PDA Recommendations?

[H.O.P.P.E.R.]

There are several old threads about PDAs and since technology is usually faster than most of us can keep up with I hope it is OK to start a new thread.

I'm looking for a PDA/smartphone compatible with my current wireless company (Sprint) and my options are as follows:
- MotoQ - the new, flashy and slim PDA
- Palm Treo 755p
- and a variety of Blackberry models

Can anyone comment on their experience with either of the first two PDAs? DH has had several blackberrys and I'm not terribly impressed with them.

 

[stuck cook]

I have an older treo..650 I believe, and I love it! Although I have the version that runs the Palm software, not the Windows software. I guess they both have their ups and downs, but my personal opinion is that the Palm software is a lot easier to deal with and I like the way the text messaging is set up. I'm not impressed with the web browser too much.

Overall though this phone has been one tough mother....it was my boyfriends phone for about a year before it was handed off to me, and it has been dropped multiple times on hard surfaces and never had an issue. A former teacher of mine had one also that fell out of her truck, split down the side but still managed to stay together and work for another few months before the screen stopped working and she was forced to buy a new one. The new one she got was the windows version and she hated it. It is a brick though so probably not as "friendly" to carry as the new Q.

I don't have much experience with the Q other than to say that we have a friend who works for Cingular and gets to test out all the new phones before release.....it really looks like a neat toy, and its much more portable than the treo. I didn't mess with it for too long, but it seemed pretty easy to use, I liked the keyboard and the screen resolution was awesome. I also hear it's much much better than the last gen Q they came out with.

As for blackberrys, frankly I'm just not impressed and not sure why anyone would buy one.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[demnity]

I don't have much experience with the Q other than to say that we have a friend who works for Cingular and gets to test out all the new phones before release.....it really looks like a neat toy, and its much more portable than the treo.

They do have "Beta Testers" for the new phones... I wondered. I wonder how you get that sort of a job. I have a niece who usually kills 3-4 phones per year. Yes, she's got to have the insurance. : But I think she'd make a great cell phone beta tester... she could really put them through their paces!

 

[Brittany]

Ya our friend worked at the cingular store for quite sometime until he finished up his degree and landed that job. I think he is considered an engineer, but I thought his degree was in business. Well anyway, ya he is usually walking around with 3 or 4 phones at once....and sometimes we get the leftovers

 

[flexcavano]

Thanks Ahimsa for the feedback. I'm hoping to get into the city to test drive some of the models and see which one(s) I like. I had a client come in yesterday with a Palm Treo (probably the 650 too), and she was showing me how the calender feature works and such. I think I liked it better than DH's current blackberry.

 

[Rabble Rouser]

I have been doing a little bit of research into this. and I mean a little bit. Before you buy a blackberry, make sure you really look into it. The blackberry pearl is cheap, but from what I understand people have had a lot of problems with it, and the software.

 

[shadow]

I've had a Treo 650 for about 3 years now and it's so time to upgrade. I played with the iPhone--pretty, but definitely NOT a business phone. So I'll be getting a Treo 755p.

Have never liked Blackberries.

The Q is meant to be a low-end smart phone, targeted toward the people who are inclined toward a smartphone but hadn't made the jump yet. Make certain it will meet your needs before buying it rather than a Treo.

The good thing about Palm is that they were really the first to successfully sell PDAs for a reason: their products were (and are) useful/usable, which actually hadn't really been done before The not so good thing is that no one has really come to knock them off their throne, and they've been resting on their laurels for years.

So the interface on the new Treo is pretty much the same as the interface on my current Treo which is practically the same as the interface on my first Palm back in 1998. That's a little ridiculous if you think about it.

 

[boo you whore =D]

the treo 750 is Windows base not Palm based. i love Palm. i use the treo 680 which is the last one they used Palm on.

 

[Azeri]

the treo 750 is Windows base not Palm based. i love Palm. i use the treo 680 which is the last one they used Palm on.

Yay another windows hater!

Palm base > window base

 

[italiangirl13111]

The 750 is Windows based, but the 700p and 755p are PalmOS based.

http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo755p/index.html

 

[Zachariah]

Reviving this thread because I am looking into these PDA phones as well. I have verizon so it seems my main choices are the Treo 700wx, the Moto Q 9m, and the Samsung SCH-i760.

I am mainly wanting to use it for scheduling, to get emails while I'm out, and to use as a back up basic internet option in case my home internet goes down (which doesn't seem that unusual) because I get a fair amount of business from my website.

I would like to have the windows os mainly so I can sync it with my home computer. I'm also interested in being able to use it for accounting on the go. I did my taxes as a sole propriotor this year for the first time having no taxes taken out and I was....uh...yeah, I need to get on the taxes thing. I'm hoping to be able to use it to record my mileage and enter receipts while I'm out. Can I use quickbooks on a PDA? Or something that will sync with quickbooks?

Has anyone tried any of the new ones lately? Either those that I've mentioned or others. My verizon contract is up in May so I could feasibly switch carriers.

Also, is a PDA really worth it? Who prefers ye olde penciled in pocket appointment book and why? Who vastly prefers the PDA and why? Did it every completely crash and you lost all your stuff?

ETA: Oh, and another question. Can you schedule appointments on the PDA while you're talking to someone on it? Do you have to put them on speaker phone? This may be a really basic thing, I can't imagine you NOT being able to, but I have to ask.

 

[Bridgette]

Me too, for all the same reasons as Pete.
I use a windows-based HP PDA, and I have had the same one since about 2001 or 2.
I've never lost data, but with daily syncing I feel safe. Also, I travel a fair amount and the compact size of the PDA is wonderful. Can't stand extra weight and bulk.
Someday may go to a phone/PDA combo, but my system is working great right now.

 

[jaipeep]

oh my heavens, it's totally worth it.

i have a blackjack through at&t and couldn't live without it.
it has windows
internet even on top of the highest point in the smokies i received appointment emails.

it's my 3rd arm.

good luck
amanda

 

[jim]

Pete and MtnLionz - Which non-cell-phone PDAs do you use (specific model, I mean)? I've also been considering making this leap -- up to now, I've been using the good-old-fashioned Franklin Covey planner.

 

[misskelleygirl]

ETA: Oh, and another question. Can you schedule appointments on the PDA while you're talking to someone on it? Do you have to put them on speaker phone? This may be a really basic thing, I can't imagine you NOT being able to, but I have to ask.

I have a new sprint Palm Centro, and you can book stuff while talking on the phone with someone. I just ask them to hold on a second, look at my phone, hit the calendar button and enter in the info while still on the phone with the person. Pretty easy.

I like having my sched in my phone, cuz I carry my phone everywhere with me, so if someone wants to book an appointment, I dont have to worry about not having my schedule book with me, or relying on them to actually call to make an appointment....

 

[suma a]

Ding,
I have an HP iPAQ 1935 Pocket PC. I just checked on eBay, they run $125 used.

 

[Caliban]

I really love my Moto Q. It is extremely easy to type on and use. Verizon wireless has a great, fast internet connection. I can get a decent connection pretty much everywhere that I need to

Receiving my emails while on the road is invaluable. I think it has good clarity and a nice speaker for actual phone calls.
The Moto Q does not require a stylus, so it is easy to type and send with one hand.

 

[EllenMay]

You can use the calendar while talking on all the Palm Treos... dunno about the Windows ones. It's easier if you have your headset on while you do it

Interesting thing here... many of my clients schedule via text message. Phone style definitely makes a difference as far as how easy or difficult this is. I'm glad to have the Treo's full keyboard.

 

[Timmy]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I think while I can see the advaneforum.xxxes to having your PDA separate from your phone, I would do better having them on the same device. Less stuff to leave behind and I always have my phone with me.

I would LOVE if all my clients booked by email or text message, but in my area/demographic most people are more phone users. I have a few who book by email and I certainly try to encourage it. I would love to have the ability to reply real quick like between sessions, as opposed to getting "stuck" on the phone.

I am now strongly considering the samsung sch-i760. After reading a bunch of reviews online, it seems to be the most well loved. And best of all, it has WiFi. Right now I can't really afford to add a data plan to my cell phone bill, but with WiFi I could probably pick up a signal several times a day while I'm out and about.

But I'm not decided yet and may not be buying for several months. I'd love to find a sale, or a deal or something. Right now they look like they're around $350. I'd also still like to get more info and read a bit more about the Treos and Moto Qs, since you all seem to like them a lot.

More replies welcome!

 

[Pompal 09.]

I've been contemplating the iphone route. Has the functionality of a pda, wifi, phone, and you can store your massage playlists on it.