The Raon Digital Vega: Compromise for Size

I have had a Raon Digital Vega for the last two weeks, thanks to Dynamism.com. In the above picture, it makes my diminutive TabletKiosk eo v7110 look huge. Other active UMPC sites have reviewed this in depth and my experiences, enjoyment, and complaints about the device are identical to Steve’s over at Carrypad. I do suggest that people in the UMPC market read that review for an idea of what to expect from this device compared to other UMPCs. I needed to approach this review in a very different way:

What’s this Vega thing, anyway?

Sure looks like a computer to me. Sharp screen too.

I’m going to ask my dear readers to ignore, for a moment, that the Vega is a “computer.” That’s right. Ignore that fact. Don’t call it a computer. It’s not a PDA, portable gaming device, or internet tablet either. It’s just a Vega. Why are we stripping titles from this device? Removing the “title” from a device dissolves expectations.

Like Steve, I had expectations upon opening my Vega box. I wanted it to be the first truly pocketable Windows XP machine. I wanted it to be a device I can take everywhere and with which I could do anything. With that in mind, I rapidly ran into the limitations of the device. Without Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, my familiar input methods were gone. Without integrated WiFi and Bluetooth, requiring dongles for those features cut down on portability. In short: My expectations ruined my fun with the Vega.

In-Car Terminal: Great on the Vega

In short, my experience with my TabletKiosk eo v7110 was giving the Vega an unfair shake. I had to back-pedal on this review and start fresh? What CAN the Vega do well?

• Portability: While thicker than my Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, it still fits comfortably in my jacket pocket.
• Media playback: The built-in stereo speakers are loud enough to share a song or video with friends and the headphone jack is well positioned. The screen is bright and sharp.
• Battery life: I regularly got 4-5 hours of active use with the Vega.
• Extensibility: Windows XP and USB host ports means just about anything can work with this device.

Not too heavy, either.

What does that give me? Well, the Vega could simply be the best portable media player ever, with much more available. The ability to choose Windows Media Player, iTunes, WinAmp, or any other of hundreds of media playback front-ends makes it yet more flexible. Let’s compare it to other popular portable media players:

	iPod Video	Microsoft Zune	Zen Vision M	Raon Digital Vega
Size	104 x 61 x 11 mm	112 x 61 x 15 mm	104 x 62 x 19 mm	160 x 80 x 27.5 mm
Weight	136g	159g	163g	480g (extended batt.)
Screen size	2.5"	3"	2.5"	4.3"
Resolution	320x240	320x240	320x240	800x480
Storage	30GB	30GB	30GB	30G (20+ available)
Formats	M4V, MP4, MOV	WMV	WMV, AVI	Any!
Price	MSRP $249	MSRP $250	MSRP $250	Dynamism $879

The primary disadvantages compared to the above products are size, price, boot-up time, and the tendency to run warm after long video playback times. On the other hand, the ability to use any Windows XP front-end software, downloadable CODEC, and file format gives it significant advantages. The screen and integrated speakers, of course, add a great deal to this experience.

The air exhaust at the bottom runs a little warm after a while.

Now we have a large, expensive portable media player. What else could this thing do? The size and screen is quite conducive to in-car use since many existing PDA holders would comfortably hold the Vega.

Let’s look at navigation! Microsoft Streets and Trips works beautifully with a Bluetooth or USB GPS. I used a tiny, inexpensive Bluetooth USB dongle (yet smaller than the integrated WiFi dongle that comes with the Vega) and my iBlue GPS receiver. In the video, it shows how well this works.

Easy dash mounting

Now that we’ve covered navigation and media playback, it’s quite apparent that this device is strong as an in-car PC. It’s easier to mount than my UMPC and the mounting does not leave a plate attached to the back of the device. I used a PDA mount screwed to the plate on a ProClip USA vent mount.

I did attempt to use my favorite front-end software, StreetDeck, on the Vega. It did not work because StreetDeck’s system requirements are greater than that which the Vega can provide.

Workstation replacement? Not quite.

With this, the Raon Digital Vega does have few good primary purposes. Secondary purposes can be:

• Occasional/light web browsing
• Occasional/light Email
• PDA replacement using Outlook or other software
• Offloading images for digital photographers

XP Home: Not my first choice.

In order to make the Vega a viable option in the market in which TabletKiosk, OQO, and Samsung excel, there are a few changes that are absolutely needed. I consider the following to be the bare minimum in system changes for the next revision:

• Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.
• Integrated WiFi and Bluetooth
• Better graphics for media front-ends

With those minimum requirements and pricing not more than US $600, the Vega could possibly take the portable computer market by storm. It will replace laptops, PDAs, stand-alone GPS devices, and portable media players. The current Vega is a good device for a niche market, but I hope Raon Digital stays with this idea and keeps this form factor alive.

Thanks again to Dynamism for lending me a unit for review. For those who are unaware of Dynamism: They specialize in providing the most rare and elite consumer electronics. Many of which are not available in the United States. They also provide support for these products when the manufacturer does not offer such services in the US.