Smartphone vs Pocket PC

[Guest mjs]

Hi all,

I guess I'm pretty new to this having read many of the posts but I hope all the experts can help.

I found a topic back in June 2005 that compared Smartphone to Pocket PC, with the main upshot being the smartphone tends to win out. In light of new technology and service from the telecomms providers in the UK, I'd like to resurrect the discussion if I may. Which is best?

I'm interested 'cos I'm looking to make the choice pretty soon. Friday I had my mind made up to go with a T-Mobile Vario II, but having read some more internet traffic, confused again.

I expect to use the functions of the device in the following order:

1. Interactive web browsing

2. Word/Excel Data entry

3. Email (private)

4. Email (corporate)

5. Scheduling/Contacts, etc

6. Music Player

7. Video Player

8. Voice calls

I have a corporate phone which I tend to use all day to make the voice calls hence my voice down the bottom of the list. My tight company won't turn on data for me, so looking to get a private device. I'm in central london a lot, so contemplating using WiFi more often to keep cost of use down, but will need G3 for speed where I can't get WiFi. Is this the right way to go?

Any thoughts?

Also looking for some guidance about which UK networks are best for this.

Any guidance would be useful.

Many Thanks

MJS.

[Guest Shuflie]

Given your list of requirements I'd suggest going the Pocket PC phone route, with the best balance between portability and usefulness probably being something like the T-mobile MDA PRO (for its great VGA screen and mini-laptop form factor). If you want something a little smaller then the Vario II seems to be quite good and has HSDPA too, although you loose the VGA screen.

EDIT: Forgot to mention but as far a providers go t-mobile are hard to beat for data connections, although some of the others are catching up. WIFI use will really sap your battery no matter which phone you go for.

Edited June 3, 2007 by Shuflie

[Guest mikeeey]

Hi all,

I guess I'm pretty new to this having read many of the posts but I hope all the experts can help.

I found a topic back in June 2005 that compared Smartphone to Pocket PC, with the main upshot being the smartphone tends to win out. In light of new technology and service from the telecomms providers in the UK, I'd like to resurrect the discussion if I may. Which is best?

I'm interested 'cos I'm looking to make the choice pretty soon. Friday I had my mind made up to go with a T-Mobile Vario II, but having read some more internet traffic, confused again.

I expect to use the functions of the device in the following order:

1. Interactive web browsing

2. Word/Excel Data entry

3. Email (private)

4. Email (corporate)

5. Scheduling/Contacts, etc

6. Music Player

7. Video Player

8. Voice calls

I have a corporate phone which I tend to use all day to make the voice calls hence my voice down the bottom of the list. My tight company won't turn on data for me, so looking to get a private device. I'm in central london a lot, so contemplating using WiFi more often to keep cost of use down, but will need G3 for speed where I can't get WiFi. Is this the right way to go?

Any thoughts?

Also looking for some guidance about which UK networks are best for this.

Any guidance would be useful.

Many Thanks

MJS.

everything there you want would work best on a ppc. email, word, and any texting is best on ppc's. for browsing the web, ppc's are a big plus. the touch screen allows you to navigate much easier, as for a smartphone its like tabbing through each link to go down the page.

for media i still say a ppc is better because with music and video the touchscreen comes in handy again. you can touch the navigation bar and choose what part of the video or audio you want to watch or listne to, rather than with a smartphone you just have to hold down the fast forward button till you get to where you want.

[Guest Confucious]

The two are very different, SmartPhones are smaller but don't have a touchscreen and have more limited functionality, from your requirements I would have thought a PPC would be a better choice but they don't have a keyboard so are less "phone like" I have a Universal (T-Mob brand it as the MDA Pro) which I love but it's not for everyone, I am getting an Ameo which again, is what I want, but not for everyone.

PPCs are better for eweb browsing (bigger screen) and excel/Word (built in) but don't suit everyone dur to lack of phone keyboard and bigger size.

Horses for courses but the vario II is a good phone ( but Kaiser will be better if you can wait) or MDA Pro or vox or....

[Guest]

Ditto...I'd say PPC is the way to go too. As far as I can see the only advantage to the Smartphone route is the small formfactor and phone keypad. Not that popular PPC's are big and unwieldly these days - I've had both an Orange SPV M500 and now have a Vario II and both slip into the pocket a treat (plus the full qwerty keyboard on the Vario II is so handy you'll wonder how you managed without it!).

The larger PPC's like the Universal and the Ameo are fantastic pieces of kit with their large VGA screens - just can't bring myself to have one though due to their size (reckon you must look a bit of a spanner holding something that big up to your ear!) :rolleyes:

Whichever you go for, the PPC platform is fantastic...I wouldn't even consider buying a phone now if it doesn't have Windows Mobile on it!