The Hardware

The Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox 600 is a typical Pocket PC as we saw it before from other manufactures like Compaq, hp and Casio. It doesn't includes any Phone Edition today nor it includes as GSM/GPRS module like the Wireless Pocket PCs from o2 or hp. So it have to be compared - on the first sight with the iPAQ, the Jornada or the E-200 but in the long run, the competitors will be also Wireless Pocket PCs cause the Loox will get, later this year, a GSM/GPRS clip-on module which improves it to a Pocket PC Phone Edition.

Therefore I decided to compare it first with Pocket PCs Phone Edition Pocket PCs as size matters! Finally I will have a close look to the Loox functionalities, with it's buttons and expansion slots.

The Loox - compared to other Pocket PCs

Compared to Pocket PCs and Phone Edition Pocket PCs the Loox is more or less equal. From the slots, the closest competitor to the Loox is the Casio E-200; here the Loox has more or less the same size. However, you have to remind that the Loox doesn't only have a CF and SD card slot but also a Bluetooth slot. On the other hand, the hp iPAQ has still the largest screen. The Loox has a 3.5" screen only while the iPAQ has a 3.8" screen.
The hp Jornada 928 WDA is slightly longer than the Loox while the HTC Wallaby (o2 xda) is the same size - except the external antenna for sure.

From the thickness the Loox, the iPAQ and the E-200 are equal too. But again, the iPAQ has a SD card slot only while the Loox and the E-200 has SD and CF card slots. However, the Loox feels lighter in the hand and in the pocket!
Interesting is the comparison of the Phone Edition Pocket PCs with the Loox. All have near the same size here but you have to remember that the Wallaby and the WDA has the radio module already built-in while the Loox needs an additional expansion pack which is around half of the size of the Loox which have to be added here to get the same functionalities.

The Loox and its Details

On the left side the Loox has (from let to right) the infrared port, the navigation wheel, the FCSSpeedMenu button and the SD card slot

On the right side the Loox has (from left to right) the voice recorder button and the Bluetooth on/off switch

On the top the Loox has (from left to right) the stylus (which pops out by pressing it), the CF card slot and the headset jack which will be used later also for voice communication through the GSM expansion pack.
On the front side of the top you have (from left to right) the power switch, the status LED and the loudspeaker (which is built in on the top and can be used later with the GSM extension for voice calls).

On the backside of the bottom you have (left picture from left) the main power switch (as we know it from the iPAQ H3600 series too), the sync plug, above the extension pack connectors (like we also know it from the iPAQs) and the power jack.
On the front side of the bottom you have (from left to right) the green rounded Calendar quick launch button (which will be also used for GSM later), the Contacts quick launch button, the D-Pad, a Home/Today button and the red rounded Task quick launch button.

The cradle is already designed to be also the host for expansion packs. As you can see above, there is a notch to fit also for Loox with expansion packs, like the GSM/GPRS extension.

The stylus, made on plastic, is extendable which means you can pull it out on the top which gives you additional 5 cm. This is necessary cause otherwise it would be to short to use it.