PDAs: Are they still relevant?

[herpsky]

For those who don't know,

Cell phones available in the US are like 5 years behind japanese phones (2-3 years compared to GSM-based european / asian phones).

Most phones shown above are pretty much impossible to get in the states (unless you are willing to shell out >500 dollars at asian cellphone stands)

[FAM0US.]

What is the retail on the Blackberry Curve, and which carrier has them?

I used to have an 8700G.

[adsurgo]

My company gave me a Samsung Blackjack, I used it for a month and asked for the Curve instead. The 3G is nice, I'll admit, but Windows Mobile sucks. The fact that you can't cut and paste? Can't delete multiple emails at one time? No indication of how many unread messages you have? All unforgiveable in a business oriented phoone. Blackberry beats it, hands down. But YMMV...

my phone runs windows mobile and i can do all of that.

[red]

For those who don't know,

Cell phones available in the US are like 5 years behind japanese phones (2-3 years compared to GSM-based european / asian phones).

Most phones shown above are pretty much impossible to get in the states (unless you are willing to shell out >500 dollars at asian cellphone stands)

well, you could get them on ebay. and the average docomo stand here on okinawa usually doesnt supply those phones either. i understand what you mean though.

[morgz15]

I had a windows mobile PDA, 2 symbian phones, one with UIQ and one with Series 60, and played with too many other "smart" phones recently and nothing has been as bulletproof as the blackberry.

I picked up a pearl in about march and it hasn't left my hand since, I'm well and truly addicted to it and don't see any reason to go back to horried windows mobile or any other supposed smart phone.

No mention of iPhone in this thread yet? It will be interesting to see the market penetration that gizmo will have.

[Tisswat]

My company gave me a Samsung Blackjack, I used it for a month and asked for the Curve instead. The 3G is nice, I'll admit, but Windows Mobile sucks. The fact that you can't cut and paste? Can't delete multiple emails at one time? No indication of how many unread messages you have? All unforgiveable in a business oriented phoone. Blackberry beats it, hands down. But YMMV...

To me not having HSDPA is much more unforgivable than the not being able to delete multiple messages.

By the way an indication for unread messages was part of the last three versions of Windows Mobile - it's right there in your today screen.

[red]

wait, is everyone talking about windows mobile 5? because WM6 is out right now i think.

[arem]

To me not having HSDPA is much more unforgivable than the not being able to delete multiple messages.

By the way an indication for unread messages was part of the last three versions of Windows Mobile - it's right there in your today screen.

Like I said, I don't do power internet surfing on my phone, so I don't really notice the difference in speed, but I literally get over 200 emails a day, and not being able to clean things out quickly got on my freaking nerves. And not being able to cut and paste? Give me a break. And from what I've heard Windows Mobile 6 doesn't address these problems.

Windows also doesn't have a lot of small conveninces that Blackberry does, like being able to hit the T key to go to the top of an email, or your message list. The Curve also has a spelling checker, Windows doesn't. And battery life on 3G devices is pretty dismal in comparison as well (which is part of the reason the iPhone doesn't have 3G).

[gfunkdocta]

oh man, i'm stuck between a 8800 or the curve 8300

camera or gps? i keep asking myself. lol

also, i don't like how they're using both silver and black now

[London]

the 8830 is a little sturdier in the construction and basically business focused while stille featuring multimedia apps, while the curve has a camera and is a little smaller. The curve is about 40% less though.

[Tisswat]

Like I said, I don't do power internet surfing on my phone, so I don't really notice the difference in speed

I do a lot of surfing on my phone, and the speed annoys the hell out of me everytime I open a page. But I guess this is very personal and depending on how you use your device.

Another disadvantage is that you can't have a data and voice connection at the same time. Also, establishing a data connection with GPRS takes a long time compared to HSDPA, which is always on.

And not being able to cut and paste? Give me a break. And from what I've heard Windows Mobile 6 doesn't address these problems.

PocketPC editions already support cut and paste.

Windows also doesn't have a lot of small conveninces that Blackberry does, like being able to hit the T key to go to the top of an email, or your message list. The Curve also has a spelling checker, Windows doesn't. And battery life on 3G devices is pretty dismal in comparison as well (which is part of the reason the iPhone doesn't have 3G).

I've had a spelling checker on my last two Windows Mobile devices. Also, iPhone doesn't include 3G to improve battery life (is this really true?), why put WiFi on there?

Aside from the phones, I've found administering Blackberry server software a real drag. And it's expensive. And I remember an incident not too long ago where some Blackberry central server crashed and a large part of Blackberry users in the US and in the UK were unable to use their Blackberrys. Talk about 'unforgivable'.

As I said before, I still don't see any reasons to choose Blackberry over WM. Many people probably have a personal preference, but I still can't see why I should pick BB over WM, especially not for the individual superfuture user. But to each his own I guess.