Mobile email etc.

[Guest Steve_Bristol]

I apologise in advance for this being a very broad (and wordy) question... but I am interested in the opinions of existing users.

What I know: I'm a _very_ light mobile phone user - typically sending only, say, a dozen text messages a year and phone calls typically of no more than 10 minutes per month... and I've never wanted to send a picture or video message. From a connected PC I am a _very_ heavy user of email - typically receiving several thousands of emails per month and sending hundreds too... I use a dedicated custom mail-server with dozens of email addresses and use elaborate classification and sorting for the emails I receive - which I maintain accessible via IMAP (on a VPN) or over HTTPS webmail.

I am interested in a mobile device that would allow me to receive push emails for whatever is classified as 'urgent' by my mail-server. I'm reluctant to go "Blackberry" - I don't like the devices and I don't like that it is so proprietary. I need the mobile device not to need charging more than, at most, say, once every two days of average use. I expect mainly just to read email on the mobile device - sending only brief replies when absolutely necessary... As the only emails I actually need on my mobile device are urgent ones, these messages are, by definition, time critical - hence, I guess I'd be unsatisfied by a polled solution. I need my device to have decent PDA functionality - I'd like to be able to preview word/PDF docs; manage a shared diary; view html/images etc; Ideally I'd also like command-line SSH functionality - in case of emergency. While I anticipate that I wouldn't likely receive more than, say, a dozen urgent emails per day (and typically less than this) I can't easily predict their size.... though, I guess, I could choose to deem only a summary urgent, and drag down the whole message from the mobile device only if I consider it urgent once I know who's sent it and the subject/plain body text. It would be desirable to be able to use the mobile internet connection from a laptop too should I find myself in an office environment where LAN based connectivity is a problem... while bandwidth usage may be high for this, I'd not be concerned if the connection performed at basic dialup rates - as long is the cost remains affordable.

I don't think I'd get on with small keyboards (I even find the numeric keypad on my Nokia 6320i frustrating) - so I definitely want to go for handwriting recognition on a reasonably large display. Within reason I am not concerned if the smartphone is heavy or more bulky than a typical phone - but I am interested in it being a robust device... I don't want it to break if it falls out of my pocket etc. - This leaves me unimpressed with slide-out keyboards etc.

I saw an MDA-Compact-II device in a shop and (while I'd prefer a larger screen) liked its physical characteristics. Online I am most drawn to the HTC 3300... and suspect that, in future, its 802.11 connection would be a boon - and GPS is a nice gimmick. I'm aware that WM-2003 doesn't officially support push email - but that WM-2005 does (using WAP-push - i.e. SMS messages to alert the mobile device to there being new mail.) I'm aware of "ChatterMail" which, allegedly, does push-email using IDLE commands over IMAP4... but I am concerned both about potential bandwidth used and about the impact this may have on battery life.

Can anyone comment about:

* The HTC-3300 (or other stylus-driven PDA/phone with emphasis on PDA rather than phone?)

* Windows mobile 2005 push-email when compared with other solutions which may work on WM 2003 too?

* What sort of network provider package would suit me? How expensive is this likely to be to use?

* To use push email with Windows 2005, I understand this depends upon Excahange on the server-side... my mail-server is not exchange - what are my options? Will I be charged ~10p per email to be alerted? [That sounds as if a DOS/Spam situation could get _very_ expensive...]

* I'm very concerned at the idea that some network providers charge ~£1 per Mb used over allocation... I recognise that this could easily become _VERY_ expensive - potentially costing thousands if I slip-up. Can packages/devices protect me from these kinds of excessive charges?

* Do I really need 3G? I'd be happy with basic modem speeds - especially if it was un-metered.

At least as important as choosing a device that does what I need is that I would like some way to cap the maximum expense per month of using the device... preferably to the lowest price possible...

Any guru advice much appreciated... :-)

[Guest siu99spj]

I'm no guru on this but I'll give you some info that I have.

I'm using the MDA Vario II on T-Mobile with Web'nWalk Plus. This gives me 3GB of monthly data at 3.5G speeds on a PDA like phone (With stylus). It also runs WM2005. However, I think for the phone, you need to choose a call plan with Web'nWalk.

T-Mobile also offer a 3G data card, which you could drop in any PC, but I'm guessing a PC is a bit more that what you want to drag around.

Finally, although I'm on the Plus tariff, there is also a Pro/Max tariff which allows 10GB a month.

As is said, some ideas, but no solutions sorry!

[Guest Steve_Bristol]

I'm using the MDA Vario II on T-Mobile with Web'nWalk Plus. This gives me 3GB of monthly data at 3.5G speeds on a PDA like phone (With stylus). It also runs WM2005. However, I think for the phone, you need to choose a call plan with Web'nWalk.

The device aside (as I'd prefer to avoid a slide-out keyboard) the 3GB package would probably be sufficient for me... probably... if I were careful... especially if there were a straightforward way for me to cut-back my usage or pay a sensible supplement for a month where I'm a heavier user than normal.

T-Mobile also offer a 3G data card, which you could drop in any PC, but I'm guessing a PC is a bit more that what you want to drag around.

I'm pretty sure I don't want a data card... I will be lugging a desktop-replacement around with me... but that will have a pathetic battery life as well as being cumbersome to keep an eye-on for incoming messages while travelling. Ideally I'd want to be able to power-up my notebook and have it blue-tooth to the phone and use that network connection if I need to send more than a few words... I assume this is permitted both by the device/OS and by the network contract?

I'm also curious about push-email... which I assume you've got working? Are there limits on the number of emails you are pushed? Are you charged one SMS message per email that is pushed? Are you using your own corporate server, or are you using server-side facilities from T-Mobile, or someone else? Are these charged?

Finally, although I'm on the Plus tariff, there is also a Pro/Max tariff which allows 10GB a month.

You're the third person to tell me to look at T-mobile... though, and maybe I'm being a real "thickie" here - but I find the pricing plans utterly confusing. I can see three completely differently priced "Web and Walk" packages... but it isn't at all clear from the T-Mobile website how they differ.

* Flext 20 - Web&Walk - (£15, quickly rising to £22.50) "Unlimited internet" - This sounds "dirt cheap" and, from the blurb should allow me to do whatever I want... there's no mention of any cap on 'fair use' - and "unlimited internet" in my vocabulary suggests that I am free to send any kind of IP traffic my mobile can send... which really is "anything" for a Windows CE device.

* Web 'n' walk Plus - (£29) "Unlimited internet" - plus a free "hot-spot pass" (valued at £10/month) - which, I doubt, would be of much use to me... as I never seem to be anywhere there's a public-access hot-spot. but no phone service?

* Flext 25 - Web&Walk plus... (£37) - if I want a basic call plan for web&walk plus...

* Web 'n' walk Max (£44) - with support for 'VOIP' - does this mean I get a "Quality of Service" guarantee with the Max version - or... are the Unlimited cheaper options not really unlimited?

Just reading the blurb, it looks as if Flext 20 - Web&Walk would suit me best... i.e. "Minimal phone provision & unlimited internet interaction..." though I'm wary that there is something to bite-me-back if I were to go for this budget option.

[Guest jimbouk]

Go with A wm5 device and T's wnw and either make sure you have an exchange server 2003 sp2 at the office, or rent a hosted exchange server account for about £50 a year from 4smartphone.