HTC Athena Advantage (X7501, Unlocked)

The HTC Advantage X7501 is a tricky gadget to categorize. It doesn't neatly fit into the mold of a smart phone nor does it exactly work like an ultramobile PC (UMPC). Instead, HTC calls this mobile computer the "perfect device for three days on the road" when you really don't feel like lugging around your laptop. It certainly provides you with the tools for doing so: an 8GB hard drive, a large display, a full QWERTY keyboard, Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition, and all the wireless options one could want, including 3G and GPS. And it delivers with good performance. However, it has its share of problems too. The keyboard design is poor, and given its bulk, we can't even imagine using it as a phone. As such, we think most people will still stick with an ultraportable laptop and cell or smart phone, while the HTC Advantage will probably only appeal to a small segment of early adopters and gadget hounds (think Nokia N800 Internet Tablet). Neither T-Mobile nor AT&T have picked up the HTC Advantage X7501, but you can now buy an unlocked version of the device for $899 at retailers such as Amazon.com and CompUSA .

Design
Depending on how you look at it, the HTC Advantage X7501 is a really big smart phone or a really small laptop. And even though the Advantage is sort of in a category of its own, you could liken its design to a UMPC like the Oqo Model O2 and Sony VAIO UX390. It measures 5.2 inches long by 3.8 inches wide by 0.6 inch tall and weighs 12.6 ounces, so while the device will fit into a bag or purse, it's certainly going to add some heft to your travels.

The Advantage consists of two parts. First, there's a flat piece that has the full QWERTY keyboard on one side and magnetically attaches to the bottom of the main unit, giving it more of a laptoplike design. When you're not using the device, you can turn the keyboard over and use it as a protective cover for the screen. There's a small clear window along the bottom, so you can still view the time, battery life, network strength, and other information.

The second component of the HTC Advantage is the main body, which houses the spacious 5-inch TFT LCD. It's beautiful and sharp, showing off 65,536 colors at a 480x640 pixel resolution, and of course, the extra real estate makes it wonderful for viewing e-mails, Web pages, Office documents, and multimedia. The touch screen is pretty responsive, but it's hard to use when propped up on the keyboard. It requires a firm touch for actions to register on the screen, and this sometimes causes the Advantage to tip over when you have it attached to the keyboard and placed on a desk.

The full QWERTY keyboard isn't all that easy to use either. Compared to a smart phone, the individual buttons are large and there's a good amount of spacing between them. However, unlike a smart phone, you're not going to be holding the Advantage in both of your hands and using your thumbs to compose e-mails and such. Instead, it's more of a notebook experience and as a result, the keyboard feels pretty cramped. It's too small to use like a regular keyboard, and we found it easiest to peck at the keys with just our index and middle fingers. Even then, the keys are extra flat and there's minimal tactile response so it's not the most satisfying user experience.

To the left of the display, there's a multidirectional joystick that you can also press in to select items, an OK key, and a Start button. On the right, you will find an Internet Explorer launch key, and there are three LED indicators above the screen for the network, wireless options, and alerts. The left spine has a volume rocker, a VGA-out port, a mini-USB/power connector, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and on the right side, you have the stylus holder, a camera-activation key, Communication manager shortcut, and power button. The bottom of the unit holds the battery, miniSD expansion slot, and the SIM card holder. Finally, the reset hole and 3-megapixel camera lens and flash are located on the back of the device.

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