First Impression

Cosmetics:

There's no doubt about it, the PD70x looks sharp. From the brushed aluminum case and its hidden controls to the clean external graphics, the PD70x makes for a very attractive package.

Not that most of us would care once we get the box open, but the retail package is attractive as well and covers most of the features of the PD70x, plus it lists basic specifications on the back panel. The contents are well packaged to protect them from damage during shipment.

User Manual:

I realize no one reads user manuals before playing with their new toys anymore but you really should before trying to use the PD70x for the first time. As with any device that relies on a single multi-function control, operation is not always that intuitive. The same can be said for the multi-function wheel on the PD70x. Don't get me wrong, the PD70x is very easy to operate once you know what you're doing, and you can kind-of muddle through it if you have used a PD7x before since there are similar screen icons, but you really should read the manual to fully understand how to control the PD70x.

The English version of the PD70x manual is not bad at all. It's certainly more complete and better written than many PSD manuals I've read. One possible reason for this is the manufacturer (EastGear) is located in Singapore where a large percentage of the population speak and write English fluently.

While the manual is very good, I do have some nitpicks I'd like to see addressed, although to be honest I can be quite the nitpicker at times. I'll refer to certain areas of the manual throughout this article.

Build Quality:

Like the PD7x, the PD70x seems to be well made. The 'extruded aluminum channel' body is quite strong and makes a good mounting base for the internal components.

While the cover plate offers adequate protection for the top of the hard drive, I'd rather see a design that transfers more of the hard drive chassis heat to the aluminum case. Perhaps the hard drive could be flipped over and directly mounted to the cover plate. This would provide more protection for the top of the drive which is the most vulnerable to damage, and would also allow the plate and channel to better act as a heat sink for the drive casting where most of the drive's heat is produced. Newer hard drive designs can produce quite a bit of heat due to the use of fluid dynamic bearings which run noticeably hotter than ball bearing designs.

The LCD cover is thicker than that of the PD7x (less flexing) and should offer more protection. Some of this flex strength can be attributed not only to the thicker LCD window, but to the use of polycarbonate verses PET used on the PD7x. PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate - See? That's why they call it PET) is the same plastic used in most soda bottles. For you re-cycler types out there it that type 1 stuff, and it's pretty resilient stuff at that, but it's designed to flex. Given the right formulation, polycarbonate is more rigid and more puncture resistant than PET for the same thickness. In fact most modern bullet-proof glass is made with polycarbonate. This property combined with the additional window thickness should provide for a more impact resistant surface. BTW, I'm making an assumption they are referring to a class of polycarbonate when they say polyester carbon. With this said, I wish the LCD cover was even thicker since light finger pressure on the LCD still causes the LCD element to flex and discolor a bit.

The external buttons are gone which should remove one source of potential damage. In their place is a multi-function wheel hidden under the memory card door. It's not a wheel in the general sense in that it only rotates a fixed amount in opposite directions. In reality it's a 3 position switch that can be thought of as a two position joystick with a center 'push to set' button. It also allows for one handed operation which is really slick. I'll cover this in the 'Operation' section.

The Compact Flash slot is very shallow and it's quite easy to get the card cocked in the slot if not careful when installing it. You need to be especially careful if installing and removing cards during one handed operation (details later). The easiest way to seat the card properly seems to be to install the card just till it hits the pins making sure it's not crooked, and then pressing it the rest of the way in. So far I have not had any problems, but this is one area where users will need to take care.

The new battery end cover seems to be a bit more substantial than that of the PD7x, but I wish it were even thicker or had more reinforcing ribs. It still bends enough that you can see the batteries inside. This not only will allow dust to get in, but I'm concerned about the door's service life under such constant pressure.

There is another issue with the battery door that concerns me a bit. It you're not careful, it's very easy to close the door with only one clasp in place. This is due to the amount of play in the hinge mechanism. While this is not a problem if one pays close attention when securing the batteries, it's not difficult to get the door in a cocked position.

In the image below there are several areas of interest. First, it's obvious that the door hinges are still plastic. I must assume that EastGear meant the hinge 'pins' are now metal. I unfortunately forgot to check the battery door pins while doing the 'Under the Hood' section. Second, the left door clasp in my sample is noticeably shorter than the right one. This concerns me a bit since it might affect the overall door service life. I'm not sure if this is a defect in the mold, or if it's just my sample that exhibits this. Lastly, notice the height difference between the outer batteries and the inner ones. The outer batteries on either side are noticeably higher than the center ones. This is because the internal battery contacts are comprised of two types. This seems to contribute to the tension that causes the door to flex. I'll cover this more in the 'Under the Hood' section.

Making sure to open and close the battery door properly should reduce the chance of damage to the clasps or placing the door in a position where only one clasp is fastened. The battery door has an embossed marking at the center indicating where to press to open and close it. I do not recommend using the center marking for closing, but instead recommend pressing directly above the clasps with your thumbs to reduce wear on them as indicated below. Make sure the door gap is as large as possible before pressing or releasing tension to insure the clasps do not wear prematurely. Although opening the battery door by pressing in the center is probably acceptable, I recommend using your index fingers in the thumb positions indicated below to do so.

The memory card door is heavy enough but I still don't like the tension based clasp. Although it would most likely be OK if the clasp's lip was larger and it was designed to require more tension to open and close. As it is it's very easy to open and I wonder how many open and close cycles it can withstand before the clasp is all but non-functional. Only time will tell. However, the door hinge on my unit 'does' have a lot of tension/friction which holds the door in position pretty much without the clasp. I do have one other concern about the memory card door. It's the length of the door hinge ends. They seem rather short.

Hard drive installation:

Many of us will purchase the PD70x without a hard drive and then install our own. There are a several advantages to this:

• You can install a hard drive left over from a laptop upgrade
• Hard drives purchased separately usually bring down the total cost of the unit
• You can select the hard drive manufacturer you desire
• Warranties on these drives are usually longer than their pre-installed counterparts (up to 5 years)

All of the above are good reasons to install your own drive, and it's a relatively simple task, but you do need to feel comfortable about you're ability to do so. While only the most rudimentary mechanical skills are needed, there are a few rules to follow. For the most part, if you can install RAM, you can install a hard drive in the PD70x. If you can't, then have a computer geek friend help you.

The PD70x does have a few installation quirks of its own (at least my copy does). I'll just mention them as we proceed.

In order to install the hard drive you will need to remove the back plate as mentioned in the manual. What is not mentioned is that the plate can be quite tight and hard to remove. Initially I used a dental pick in one of the screw holes to remove the plate before I found the reason it was tight in the first place and compensated for it.

I didn't realize what the problem was and find a solution until I was preparing the 'Under the Hood' section, but it's simple when you think about it.

When designing the PD70x I would assume the designers built in a bit of play to allow the printed circuit board (PCB) sub assembly to be inserted easily into the aluminum channel. This 'play' is removed when the subassembly is screwed into the channel which compresses the aluminum 'C' channel a bit. This reduces the open channel width to the point that the cover plate can be hard to remove/install. The solution?

If after removing the four retaining screws, the cover plate seems tight and hard to remove, just loosen each of the screws on the sides of the PD70x about 1/2 turn. This will allow the channel to uncompress and release its grip on the cover plate. When re-tightening the screws (after the drive and cover plate are installed), remember they are screwing into plastic. Just turn them until they give a slight resistance, and then add just a bit more till they are snug. No, not a quarter turn, 'just a bit'.

Loosening the side screws can also make inserting the drive easier. In my case I had to turn the drive at an angle to install it since the channel was compressed too much to allow it to drop straight in. Once I loosened the side screws, it could be removed and inserted without issue.

Once the cover plate is removed, you should mark the drive bracket to indicate orientation before removal. I scraped an arrow into the surface with an X-Acto Knife blade. I'd like to say I did this before I had a problem, but it's hard to troubleshoot a problem you don't know exists. In other words, I got bit. This may not be necessary for all units, but on my PD70x the holes were not centered on the drive bracket and the screws could only be re-inserted when if was replaced in the same direction as it was when removed.

If you are installing your own drive, there is no reason to use tools to remove the drive bracket. Just grab it in the middle and pull it towards the center of the drive cavity while rotating it. Tools are only necessary when removing the drive bracket while a drive is installed (further down).

Before inserting the drive into the PD70x, check to see if the plastic film placed on the printed circuit board is centered well and the metal sides of the drive casting will not short against anything. In particular you need to look at the regulator pins shown in the image below. I had to readjust the film so it sat over the four solder pads a bit. Perhaps the film should be 3/16" wider so placement at the factory is easier.

Important: While it does not specifically state to do so, the arrow on the manual image (below) depicts pressing on the drive top in the center. Don't do this! (See the magnified section of the second image below)

Once the drive is in the PD70x (top up), gently mate the drive pins to the connector and insert about 1/3 to 1/2 way by pushing on the sides of the drive (arrows 1 below). If the drive cannot be easily seated the rest of the way in this manner, use you finger tips on the end of the drive to fully seat the drive into the connector (arrow 2 below).

Replace the drive bracket, and re-install the cover plate. If you needed to loosen the side screws, re-tighten them just enough to be snug as mentioned above.

Hard drive removal:

It might seem like removing the hard drive is simple, and it is. It's removing the hard drive retaining bracket that can be difficult depending on the tools you have available since the bracket slot is so shallow. If used properly, a utility knife can work all by itself, but you might feel uncomfortable using it for this. Using two tools is a safer method and works better. The method I use is illustrated below.

In the first image (left) you can see slot 1 where the manual says to insert something into the slot, and then press towards the center while lifting the bracket out. Good luck. The only single tools I could use in this manner were items that would cut into and grip the plastic. I found that using two tools is better, where one is inserted into the slot and pressed towards the center (arrow 1), and a second is inserted into the much deeper slot created at arrow 2 (see right image), and then pried out. It sounds more brutal than it is. It just pops out if you do it right.

It may appear as if I'm finding quite a few problems with the PD70x, but I just have a critical eye. I'm try to give the most honest evaluation as possible without leaning one way or the other. Although I have found some shortcomings in the PD70x mechanics, most of the issues I mentioned can be compensated for, and as you'll see the PD70x has more than enough positive attributes to outweigh any negative ones that exist.