FIRST LOOK: HTC Shift makes us weak at knees

Slide the HTC Shift out of its lined leather case, fire it up and you're confronted with a beautiful 7-inch, 800x480 touch screen on a device that weighs in at a shoulder-friendly 800 grams. It features Windows Vista Business Edition and is a little sluggish but runs cool and quiet.

To the right of the display is a fingerprint reader, a surprisingly useful trackpad and a button to toggle between 800x480 and 1024x600 screen resolutions. Opposite are left and right mouse click buttons plus a "SnapVUE" button. This launches an instant-on, stripped-down Windows Mobile 6 interface which includes SMS and email inboxes (with push email support), calendar and contact list.

The Shift features a built-in webcam plus USB2.0, Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11b/g as well the option of a SIM card for SMS and HSDPA internet access but not for making calls.

You can also use the stylus with Tablet PC features such as handwriting recognition, but frustratingly you can't rotate the display to portrait mode.

If you're already thinking the Shift looks like a damn sexy UMPC , you'll go weak at the knees when you slide up the screen to discover a full QWERTY keyboard. The screen can even tilt up so you can sit the computer on a desk.

Unfortunately the Shift is too wide to hold in two hands and type with your thumbs. Sit it on your lap or a desktop and now it's barely wide enough to type on. It's still a very impressive keyboard for a UMPC, but raised buttons would help with typing accuracy.

The Shift is perhaps more useful as a tablet, although the small screen is frustrating when writing. The keyboard is handy to have, but those primarily looking for a device to write on might be better served by a sub-notebook with a bigger keyboard.

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