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View Full Version : My Vacation - Took My Dash, Not My Laptop!


Pete Paxton
07-12-2007, 11:30 PM
I've been in several airports in the last week and I've seen many smartphones. Of the many smartphones I saw, one was a Dash, one was a Blackjack, and one was an iPhone. The rest (and there were lots of them) were Blackberries and Treos. The cool thing is that I took only my Dash and left the laptop behind. Did I miss my laptop? Never, not even once. I was able to watch movies on the plane, write and check my emails, surf the web via WiFi at airports, keep up with my schedule, listen to music, and type up some documents while on the plane. It even served as my alarm clock. When traveling from place to place, I used Live Search to navigate my way. All in a device that easily fits in my pocket. Was I on my Dash the whole time on vacation? No way, I was having fun with my family but the Dash was always there when I needed it. As soon as I got back home I was able to print my formatted documents directly from my phone. So here are my two questions: How many of you now leave your laptop at home and just take your smartphone? And what does Microsoft need to do to get more Windows Mobile devices into the hands of smartphone users?

spdev
07-12-2007, 11:43 PM
How many of you now leave your laptop at home and just take your smartphone?
I still take may laptop with me when I go on business travel since it's easier for me to read and respond to my emails with a fullsize touch keyboard. Web browsing is also faster and easier with my laptop vs my Motorola Q phone.

I do, however, leave my Dell Axim X50v at home unless I want to watch a movie on the hi-res screen. I can certainly watch a movie on my Moto-Q phone, however, battery life is precious for my Q phone and I don't want a dead phone when I'm expecting a call!

And what does Microsoft need to do to get more Windows Mobile devices into the hands of smartphone users?
The company that I work for provided me with a Smartphone and pays for my cell service, otherwise, I probably wouldn't have a Smartphone device. I love the ability to check my work email through our MS Exchange Server and look up company contact info from the server, but I don't have the money to pay for such a phone and service out of my pocket. So in my case, there's not much Microsoft could do to get me to buy a Smartphone (with my own money) unless the cost was cheaper for the phone and service.

scottb
07-12-2007, 11:44 PM
I recently went to visit family and left my laptop home -- took only my Q. I was able to do what I wanted. I didn't miss the laptop quite as much as I thought I would.

Going on a little vacation next month. Will I take my laptop? Not sure yet...

Jason Dunn
07-13-2007, 02:12 AM
As much as I love my Dash (it's the best Windows Mobile device I've ever used), I still need a great laptop for two main reasons: if I'm doing a lot of typing, I need a real keyboard. When I'm on vacation, I try to avoid doing any email, but my laptop is still necessary for photos: I offload RAW images and edit them. And it's much nicer for my wife and I to watch ripped DVDs on a 10.6" screen than on a 2.5" one.

dean56
07-13-2007, 02:38 AM
yes i too have tried to travel withthe dash but i have also picked up an HTC advantage for my data needs. it's big , but i can read and type better on it. the only thing i miss is printing to jfax or pdf and fillable pdf files. ( i do alot of applications for work)

what i use most,

sling box
tomtom6 (and co pilot on the dash)
gotomypc... great on the 7500
live and also google maps
edit word and exel docs
view alot of pdf files, the only difference is on the 7500 i can actullay read them!

batter on the 7500 lasts two days with full usage.

complaint, dash keeps refusing calls by itself!!

ghostppc
07-13-2007, 05:07 AM
And what does Microsoft need to do to get more Windows Mobile devices into the hands of smartphone users?

Microsoft needs to do some subtle advertising. On the heels of the *cough, cough* iphone, M$ can win over folks who are seeing the latest wow gadget but would prefer more choices and not to shell out $600+ bucks.

djdj
07-13-2007, 08:26 AM
If MS were to come up with an acceptable Remote Desktop solution for the Smartphone line. Right now I have to travel with a laptop or Pocket PC at a minimum in order to log in remotely to my PC for processing email (proprietary email processing software) and other desktop-only tasks.

Mike Temporale
07-13-2007, 01:45 PM
I still take my laptop. I load it up with video's for the kids and use it to off load pictures. I also find myself working on reviews and other "light" work if I get bored - or it's a rainy day. :mrgreen:

As for what Microsoft needs to do; They need to work with the carriers and ODMs to help and reduce the overal cost of the phone and the data plans. As well as speed up the time from release to customer. How long has WinMo6 been out and we're still waiting for the updates and new devices to be released. :?

Bushrod
07-13-2007, 02:04 PM
Your faith in the platform you develop for is heartwarming.


The company that I work for provided me with a Smartphone and pays for my cell service, otherwise, I probably wouldn't have a Smartphone device. I love the ability to check my work email through our MS Exchange Server and look up company contact info from the server, but I don't have the money to pay for such a phone and service out of my pocket. So in my case, there's not much Microsoft could do to get me to buy a Smartphone (with my own money) unless the cost was cheaper for the phone and service.

dstrauss
07-13-2007, 02:39 PM
...As for what Microsoft needs to do; They need to work with the carriers and ODMs to help and reduce the overal cost of the phone and the data plans. As well as speed up the time from release to customer. How long has WinMo6 been out and we're still waiting for the updates and new devices to be released. :?

Apple's iPhone will undoubtedly be a hit, BUT it missed a magic opportunity to turn the market on its head, and I doubt that M$oft will ever get that chance...HOW...Apple should have built the iPhone as an unlocked world phone, with quad-band GSM and tri-band UTMS/HSDPA and let the customers do the carrier selection.

iPhone would still sell like wildfire because of the cache, but don't you think AT&T and T-Mobile would have been cutthroat to add those millions of subscribers? I don't know how they would break the CDMA stranglehold of Verizon and Sprint on their customers, but it would be a start as well.

So what is M$oft to do? I doubt a ZPhone could accomplish the same thing (most people I know think "Zune" is a new planet in the solar system), but it is going to take drastic action by handset manufacturers to break the stranglehold of the carriers, which has choked unlimited telecomm to death.

spdev
07-13-2007, 07:25 PM
It's not a matter of "faith", but practicality. Why should I peck away on my Moto-Q phone thumb keyboard when I can type on a regular laptop keyboard much more efficiently? I don't develop Smartphone applications to replace the use of a standard laptop, but rather create applications that are very well suited for use on a Smartphone. I'm certainly not a Smartphone zealot, but rather a person who uses laptops and Smartphones as they are designed.

Your faith in the platform you develop for is heartwarming.


The company that I work for provided me with a Smartphone and pays for my cell service, otherwise, I probably wouldn't have a Smartphone device. I love the ability to check my work email through our MS Exchange Server and look up company contact info from the server, but I don't have the money to pay for such a phone and service out of my pocket. So in my case, there's not much Microsoft could do to get me to buy a Smartphone (with my own money) unless the cost was cheaper for the phone and service.

Prosper
07-13-2007, 09:21 PM
The first question is easy to answer for me: I don't have a laptop, so how could I take one with me..?
My Vox is always with me - it somehow replaces a laptop for me ;)


The second one's not that easy...
I'd improve the speed and the memory. And probably the price :lol:

frankenbike
07-15-2007, 07:50 AM
What could M$ do to sell more Smartphones?

How about stopping with the "enterprise" marketing model for a start. How about working on a useable interface without people having to buy SBP or other software products to compensate for the lack of user friendliness of the standard interface.

How about setting higher standards for the next generation of smartphones, with decent mass storage and memory to handle a more robust OS?

How about imagining that all teenagers do is spend their money, and market to the texting and self indulgent music and video maniacs out there, instead of trying to skim the top of the market at this late stage of the game?

Those are the people who the iPhone and Helio Ocean are seeking out. People who use their phones as social devices.

Sure, you can turn a Smartphone like Sprint's Mogul or ATTs 8523 into something that meets those goals, but they don't come that way out of the box. I'd certainly be reading what people on specialized forums are doing with their Smartphones, like the Mogul threads on the SprintUsers.com forums.

They could do focus groups that utterly lack any business professionals or other enterprise targets, to see what the rest of us want.

I won't buy an iPhone or any other Apple product, but I've seen them in use. WM6 can't touch it for slickness and usability, that's for damn sure. I've seen a couple of WM users try to emulate the iPhone, and it's farcical how bad the performance is on every phone I've seen it on.

What I really don't understand is how a company like Microsoft can get caught with their pants around their ankles like this, when they had such a huge lead on the market.

Kris Kumar
07-15-2007, 02:15 PM
WM6 can't touch it for slickness and usability, that's for damn sure.

The sad reality! :-(

What I really don't understand is how a company like Microsoft can get caught with their pants around their ankles like this, when they had such a huge lead on the market.

I keep wondering about the same. Not to forget the other cell phone manufacturers are also in the same boat as Microsoft.

Kris Kumar
07-15-2007, 02:22 PM
If I am on vacation then I do not carry my laptop. The Dash is able to do everything I need. Before Dash, I should say before a keyboard enabled smart phone was created, I used to carry my laptop; not any more.

For my travel photos I have a 30GB portable drive.

That said, this might change in the future, especially during my India trip during which I am forced to take pictures in JPEG instead of RAW because I have to show them to my family. Carrying the laptop will help me do the processing.