The ViewSonic V37 is fairly easy to set up. ViewSonic includes Microsoft Outlook 2000 an ActiveSync on a CD which you will need to install to synchronize data with. It would have been nice if ViewSonic packaged Outlook XP instead of Outlook 2000 but that’s a small gripe. We used ActiveSync 3.7 which can be downloaded off of the Microsoft website.

USB connector (with AC attached)

Once you have the software installed, you can connect the cradle to the USB port of your system. If you wish to have the V37 charging while docked, then you will need to connect the AC adapter to the USB port. Once you dock the V37, Windows will detect a new USB device as installed on your system. After a few seconds, ActiveSync will start the synchronization process.

If you’ve used ActiveSync before, then there’s nothing at all different about this process here with the V37. I found the setup process painless and error free. Docking the V37 into the included cradle was a smooth process.

Usage

I’ve used the V37 for a week now and have found the PDA a pleasure to work with. The V37 is a physically thin PDA but it isn’t hard to hold at the same time. The PDA is taller than the iPAQ h2210 and has a good weighty feel in your palm. The stylus is also well constructed and easy to use.

My only concern would be the back battery switch which seemed a bit loose on my model. It hasn’t decided to move to the OFF position but should it do so, there goes all my settings. Let’s hope it doesn’t decide to do so. Despite being darker than the h2210, the V37’s display was good enough for everyday use around New York City. I brought the PDA with me all around the city under various lighting conditions and had no problems with it at all.

It would have been nice if the V37 had both a CompactFlash and the SD slot but I suppose you can’t have everything. The SD slot on the V37 is SDIO compliant and thus you’ll be able to use a Wi-Fi enabled SD card if you want wireless capabilities. We unfortunately do not have one in house as of yet but stay tuned. BlueTooth integration would also be a nice feature to have for the V37.

The inevitable question is should one purchase the V37 over other Pocket PC’s in the same price class. At $349.00 the V37 is competitively priced against other Pocket PC’s though yes – Dell still undercuts this with the Axim. However, you can find the V37 for around $300 or less on the net if you look around enough. There are definitely many things to like about the V37. This includes a fast 400MHz XScale processor, robust operations, and thin physical design. However, there are also some minuses which include lack of CF card slot, usage of Pocket PC 2002, no BlueTooth, and a slightly dim screen. It’s hard to differentiate this PDA from other devices in the same class. In fact the iPAQ h2210, though a bit more expensive, offers much more built in and a better screen. And if size doesn’t matter to you, then the Dell AXIM is a hard device to beat price-wise. This puts the ViewSonic V37 in a precarious position of not quite offering enough features while not entirely beating the market in price. With that said, it’s important to note that the V37 is a quality product and it will not disappoint in the features that it does implement. It’s a solidly designed PDA that functions well on an everyday basis. Ultimately which PDA you choose will be a very personal choice.

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