Motorola MXP220 text entry for email & sms

[breyburne]

Hi,

I am interested in the new Motorola MXP220 & your review has me impressed- especially regarding the new windows mobile 2003 edition & the vast improvements in the os compared to windows mobile 2002.
Just about everything in your review impresses me thus far about this smartphone- however there is one thing I am surprised about that you did not mention. I am talking about text entry with regards to email & sms. I previously owned the Samsung I600 & found it combersome to compose an email using t9 & itap method. For the business person who uses email everyday- this is neither fast nor effecient way to manage your emails. I am surprissed that they don't offer you a qwerty keyboard or at least an on-screen keyboard like palm pilot. I think Motorola should offer a small add-on qwerty keyboard- perhaps as an option.
I would appreciate your feedback & suggestions on this matter.

Regards,

Brad

[windmiller]

I was wondering the same thing. How is data entry on the MPX 220? I have been using Pocket Pcs for 4 years and am a little aprehensive swtiching because of this. Any comments from some of you Smartphone users would be great

[shaskin]

Although I don't have an MPx220, I do have a smartphone running SP2003. Text input is not as easy as on a Pocket PC by any means. These devices are meant more for quickly checking your message rather than spending a lot of time composing email, etc. Although you do get used to multi-tap (I find T9 annoying) it is not meant for long messages--your thumbs will cramp up after a while if you try it too much. One nice feature of the platform, however, is that is it very simple to record a voice message and send it as an attachment to an email reply.

It's really a matter of how you want to use it. If you are going to be making a lot of input into the device, you might find it frustrating to use. If you just need it to check in, then I find it more comfortable and much simpler than most PPC devices.

For what it’s worth, I recently got to review the new HP h6315 Pocket PC Phone Edition, with wi-fi, Bluetooth, etc. To be totally honest, I was quite happy to return to my SPV E200. I found the PPC PE platform more complicated and cumbersome than my smartphone for my style of use.

Hope that helps.

[lurch]

A bluetooth keyboard may also be a solution. I think I remember seeing at least one featured on http://pocketpcthoughts.com, but I don't know if it will work with a smartphone.

Would be nice if it did, especially in meetings.

[Kris Kumar]

MPx220 has iTAP. A replacement for T9. Which I have found in someways to be lot better than T9 and at times worse than T9. Mixed reaction.

Overall I find that Text Entry is much faster on MPX220. Nice keypad layout and big buttons help.

I will over the weekend post a short article on iTAP and try and get some user feedback from other MPx220 users. So watch this site. ;-)

[mboone]

A bluetooth keyboard may also be a solution. I think I remember seeing at least one featured on http://pocketpcthoughts.com, but I don't know if it will work with a smartphone.

Would be nice if it did, especially in meetings.

OK here's a mini rant from me. I have the ThinkOutside Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard. Bought it hoping to use it with my MPx220 and the hx4700 Pocket PC. It says right on the keyboard under "Smartphones" it supports Windows Mobile 2003. It also says it works with almost any bluetooth device. But guess what - it does not work with Microsoft Smartphones. I emailed the company and they stated they plan to have a driver out by the end of the year, but I think it's VEEEEEERRRRRRYYYYYY misleading what they have put on the packaging.

Mike B.

[dsleeper]

I have been reading for almost a year about the "next gen" which opens like the MPX220 for phone use, then opens clamshell on the other hinge (vertical edge) to expose a qwerty (ala Blackberry).

Check: http://www.smartphonetoday.com/articles/2004/8/2004-8-6-Motorola-Delays-Mpx.html