Datawind PocketSurfer2

There's no denying the PocketSurfer has benefits over rivals. For one, it manages to render websites more reliably than either the iPod touch, or Windows Mobile's sorry excuse for a browser. And it loads pages pretty quickly too thanks to that page compression technology.

It's also convenient to pay a one-off fee and get a year's worth of internet browsing - no need to worry about data costs here.

But if you have access to a good range of Wi-Fi hotspots, as London and many other large cities do, then the iPod touch may appeal more. It's only slightly more expensive, but is a much nicer device to use. It has calendar and contact applications built in, can play music competently, as well as video and is eligible for The Cloud's reasonable £3.99 unlimited Wi-Fi deal.

The PocketSurfer2 on the other hand just doesn't feel as polished, despite its competent web browser. Perhaps a better quality screen and keyboard would make turn this into a compelling product; for now, though, we can't quite recomend it.

Author: Matthew Sparkes