What phone to get?

[Guest supaflydude]

Hi all,

I need some advice on which phone to purchase. I really like the I-Mate SP5 as its features are impressive. But i've been told that the Windows Mobile OS will let it down in comparison to Pocket PC phones. But i've found that Pocket PC phones are too big as I require a phone that will fit comfortably in my pocket. I've never owned a smarthphone before so i've got some questions that i haven't been able to find the answer to online (these may sound n00bish):

Can we run our own applications on Smartphones easily (.NET, etc)?

Can we install third party applications?

Will i need an adapter for SatNav(on the SP5 in particular)?

Will i be able to access any website with the Mobile Internet Explorer?

What are your opinions?

Cheers

[Guest jimbouk]

If you want a reasonably small pc in your pocket, then the Hermes is the one to go for. If you really want a phone then either the new Imate Jas or the sp5 will do (I would go for the Jas personally - 3g etc).

If you get an unlocked phone, ie an Imate, then you should be able to install most apps (as long as they are designed for smartphones).

As long as the device has BT then you can use most satnav solutions - there are GPS euqipped devices but I havent seen a really good one yet.

PIE will access 99% off sites - some java rich sites are a little iffy and some sites are not laid out for mobile friendly browsing. On smartphones, I think OPera Mini is the current browser of choice.

[Guest cng]

You cant edit office documents with smartphones. You have limited power (most clocked under 300 Mhz). You have far less possibilities because of no touch screen. If you can do 3g data then the Meteor is really nice. If not, then get the Tornado, for EDGE and Wifi. The higher clock of the Meteor is not too big of an advantage after you overclock the OMAP to 240-252 Mhz.

The size of a PPC phone is actually surprisingly smaller. A lot smaller than a PPC in some cases. I love them and when I first saw one in real life, I knew I had to get one. The Prophet is only a bit wider than the Tornado but can do a lot more. You can overclock a OMAP on PPC too but I still suggest getting more power. Hermes with 400 Mhz is plenty great. Best PPC phone you can choose. Overall, I think you can do a lot more with PPC and complete tasks faster and better too. However, smartphones are simple for first time mobile computing people. They do a little bit of everything and can perform most basic tasks like email, media, phone calls, net, and organization.