New version of EQO available - Part II
Posted by Jay Donovan on 06/9/08 in IM, Smart Phones, Software, VoIP, Windows Mobile 6
As promised, here is a follow-up to Part I of this review.
Let me start off by saying that I took a week to mess around with the new version of EQO (pronounced like "echo"). If I didn’t already mention it, it is a beta, so know that when reading this. There may be fixes underway to the issues I have noted.
I have good and bad things to report. Let me start with the bad.
The Bad
IM client. As I stated in Part I, in the past I had had some issues with EQO as a mobile IM client. Frequent log-offs and sluggish service had plagued it for me. In this latest rev, they claimed to have longer connectivity times—and I think this is true. Connectivity was better than in the past. However, it still was not good enough for me to consider it as a dependable mobile IM client. I would start the application and watch it connect but then almost every subsequent time I opened the interface (after waiting more than 15 minutes or so), there was an error message that one or all of the protocols I was using (AIM, ICQ, YAHOO, GTALK) had disconnected. Since there was no notification via the home-screen plug-in, it led to me always questioning whether or not I was online. This constant questioning creates the perception that I cannot depend on the service.
Additionally, I was aware of noticeable battery drain. This also decreases its usefulness for me. EQO is not using any kind of SMS protocol for the sending of chats and messages, therefore it’s pure data connection, which seems to be contributing to battery drain. In their defense, this is a realistic trade-off. If you are into mobile IM applications that are not sending as SMS, you will be charging your battery more, plain and simple. This seems true with most applications I have used. (Somehow Palringo doesn’t seem to drain my battery as much as EQO though) so I will continue to use it for my mobile IM client.
So, as far as their IM functionality goes, it’s getting better, but still not quite there yet for me.
The Good
The interface. Let me re-cap again that I love the interface. It is intuitive, fun and easy to use. The color scheme is inviting and they visually separate the sections of their application well (VOIP, EQO Messages, IM) which makes it easy to navigate.
VOIP service. The beta installs with about 3 minutes of free VOIP calling. I have to say the quality was very good. I made several calls and really noticed no difference between EQO calls and my regular network calls. Bravo. If I were going to pay for a VOIP service (which I’m not) I would try this for an extended time.
Not Reviewed
EQO Message. Did not review their user to user message service.
EQO Vibrator Facebook Application. Didn’t add it. It’s just not my bag baby.
Bottom line
IM - not yet
VOIP - YES
Written by Jay Donovan · Filed Under IM, Smart Phones, Software, VoIP, Windows Mobile 6
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Hi Jay,
Thanks for the review of our application. I thought your points were bang on.
We do have some IM stability issues that we are working through. Our first priority was to make sure that our calling network was up and reliable. Next, we worked on the connectivity of the client itself. Now we have made some time to focus on IM stability. I am hoping that we will see some positive change in this area soon.
As for battery drain, I can’t say that I have noticed this as I sit at a desk all day with my phone plugged into the computer! I will take your word on it…do you remember approximately how long you were running EQO before it drained your battery?
I would be interested to hear any more feedback on our application. Feel free to email me at peter@eqo.com if you have more thoughts to share about EQO.
Peter
EQO Customer Support