When I did my first InkShow on the Celio Redfly, I got a lot of questions about the extended capabilities of the Redfly, especially the video and the USB. In this InkShow, I go over using the USB ports to add a USB flash drive and using the external VGA port to extend the video to a projector.

What I was not able to do was to play video. This is not necessarily the Redfly's fault. The AT&T Tilt phone that I was using with the Redfly was having issues with playing video - none of the codecs seemed to be installed properly. I spoke with the Redfly technical support and they said that there are plans to update the Redfly website with information regarding which phones support which features on the Redfly. This should certainly help.

I've wanted to get my hands on a REDFLY by Celio Corp since I saw their booth at CES. My chance has finally arrived! I've been really impressed with the overall build quality and general usefulness of the Redfly. In the video you can see how easy it really is to attach a Windows Mobile phone to the Redfly, both via USB and via Bluetooth, and surf the web or edit docs. Since these are the primary tasks that many mobile users have for a full laptop, I love having the ability to harness the power of my Windows Mobile phone to do it instead of using a full laptop.

While the Redfly is squarely targeted at enterprise IT departments, it's an attractive device that could have much broader utility once the price point comes down to consumer range. By adding 2 USB ports and a VGA port to the overall Windows Mobile phone package, Celio has created a compelling platform combination that will fill many mobile users requirements. For companies that already deploy WinMo phones, the lower total cost of ownership versus a full laptop will make many IT managers very happy indeed - no additional software, limited additional support, and no additional security holes.