Smartphone vs PocketPC Phone Edition

[billcalle]

I have an i-mate SP5 (which I was lucky enough to win on the this site) which I absolutely love. The only issue I have is that I'm using it way more than I ever expected to for handling e-mail, web browsing, etc. I think I'm ready to upgrade to a QWERTY device but am not a big fan of the Q, so I've been waiting for the HTC Excalibur. Recently, I saw some pictures of the HTC TyTN (and the upcoming HTC Libra) and decided I really like the form factor. Obviously, however, they aren't smartphones. :(

So my question is, for those of you that have had an opportunity to use both, what would I lose by switching to a PocketPC Phone Edition? Is one handed operation more difficult (I don't want to be hunting down a stylus while driving)? Aside from obvious differences (inclusion of Pocket Word, etc.) what are the benefits of each platform? How stable is the Pocket PC Phone Edition (several coworkers complain about lockups)? Is the PPCPE an always on device, and if so what is the battery life like?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice.

[encece]

In the end it all comes down to preference.

I switch back and forth from PPC to Smartphone to PPC to Smartphone.

I alway go back to the Smartphone because I like the form factor best.

PPCs are really nice and there is ALOT more software out for them. Writing is always easier on a PPC...until the QWERTY models came out.

So that's not a problem anymore.

I recently had a TYTN which was nice...but not for me. It just feels TOO big. The bigger screen is nice...but you need to constantly clean it. And because it's touchscreen....you need to be really careful to protect it from pressure as well. Plus it's alot heavier.

One hand operation is ALOT better on the latest WM5 models of PPC...but not 100%. Smartphone still wins here for me, though it may just be a matter of getting used to it.

I also personally believe that PPCs are less stable than todays smartphones. I consistently need to soft reset PPCs where Smartphones....rarely if ever.

If you are truely a POWER user who needs the larger screen for better web surfing, and email. If you need the extra applications available...then go with a PPC.

But I find I can do MOST things on a Smartphone as on a PPC. And the smaller form suits me best.

[Mike Temporale]

I have an i-mate SP5 (which I was lucky enough to win on the this site) which I absolutely love.

Yes, I remember. I'm happy to hear you like it. 8)

How stable is the Pocket PC Phone Edition (several coworkers complain about lockups)?

With the devices I've used, I haven't really had any issues with lockups. My wife uses a Kjam everyday and she's never complained of a lockup. I think a lot of the stability issues come from poor quality 3rd party applications. My wife's kjam is pretty stock with just a couple small 3rd party apps.

Is the PPCPE an always on device, and if so what is the battery life like?

With WinMo5 PPC switched to the same structure as a Smartphone. They added persistent storage and a always powered state - Unless you actually want to turn the power off.

As for push email, it depends on the device. Much like the Smartphones, it wasn't released until AKU2. So the newer devices have it, but the older ones might not. If not, they might have an updated ROM that you can install.

I agree with encece, the form factor is just much nicer on the Smartphone. Check out the i-mate JAQ pictures over at our sister site Pocket PC Thoughts (http://www.PocketPCThoughts.com), it's basically a Q with a touch screen and it's huge! It's so much thicker. :P

I'm very use to the one-handed operation of the Smartphone, I actually get very frustrated having to use two hands and a stylus in order to do things. Sure, not everything needs it, but enough does.

[billcalle]

Thanks for the feedback, it has served to reinforce my gut feeling. I guess first and foremost, I'm interested in a good quality phone. All the other things my phone can do are nice extras. While I do extensive web browsing and email, instant messaging, etc. on my smartphone, I don't have a ton of other applications that I use. Also, since I'm a full time developer, it isn't particularly difficult for me to simply write an application for the smartphone if I'm interested in something that isn't natively available.

The key amongst all the points you made was the one handed operation. Its dangerous enough to use the phone while driving to read an e-mail or check an appointment (which I must admit I do occassionaly) but I'm sure it would be 10 times worse if I had to do it 2 handed with a stylus. I guess I'll just wait for the Excalibur.

Thanks again...

[Sven Johannsen]

Thought I'd chime in with a couple of points. With a SP you will never have to get out the stylus...there isn't one. I guarantee you will need one, or resort to the tip of your finger, on a PPCPE, at an inopportune moment. The difference is that PPC programmers know you have a stylus and are too lazy to consider you might not want to use it. (Go ahead, prove me wrong). That goes right down to the OS, where there is rarely a good substitute for tapping OK (other than in a dialog). Fact is I rarely get out the stylus for my K-Jam, but I do use my finger a lot.

As far as on/off. It seems that SPs invariably have an Off condition, just like most phones. Whether that option exists is a crap shoot on PPCPE devices. Even the same ODM/OEM can't be consistent. I can turn my K-Jam completely Off, I cannot do so on my Jasjar. It is annoying as I can turn my K-Jam off and let it sit for a week or so and when I turn it back on there is virtually no battery loss. It was off. My Jasjar needs to be watched, because I can't do turn it off. Sure WM5 doesn't lose any data because of persistent storage, but it is not good to fully discharge a LiIon battery, so I need to keep an eye on the Jasjar.

As far as stability, I agree with what has been said. I believe a lot of stability issues are traceable to third party apps. There are more of them for PPCs than SPs, and I would contend that PPC users install more, on the average. It is also easier to reset a PPC than a SP, so the tendency to do it is greater. Not even sure that SP forum posters understand that turning the phone off and turning it back on is equivalent to a soft reset on a PPCPE. I'll go out on a limb and say the stability of a stock WM5 PPCPE or SP is about the same.