User Interface

As with any Windows Mobile 5.0 device, I have mixed feelings about the JAQ3’s user interface. Windows Mobile 5.0 is quite usable in most parts without a stylus, which is very important in my opinion, but there is the occasional window or option that just can’t be access one-handed, forcing the use of the stylus.

Thankfully, some parts of the user interface that are not accessible on some WM5 devices are easy to get to on the JAQ3. For example, the user is able to select multiple items in a list, such as in the File Manager application, by holding down the shift key on the keyboard and pressing up or down on the d-pad. A long tap of the stylus can be mimicked by holding down the center select button on the d-pad, and it is little things like this that go a long way toward a usable interface.

The Start menu button is ever present in the top left hand corner of the screen, and is easily accessible with the dedicated hardware button. Like other Windows Mobile devices, this holds shortcuts to your most recently used applications, a list of favorite applications, and links to the full programs menu, settings menu, and help database. The programs menu is a 4×3 list of icons, as is the settings screen.

Applications can make use of numerous UI elements, including buttons, drop down lists, and tabbed screens. All of this combined makes Windows Mobile very friendly to those coming from a Windows-based PC.

The Today screen forms the home base of the Windows Mobile experience, and can list many aspects of the device like the status of all wireless services, the active profile, unread message counts, and upcoming appointments and tasks. Features of the Today screen can be customized, though the actions associated with the softkeys are fixed, so the user must make use of the Start menu should he or she want to run different applications.

User interface speed is not what I would call fast, but it does get the job done. This is something that I feel is again hampered by the slower processor than some if its rivals. There are times when using the JAQ3 that you will be left wondering if your keyboard press or screen tap has registered, and redrawing the screen can sometimes take upwards of two seconds. The JAQ3 is useable, but only barely so.

Conclusion

The i-mate JAQ3 is a huge improvement over the original JAQ, there is absolutely no doubt about that. It even compares favorably to many other Windows Mobile devices on the market, with its landscape/keyboard form factor and WiFi connectivity. Herein lies the problem though, there are a lot of Windows Mobile devices on the market, and the JAQ3 just doesn’t get up and scream ‘buy me.’

While I would really love to give the JAQ3 a Highly Recommended rating based purely on its keyboard, there are a lot of aspects that go into a good Windows Mobile device. If you are specifically after a device with a touch screen and document creation categories, I have no reservations recommending the JAQ3, but if having a touch screen isn’t that high on your list, there are devices that accomplish much of what the JAQ3 achieves and are smaller, lighter, and faster. The T-Mobile Dash is a great example of this, as is the Samsung BlackJack, and there is a whole host of Windows Mobile 6 devices (including i-mate’s own JAQ4) on the horizon that might be worth waiting for.

So in the end, the i-mate JAQ3 is a great device, and is one of the best touch screen Windows Mobile devices, but falls just short of being what I feel is the best option. If you need a touch screen, this is the best you will get until the next wave of devices hit the market, but if you don’t need a touch screen or can wait a little while, there are better options around.

Rating: Recommended Pros: Fantastic keyboard, connectivity options, touch screen
Cons: No 3G, slow UI, poor speakerphone, smaller than average screen