What exactly is a site review you ask? Well,
it’s when we publish a review that takes a look at more than one item
from the same manufacturer. It’s something new we are trying, so make
sure to give us feedback (see the discussion link below). For our inaugural
review, we present BoxWave;
makers of ClearTouch
(screen protection), miniSync
(sync and charge cables), and the accessories for the miniSync (Car
and Wall
charger adapters).

Note:

You can view a larger image of the photos by clicking on the image.

WHAT’S
HOT

   BoxWave
products definately have an excellent "high-quality" feel to
them. I’ve been impressed with the entire line’s ability to be inexpensive,
but not feel cheap.

ClearTouch
Screen Enhancement

   First on the list of BoxWave’s
line is their ClearTouch screen enhancement (or screen protectors).

FEATURES

  
Using screen protection is vital to the life and resale value of your
Pocket PC. Your stylus may seem smooth, but truth be told, it probably
has a burr or two somewhere that, when pressed against your screen,
will begin to leave scratches. I pretty much refuse to use a PPC without
one installed.

  
Installation instructions are printed on the back of the packaging
and are as simple as they look.

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In
the package is a plastic bag which contains 1 screen enhancement.

My
now naked iPaq 2215 with the new screen protector to be installed.

Peeling
the backing away (make sure to peel more than just the sticker that
gives you this instruction).

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Lining up the screen protector and beginning the install. Starting
from the top, I slowly flexed the ClearTouch down onto the screen.
If a speck of dust happened to get in between the layers, I simply
took a chunck of Scotch tape and removed the dust before continuing.

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Here I am using my pen-stylus to finish installing the ClearTouch,
making sure to push any bubbles out along the way. The entire installation
took under 2 minutes to complete (even with me removing the dust).
The dust that you can see in the image is now only on the top of the
ClearTouch.

As
you can see from the picture above, the glare has been reduced (note
the flash on the buttons, but not on the screen), but the overall
screen clarity has not been reduced.

One
of the nicest things about the ClearTouch screen protectors is the
ability to clean and reuse them (using nothing but tap water).

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Ah, but what about durability? As you can see from the image above,
even your screen protector is susceptible to deadly stylus burrs (the
pattern you see is from many, many hours of Bookworm)
– the example was in use for less than 6 months. The first Boxwave
I had (which I purchased myself over a year ago), I took a key to.
I abused the heck out of it (attempting to scratch the protector)
but wasn’t able to. I still have that protector, and it’s in great
condition. So what about damage such as in the examples? Boxwave has
a 14-day return policy, but likes to work with their customers on
a case-by-case basis (for this damaged screen they offered to supply
a new one at a reduced price).

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You also need to be careful about over-flexing. In the upper right
corner (of the image above), you can see a little crease. Creases
cannot be removed, and will leave a permenant bubble. It won’t render
your ClearTouch useless, it just won’t look as nice.

miniSync
+ Car and Wall Charger accessories

  
BoxWave also
sells a line of sync/charge cables and accessories. We received the
miniSync charger ($15.50) for the iPaq series plus the Car ($9.95)
and Wall ($12.95) adapters.

FEATURES

• Durable,
  compact, and lightweight
• "Pocket-Size
  Cradle" – charges and synchronizes your PDA at the same time
• Strong
  ultra-thin reinforced cabling (capable of supporting 2 bricks -
  do not try at home *wink*)
• Retractable
  – extends to 35 inches in length

miniSync’s Dimensions:

Size:

Approx. 5.5" H x 1.25" W x .5" D

Weight:

0.9 oz

Cable Length:

Extends up to 35"

Car
Charger Technical Specifications:

Voltage
Input:

12V to 24V (variable)

Voltage Output:

5.0V ± 0.25V

Size:

Approx. 3.6" H x .96" W x .78"
D

Weight:

0.9 oz

Wall
Charger Technical Specifications:

Voltage
Input:

100V to 240VAC (variable)

Voltage Output:

5.0V ± 0.25V

Size:

Approx. 3.0" H x 1.2" W x 1.4"
D

Weight:

1.8 oz

The
unit that we received was actually a little smaller height-wise (4.5
vs 5.5 inches).

  
The miniSync, while not a necessarily new idea, is certainly an ingenious
method to sync and charge your PDA at the same time. In default package
(for $15.50 in the case of the 2200 series), you receive one miniSync
charger and instructions (which happen to be the backing of the case).

By
pulling both ends at the same time, you are able to extend the cable
in increments.

  
NOTE: Make sure to pull from both ends. If you pull from one end,
the cable will get over-extended on one side. This is easily fixed
by pulling gently, but firmly on the opposite side until the unit
is fully extended. Once extended fully, you can repull both ends (until
it clicks) and the cable will begin to extract back to it’s original
size.

In
comparison to the ZIP-LINQ
line of sync/charger cables, you can see that the ZIP-LINQ is just
a tad bit smaller.

But
the miniSync also has almost twice the extendable length of the ZIP-LINQ.
Which makes a major difference when your USB slot is on the back of
the computer which resides on the floor.

  
The BoxWave miniSync
also has a better movement and stability (ie the way that the USB
side of the cable firmly connects to the middle of the unit). The
casing of the miniSync also protects the cable a little better. Operation
wise, both the ZIP-LINQ and the miniSync do their job the same. The
power adapters for both the ZIP-LINQ and the miniSync are virtually
identical (other than the artistic design).

  
When plugged in, the red light on the miniSync shows that you have
power (for both the car and wall adapter). The plug on the wall adapter
is oriented so that the miniSync extends off to the right or left
rather than the top or bottom. While this makes plugging into a wall
socket easy, it can create spacing issues on surge protectors such
as the one below. Both European and US plugs are available.

HELP
SUPPORT

   
BoxWave has
a support email address on their website
(in the Contact Us section) along with usage instructions.

BUGS
AND WISHES

   
Due to the mutiplicity of this site review, I will list wishes
seperately.

Cleartouch
wishes:

• Lower
  the price! While I realize that the durability is greater than
  most screen protectors, quantity almost always wins out against
  quality. So a 3-pack for around $20 would be a nice price point.
• Include
  instructions on how to clean dust/hair from the unit while installing
  (using a piece of Scotch tape).
• Extend
  return/exchange time to at least 60 days.
  


 


miniSync + accessories wishes:

• Sell
  a packaged sync / charger kit (with either the wall or car adapter
  or both) for a packaged price.
• Include
  instructions on how to fix problems such as pulling the cable
  from one side only.
• Extend
  return/exchange time to at least 60 days.
• Add
  in a small carrying pouch.
• Allow
  the plug to be rotated (so it can be plugged into any sort of
  outlet).

PURCHASING

   
You can buy any of these items directly from BoxWave.
Price varies from unit to unit.

PROS

ClearTouch…

CONS

ClearTouch…

Easy
to trap dust if you aren’t careful

Can
be creased, thus damaging the unit

Only
a 14-day return policy

  
BoxWave’s
entire line, as I mentioned before, has a very hardy feel to it.
While the prices might be a little high, they are definately still
worth purchasing. I wouldn’t recommend any other line of screen
protectors to my friends. And now that I’ve used the miniSync
products, I have adding it to my must-buy list. I’ve attempted
to carry around my cradle/charger before – and it’s not a happy
experience. With the size and portability of the miniSync line,
I’ll always be travelling with it. I can’t wait to see what BoxWave
comes up with next!

We’d
also like to express thanks to BoxWave
for providing their line of products for review.

Have
you used any BoxWave
products? See something that isn’t quite right? Tell us what you
think! Click on the Discussion Link below.