Amstrad's E3 videophone
By Dan Wu 
posted Sep 16th 2004 11:30AM
posted Sep 16th 2004 11:30AM
Amstrad (remember their PCs from the 80s?) has just released a £99 multi-function videophone in the UK. The E3 works as a regular phone until both parties connect via the "Video" button, at which point the call switches over to a 56k built-in modem connection. You can also surf a limited number of Web sites, send text messages, and write emails, but 56k ain't much to work with in the bandwidth department, so Amstrad is hoping to add broadband support via a WiFi add-on in the future (something which would make it not much different from every other broadband video phone out there). We're not quite as stoked about the 50 pence surcharge everytime a video call is placed, but what can you do?
You ask what can be done. The Amstrad is flawed in a number of respects, key are the facts that it will only work in the UK (we have found that a majority of people buying pstn videophones want to use one abroad) and secondly as you rightly point out the 50p video charge is blatant profiteering. Add to this the compexity of the product, poor quality, lack of interconnectivity with other videophones, call up charges to pick up emails, and this product doesnt stack up. Pic-tel have a videophone which works over pstn, no complexity, works anywhere in the world with any other H.324 device, and we're offering it at only 99 pounds if you sign up your phone service too.
I think that the Amstrad E3 is an emailer that has been altered to accomodate video calls in the same way that you can make a PC do video calls with a web cam. Neither approach provides the same quality you get with a device that has been designed as a videophone. Simple to use and with no hidden charges I recommend the Pic-Tel approach.
I think that the Amstrad E3 is an emailer that has been altered to accomodate video calls in the same way that you can make a PC do video calls with a web cam. Neither approach provides the same quality you get with a device that has been designed as a videophone. Simple to use and with no hidden charges I recommend the Pic-Tel approach.
I remember when i bought the original Amstrad E mailer "what a good" idea i thought until i realised it was dialing out at night under its own free will to check for any emails at around £60 per year! also endless streams of worthless adverts (some pornographic) appearing every day. I certaintly would not recommend any one to buy this product as it will come with all of the above plus a little bit more no doubt
Some information on the internals of the Emailers, including the E3, and getting your own software to run on them is available at http://inputplus.co.uk/ralph/emailer/
Cheers, Ralph.
My emailer has been disabled by Amstrad because I have blocked it from dialling out to collect emails. At £60 per year, and having owned it for 6 or 7 years, this has become an expensive phone. Now I can't use the very useful address book.
Does anyone know where I can get a phone with an address book feature as good as this one? BT's offering doesn't come close.