User Review: Intermec 6651

This miracle can operate either as a conventional clamshell or be folded into a tablet! This marvel features a 7.4" daylight readable transflective display with an amazing resolution of 800 by 480 pixels. There are no words to convey the razor sharpness, no pun intended and legibility of this display. No other hpc and many laptops can't compete with the clarity of this screen.

Now, why did I say no pun intended? Simple. The SHARPness of the display, and the whole package for that matter, is the engineering brainwork of Sharp of Japan. Sharp has released the 7000 series and the Intermec Corporation has released a rebadged version , the 6651.

So what else makes this tiny marvel such a remarkable milestone? It's a combination of features that might individually be found on one hpc or another, but only the 6651 has them all wrapped up so neatly.

Let's start with the insides and work out shall we? Sharp elected to use a 129mhz MIPS cpu coupled with 32mb of fast ram. While not the most powerful, or arguably not the most future-proof cpu, Sharp has delivered one of the fastest hpcs on the market. The inclusion of 2mb of dedicated video ram is unique among hpcs and the display update of the 6651 is lightning quick. Sharp has somehow managed to coax every clock cycle of performance from the MIPS cpu. There is no hpc with similar clock speeds that perform on par with the 6651, and many faster hpc machines find the 6651 right on their heels in benchmark tests.

Sharp has chosen to offer the user their choice of Operating Systems stored in 24mb of virtually indestructible ROM. CE 2.11 or HPC 2000 are available allowing a user or corporation to best choose based on their needs. HPC 2000 is very flexible and offers extra features and depth lacking in CE 2.11. To demonstrate, HPC 2000 can execute many, but not all applications designed for Pocket PC 2000 as well as executing CE 2.11 programs. It's the best of both worlds. HPC 2000 includes Internet Explorer 4.01 which allows access to many more sites, secure sites among them.

So what other surprises are in store? Sharp has cleverly designed a 640x480 resolution camera into the hinge assembly so short videos or stills can be taken while the 6651 is in clamshell or tablet mode! While not the highest resolution the results are more than adequate for quick visual records made in the field. As an aside, you can video-conference in a pinch using the camera and Microsoft Portrait, freely available for download.

Sharp gave substantial thought to expandability. Like many hpcs there are CF and PCMCIA slots in easily accessible locations on either end of the 6651, unlike the Jornada series where HP elected to "hide" the CF slot under the machine. Unlike the Jornadas, and most other hpcs, the 6651 sports a USB host port. Yes, you read it right.

The USB host port allows access to a huge accessory base. Drivers have emerged from Japan allowing the 6551 to use a wide variety of mice, keyboards, floppy drives , memory keys and even external USB hard disks. You can plug in a USB hub and simultaneously use a variety of USB devices. Although this may compromise portability the option is there for the user to ignore or implement, hence my statement that you can have 90% of your desktop capabilities on the road.

Using the 6651 is pure joy. The 15mm keyboard is large enough for decent touch typing and has a responsive and tactile feel. The screen digitizer is sensitive and accurate, requiring light taps and responding well to drag operations. This is truly a hpc where hours can be spent on input without incurring agony. 

Speaking of which, the standard battery provides several solid hours of operation with the display backlight turned down and intermittent wifi card use. The 56k built-in modem is another power thrifty approach to check your email or do some light surfing. The battery charges fully in 2-3 hours from a heavily depleted state, much less time is required for a "topup".

Pocket Office and Outlook are the software mainstays of the 6651. Compatible with their desktop counterparts, Pocket Office users will feel right at home with the feel and operation of the software. Tasks, contacts and appointments are easily managed and kept in sync with your desktop Outlook data. Curiously though, syncing is done over serial, which is exceedingly slow, or once a partnership is established over wifi at blazing speeds.

History will one day prove the features and form factor of this hpc have reached a pinnacle that will be very difficult to surpass.

29 September 2005
Ron Baldwin

R or N Baldwin
459 Leacock Drive,
Barrie, Ontario, CA.
L4N 4X6