Dilemma (Pocket PC Phone or Smartphone??)

[karinatwork]

So, if I was to switch from my Imate Jamin PocketPC phone to a, let's say HTC S710 Smartphone, what would I miss, what would I gain??

I have been with pocket pcs since the time of my Cassiopeia, but I have no experience with a smartphone without a touchscreen. The touchscreen of my pocket pc and the lack of the simple number buttons however have caused me some serious grief lately (plus the IMPOSSIBLE PROBLEMS with the simplest synching tasks (contacts, calendar))...

Anyway, insights about the Smartphone OS (in particular WM6) would be highly appreciated.

Thanks!!! :)

[Cybrid]

Smartphone without touchscreens are really difficult to input data to. You'd need to use the buttons and that "T9" text predictor software that comes with it. That and a generally slower processor plus usually much smaller screen. I don't know if "downgrading" will help. :cry:

[Darius Wey]

Smartphone without touchscreens are really difficult to input data to. You'd need to use the buttons and that "T9" text predictor software that comes with it. That and a generally slower processor plus usually much smaller screen. I don't know if "downgrading" will help. :cry:

The S710 is an exception, since it has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

So, if I was to switch from my Imate Jamin PocketPC phone to a, let's say HTC S710 Smartphone, what would I miss, what would I gain??

Well, you'd lose a touchscreen, which may or may not be a deal breaker for you. Basic Windows Mobile functionality such as PIM sync will still be present, and with Windows Mobile 6, you'll have access to the Office Mobile applications, although expect them to be slightly less functional than their Pocket PC counterparts. Many major mobile developers have Smartphone versions of their popular applications, so if you rely greatly on third-party software, you should find that many of your favourites are Smartphone-compatible, although it helps to do a little research first, in case there happens to be an application that you can't live without that isn't compatible with Smartphones.

At the end of the day, if you require a more data-oriented device, stick with Pocket PCs. If you require a more phone-oriented device, go with Smartphones. That said, both are merging at an alarming rate, so there's not much that you can do on a Pocket PC that you can't do on a Smartphone.

BTW, you may want to direct this same question to the readers at Smartphone Thoughts. There are a few Pocket PC to Smartphone converts there who can let you know the smoothness of the transition.

[karinatwork]

Thank you! I will. :)
I just have found myself so involved in my two jobs that I have hardly the time anymore to do anything BUT checking appointments, recording contacts and using the phone... I used to enjoy playing games, reading books, and keeping a diary, but I can hardly remember when I did that the last time.
I guess it's time to move on. I just don't quite know yet if I would be willing to give up on my beloved pocket pc. :D

[Sven Johannsen]

Remember there are some oddball units out there that are a PPC OS with phone and keyboard, like the Treo
http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo750/index.html
You would lose a little screen size over what you have now, but not much else.

I do fine with my K-Jam, but do understand the issue of trying to use it as a phone with the psuedo-phone screen. Typically I just use contacts to dial, so it is not a daily issue.

There are lots of good smartphones out there with decent keyboards that make up for the lack of touch screen, the BlackJack being a typical one.

If you use your PPC as a PPC though, stay away from really phone centric devices like the SmartFlip, as the lack of good input ability will drive you nuts.

[psyjohn]

I was glad to see this discussion and hear from those with more experience, as I will probably looking at a new device before long. One question/concern I have is how easy is it to use a phone that also has all of your scheduling information, etc? I am constantly on my cell phone while looking something up on my PPC. I suppose a bluetooth headset would solve some of the problem, but I've had 2 of those that were far from spectacular in performance. Thanks all you pontificators, thinkers, and so forth for sharing what you've learned. I wish I would have discovered this site back in my jornada days. :D

[victore]

i thought that moving forward, ms would merge the two platforms into a single, mobile os.

personally, i would like to see the best of both worlds - a touch screen device that you can operate complete with one hand.

[DefaultName]

A touchscreen using one hand? Anyway, a phone that can easily be synced w/ your pc would be good.

[Brad Adrian]

I have found that I've learned to retrieve information pretty easily with a SmartPhone, but getting information into a device is much easier for me to do via synching with a PC or using a Pocket PC instead. So, for me it comes down to weighing the benefits of the compact size of a SmartPhone versus the ease of entering things like appointments with a Pocket PC's touchscreen/keyboard.

I never thought I would like my Wizard as much as I do, since its screen is much smaller than my Axim X51v, but I've come to rely on it completely, because it does what I need it to do.