The Mintpad

Best thing about this gadget is the memo function

The Mintpad is a mysterious little beast.

Part personal media player part Post it note, Mintpass’  little device is operated using a stylus with its 2.86 inch touch screen much like a DS.  It packs many features into its tiny body including internet access over integrated Wi-Fi and also has the ability to run games.

In the box: USB connector, Mintpad and Quick Start Guide

At first glance the Mintpad is unassuming; milky white and chunky in a practical kind of way.

1.3 MP Camera

The Main User Interface

The best thing about this gadget is the memo function.  Based on vectors rather than pixels, the Mintpad allows you to take notes using a kind of pared down Paint application.  These memos are like an advanced version of an Etch-a –Sketch, but your pictures are saved rather than wiped when the device is shaken.  The idea is that you can make handwritten notes whenever inspiration strikes, but we wasted a good while just drawing silly pictures, as evidenced by the ones below.  The calendar function also allows you to make handwritten notes to yourself.

The music player sounds really good, and took me entirely by surprise.  The Mintpad doesn’t come with bundled headphones but has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack that allows you to use your favourite pair.  We tried it with some Sennheiser HD 228 Closed-Back Headphones that were floating about the office and found that the sound was crisp and clear.

The options for customising the EQ are comprehensive; another pleasant surprise from this unusual player.  It also supports a wide range of audio formats, and plays AVI, WMV,  and MPEG4 video.

The Wi-Fi internet was also smoother than we had expected.  The google homepage loaded extremely quickly and we were able to access image heavy Geeks.co.uk in about ten seconds.  The Wi-Fi is severely dodgy at Geeks HQ and even our netbooks sometimes have difficulty in connecting but the Mintpad was straight on there like an enthusiastic puppy.  You can switch between networks by choosing from a list of those available and a flashing light in the top right hand corner indicates connectivity (Green + Flashing = Good, Red + Constant = Bad).  The Mintpad did have some trouble rendering small text, and so the zoom function is essential if you actually want to be able to read web content.

Less impressive though is the on-screen keyboard.  First of all, the screen is small, which means that the keys are even smaller.  I am possessed of fairly dainty digits, and so could type passably quickly using my thumbs, but sausage fingers have no chance.  This means using the stylus to enter text instead which can be time consuming.  With that said, most people use Mobile Internet devices to check Facebook or Twitter quickly, not to write long emails, so perhaps this isn’t such an issue.  Lose the stylus though and you’re jiggered.

On to the games.  The Mintpad can also run flash games ours came pre-loaded with Free Cell.  The game ran smoothly, but the small size of the screen is a bit prohibitive.  It was difficult to see what was happening at some points and some of the cards were obscured – at one stage I lost the left hand column entirely.   There are other games available for the Mintpad, but compared to the wealth of lovely game Apps available for the iPod Touch, they are disappointing, and not the real reason to buy this player.

Korean Rock Band Video

The Mintpad has a 1.3 megapixel camera that also shoots video, with a range of effects options and the quality of the images is pleasing.  It also streams internet video, has a built in chat function and can communicate with other Mintpads that happen to be in the vacinity.  In addition there’s a built in stereo microphone, a text viewer and once you’ve registered online Mintpass has a range of customisable skins and “Funware” to try.

The Mintpad is decidedly odd and elicited a fair degree of curiosity from others in the office.  Essentially it has all the features common to the latest smartphones or PMPs, just packaged differently and without the ability to make calls.  It’s a smart toy and Mintpass should be commended for bringing us something a little different; not everyone wants a Nano.

It has been rumored that the makers are toying with the idea of launching a smartphone of their own, and if this is true it will definately be worth a look.