Xircom Rex Pro 5 PC Companion

by Xircom

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.4 x 0.2 x 2.1 inches ; 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000JFF2
• Item model number: REX-PRO5
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Carry up to 6,000 memos, to-do tasks, names, addresses, and more in a PDA the size of a credit card. Enter data through six front-mounted keys or synchronize data with your desktop PC.

The Rex connects to your PC directly by inserting it into a Type II PC-card slot or through an optional docking station (not included) via the PC's serial port. The TrueSync CD-ROM provides software to manage tasks on your PC and synchronize them with the Rex.

Setting up the Rex itself is easy--just insert the batteries and follow the Rex's setup wizard. You navigate through the Rex's six organizer applications with six front-mounted push buttons. The applications are Calendar, Contacts, Memos, To Do, Time Zones (dual-clock alarm), and Preferences.

You also use the front-mounted buttons to "type" names, phone numbers, and appointments by selecting individual letters and numbers from a list. Entering data in this manner through the Rex's six keys is time-consuming and tedious; you'll want to use your PC for data entry and then synchronize whenever possible. However, the menu-driven user interface is reasonably intuitive, and the printed documentation is easy to follow.

If small size is the most important feature you're looking for in a PDA, then the Rex Pro 5 is a great choice.

Pros:

• Amazingly small
• Data entry through built-in buttons or through a partner PC
• Connects to a PC through a Type II PC slot

Cons:

• No backlight
• Using keys for data entry is tedious
• Docking station not included

Amazon.com Product Description

No more searching among loose papers in your appointment book or rummaging through a pile of sticky notes for that important phone number. Carry all your important phone numbers, addresses, and appointments in the ultra-portable Rex-Pro5 organizer. Transfer all your organizer information from your PC desktop or laptop into the Rex with just one click! Got a new contact or had to reschedule a meeting while on the road? No problem, just make the addition or change directly on the Rex-Pro5. And the next time you sync the Rex with your PC, the most recent changes are automatically updated in the computer. It's an easy "Click-and-Go" solution right out of the box! And if you're using Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Schedule+, Symantec ACT!, or Lotus Organizer, the Rex-Pro5 can sync with these applications directly. There's no need to learn new organizer software!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but get the Rex 3, December 2, 1999

By 

Shawn Rissman (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Xircom Rex Pro 5 PC Companion (Office Product)

Excellent product but data entry is painful. I find I mostly do my input from my laptop now. Also seems quite fragile. Heard may stories where to screen cracks. So far no problems, carry it in my wallet or in my pocket. Buy the Rex 3 not the five, save some cash and use your computer to do your data entry.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once you have this, you'll never give it up., September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Xircom Rex Pro 5 PC Companion (Office Product)

Amazon's buyer's guide does not do this justice. It may be small, and its data entry may be limited, but having thousands of contacts and all of your calendar info with you ALL the time is far more useful than a bigger more comprehensive device that you don't have with you. This device is so cleverly designed and so portable that you have no excuse to leave it at home, or to fail to update it. Data entry via its six keys is much easier than the reviews would have you believe. The practice it takes to get fast, with the clever drop down menus, is certainly less than the practice of learning special handwriting grafiti and editing commands. In short, it does what you need most in a package that can't be beat for convenience and price. Once you have it for a week, you will be addicted to it and wonder how you ever did without it. It takes up no more space in your pocket than your business card folder, and it holds a supply of those as a bonus.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't leave home without it!, December 13, 1999

By 

David (Merrimack, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Xircom Rex Pro 5 PC Companion (Office Product)

This little gem keeps track of all my important contacts, appointments, notes, and other items. It is a bit difficult to get used to entering data via the buttons on the unit, but if you purchase the docking station (as I did), then it's a breeze. I love the size, because I can carry it with me anywhere I go, and so I always have access to all my important information anytime.

512KB may not seem like a whole lot of memory, but you'll be amazed as to how much information that translates into.

If you have problems trying to input data while you're in a hurry, then do as I do, I carry a small writing tablet that I use for quick notes, and then I enter them into the REX.

I had an Everex unit (similar to the Palm), but it was too bulky for me to carry around comfortably.

The tiny Rex gets my vote. I love it!