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M88 iPhone Review

Monday, December 14th, 2009
iphone review


There’s no question that as the economy tanks and it makes less and less sense to continue to pay huge sums for monthly cell phone contracts, the iPhone clones are becoming more accepted and sought after.  There are many models to chose from, but only a few have WiFi, GPS, and Windows Mobile. I will review what is probably the more popular of these clones – the M88 (sometimes known as the MiPhone) - in this article.

Productivity And Smart Phone Features That Make It A Stand Out: As previously stated, not all clones have WiFi, GPS, or Windows.  The wildly popular i9 has Java (but so does the MiPhone), but not the rest. I find that the consumer base for this phone is different from that of other CECT users. Folks that like this phone want to be able to work and communicate away from their office without any hassles and the M88 has no problem meeting these demands.



This is a high quality phone and the reception, sound quality, and video picture are quite good. The speakers are loud (some people do not like this and will put the phone on vibrate, but they are nice if you use the MP3 player a lot.)  Of course, this phone contains all of the features of every other clone, like: web browsing; emailing / messaging; MP3 / MP4; handwriting recognition; voice recording; FM radio; e book reader; digital camera / web cam; and Bluetooth. 

A Dual Sim Quad Band: The m88 miphone also has dual sim slots and is a quad band, (which is where it differs from the CECT T32, and is probably why it is more popular.) 

Java, Too: This m88 wifi cell phone phone also contains Java 2.0, which allows you to download and use even more applications and software.  With this addition, there is very little that this phone does not have.  It is arguably the most loaded clone on the market. This phone does not have the ”shake and tilt” control of the i9 or other popular models, but it’s target audience doesn’t seem to care as they are more interested in productivity.

Performance: I like this phone.  miphone phone goes through the paces quickly with a very short response time.  The “menu flow” / “finger touch” screen is very responsive and has a sharp resolution.  I like that it is a regular size and not one of the new “minis” as this makes it easier to input data and read / edit documents. The SD card is expandable and makes it easy to transfer information back and forth (although you could email it also).  You can also transfer data to your computer via USB cable. (The memory is expandable via SD card to keep the phone from slowing down.)

Price: This is one of the most expensive clones on the market.  It is usually somewhere in the $200 range. However, you aren’t bound to contract with it and the dual sim slots allows you to find a cheap talk plan and then insert a data sim to use as needed to keep the cost down.  I find this to be a very nice phone that has about every feature under the sun on the cheap, with the savings continuing over the life of the phone.  If you don’t need the WiFi, Windows, or GPS, then you’re probably be happy with one of the other, cheaper clones like the i9, but if you need all of the features, in my opinion, the M88 is the way to go.

Highlights:

WIFI Quad bands Windows mobile 6.0 . Bluetooth 2.0, double camera. FM radio 3.2 inch QVGA  high definition,super huge touch screen

Specification:

Network:Quad bands mobile 850/900/1800/1900 Language: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, France, German etc Windows mobile 6.0 WI-FI 802.11b/g Bluetooth 2.0,only one camera. Support Media fomats: MID,MP3,WMA,WMV,AMR,AVI,ASF,WMV,MPEG4,3GP Support Word,Excel,PPT,PDF,Internet explorer,JAVA,MSN… Support install any programs at windows mobile Slide to unlock Size:115mm*61mm*14mm Battery:2pcs 1800 mAh standby time:240 h talking time:8 h weight:1.3kg

Accessories:

TWO Li-Ion Batteries Power Adaptor USB Data Cable Ear Phone 1GB TF Card

 



SimCity for iPhone Review

Thursday, December 10th, 2009
iphone review


Recently the ultra popular The Sims has overshadowed the SimCity game franchise. However, these two games both deal with the same style of gaming- simulation. I feel, as do many others, that SimCity has a lot more depth as compared to Sims. The idea of building a city is lot more fun as compared to living a virtual life. Building a city is more exciting and involves a lot more challenges. Deciding whether your Sim needs to take a bath or not is hardly comparable to a city building exercise.

Many of us discovered SimCity on our Super Nintendo in the early 90′s. For us youngsters, the game was good enough to keep us addicted to the game for hours. The game seemed like the best game ever. The only problem we faced was that of lack of funds. The tax money refunds received every New Year was splurged on the game and that seemed the best way to spend the money then. Of course, the money problem never really goes away.

I was lucky enough to play all versions including the new ones of this game. Each seemed to be better than the original version. Some consider the iPhone versions to be inferior to the latest SimCity 4. However, the slow pace of this version actually is a lot more enjoyable than expected. Playing the GTA missions and creating Sims can become very complicated. This game is a lot simpler than the latest versions. Playing this game is similar to playing the first version of this game, albeit with a few extra features.

Do not expect as many features as are available in the latest versions. However, this does not mean the game is devoid of all cool features. If you are new to this game, performing the duties of the mayor and converting a vacant piece of land into a world class city will require a lot of time and efforts.

Everything needs to be taken into consideration. You need a nice balance of residential structures, businesses, and factories. Too many or too few of one can lead to your entire system falling apart. You need to set the tax rates, build and fund police and fire stations, lay down the roads and power lines that will connect them all, and make sure you don’t completely destroy the natural environment in the process. A handy tutorial feature should get new players up to speed on how the game is played, but experimentation will likely be the key.

As far as graphics goes, you cannot find a better game on the iPhone as on date. Zoom in from the sky and enjoy a detailed view of your city. You can watch your city start off small and become a big metropolis. The graphics is well complemented by good music. The songs and the tunes are inspiring as well as relaxing.

Controls might have been a very problematic issue for this game. Thankfully, it poses no problems whatsoever. The left side and the bottom portion of the screen contain buttons that lead you to menus. There are different menus for different actions and each one helps you build your city further. You also have a group of advisors who shall appear when summoned to help you out. You will have to zoom out when placing structures as it will help you ensure the structures are aligned properly.

SimCity is a great game with just one flaw- it is not suitable for the iPhone/iPod. Building your own city, focusing one each and every aspect of the city, enjoying the great graphics and audio and zooming in and out as and when you please- all this puts a lot of stress on your phone. The game lags and slows down very often and even crashes when the city reaches a certain stage of development. While earlier versions were close to being classified as unplayable, the latest 1.4 version does not improve things by much. The game is fun until your city is completed and starts growing rapidly. That is when the game crashes and keeps crashing.

SimCity has all the essential requirements to keep the gamers occupied for hours. However, this fun lasts until the game begins to crash. After that, you better start all over again. However, until the crash, the game is one of the best around. If the bugs get fixed, this game will surely deserve a higher rating. However, until then, there is no other alternative to a low rating.

Total Score – 7/10