Celio REDFLY

While the REDFLY may be one of the most innovative products of 2008, it is also one of the most misunderstood devices on the market. The REDFLY presents a truly significant paradigm shift in the world of mobile computing, but whether the marketplace will overcome their confusion to embrace it is a question that will only be answered over time. It is not a product that is right for everyone, but there is a large segment of professional and enterprise users who could revolutionize their mobile productivity if they were able to properly utilize this tool.

What exactly is a mobile companion?

From the outside, the REDFLY looks like a sub-notebook computer; from the inside… well, there is no inside—under the hood it has no processor or memory. In simplest terms, the REDFLY is the modern equivalent of the "dumb terminal" that connected to mainframe computers 20 years ago. In this case, however, you are connecting to the smartphone in your pocket instead of a mainframe. Simply turn on your REDFLY, connect via Bluetooth, and you can access the full power of your Windows Mobile device.

The REDFLY does not technically "run" Windows Mobile. Instead, it acts as a remote keyboard and display, allowing you to control and view any application running on your WM device. The REDFLY has an 8-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480, a near-full size keyboard, and a touchpad mouse. It measures 1 x 6 x 9 inches and weighs two pounds. Since it's not actually powering a processor or accessing memory itself, the REDFLY is able to provide a very respectable eight hours of battery life. While Bluetooth may be the most convenient way to connect, the REDFLY also has the ability to connect via USB cable—and charge the smartphone in the process. The USB port also allows you to connect it to an external keyboard, mouse, or flash memory drive. Finally, the REDFLY has a VGA-out port, which allows you to connect to a projector or larger monitor.

For mobile information workers

Information workers are becoming more mobile and are always looking for ways to accomplish more with their smartphones. But given the physical size of the screen and keyboard on these devices, this can be quite a challenge. The REDFLY was developed to take the smartphone experience to the next level—making device control and text entry more efficient and viewing of information easier. It was not designed to provide a full desktop computing experience, but there are many users who will find that it more than meets their needs. In fact, this article was written using a REDFLY.

Simplicity is the key

Simplicity is the key to the REDFLY. You do have to install a software driver on your Windows Mobile device, but after that you're up and running in minutes. Since you already know how to use the applications on your smartphone, there's no training involved. Since nothing is actually stored on the REDFLY, there are no redundant copies of your information requiring synchronization. And if your REDFLY is lost or stolen, there is no personal data at risk. For enterprises struggling to manage devices and data in the field, it is much easier to secure and support a deployment of smartphones. The REDFLY can peacefully coexist in that environment, while laptops present significant security and management challenges.

Not a standalone computer

The REDFLY may look like a small laptop PC or Palm Foleo (may it rest in peace), but it's not a standalone computer; it requires a Windows Mobile smartphone to be within Bluetooth range or connected via USB cable. If you don't have a smartphone, or if you don't always carry it with you, the REDFLY is not for you. If you need to run complex, graphic-intensive applications or full-featured PC programs, a laptop is probably a better choice. However, if you are looking to simply access communication, collaboration, and productivity-oriented applications on the road, the REDFLY might work perfectly.