Remember the buzzword convergence? It’s back.
The Motorola V200 is one of the technology industry’s most recent attempts at jamming multiple functions into a single device.
Want a two-way pager with a full keyboard, cell phone and personal digital assistant rolled into one?
The V200 is it.
Want all that in a convenient, compact device that has a bright, large screen with easy-to-press keys?
This is not quite it.
The V200, which retails for $299 without a service plan and $219 with a one-year contract with Verizon Wireless, has a lot of promise.
The thumb-operated keyboard is much easier to use than a telephone keypad for writing messages. But Motorola squanders this advantage by giving you small, pudgy keys.
Another flaw is the screen. The V200 screen is bigger than average cell phone screens, but not by much.
Many devices it competes with, including the Handspring Treo phone, have much larger screens that can better display text and simple graphics.
The phone side of V200 works well. Users can talk on the device through a built-in speakerphone or with a headset.
The V200 is one of a family of phone-pager combos that Motorola has developed.
Perhaps the next generation of these devices will fulfill their potential.
See www.verizonwireless.com or www.motorola.com for details.