Review: Sidekick LX
Browser
The Sidekick is meant to be used for browsing regular (desktop) websites. But unlike the iPhone or Windows Mobile, the sidekick does this with the help of big computer back at T-Mobile central. Enter in the address of any website you normally visit and the servers back at T-Mobile will go out, get that website for you, and re-format it so that it looks decent on the small screen, stripping out lots of formatting and background in the process. Turning most sites into a single column of plain text and pictures on a white background. It does, however, work with many websites that require Javascript, like banking sites. The servers store all your cookies and autofill information so every time you visit that site, any data stored there is easily accessible.
Although this is effective, and it is how the Sidekick has always worked, it is starting to feel a bit outdated compared to so many modern phones that can present desktop sites as they appear on the desktop. It is especially disappointing considering the resolution of the new screen.
Customize
The Sidekick comes with a wide variety of ringtones and alert tones spanning a range of musical genres. Each ring or alert also lights the trackball in a different color and pattern and makes the blue lights hidden in the four corners of the LX glow. Though once the alert is over, the trackball only glows blue to let you know something happened. (When there are no alerts or events it glows green.) As with past Sidekicks, you cannot use your own audio files as ringtones.
Just as on the Sidekick 3, you can change the background behind the jump menu. Four different pictures come with the device. You can download additional backgrounds as well as download themes which change the menu background, icons and add new alert sounds and ringtones. You can use any of your own pictures as a screen saver, though you'll only see it when you check the time.
File Management
Although you can use the web interface to manage information and even pictures, you use the Sidekick's catalog application to manage purchased content and applications. Music is managed simply by moving files into or out of a "music" folder on the memory card. If you store photos on the memory card, these can be managed the same way.
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Sharp Sidekick LX 2007
