Replace Blackberry with Pocket PC Phone (i-mate)

[tekhound]

I currently have a blackberry for the always on email. I really do not use anything else on it. I also have a Dell Axim that I use for everything else.

I am wondering if I could not just replace the blackberry and the axim with something like the i-mate and use it for all of the pocket pc apps and the email.

Does the pocket pc phone edition have any software that I can use to redirect my outlook email at the office? I like the blackberry in that I have a direct sync with my corporate email, which is the only one I use and hope that there is something like this with the PPC phone.

Also, I understand that the i-mate is "unlocked" and you can use it with different cell companies like T-mobile. Will they allow you to just get a sim chip and the service? I have a regular cell phone, so I will be using it for data only. Are they going to give me any trouble?

Sorry for all of the questions. I want to merge my technologies.

Thanks!

-Michael

[Pony99CA]

I am wondering if I could not just replace the blackberry and the axim with something like the i-mate and use it for all of the pocket pc apps and the email.

Does the pocket pc phone edition have any software that I can use to redirect my outlook email at the office? I like the blackberry in that I have a direct sync with my corporate email, which is the only one I use and hope that there is something like this with the PPC phone.
I don't know if any Pocket PC Phone comes with that capability, but you might take a look at GoodLink (http://www.good.com/index.php/products_pocketpc.html). My understanding is that it is supposed to give you functions similar to what Blackberries have. However, I don't use a Pocket PC Phone, so I can't say how well it works, nor do I know how much infrastructure needs to be set up to enable it.

Steve

[tourdewolf]

Not to sound like a traitor, but you might want to look into a treo 600. It's not PPP but with snappermail and docs to go the treo is a great rim replacement. Personally I use my treo for work and my 4355 for entertainment. The treo screen isn't good for movies and games, thats where the ppc shines, but it is fine for web and word. if you pick up an ulocked gsm version t will work worldwide cross carrers. I know this sounds like an ad for the treo but it's not, I really like my PPC, but sice you are coming from a blackberry you might want to consider it.

[tekhound]

The Goodlink idea shows promise. I visited the web site and it turns out that are ready to release a Pocket PC Phone Edition version that will be running on the T-Mobile network. I am going to look into pricing, but this may be a solution.

Back to part of my original question...is T-Mobile (or any other provider) going to give me any hassle about an i-mate "unlocked" device? Or is it as easy as getting a sim chip from them and signing up for a service plan.

Thanks again for everyones help?

-Michael

[Chris Spera]

...is T-Mobile (or any other provider) going to give me any hassle about an i-mate "unlocked" device? Or is it as easy as getting a sim chip from them and signing up for a service plan.

Thanks again for everyones help?

-Michael

That should be all you need... Get the deivce, get the SIM, and you should be ready to rock...

[tekhound]

Well, I talked to our t-mobile rep and he did not have any problem selling me the service and SIM only. I ordered the i-mate today and expect all to arrive by thursday.

Talked to Goodlink and worked out a deal to get the service. It is server only, but unlike the blackberry, it syncs email, calendar, contacts and tasks. For those of you on Exchange, it gives you sync capabilities for public folders and the GAL. Very cool considering that the Active Sync does not even do this. I'll give a report on this works or is just hype.

NOTE: T-mobile has something called the Secure Mail Connector and runs like the RIM Blackberry redirector software. You have to configure it and outlook has to be running, but it's free. You may have to open ports on the firewall, but I will check and report back on this as well, since I am going to test both the secure mail and goodlink.

Thanks for all for your help!

-Michael

[Pony99CA]

Talked to Goodlink and worked out a deal to get the service. It is server only, but unlike the blackberry, it syncs email, calendar, contacts and tasks. For those of you on Exchange, it gives you sync capabilities for public folders and the GAL. Very cool considering that the Active Sync does not even do this.
OK, what is "GAL"?

Steve

[tekhound]

In Microsoft Exchange, the GAL (or Global Address List) contains all of the internal email addresses for the company. Since Microsoft in their infinite wisdom did not create a way to include a way to link the outlooks contacts folder with the GAL in Exchange, people that had pocket pc phones only got to see email addresses in their contacts folder and not the GAL (unless you wanted to spend painful hours adding the list manually or use some sort of 3rd party tool).

The good link server provides LDAP support to the GAL so that you can lookup an address in the GAL like the Blackberry server does. It is a very handy feature that Microsoft should have made available in Active Sync. Too bad someone like chapura doesn't make a product for the pocket pc like pcoket mirror does for the palm.

-Michael

[Ryan Joseph]

NOTE: T-mobile has something called the Secure Mail Connector and runs like the RIM Blackberry redirector software. You have to configure it and outlook has to be running, but it's free. You may have to open ports on the firewall, but I will check and report back on this as well, since I am going to test both the secure mail and goodlink

Whoa 8O, this sounds cool! Where did you find out about it? Is there information on a web site somewhere? Let us know what you think...I'm really interested in hearing your opinion of it!

[tekhound]

Ok, here is the low down on the Secure Mail Connector.

The secure mail connector is the client part of the t-mobile mail. It is a pop3 mail service you can configure your PPC Phone to connect to over the web. You can find it under "My E-mail".

When you follow the setup procedures, it will ask how you want to set it up. If you choose the exchange server using Outlook, it will prompt you to install the secure mail connector client (which by the way is made by RIM and works alot like the blackberry redirector). After it installs, you will need to keep the pc running at all times. You will not need to open up any ports on the firewall.

It is very easy to install and once its working, it works very well. Anyone who has t-mobile can call their tech support line and they can walk you through it if you have any problems.

I got the Goodlink server software in and I am planning on installing it over the next week or so. I will give an update when it's running.

-Michael

[k_kirk]

tekhound, any news on goodlink? Hope you've had some good luck.

there is also talk about native blackberry support on the XDA but nothing solid yet. Cheers

[tekhound]

Haven't had a chance to install it yet. I am kicking off an NT4 to Windows 2003 migration of 22 seperate domains (in 22 different offices) into one W2K3 domain. I have just migrated my account to the W2k3 domain and the new Exchange 2003 server. I wanted to do this first so I can install goodlink only once on Windows 2003, instead of installing on NT4 and then doing it all over again. I am shooting for the end of the week and hopefully test over the July 4th holiday.

As far as the i-mate, this thing kicks butt!!! I love this more than my Axim X30, which I loved. I thought I would miss the WiFi, but with unlimited data from t-mobile, I prefer it and use it more. I get good signal pretty much everywhere. I am still working out the best method for getting the most battery life.

Hopefully I can give you all an update this weekend.

-Michael

[tekhound]

GOODLINK ROCKS!!!!!!

I installed the goodlink server and installed the handheld software and it is up and running. The whole process from start to finish took only 2 hours. Unlike the blackberry, you DO NOT have to install any software on the user's workstation. Everthing is done on the server. Once you create the user, using the active sync in guest mode, you remove the handheld and it finishes the job using the cellular internet connection. The whole handheld process took about 5 minutes. All of my stuff took about 10 minutes to sync and i was off and running.

The goodlink software actually works alot like the blackberry software. The really cool thing is that it has it's own calendar, contacts, tasks notes and email that connects to your exchange server. it is very flexable and very fast. It also has a built-in backup program that saves your configuration and data on to an SD card. I sent a message to one of my guys that has a blackberry, and i got his responce within 10 seconds of it hitting my email box. That is pretty much the same speed as the blackberry server.

I will take shots of the different screens and post them this weekend.

-Michael

[jalm1]

tekhound,
i would love to know what your impressions are of the goodlink after using it for a wile. i too have a blackberry and and i-mate PPCPE. We have been talking with Good for a wile, but since we can not have a blackberry and good on the same mailbox that has sort of stalled the process (many users need two devices on differnt networks GSM and CDMA to get coverage everywhere they need it) so we have been using blackberry on CDMA and PPC with wireless active sync on GSM. But it would be nice to change that.
A few questions, have you noticed with the Good client software any lack of functions that you would have found in the pocketoutlook or a 3rd party app like pocket informant? In the task function, is Good capable of working with task assignments and assigned tasks? How has the battery life been? from my experience with wireless activesync the battery in my i-mate last all of 7 hours if i am luckly. i would hope for better battery life we are moving away from the 4 day batteries of the blackberry. Also, do you know how Good handles a PPC connecting over Wi-Fi? with the new devices comming out that will default to wi-fi over GPRS and with all the wi-fi AP's around these days i would hope somehow Good would work. I am still waiting for clarification on this from Good.
Thanks.