Why i600? I'll tell you.

[flash]

Hello from a Smartphone newbie.

I attended a Smartphone briefing at my company recently. The presenter was a guy from MS smartphone land. I asked why anyone would buy the uber-expensive i600 when the MPx200 is snazzy looking and way cheap by comparison. His answer was that the i600 was "just better hardware". From the context I think he was talking about all the stuff that comes in the box with the i600 and the fact that it uses 1xRTT. I did not have time to ask for clarification.

The MPx200 is a really cool looking phone but it's slower, has poor coverage over the territory I wander around in, etc. A couple of my buddies have them so I've gotten to check 'em out a few times. The phones.

At the above mentioned briefing, I got to play with the MPx200 and i600 side by side. I do like the MPx200 cuz it's smaller and reminds me of the V60 series that I have now. The buttons on the i600 look sorta funny but worked well.

I'm on a Verizon family plan. I can get an i600 on that plan, add unlimited data, give my wife the v60, retire the Motorola Timeport, and we both get to keep our current phone numbers.

My i600 gets here on Friday. 8)

[flash]

Hello from a Smartphone newbie.

I attended a Smartphone briefing at my company recently. The presenter was a guy from MS smartphone land. I asked why anyone would buy the uber-expensive i600 when the MPx200 is snazzy looking and way cheap by comparison. His answer was that the i600 was "just better hardware". From the context I think he was talking about all the stuff that comes in the box with the i600 and the fact that it uses 1xRTT. I did not have time to ask for clarification.

The MPx200 is a really cool looking phone but it's slower, has poor coverage over the territory I wander around in, etc. A couple of my buddies have them so I've gotten to check 'em out a few times. The phones.

At the above mentioned briefing, I got to play with the MPx200 and i600 side by side. I do like the MPx200 cuz it's smaller and reminds me of the V60 series that I have now. The buttons on the i600 look sorta funny but worked well.

I'm on a Verizon family plan. I can get an i600 on that plan, add unlimited data, give my wife the v60, retire the Motorola Timeport, and we both get to keep our current phone numbers.

My i600 gets here on Friday. 8)

[Jason Dunn]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Let us know what you think of the i600 when you get it.

[aristoBrat]

Originally Posted by flash

His answer was that the i600 was "just better hardware". From the context I think he was talking about all the stuff that comes in the box with the i600 and the fact that it uses 1xRTT. I did not have time to ask for clarification.

The only difference I saw in what comes in the box is that the i600 comes with two batteries (one of which is extended). The MPx only has one battery, but comes with two headsets -- one with two ear buds, and one with one ear bud. Oh yeah, the MPx cradle needs to be snapped together -- the i600 is ready to go.

I think the i600 has an Intel 200mhz processor, while the MPx usings a TI-OMAP 132mhz or something like that. IMO, they both were about as zippy.

1x is definately a lot faster than GPRS, but I really hate that while you're surfing 1x, incoming calls go to voicemail.

Hope your phone shows up today -- you'll have a blast with it!!!! If I could get incoming calls while surfing, and if VZW's plans were a little more competitive I DEFINATELY would have kept mine!!

[Skitals]

I didnt know that about incoming calls going to voicemail... if they leave a message, will your phone still beep or whatever and tell you you have a new voicemail while you are still surfing? What about text messages... can you still recieve them while surfing or will them come in when you disconnect?

[aristoBrat]

Originally Posted by Skitals

I didnt know that about incoming calls going to voicemail... if they leave a message, will your phone still beep or whatever and tell you you have a new voicemail while you are still surfing? What about text messages... can you still recieve them while surfing or will them come in when you disconnect?

I only got voicemail notifications after I hung up the data connection -- never tried text messages while surfing. Can anyone else verify this?

[Macguy59]

Originally Posted by aristoBrat

The only difference I saw in what comes in the box is that the i600 comes with two batteries (one of which is extended). The MPx only has one battery, but comes with two headsets -- one with two ear buds, and one with one ear bud. Oh yeah, the MPx cradle needs to be snapped together -- the i600 is ready to go.

I think the i600 has an Intel 200mhz processor, while the MPx usings a TI-OMAP 132mhz or something like that. IMO, they both were about as zippy.

1x is definately a lot faster than GPRS, but I really hate that while you're surfing 1x, incoming calls go to voicemail.

Hope your phone shows up today -- you'll have a blast with it!!!! If I could get incoming calls while surfing, and if VZW's plans were a little more competitive I DEFINATELY would have kept mine!!

Hmm I wonder if that is an issue just for the 1x network. If you forced the phone to use the slower network does it do the same thing?

[Macguy59]

The xtra horsepower in the i600 is good for impressing people with how your phone can play movies/video clips but not much else at the current time. I have had my phone for about 10 days now and absolutely love it. The only problem I have encountered is that for some reason apps-even certified ones-simply will not install the way they were designed to via activesync. I have to manually copy the .CAB file over to the phone and install from there. I love having my PDA and cell phone in a single relatively small package. Apps open fairly quickly but not instantaneous like my iPaq 2210. Video clips played in WMP and PocketTV run smooth with no discernable dropped frames. Web browsing when using the 1x network is surprisingly snappy. Using IA Album, pictures open quickly and thumbnails are generated fast. The UI could be better but is usable. It's only a matter of time before better 'home' screens are designed. Now if Samsung will provide us with the Smartphone 2003 upgrade . . .

[Skitals]

I miss my ipaq 2210... why did you have to bring that up. My car was broken into a little over a month ago and my whole stereo was stolen (head unit, amp, subs, etc) as well as my ipaq 2210, socket bt gps, and piel frama case ops: I have been PDAless since then. Instead of getting a new pocket pc, im thinking about getting a smartphone... being someone that has BOTH, can a smartphone replace the ipaq completely? I am really a power user, use to even have a semi-big pocket pc website.

All these phones and carriers really annoy me. You have good phones with crappy providers, expensive and crappy phone on the good ones. Even if you find a good phone on a good carrier data rates will either be obscene or the service will be sub-par. You just cant win.

I see the o2 xda II is out in the UK. Now that looks like a pocket pc phone edition i wouldnt mind having. Looks like it has the same specs as my old 2210 (minus the cf slot)... including bluetooth.... PLUS a built in camera. All on wm 2003 w/ a pxa263 (better then the ipaq).

ARGGGG.

[Macguy59]

Originally Posted by Skitals

I miss my ipaq 2210... why did you have to bring that up. My car was broken into a little over a month ago and my whole stereo was stolen (head unit, amp, subs, etc) as well as my ipaq 2210, socket bt gps, and piel frama case ops: I have been PDAless since then. Instead of getting a new pocket pc, im thinking about getting a smartphone... being someone that has BOTH, can a smartphone replace the ipaq completely? I am really a power user, use to even have a semi-big pocket pc website.

All these phones and carriers really annoy me. You have good phones with crappy providers, expensive and crappy phone on the good ones. Even if you find a good phone on a good carrier data rates will either be obscene or the service will be sub-par. You just cant win.

I see the o2 xda II is out in the UK. Now that looks like a pocket pc phone edition i wouldnt mind having. Looks like it has the same specs as my old 2210 (minus the cf slot)... including bluetooth.... PLUS a built in camera. All on wm 2003 w/ a pxa263 (better then the ipaq).

ARGGGG.

Depends entirely on what you used your PPC for. In my case it was used overwhelmingly for contacts, excel and entertainment. While at home I did take advantage of the CF slot for a WiFi card on my wirleless network. The only things I miss so far is an excel like spreadsheet and Avantgo. With time I'm confident both of those items will be available. My problem with the XDA type devices is that it's really a PPC that has phone capabilites. It's best served by using a headset . . . something I really didn't want to have to do. I use my cell phone a lot more then the 2210, so that function was more important to me.

[flash]

Thanks all, for the replies.

So far the i600 is working out really well. It's definitely a brick compared to the V60 I used to carry and doesn't fit well in my side pants pocket. Aside from that, it's awesome. I can synch up my email any time anywhere, check local traffic -- lots o' stuff.

My Toshiba e310 is falling apart. I was hoping to retire it once I got used to the i600. Ain't gonna happen. I can do anything PIM related with the SmartPhone plus lots of other stuff but I can't use it to take notes or read eBooks. Guess maybe I'll keep the Toshiba on life support until I can sneak a new PDA past the loving wife 8)

Cheers,

Flash