vB Easy Archive - Detailed Review: DataPilot 3.0 by Susteen

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Detailed Review: DataPilot 3.0 by Susteen
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Posted by: Bill_CQDX

"DataPilot Cell Phone Data Transfer Suite" Review

DataPilot is a product by Susteen, Inc. (www.susteen.com & www.datapilot.com). Depending on your cell phone needs you can buy bundled software and cable as a "kit", additional cables if, like me, you have more than one phone in need of data management, or simply the software if you have a cable. And if all you need is software, you can purchase and download online. This review will utilize the "LG Kit" for the LG VX6000.

Reviewer's Configuration:
Computer - Gateway, P3, 600 MHz, Windows '98 SE
Cell Phone - LG VX6000. S/W ver: T60VZ05; PRL ver: PRL 50113; ERI ver: ERI 50018; Browser ver 4.1.27; Get It Now ver: 2.0.2.6

DataPilot System Requirements -
98SE, ME, 2000, XP; 100MHz processor; 32MB RAM; 60MB Disk space, 800x600 resolution, 8bit (256 colors); USB or Serial Port; CD-ROM drive.

Packaging -
is an attractive box as customarily found on store display shelves. Secured by Velcro to box cover are several flaps with a brief product summary, 3-Step install directions, two charts listing compatible phones and one chart by service provider.

Cable -
The cable is marked "Susteen, Inc. 0343" on USB connector, however you are left wondering if you received the correct cable since "Cable supports all LG phones (except VX6000)" is imprinted on box flap. The CD's PDF manual is no help - it directs you to Susteen's web site to "verify the appropriate cable", but there's nothing online either. Experimentation time ... the supplied cable plugged into VX6000 and following software & driver installation it works just fine. I'd suggest Susteen place a sticker saying "INCLUDING" over the word "except" when placing a VX6000 cable in box. Cable measures 39 inches by 3/16 inch diameter, is straight (not coiled like some cigarette lighter cords) and flexible although not as supple as some mouse cords. Twelve inches from cell phone connector end is a small plastic box measuring 1.75 long x 1 x .75 inch; purpose unknown - probably a splice. When neatly coiled, cable occupies 1 x 2 x 3.5 inches and weighs 2 ounces. Not purchased, but available, is a universal cable set. The set includes a number of different cable halves - you plug two halves together to form one cable. Mix and match different combinations for different phones. Great concept! The PDF manual says the half required for VX6000 phones is "coming", so check the web site - it may have arrived after the PDF file was burnt to CD.

Registration -
Included in the box is a return-by-mail registration card. If you're the type who never returns registration material, don't throw it out - keep it as your software installation serial number (aka registration number) is on it (S/N is also on CD jewel case). The card asks for your name, address, phone number, email address, and a small amount of info which appears quite useful for Susteen's future product plans. They want to know your cellular service provider, phone's make & model, how many phone book numbers you have (from less than 50 to over 300), most important feature (Phone book, Dial up, Ring tones, Images, Calendars), your OS (98, ME, 2K, XP), Contact software (Outlook, Express, ACT!, Lotus Notes). Besides the VX6000 I have a Samsung SCH-850 (Verizon) so purchased its compatible SCH-8500 (Sprint) cable. However the card presumes you have one phone. You may also register online; not explored for this review.

Software -
Packed in the box is a single CD in a jewel case with affixed Serial Number, so do not loose this. Disk is not marked with version, just "LG USB" and copyright 2003. You may want to mark both S/N and version on CD, and perhaps again in your cell phone manual. With software installed, clicking the GUI (Graphical User Interface) "About" button shows version is 3.0.0.

Documentation -
No printed manual supplied, but a PDF manual is on supplied CD and available online. The manual is 60 pages, uses color, includes screen shots, and overall is very nicely done. More details re. Ringtone Composer would be helpful. Once product is installed, the manual is exceptionally convenient to access, thanks to a very user friendly GUI.

Installation -
The box has the general instructions, but on the CD is a detailed readme.txt file. Also, the PDF manual on CD has even more details on installation.
is a 3 step process:
1. Put CD in drive, install software. USB driver for your cable (NOT CONNECTED AT THIS TIME!) will automatically install.
2. Again prior to attaching cable... INSTALL THE SOFTWARE! Then attach cable FIRST to cell phone, power on phone and connect to USB port.
3. Click on any Datapilot (DP) Graphical User Interface button to use features. Go to Communication Settings, select phone make & model and click "Detect". That's all there is to it. And nothing had to be done within the VX6000. Real simple - the way software should be.

GUI -
A "DataPilotLauncher" desktop icon opens a neat flip-phone GUI. Clicking the graphical phone's buttons selects: User's Guide, Phone Book, Ringtone, Image, Calendar, SMS (*Note: NOT Functional on VX6000), Internet, Setting, Home, and About. One last phone button exits and closes GUI.

Calendar -
When calendar opens, you see a split screen with month at a glance in top window half, and scheduled appointments in bottom. If you wish, you can split vertically, with appts to right of calendar. You can set any day of the month to be a holiday. (Colors change). What you can do within each appointment is superb. Space does not permit full details of each function so here's a summary: Import & Export to Outlook (NOT Express). Print calendar pages (just like a real calendar). In the Appointment List window, you can alternate between seeing the entire month's appts, or just those for one selected day. Clicking a day in calendar highlight's matching appt in List and vice versa. Clicking once selects an appt, clicking twice allows addition of new appt. You can set start/end times, day of week, recurring appts, titles, URLs, notes, etc. and you can tailor the Appt List to only display desired columns... ie start time, end time, etc. Any appt appearing in a calendar square can include start time if desired. And of course you can read and write calendar to VX6000. So if you are using EXPRESS, you can merely use DataPilot's calendar to manage your schedule and save it to your hard drive.

Phonebook -
Launching DataPilot's Phonebook (DPPB) brings up an empty table with columns labeled: Name, Phone 1, Phone 2, Phone 3, Phone 4, Phone 5, Phone 6, E-mail, Street, and Memo; clicking any column's heading sorts data ascending or decending. Importing from Outlook or Express (O/E) populates DPPB and you can choose either one telephone number per contact or a maximum of 6 per contact depending on cell phone type; VX6000 limit is five. Reading your cell phone's contact list into DPPB populates a second table. With both tables displayed, you can read/write all contacts from one to the other, or do so selectively using typical Windows selection methods (Shift-Drag, Shift-Click, Ctrl-Drag/click, etc.). It's nice to have the choice to let the software populate automatically or drag and drop, or both! Once you have data in a DPPB, you can save the file to your computer. File-SaveAs allows saving one "master" file which can then be cloned into individual files edited specifically for different associates, family members, etc. Writing 134 contacts with 165 phone numbers into VX6000 took 1 min 10 secs. Multiple options exist to maintain cell phone contacts: download from O/E, edit & reload all contacts overwriting everything in phone; same but selectively edit & load; open a saved DPPB file, edit & reload; read the phone into DPPB, edit & reload. No desire to use Outlook or Express? just use DPPB!

Image Editor -
Launch Image Editor, open a picture, and an "Image Trim" window appears that allows resizing. You can trim, rotate by angle, rotate diagonal by angle, flip, apply effects, sharpen/soften, adjust brightness/contrast/hue/saturation/etc., draw, apply gradations/frames/text/stamps/fills/colors, etc, etc. Image can be saved to disk, loaded to or read from phone. All in all, pretty darn powerful for inclusion within a cell phone tool!

Ringtone Composer -
If you are musically inclined, get ready to have a ball! With Ringtone Composer (RC) open, you'll see a top left window for entering instrument and its volume, music sheet in top right, and a piano keyboard in bottom window. Using RC, you can create or edit ringtones on your computer then write them to your phone. Select tempo, raise/lower half tones, extend/shorten tones, input notes/rests (2, 4, 8, 16, 32), add tracks, play solo, select beat, set key, set chord progression, and more. When done, transfer file and enjoy!

Internet Data Connection -
With DataPilot software and cable, and your cell phone and computer, you're ready to get on the internet with a wireless modem after a brief setup. Connect and go to town.

Summary -
Average street price for DataPilot AND cable is about $60.00 US. Figuring most USB data cables cost $30, you are getting a lot of software for about 30 bucks ... and in this reviewer's opinion, well worth every dollar!

Ratings -
Susteen sale & delivery = 9
Cable = 10
Packaging = 8
Documentation = 8
Software = 10
Ease of Installation = 10
Ease of use = 9
Functional Value = 10
Enjoyment Value = 10
Value vs Cost = 10
----------------------------
Average Score = 9.4

Susteen has a Winner!

Hope you find this useful.
Regards Bill.

Posted by: epete

Wow, very informative review! I have some questions specific to the VX6000.

Does the cable that is supplied use the phones default USB Port or do you have to select the RS232 Com Port?

Can this software be used with the FutureDial Cable that requires the use of the RS232 Port?

Can the software be used with the LG Branded USB cable?

I believe this is the only software available that allows picture uploading/downloading. DataPilot Tech Support told me that Version 3.0, which you reviewed, enabled this for the VX6000. Can these photos be uploaded and used as the wake-up screen? Can the software download pictures taken from the local camera or just pictures received from other users?

The LG/Verizon software package has a phonebook database that has fields properly labeled for the handset. I noticed your review mentioned fields such as Phone # 1, Phone # 2, etc. Do the instructions tell you how these map to the LG VX6000 phonebook? For example, the LG has Home Phone, Mobile Phone, Work Phone, etc. Is it easy to know that you are populating the correct field?

Posted by: Bill_CQDX

epete - answers:

Cable in LG VX6000 kit is USB, phone is set to USB.
Unknown re FD cable - is FD cable serial?
LG cable per LG tech support is true USB cable, so I'd think it'd work.
FutureDial sells SnapMedia. I bought SnapSync, Dial & Media but have not installed. Time permitting I'll review that if there's enough interest.
DataPilot will up/download pix directly to VX6000. Although DataPilot supports upload for uses including wake up screens, the VX6000 phones itself does NOT allow saving to anywhere but the wallpaper folder. There may be workarounds I'm unfamiliar with.
You can use a picture from your computer or read one from your phone. If you took a picture with phone's camera, it too can be used.
Phonebook column labels are just that column labels. Double-clicking on any line in phonebook opens a window with all numbers for that one record listed. Using drop-down lists you can change a number from, say, Home to Home2 or Office, etc. THe number remains positioned in the same column, however you just editied what it is. As mentioned in review, this allows a user to bypass Outlook or Express and do all phonebook management within DataPilot. BTW - you can also select a specific ringtone ID and Picture ID. You can also move the coulmn order - ie slide Phone1 to the right of Phone 3, etc.

A useful feature is should info from Express/Outlook not be compatible with your cell phone, the incompatible text turns red. An example of incompatibility is VX6000 cannot read-in addressing, company name or title - the phone lacks fields for this type of data.

Regards, Bill.

Posted by: Bill_CQDX

Addendum re. DataPilot Phonebook Manager's Red Text"...
You can Error Check telephone numbers and names. Those in excess of VG6000 field limits will show the excessive text in red. Yet one more useful feature!

Regards, Bill

Posted by: raxxal

Quote:

Originally posted by Bill_CQDX
Addendum re. DataPilot Phonebook Manager's Red Text"...
You can Error Check telephone numbers and names. Those in excess of VG6000 field limits will show the excessive text in red. Yet one more useful feature!

Regards, Bill

Bill,

Firts of all, thank you very much for the review. Actually I was wondering if there was such a peace of software, and yes, there is: Data pilot. I have a question, do you know or any body else if the RPI cable works with this software? If it does, bingo!

Alex

Posted by: epete

Bill:

Thanks for your response to my questions. I have the Verizon SW Package but no cable yet. I have a friend with the FutureDial Cable. We will be trying some combinations of cables and software and will report our results here.

From what I have read in other places in this site, it seems like there is already shareware that can provide the same level of functionality and more.

Evan

Posted by: Bill_CQDX

raxxal

Hi Alex - yes I'd think RPI, or for that matter, any good quality USB cable would work as long as it's a real "TRUE" USB cable.

Then as long as you have compatible drivers for your software and cable installed, you should do OK.
Regards, Bill

Posted by: Bill_CQDX

epete, et all ...

Correction re. downloading images to VX6000 -

YES! Yes, you can store pictures within VX6000 as Wallpaper, Power Off, or Power On screens. This IS a feature allowed withjin VX6000. Use:
Menu > My Media > Graphics, select an image and press left soft key "Set As" and select the screen where you want the image.

Regards, Bill

Posted by: johnh123

So am I correct in that there is no sync with outlook? You can overwrite either way, and you can edit through the desktop software, but there is no way to combine what is on your phone with what is in outlook directly?

Posted by: Bob the Printer

Quote:

Originally posted by epete
Bill:

Thanks for your response to my questions. I have the Verizon SW Package but no cable yet. I have a friend with the FutureDial Cable. We will be trying some combinations of cables and software and will report our results here.

From what I have read in other places in this site, it seems like there is already shareware that can provide the same level of functionality and more.

Evan

Yes, there is the excellent open source software (free) bitpim! It is lightyears ahead of data pilot as far as I'm concerned, and did I mention the fact that it's FREE?? And it's being updated constantly also (the newest v. 0.7 beta 1, 2, and 3 work very nicely).

I also have the data pilot 3.0 software and it is pure junk compared to the (free) bitpim software! For one thing the only pics that I can d/l from the phone are ones taken with the camera. My other wallpapers (uploaded using bitpim of course!) don't show up at all in the data pilot image editor. When I am in the image editor and select 'read' under communications it shows 2 folders, one is the 'camera gallery' and the other has no name and contains nothing.

The phonebook function on the data pilot program might be it's only saving grace, since it allows you to save the data as native data pilot data, comma separated text, etc. But reading the VX6000 phonebook is dreadfully SLOW! About 1/3 the speed of (free) bitpim. PLUS when it's done reading the phonebook it reboots the phone and any of the default wallpapers that you might have deleted come back!

Yes, I'm afraid that the 'flashy' interface on data pilot is superflous and that they should have concentrated more on having the program work well instead of the flashy interface that they have. Bitpim accomplishes virtually the same thing and all from within one window that uses tabs to switch from one task to another. It shows you graphically onscreen what wallpapers you have on the phone, ringers, etc.

And I have had many times when the data pilot program just plain wouldn't work! Bitpim WORKS AND WORKS WELL EVERY TIME! And did I mention that it's FREE??

Posted by: Bill_CQDX

Quote:

Originally posted by johnh123
So am I correct in that there is no sync with outlook? You can overwrite either way, and you can edit through the desktop software, but there is no way to combine what is on your phone with what is in outlook directly?

Yes you can sync. You can download from Outlook or Express to phone. You can choose to download the ENTIRE address book, or partials, selectable by you. This helps with length of time.

You can upload from phone and sync backwards. And do it in its entirety, or just select the specific records you wish to upload.

You can save the DataPilot file for future use. Perhaps you download a "master" from Outlook. Then edit two "versions" for 2 different phones, and save each of these w/ it's own filename. Or do this in reverse.

The sync function is reason I use DataPilot. I don't really use the other features. I find it easy to use out of the box, and as for the cost - to me it's worth the money for the sync function. And BTW, ver 3.0 works w/o problems for me w/ '98 or XP.

Posted by: cluelessL

I realize this is an old thread but I have a related question...

I am a Verizon customer. Would there be charges associated with using this software or a program such as bitpim or does the data cable eliminate that?

Posted by: lgreenberg

Quote:

Originally posted by cluelessL
I realize this is an old thread but I have a related question...

I am a Verizon customer. Would there be charges associated with using this software or a program such as bitpim or does the data cable eliminate that?

No charges except for the software itself.