Internet access for all through a plug 'n play keyboard and TV

I've been using the Vodafone Webbox over the last week or so and although I was doubting its usefulness at first, I can certainly see how it could help connect masses of people in South Africa to the Internet, relatively cheaply. Not everyone has a DSL line but many, many people have both a TV and more than likely Vodacom coverage as well.

The Webbox interface has easy-to-navigate menus such as Internet, Messages, Media, Apps, Search and Settings with each one containing sub-menus. All Internet browsing is done through Opera Mini (version 5), which is currently the world’s most popular mobile browser, and for good reason. It's as user-friendly as it gets and is pretty fast due to their compression algorithm, a useful fact since the Webbox has EDGE as its best speed.

Social Networking favorites such as Facebook and Twitter are accessible via a shortcut in Opera Mini, defaulting to mobile versions of these sites so they load fairly quickly. I think MXit should have come pre-installed on the device and maybe even WhatsApp based on the popularity of both messaging services.

Android users will recognize some aspects of the interface and that's because Webbox runs FroYo (Android 2.2), much to my delight! Although clearly not intended for this purpose, it's possible to load compatible apps via the SD card provided that they are not dependent on touch functionality. The notification bar works just as in any other Android device with a button on the keyboard triggering the pull-down action. Holding down the Menu button shows recently accessed apps but the full-on Task Manager with a kill-task function is located in a deeper menu as are many advanced options that the average user won't probably need to access.

Media playback from the SD card worked as expected; the video player can handle some of the more popular formats. Streaming YouTube videos is a bit of a pain because of the relatively slow speed but it's possible. Upon clicking on a YouTube link, a video player is launched and begins to stream. There's also FM Radio and a Music Player: useful entertainment options which render the Webbox useful even when offline.

The Webbox comes pre-installed with a few games but they are hardly anything to get excited over if you're a seasoned gamer. Thankfully more games can be downloaded from Vlive! In fact this portal it’s possible to download apps, music, ringtones, and other content.

Hardware
The actual unit itself is an iPad-sized keyboard that has a power adapter and RCA connectors that plugs into a television. There is a SD card slot with a 2GB microSD card included. Next to that is the Power button.

What's great?
- very easy to setup and use
- relatively cheap way to be on the Internet
- R749 is not a bad price for what is essentially an Android smartphone + R100 airtime (once-off)
- full QWERTY keyboard
- loads of help tips

What's not so great?
- keyboard feels a bit plasticky and perhaps a tad small for an adult.
- connection can be noticeably slow

Conclusion

At the same price as a budget feature phone with Internet, the Webbox provides an enhanced smartphone experience. If you're like me and don't usually bother with lower-spec'd devices you may still find use for the Webbox for SMS's, email and other phone functions that are far more pleasant when using a keyboard and on a much bigger screen… or just to hack it!

Full press release at http://www.vodafone.com/content/index/press/news/webbox.html