Make Me More Mobile
Sorry that this isn't music-related, but I could use the expertise of the tech-savvy 'Gum readers. I've been living with the Sidekick II for over a year, and it's pretty much a toy (no surprise, given it's Paris Hilton's phone of choice). You can send e-mails from it, sure, but they sometimes take 7 hours to reach their destination. No bluetooth, doesn't sync with Outlook, no broadband ... so obviously I need a Blackberry. Or do I? There are so many options on the market now. And keeping up with Engadget can be a full-time job!
My primary uses will be e-mail and web-browsing. Assuming price and carrier aren't factors, what's my best bet? (And don't suggest a device that won't be available until summer. I have no intention of waiting that long to upgrade.)
Posted at 3:23 PM
If emails are taking 7 hours, there's something wrong with your mail server. Count me as an SK fanboy, I guess, but it's not a toy. For the price I can't think of any other mobile device that I can use SSH from.
With all that said, bluetooth and 3g would be nice. Personally, I'm waiting for the SK3.
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become a deity... or get a blackberry.
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well... I have the Treo 650... absolutely love it. Don't know what I'd do w/o it! look it up, i think it will solve your issues.
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I would highly, highly, highly recommend the Treo 650 or 700. They're fantastic phones, have a functional (not great, but functional) web browser, and excellent e-mail support. They can sync automatically with MS Outlook, so you can keep calendar, contacts, email, etc. all in one place if you use that. And they even have a decent camera, and can hold lots of data on an SD card.
Ok, ok. I'm a Treo fanboy, I admit.
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i currently use a treo 650 and love it. my brother used to have a blackberry, and while they are pretty nice and do the job really well. they are quite cumbersome. i have never heald a sidekick, but i think blackberries are about the same size. i can fit my 650 in my pocket with no problem, and i am of average proportions.
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I would get that Audiovox smt5000 (i think that's the model) I know it's smt something.
I have it and love it. I actually prefer it to the blackberry i have to use for work. It has Windows Mobile and all those goodies you like. Plus it's about the same size as any cell phone.
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Maybe give a few web phone finders a spin and see what they spit out; I find that they tend to take into account a lot of other factors I forget about:
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/finder.php
http://www.myrateplan.com/cellphones/
There are also many, many similar questions in the archives of Ask Metafilter.
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I recently traded in my Blackberry (http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Detail.aspx?device=5853891a-c153-4622-95ea-5b478c4c9e74) for an MDA (http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Detail.aspx?device=8802ddeb-1ee4-477a-9608-d9cd1e2a903f) and am extremely happy. The email is superior on the Blackberry, but everything else is better on the MDA (keyboard, internet, calendar, more software options available, reception, louder call volume, MiniSD slot, play MP3s and videos, WIFI, etc). I don't know if you're a current T-Mobile customer, but they have pretty good deals for both new customers and current customers.
Good luck.
LS
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I love my iMate JAMin with Windows Mobile 5.0...that means it comes with Internet Explorer, Media Player, Work, Excel, Powerpoint, pdf viewer, outlook contacts, email and calendar. Also has a 2MP camera and Wifi. Find it on eBay for $500-600 or get its cousin at Tmobile...the MDA (similar but with a slideout keyboard).
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I had a Treo 650 for a few days, but knowing that there was a device with Wi Fi internet access on the market, I exchanged it for a T-Mobile MDA. There's no going back.
It's a bit more sophisticated (read: complicated), but having a Windows OS is amazing and powerful. Fully integrated Microsoft Office Suite (with Word, Excel, etc), Internet Explorer, full synch ability with Windows based PCs (and third party software is available for us Mac heads).
You'll generally be using a GPRS connection for internet (same speed as Sidekick, i.e. dial-up speed), but when you get to a T-Mobile hotspot (anywhere there's a Starbucks in the city. Read: everywhere), or are in an apartment building where you can mooch, you'll blaze at broadband speed. Neither Treo 650, 700 have Wi-Fi.
Email on MDA has proven to be quite intuitive as well.
Bad things: no one hand navigability. But, honestly, that's about it. (Treo 700 has Windows OS too.)
Disclaimer: I own no stock in T-Mobile or MDA manufacturer HTC. I just enjoy the phone :)
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I have the Sidekick II, and I'm in the same boat as you are. Its been nice, but its time to upgrade-- I should note I didn't have the email problems you did though. If you stick with T-Mobile, I'd do a check on your mail servers. As someone mentioned, that probably your problem.
As for the upgrade itself, I also highly recommend the MDA with T-Mobile. Its a real beauty. Same basic design as the Sidekick, with the nice, soft, easy-to-type-on keyboard, but it has a more grownup vibe, with Windows Mobile so you can even use Excel from your phone. And as someone mentioned, it has Wi-Fi.
Its certainly the best option out there for a nice phone/handset model, at least until Sidekick III hits, which is rumored to be thinner, have some kind of mp3 functionality, and a much better camera. Of course, there are a lot of crazy rumors about it, and T-Mobile is taking its sweet time getting it out on the market, so I'd feel safe grabbing an MDA now.
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So I was just in a T-Mobile store. New Blackberry arrives in-store on Monday and looks pretty sweet. It's got Edge -- which makes it faster than your MDA Amrit! ;)
Anyone hear any negative things about the new T-Mo Berry?
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damn you! now how am i gonna convince the dude to take this piece of junk back?
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www.cnet.com
it will help you with all your research.
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I had my eye on a Cingular 2125. I'll get it when it becomes more readily available.
http://msmobiles.com/news.php/4691.html
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everyone's recommendations are all good, but really it depends on the service where you live and work. cause you could have the greatest phone, but if the service sucks. well, then you are screwed. i live in atlanta, and was a att/cingular customer for 8 years, but when i moved down here the service was so lousy that i switched to sprint. with sprint i have great reception everywhere i go. so, just keep that in mind.
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You should look into this telegraph thing they just came out with. Apparently, with just dashes and dots you can convey as much information as you need in slightly less time than it would take for a horse to carry a letter. Need the calvary to subdue an Indian uprising in Montana? Use the telegraph. Want to tell your sweetheart about the World's Fair in Paris? Telegraph is your thing, my friend. Are the serfs rebelling against their feudal masters against the wishes of the czar? Telegraph it!! I say, whether you're following the Negro League baseball game in Cincinatti, the latest attempts to summit Everest in Hindustan, or wondering if your diamond interests in deepest Africa are being fairly represented by your proxy, Kurtz, there's no better way to stay on top of your affairs than by telegraph. Cheeri-O!
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my friend jeff is a graphic designer and he swears by the T-Mobile MDA...the guy would die if he didnt have this thing.
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Horatio -
That is about the most informative (and funny) post I've ever read. As soon as I've strung up miles of conductive line to my home, I will be able to contact my family and find out how their Atlantic crossing went on that beautiful new ship.
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MDA seems cool -- I've played w/ Amrit's -- but the new Blackberry would be faster for Web and better for e-mail. Ah, I guess I'll do some more research. But thank you all for the advice!
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i just got the Cingular 8125. windows mobile + wi fi. http://www.cingular.com/8125
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Bully, I say, skatelip, bully!! I only pray that your loved ones manage to avoid pirates, Spaniards, and, above all, the briny abominations of the deep during their voyage to the Americas.
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in my estimation, if you are running a blog the qtek 9100 is your best option. it is an unlocked mda vario the can be used with cingilar and tmobile, has wifi, windows mobile 5.0 and edge speed on tmobile. you can update you blog @ shows in more or less real time fairly easily and with the wifi on (pianos and roseland both had free unsecured wifi at recent shows) and free services like orb.com and (insert name of some service I forgot) streaming video from your phone to the interweb are the
future of phones. oh, and I just sent this sitting waiting for a burger @ cafeteria on vacation in miami on my 9100.
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i've got my eye on the tmobile mda... quad band world phone,Yahoo, MSN, and AOL instant msging. Video playback, 1.3 Megapixel camera, Windows Media Player with Expandable mini SD memory slot.
Bluetooth, GPRS/EDGE and Wi-Fi enabled, HTML web browser, Pocket versions of popular Office programs
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I have an LG The V, but I think those are only exclusively to Verizon. If that's the case, it's a shame because that's the best thing I've ever used. It has Bluetooth, email's efficient, and it's now equipt to where you can use it for GPS tracking. Quite a few of my friends have/had Sidekicks, and they all think my V is far better and more dependable than what they have.
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Hindustan!?
Seriously, Horatio: marry me.
I'll play games of whist and embroider shirtwaists on my fainting couch while you lobby for Civil Service reform in the offices of Manhattantown.
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hmm...if you're choosing b/t two phones that ae otherwise equal, I say you take the one you can use with one hand. I see people fumbling with the slide outs and sidekicks and it don't look like fun!!
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Umbum umbum, ah ah ah.
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I had the SKII for the past year and a half, loved it. Alas, I dropped it one to many times and it crapped out on me a couple of weeks ago. I was encouraged to get the MDA, but t-mobile didn't have any in stock so an alternative was suggested in the form of the SDA. The specs are impressive on this phone indeed: wifi, full function bluetooth, windows mobile 5, EDGE, etc., The main problem though was the super tiny keypad. Going from the QWERTY keypad on the SKII to this was quite a letdown. Anyway, reception was poor as well so I returned it. I have changed services and gone with Cingular and the Blackberry 8700c. So far this device has been great, and I highly recommend it. Email functionality is superb and the web browser is snappy and very reliable. EDGE is a noticeable improvement as well. The only drawback for me is the crippled Bluetooth functionality and the higher cost of the data and voice plans with Cingular versus T-mobile. Hope this helps, and btw I love this site!
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I have seen the cingular 8125 and very much liked it, would get one if i could, my hp ipaq 6515 is no slouch either but i do miss the wifi
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that new 8700 blackberry that comes out today with t-mobile is pretty sweet. it doesn't have wi-fi (edge is still really fast) or an mp3 player. i have not heard anything else bad about it.
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if you update your blog at shows i dont want to hear your opinion on shows anymore.
ps: there's no possible way to talk on a blackberry and still retain some semblance of "cool".
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