the Rex is a bit slow when saving new information, the onscreen keyboard is remarkably responsive. Though only a single line of text is visible when you're entering data, you'll adjust to that in no time.
At the bottom of the screen is a row of icons for launching the various applications, such as the calendar, address book, task list, memo pad, simple calculator, world clock, and viewer for downloaded Web content. But more importantly, the Rex 6000 uses an open system, so you can download and install new applications, and Xircom has already announced plans for a scientific calculator, a currency translator, and games.
Although the included Rex applications are efficient, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out a couple of minor annoyances. When you sort the address book by first name or by company, then exit, and later return to the address book, you'll find that the entries are again sorted by the default last name. And while some screens have a Done button that you can tap with the stylus to return to a previous screen, many times you'll be forced to put away the stylus and use your fingertip on the action buttons along the right side of the screen.
Out of Sync
Xircom delayed the release of the Rex 6000 because of reports that the device synced
slowly with some laptops. We tested it in a notebook and with a desktop using the $40 USB
desktop cradle and had no trouble. The Intellisync software supports Microsoft Outlook and
other major PIMs nicely, but we had problems importing information from the Windows
Address Book without major editing within a word processor. Happily, the Intellisync Help
file told us exactly what we needed to do to correct the problem.
Pocket PC and Palm OS PDAs with their wireless and multimedia options are a bit more versatile. But the tiny Rex 6000, with its touch screen, its ability to load new programs and Web content, and its bargain $149 price tag, is an alternative well worth considering.