However, the Aero's audio performance won't leave it in the shade. You can use the device for dashing off voice reminders using the thoughtfully-laid out buttons on the unit's shell. Because it's a one-handed operation, road warriors can drive onto the Ayer Rajah Expressway while talking to the PDA like an ultracool James Bond guy, but this is not recommended. Sound through the unit's tiny speaker is awful, but then it's meant to be used in a pinch only. This helps reduce size and weight, but it does mean that you can't run into a provision shop for Evereadies should the unit go flat.
Bundled software is basic.
After all, this machine is made to carry a daily schedule, not a spreadsheet. The scheduling and e-mail program on the Aero, part of the standard Windows CE package, synchs with Microsoft Schedule and Outlook on desktop PCs by default. Another limiting factor of the Windows CE OS is that it's slow. While the Aero has a fairly speedy 70 Mhz MIPS processor, programs still take about half a second to launch, compared with the instant response of the Palm or the belated and much-lamented Apple Newton. Forget about entering paragraphs of text.