I Need Help in Finding a Solid PDA

[Gamer03]

My family and I are looking for PDA's that have the following features:

• Excellent signal strength (ability to hold onto a call even in weak areas)
• Excellent battery life (especially with medium to heavy data usage)
• Bright screen (this is important due to the fact that we own and run a ecotour company and are outside in the bright sunlight for several hours)
• GPS (hopefully with the ability to track your location via Google Maps)
• WiFi (important for when we are in weak coverage areas but still have a WiFi network to check email)
• 3G data speeds (as well as EDGE backup)
• Email (ability to tell your device to check email every X minutes)
• Good sized screen to see who is calling, check emails, and surf the internet
• Loud ringtones and loud volume (for when the phone rings and during the call) (this is important since we also travel in noisy environments for our company)
• Bluetooth (most if not all types [sending ringtones, navigation support for vehicles, etc] supported)
• Overall easy to use

I would appreciate feedback by people that have actually used the devices that they will recommend. Thanks in advance.

[Charlyee]

Hi there

You don't want much do you?

Here are some thoughts:

1.There is no PDA/Smartphone that has "Excellent" battery life specially with medium to heavy data usage.
2. As you know screens do not do well in bright sunlight.
3. As for GPS, it depends on what you want, with Google Maps with location will give you location and direction but ofcourse not a full blown turn by turn navigation system.

As far as I know the only device with WiFi, integrated GPS, and UMTS available today is the Tilt. However in the near to distant future, there will be the 3G iPhone, the BB Bold, and the Treo 850 with these features. If all of these features are important to you it would be better to wait until atleast 2 of these 3 are launched. I am presuming it will be the 3g iPhone & the BB. Without knowing much about them, my personal favorite would be the BB just going by the specs and also the BBs usually have the best battery life.

As you know I have the Treo 750 and I have a SD WiFi card for it and also Google locations, so for my purpose that is enough for the time being, something that you may want to think about if you have to sacrifice one of the these two features.

This is probably not what you are looking for but I hope it helps a bit.

PS: For me the WM devices hold an advantage, which is being able to create and edit MS Office documents. I just created a couple worksheets last night for our vacations. It took just a tad bit longer than doing it on my laptop. It has come in handy many times for taking notes on vacations also for keeping track of expenses. Before I had PDAPhones I used to use my PDA for this.

The iPhone cannot do this. The BB as far as I know does not have it built in but I believe Documents To Go works well with it.

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Charlyee

Hi there

You don't want much do you?

Here are some thoughts:

1.There is no PDA/Smartphone that has "Excellent" battery life specially with medium to heavy data usage.
2. As you know screens do not do well in bright sunlight.
3. As for GPS, it depends on what you want, with Google Maps with location will give you location and direction but ofcourse not a full blown turn by turn navigation system.

As far as I know the only device with WiFi, integrated GPS, and UMTS available today is the Tilt. However in the near to distant future, there will be the 3G iPhone, the BB Bold, and the Treo 850 with these features. If all of these features are important to you it would be better to wait until atleast 2 of these 3 are launched. I am presuming it will be the 3g iPhone & the BB. Without knowing much about them, my personal favorite would be the BB just going by the specs and also the BBs usually have the best battery life.

As you know I have the Treo 750 and I have a SD WiFi card for it and also Google locations, so for my purpose that is enough for the time being, something that you may want to think about if you have to sacrifice one of the these two features.

This is probably not what you are looking for but I hope it helps a bit.

PS: For me the WM devices hold an advantage, which is being able to create and edit MS Office documents. I just created a couple worksheets last night for our vacations. It took just a tad bit longer than doing it on my laptop. It has come in handy many times for taking notes on vacations also for keeping track of expenses. Before I had PDAPhones I used to use my PDA for this.

The iPhone cannot do this. The BB as far as I know does not have it built in but I believe Documents To Go works well with it.

I guess I want too much in a device. Hopefully these devices will be out soon (7/11 for 3G iPhone, although we will wait for future versions and I have heard sometime in June for the Bold unless it gets delayed). I have heard both good and bad things about the iPhone, so I think for now, we will stay away from it (at least until they release an even better one in the next couple of years). I know about the Tilt (Jay you can chime in here ). The Bold looks interesting. And as for battery life and for the screen in bright sunlight, an extended battery can do the trick, and not all phones work in bright sunlight but my Treo 755p works pretty well in the sunlight. Thanks for the tips and information Charlyee. I appreciate it.

EDIT: Being able to view and edit MS documents is definitely a plus.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

I guess I want too much in a device. Hopefully these devices will be out soon (7/11 for 3G iPhone, although we will wait for future versions and I have heard sometime in June for the Bold unless it gets delayed). I have heard both good and bad things about the iPhone, so I think for now, we will stay away from it (at least until they release an even better one in the next couple of years). I know about the Tilt (Jay you can chime in here ). The Bold looks interesting. And as for battery life and for the screen in bright sunlight, an extended battery can do the trick, and not all phones work in bright sunlight but my Treo 755p works pretty well in the sunlight. Thanks for the tips and information Charlyee. I appreciate it.

Tilt, Tilt, Tilt...

I do all that and more with my TIlt, and it gets just as good reception in weak areas as most of my Motorolas. The only way I can signifigantly beat the Tilt is with my Moto A845, or a V551 with an external antenna.

-Jay

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

Tilt, Tilt, Tilt...

I do all that and more with my TIlt, and it gets just as good reception in weak areas as most of my Motorolas. The only way I can signifigantly beat the Tilt is with my Moto A845, or a V551 with an external antenna.

-Jay

Can you use the Tilt one handed? Is there a third party app with a bigger virtual keypad? The reason that I ask is because when I had my Mogul, I had to always use the slide out keyboard for typing longer texts or emails, which was a pain especially when I was in a hurry.

[spleck]

BGR was saying the BB Bold is done, just awaiting release. Rogers is supposed to release it on the 25th, which may prompt AT&T to release earlier. AT&T has been saying July/August, probably to distance it from the iPhone.

Quite an array of operating systems suggested... Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS, and iPhone/MacOSX. Do you have a preference? What do you need in a PDA? There's also S60 and Android is coming. Nokia's E71 has a BB-like form factor, but the Bold beats it on screen resolution and probably cost and carrier availability.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Can you use the Tilt one handed? Is there a third party app with a bigger virtual keypad? The reason that I ask is because when I had my Mogul, I had to always use the slide out keyboard for typing longer texts or emails, which was a pain especially when I was in a hurry.

1. W/ the keyboard closed, yes.
2. Yes. There is an iPhonesque virtual keyboard available for WM devices.

-Jay

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by spleck

BGR was saying the BB Bold is done, just awaiting release. Rogers is supposed to release it on the 25th, which may prompt AT&T to release earlier. AT&T has been saying July/August, probably to distance it from the iPhone.

Quite an array of operating systems suggested... Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS, and iPhone/MacOSX. Do you have a preference? What do you need in a PDA? There's also S60 and Android is coming. Nokia's E71 has a BB-like form factor, but the Bold beats it on screen resolution and probably cost and carrier availability.

Well I have used WM PDA's in the past, so I am used to them. I have not used a BB before. As of now, it looks like it will be down to the Tilt or Bold (hopefully it will be out before July 7, which is when we will be leaving).

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

1. W/ the keyboard closed, yes.
2. Yes. There is an iPhonesque virtual keyboard available for WM devices.

-Jay

That is good to know. Also, how is the speakerphone (is it loud), and are there any hacks out there or programs to boost the ringtone volume and in-call volume?

[spleck]

I sure wish the Tilt was cheaper. Have you seen the latest report suggesting the material cost for the new iPhone is only $100? With all the models that HTC makes, they should be sourcing their Tilt parts at similar cost considering the age. The Tilt is down to $100 on Amazon w/contract, but the 8925 is still $500 off contract.

[elmo01]

Originally Posted by spleck

I sure wish the Tilt was cheaper. Have you seen the latest report suggesting the material cost for the new iPhone is only $100? With all the models that HTC makes, they should be sourcing their Tilt parts at similar cost considering the age. The Tilt is down to $100 on Amazon w/contract, but the 8925 is still $500 off contract.

the *material cost* may or may not be 100 bux... but its gonna sell for 199 for 8gb and 299 for the 16gb model

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

That is good to know. Also, how is the speakerphone (is it loud), and are there any hacks out there or programs to boost the ringtone volume and in-call volume?

Sorry Erik, I didn't notice this post earlier. There are volume hacks out there for the TIlt, but I haven't had any problems. Most of the volume problems were associated with BT headsets, and this issue was fixed on the new ROM that was released in Feb.

-Jay

[Eric47]

i like the BJ2 also, its a solid piece of equipment, but the Tilt is going to be more what you are looking for by your first post.

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

Sorry Erik, I didn't notice this post earlier. There are volume hacks out there for the TIlt, but I haven't had any problems. Most of the volume problems were associated with BT headsets, and this issue was fixed on the new ROM that was released in Feb.

-Jay

That is all right Jay. You answered the questions I had in my PM that I sent you. That is good to know about the BT problems. I love to use bluetooth devices with my devices.

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Eric47

i like the BJ2 also, its a solid piece of equipment, but the Tilt is going to be more what you are looking for by your first post.

Thanks Eric for your help. My dad and I have narrowed it down to the Tilt due to all of the customization and the iPhone theme program I found for it.