Talking Point: Pocket PC or Smartphone?

[Guest dh]

For me I'd like a device about the size of the Jam with a drop down keyboard, like the M2000, with WM5 and Exchange push email.

I like the added functionality of the PPC platform, touch screen and application support.

There's also been some great developments in business apps for PPC like CRM and digital dictation. Wi-Fi is also a must

Currently have a C500, was going to get the M500, but it's too late, will wait until WM5 version

[Guest Maquina]

I have the Dell Axim X5 and a new Audiovox SMT5600 (about 2 weeks now.) I've had the X5 since it came out, I think in 2001. It's been great and I use it alot to look at info, listen to music, and get numbers that I didn't have in my cell phone. I did not put all my numbers into my phone since it had no filter function. I wanted to by a new Dell X50v. I also wanted to buy the SE S710a. This phone looks wicked and has a lot of functionality. But I bought a smartphone intead and I don't regret it at all. I do more with this phone than I did with my X5 and SE T637 combined. Now with my new 5600 I don't carry my X5 around at all. But I still take it to work tho, just don't have it on my belt. My phone totally replaced my X5 except when I need to do some serious Word processing when at work. I love the small size and the fuctionality.

To make next gen Smartphone better I think the Nokia 7710 design may be a step in the right direction. Just imagine the SMT5600 with just a couple keys on the outside and a screeen taking up most of the space. I think that would be really cool, especially with a pop up/out/slide/whatever keypad or qwerty keyboard and with a touchscreen. Can't wait for my 2 year contract is up to get my next smartphone, ;)

[Guest peekie]

i like both platforms , both have the + and - like on holiday a pda phone is too big and a good target for the guys who want a free phone .

i use my e200 for tomtom , my c500 and qtek s100 for everyday use , its a bit a pain switching the sims all the time, one good thing about haveing more than 1 phone is you have choice , games on the pda are nicer as well plus there are more as well, on a whole its fun to switch and enjoy both sides ;)

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Having used quite a number of MS Smartphones and a few PPCPE devices, I am now using a JAM.

There is so much I like about both platforms. But in the end, Smartphones are better due to small size and PPCs are better because of the greater amount of available software. I also like the PPCs homescreen MUCH better because of the quantity of available information at a glance. Which is probably also a vote for the larger screen.

Some days, I wish I still had my SMT5600. But if I had to choose, I'll stick with the PPCPE platform. After all, they can only get smaller and better.

Do I predict the convergence of the two OS platforms? I certainly do. But I think the devices that use the OS will use it in different ways. Focusing on different functionality. People will still need to choose between larger and smaller sized devices. Touch screen or not. Keyboard, keypad or none. Even if the OS is the same...hardware will still drive the success of one device to another.

As for me...PPC on a SMT5600 sized screen with a VGA resolution (or more ;) )GPRS, GPS, WiFi, Camera, I want it all.

In short...a smaller Jam with wifi! That's my next device! :D No keyboards...I'll sacrifice them for size...I dont need em.

Edited June 11, 2005 by nickcornaglia

[Guest unicron]

i been using a m1000 then a qtek 2020i, sorry but small screen and no wifi plus i can text faster on msm messanger with bluetooth keyboard.

yes its big but that does not bother me, i just can not go back to something like an e200 again....no...hell..no!

[Guest beersoft]

as a phone the smartphone wins everytime, as a mobile data device the ppc has the edge

i miss the days of the HPC, i think now we need something that has all the features of a modern pda but with better input (i didn't like the thumbboard on the m2000) something like this http://www.techjapan.com/Article987.html would rock or maybe something between pda and subnotebook, and maybe slave your smartphone to it to avoid the slab to the face that you get with pda phones

later

Owen

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Haven't you just described the HTC Universal beery?

P

[Guest gthreepwood]

As phone I would go for the Smartphone. I use my phone as PIM and I just hate using a stylus. Then either the phone is too bulky or too small (JAM) to be practical.

I used to have a PDA, but ditched it and just use my SPV and sync it with Outlook.

[Guest beersoft]

paul, yep ;)

i still think the universal needs a compact flash slot, those 6 gig microdrives are very tempting :D

::edit::

just thought of something else

for wifi i think the device needs a decent sized screen (for tablet use) or a non thumbboard keyboard

wifi on something like the c550 isn't going to be any fun to use, yea you can stream media to it, but down converting dvd res divx's isn't fun, and apart from voip i cant think of any other reason why a smartphone needs wifi, (and before we see wifi smartphones we will have utms smartphones and data prices are going to come down before the end of the year (i bet 1 pint that they do)

later

Owen

Edited June 12, 2005 by beersoft

[Guest ultimasnake]

After my e200 i now only use my new IMATE JAM!! (proud)

[Guest yarod_g14]

I started with a Canary and upgraded it to an E200 a few years back. I managed to get my hands on an XDA2 which I loved but I always carried my E200 around as well as it was much more convenient as a phone.

Now I have a JAM, both my E200 and XDA 2 are dust collectors!

[Guest thereaperman]

i used to have a xda when they cam out then moved over to the e200 then the c500. I am now back on the mda compact and would not change it for anything at the mo(other than maybe a new one when they come out;) )

I like the pocketpc phone more than i did the smartphone version as i find it suits me more for the the job i have etc and i love watching all my movies etc over wifi at work(all from my pc at home using orb, its brill)

[Guest]

as a phone the smartphone wins everytime, as a mobile data device the ppc has the edge

I think that's hit the nail on the head really, I use it mostly as a mobile data device, and PPC wins. If I used it more for voice, then smartphone would win.

Pete.

[Guest Disco Stu]

I was hoping this thread would help me come down in favour of one or the other, but clearly it's not so simple.

If I could text on my Jam with one hand then I wouldn't bother with a Smartphone again. As it is I'll probably be acquiring both the C550 and the Jam 2 / Universal and spending too much time trying to explain to people why I need both !

[Guest thereaperman]

lol

[Guest Geeklord]

I only have a humble Voyager on me.

I can email, browse, play, listen to MP3s and even use it as a phone. I used to have a low end Pocket PC that was more like a digital organizer and notepad, but that proved to be quite useless after the advent of the smartphone. Whatever the phone can't handle can always wait until I get to the office or get home from work.

I like the small form factor of the phone, I find the Pocket PCs a bit too big to carry around (save maybe for the xda mini). I also prefer the one-handed operation of the smartphone as opposed to the stylus.

Whenever I need more "specialized" gadgets, then that's the only time I bring them. Otherwise for my daily routine, the smartphone works for me.

[Guest soup dragon]

I'm currently using a Toshiba e800 PPC and a C500.

The e800 has built in WiFi and I've also got a BT CF card so I can hook it up to my GPS. Its main use is now mainly for web browsing while lounging on the sofa or in bed. Also make a nice MP3 player when hooked up to an amp at parties. I can see no further uses for it in the future. :D

I started my association with smartphones with an e200 12 months ago and now luuuuurv my c500. I have an upgrade in 2 weeks so I'll probably get a C550 when it comes out. My wife (who currently has my old e200) is due an upgrade in October so 'she' will hopefully get a HTC Universal - but seeing as I pay the bills it will end up in my pocket with my sim in it ;)

I suspect the Universal will become my single Windows mobile device as it 'should 'take care of all my needs in one package. :?:

Edited June 15, 2005 by soup dragon

[Guest chrisbpr]

Oh, and the mobilepro 780 is a HPC, not a PPC, so I don't know if that qualifies or not for this poll ;)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i've seen these on ebay very cheap.could anyone tell me what they are like to use & whether things like activesync work , also what sort of wirless/bluetooth cards they will take.

ta :??:

[Guest SimonRobinson]

As you can see from my phone history, I used the C500 alongside my M1000 for a while. Got used to the size of the M1000, then the M2000, and haven't looked back.

[Guest morpheus2702]

I've had various combinations of phones and PDAs over the years. Best combination was Ipaq H1940 and SPV E100 - I realised that I needed a Pocket PC pretty soon after starting a job where I had to attend lots of meetings and take notes - no practical for a Smartphone to tackle that and what a touchscreen was made for. But on the move, the E100 pretty much negated the need for the Ipaq.

[Guest sracer]

I've had my share of cell phones and Pocket PCs and handheld PCs (including the NEC MobilePro 780) I choose the Audivox SMT-5600 smartphone. Here's why:

My Review of SMT-5600 on Modaco

[Guest chrisbpr]

I still use my MPx200 everyday (WM2003 of course). I keep trying to justify upgrading to an imate sp3i or a jam, but I can't ever figure anything that those upgrades would do that my MPx200 doesn't already do.

I do miss the larger screen and the wifi, so I got a good used mobilepro 780 off ebay, refinished and repainted it, gave it a 512MB upgrade and the best wifi card for it and loaded with VNC. Now I can use my media server anywhere in the house (and that's all I would have done with a Pocket PC phone, plus the mobilepro 780 only cost a little more than a hundred USD).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i am very interseted in one of these units, could you tell me what sort of memory/wifi cars you used & how easy is it to activesync as this is a serial device but i only have usb on my pc...thanks

[Guest ingster]

I started off with an ipaq 1910 (a limited boring little PDA) with my E200, as i went on over the year of my E200 contract, my pda went away into a drawer and i found that i didn't really need it!

Alas being promoted required me to dust off my PDA, but as it was soo limited and my contract had finished i decided upon an SPV M2000, never looked back, the versatility is great, BT for tom tom, wireless for file sharing and access at home, work, on the train even maccie d's and starbucks too (although wish it was one subscription, ah well never mind!) The thumb board is brilliant, realy easy to use and hardly need to use the stylus. All in all a great phone, the only down side is the silent call issue which since rom upgrading to imae 1.40 (i think) doesn't occur that often!

I don't personally think the size of the device is an issue, a colleague has an Asus my pal a716 PDA and that is much bigger, ok i must admit it does have SD and CF slots so that's not a fair comparisson but mine is a phone so i think all's fair! :o

Next phone, well i'll probably get an M5000 or maybe see what'll be around in Feb/Mar when my contract finishes! BTW does anyone know what the HTC Star Trek may be, smartphone or PDA? and has anyone heard anything about it?

[Guest Pondrew]

There seems nothing concrete at all about the alleged HTC Star Trek. The only references I've ever found have been unsubstantiated, inspecific and, to be honest, probably inaccurate.

EDIT: Seems the HTC Star Trek is coming and will be HTCs first clamshell style Smartphone...

Edited November 6, 2005 by Pondrew

[Guest Wudang]

Last used Windows on a handheld few years ago when I had the HP Jornada 540 running Windows CE. Stuck to various phones thereafter (just replaced my much loved Sony T610) and survived without PDA but this did mean lugging around on more than the odd occassion a laptop.

Got me a i-mate SP5 last week and after a week of messing around with it can see for the first time just over the horizon the real (and much talked about) convergence of the PC and the hand held.

WM 5.0 isn't perfect - what OS is - but it seems to me that the addition of a 1GB memory card and a fold up BT keyboard will pretty much make this smartphone a realistic mobile PC for an awful lot of people who need ready access to the most often used files on their PC and can get by without needing to access everything all the time. No doubt in time the memory option on smartphones will increase exponentially but a lot of people won't want or be allowed to carry around the entire contents of their PC's hard drive.

From a personal point of view I am a little disappointed with the quality of the camera - I reckon another two years hence and I will no longer need to lug around a 6m pixel Lumix digital camera as the in-built cameras on smartphones will have caught up to this level - Samsung having just annouced an 8m pixel in-built camera.

I prefer the candy bar smartphone to the PDA or flip version so I'm prepared to live with the smaller screen size which I reckon given the keyborad suggested would be the only reason for not ditching the PDA in favour of a smartphone.

Besides if Mr Darwin really did get it right it will be only a matter of time before we are all walking around looking like Marty Feldman so even the screen size won't be a problem. ;)