Pocket PC Phone or Pocket PC + Cell Phone

[iansmith]

I am looking to upgrade my damaged Jornada 568 and am having trouble deciding which path to go. My choices are...

Buy a Pocket PC with cell connectivity built in.

Buy a Pocket PC with BT and a BT enables phone.

So far I have come up with these pros and cons.

PPC Phone Edition:
+ Only one device to carry.
+ Better always-on options.
- Can't change network type.
- Compromise PPC features, limited choices.

PPC+BT+Phone:
+ Can switch carriers/networks easily.
+ Ability to buy the "best" PPC out of a large number.
+ Can leave the PPC behind for dangerous/harsh enviroments.
- Two pockets needed. Two chargers. Two sets of batteries.
- More expensive.

I have some questions that hopeffuly will help. Does the PPC Phone edition have any significant advantages regarding always-on style connections?

I think a PPC Phone will alert me to incoming SMS messages and email, even when it is "off" in my pocket. Can a PPC Phone do the same for things like AIM and Yahoo IM? Or do I need to leave the PPC running to recieve them?

How is BT for data connections these days? How long between pulling my PPC out of my pocket until I have access to the internet? (Assuming I have it all set up, am subscribed, ect.)

Are there any SMALL BT phones out there? I do not need, nor want a camera or color screen or extra features. I want small and tiny.

Anyone else have any comments? I have a severe case of min-max syndrome, so this is KILLING me. :-)

--
Ian Smith - www.ian.org

[AggieJon]

I voted for the PPC + BT Phone, although I admit I've been tempted by the XDA II and the upcoming iPAQ 6300. I like being able to leave my PPC and just carry my much smaller phone (although I honestly almost never go anywhere without the PPC)

I have a Siemens S56. I love it because it's small enough to fit in the "fifth pocket" of my jeans. I also got it for free from Cingular. 8)

So, an iPAQ 2215 for $330 + FREE BT Phone is quite a bit cheaper than most PPC Phone Edition devices.

[Radimus]

I'd prefer a single device but they are just too expensive.

If nokia would make a tiny cellphone with only bluetooth, and of that other organizer and game crap...

[Underwater Mike]

Ditto, and I wish it was a killer PPC on a CDMA network. I love my new SE T637, and my trust X5 is, well, trusty. But I already miss the 70-100K speeds on Sprint's network, and the Bluetooth/GPRS connection seems a bit balky. OTOH, I do not miss being a Sprint customer at all! 8)


I'd prefer a single device but they are just too expensive.

[Kowalski]

pda+phone combination is what i am using. a phone is a phone and a pda is a pda. when they come in one case, you have some diffuculties, the device will be larger, battery life will be a problem and of course will be more expensive.

[davea]

With the Nokia 3650 you get both Bluetooth access and a "smart phone"
all in one. I love looking at local weather radar images on the golf course with my 3650. I also like using the 3650 as a GPRS modem with my
Dell Axim X5 plus Bluetooth CF card. Listening to streaming audio on
the Dell is also very cool. Finally, the 3650 can also act as Internet access for my Laptop computer (with Bluetooth dongle).

SO the combination approach is extremely flexible.

P.S. With the 3650 you can automatically grant permission for the PPC to
access it via Bluetooth , so you don't need to do anything with the phone except enable Bluetooth. Opening IE on the PPC will initiate a connection/dialing process via Bluetooth to T-Mobiles "free" Internet access.
It takes 30-60 seconds it seems to establish the connection but it works fine after the initial delay.

[Kowalski]

nokia 3650 coupled with an axim x5, you must be cariying a big bag for both :D

[Darren Behan]

The XDA II is a great device and doesn't really sacrifice either the PDA functionality or the phone functionality in my experience. Note, however, that I am coming at it from more of a PDA slant than a phone slant. I don't SMS much (though I have to think that it is actually easier with a soft keyboard (Hi PPCT Readers vs 44,444 7,7,222,7 777,33,2,3,33,777,7777 etc.).

Biggest issue with it is battery life which will require a charge a day for 'normal' use generally (it charges in only about an hour and a half though). That can come as a shock to phone-centric folks but is the norm for PDA-centric folks who use their PDA's alot.

db

[Kowalski]

Biggest issue with it is battery life which will require a charge a day for 'normal' use generally this is the biggest disadvantage of phone edition pocketpc. my mobile operates 2-3 days with BT enabled all the time and i charge my pocket pc 2-3 days intervals. this is the beauty of having seperate devices. if battery of one gets dead, i can use the other withouth any problem.

[Darren Behan]

Like everything about technology, it's all about finding the right device or combination of devices for what's important to you personally be it battery life, size, performance, whatever.

Way off topic alert...

Hey, Kowalski, notices the sig. Getting to any of the 30 year anniversary shows? I'll be at the NJ show a week from Saturday.

db

[Kowalski]

they never show up here in Turkey so i wont be able to see them :cry:

[Darren Behan]

That's a damn shame, I'll tip a beer for you while I'm there. Can you at least get a hold of the RIO DVD? Better than nothing I guess.

db