HalM
01-10-2005, 11:09 PM
In case there is an occasional “lurker” on the site that reads only the headlines to make a decision, I thought a little balance of opinion would be appropriate. I have had my MPx220 since October and LOVE it.
A little background first. For me, as cell phone should first and foremost be a good cell phone. Any feature after that is icing on the cake. In my case that is email and Internet access. I carried an AT&T Blackberry for 18 months and was never happy with the unit as a phone. The email and Internet rocked when I had coverage.
Of course I started with the original “BestBuy” BIOS but I never had a single problem. I traded it up to the .342 only because of the horror stories on the BB. I had that unit go flakey one night but a new SIM chip fixed that. But I was nervous about the phone and got it exchanged pretty easily by Cingular for a new v1.3 unit.
In all cases the features I need and want are beyond my expectations. The phone is terrific. I get at least one bar better strength everywhere I go with the phone. The speaker is loud and clear to the point that I usually have it set to 50% or less inside the house. I use the supplied cable for ActiveSync and it runs smooth and easy. A couple of applets like Weather Bits make the Internet functional and easy. The Xpress mail system is terrific for staying connected away from the office, or I can use the browser and get to my mail via Outlook Mobile Access. I have added a 256 Mb SD chip in case I want to start adding more programs but so far, nothing is on it.
Are there short comings? Sure. The camera is reported to be terrible by everyone that uses it. Personally, I don’t buy a phone to take pictures, so it is not an issue. Available accessories for the phone are virtually none existent. For example, the Cachet case sold by BB is adequate at best. The button for the belt clip is way too low for it to stay balanced. It would be nice to have a cradle and extra battery too. The business model for it that includes BB, Cingular and Motorola is a bit klugy. It allows too much finger pointing and passing of the buck. Ultimately things get worked out but what a PITA.
Would I buy it again? Absolutely. Great product that was released before it was ready for prime time. Today, just be sure you are buying it for the right reasons.
A little background first. For me, as cell phone should first and foremost be a good cell phone. Any feature after that is icing on the cake. In my case that is email and Internet access. I carried an AT&T Blackberry for 18 months and was never happy with the unit as a phone. The email and Internet rocked when I had coverage.
Of course I started with the original “BestBuy” BIOS but I never had a single problem. I traded it up to the .342 only because of the horror stories on the BB. I had that unit go flakey one night but a new SIM chip fixed that. But I was nervous about the phone and got it exchanged pretty easily by Cingular for a new v1.3 unit.
In all cases the features I need and want are beyond my expectations. The phone is terrific. I get at least one bar better strength everywhere I go with the phone. The speaker is loud and clear to the point that I usually have it set to 50% or less inside the house. I use the supplied cable for ActiveSync and it runs smooth and easy. A couple of applets like Weather Bits make the Internet functional and easy. The Xpress mail system is terrific for staying connected away from the office, or I can use the browser and get to my mail via Outlook Mobile Access. I have added a 256 Mb SD chip in case I want to start adding more programs but so far, nothing is on it.
Are there short comings? Sure. The camera is reported to be terrible by everyone that uses it. Personally, I don’t buy a phone to take pictures, so it is not an issue. Available accessories for the phone are virtually none existent. For example, the Cachet case sold by BB is adequate at best. The button for the belt clip is way too low for it to stay balanced. It would be nice to have a cradle and extra battery too. The business model for it that includes BB, Cingular and Motorola is a bit klugy. It allows too much finger pointing and passing of the buck. Ultimately things get worked out but what a PITA.
Would I buy it again? Absolutely. Great product that was released before it was ready for prime time. Today, just be sure you are buying it for the right reasons.