Best Cell Phone Computer

[Mike Phillips]

Looking for the best cross between a cell phone and a computer. Had a Sidekick for a while and liked it for the keyboard and the software interface enabled you to surf our forum and post just like you were sitting behind a computer only smaller.

There's a lot of cutting edge innovations being introduced all the time and what we're interested in is basically a hand held computer with wireless Internet connectivity but it also has to be a cell phone in that we only want to pack one thing around.

Something like OQO's Model 02 but with a Cell Phone built in also...




Are we asking for to much?

Blackberry's don't have a good enough keyboard for someone that is typing intensive.

Anyone seen anything else that's out or on the horizon?

[Thejoyofdriving]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

I think what you might be looking for is a "smart phone", a lot of company's have them but im not sure how good they are for typing. Smart phones can get pretty pricey, but you can find ones around 400$, most of the time you can get them for less but you have to do a 2 year contract. hope this helps

[gb387]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

I think what you might be looking for is a "smart phone", a lot of company's have them but im not sure how good they are for typing. Smart phones can get pretty pricey, but you can find ones around 400$, most of the time you can get them for less but you have to do a 2 year contract. hope this helps

I have a 'smart phone' have been very happy with it but mine does not have a keyboard. Linking to Outlook is where the Smart phone shines (IMO) and why I bought the phone it links email, contacts, calendar, notes and all of it from Outlook and I can transfer all that from work computer to home computer via the phone.

Anyway... not quite what Mike wants but still good.

[DFTowel]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

Wait until June for the iPhone

[SL1CK]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

Haha I think the hand holding the iPhone is fake. Anyway, have you looked into the Treo 680?

[Thejoyofdriving]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

I have a 'smart phone' have been very happy with it but mine does not have a keyboard. Linking to Outlook is where the Smart phone shines (IMO) and why I bought the phone it links email, contacts, calendar, notes and all of it from Outlook and I can transfer all that from work computer to home computer via the phone.

Anyway... not quite what Mike wants but still good.

Some smart phones have key pads which are great for typing, smart phones are phones/computers, in my opinion they are the only option here, just because it isnt called a smart phone, doesnt mean that it isnt one. but its up to mike, not me.

[sneek]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

it doesnt come cheap but the HTC TyTN

Network

UMTS 850/1900/2100

GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

Size

Dimensions 113 x 58 x 22 mm
Weight 176 g

Display

Type TFT touchscreen, 65K colors
Size 240 x 320 pixels, 42 x 57 mm

Features and Options

Handwriting recognition
QWERTY keyboard
Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3
Vibration
Memory Phonebook In shared memory, Photo call
Call records
Card slot microSD (TransFlash)
64 MB RAM, 128 MB ROM
400 Mhz Samsung processor
Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 48 kbps
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G 384 kbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth v2.0
Infrared port
USB v1.1
OS Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 PocketPC
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (PocketIE)
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash; secondary QCIF video call camera
Video call
Pocket Office(Word, Excel, Outlook)
Java MIDP 2.0
Voice memo
MP3/AAC player
Video/audio album
T9
Built-in handsfree

Battery

Standard battery, Li-Ion 1350 mAh
Stand-by Up to 200 h
Talk time Up to 5 h

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

Haha I think the hand holding the iPhone is fake. Anyway, have you looked into the Treo 680?

Don't like the keyboard, want a querty keyboard.

This looks kind of good... it's called the Glo Fish

[cnfowler]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

Hey Mike. I have the Cingular 8125 (relabled HTC Wizard) and love it. I did a lot of research prior to purchasing a PDA phone and ended up with this. It has WiFi, Bluetooth, touch screen with built-in stylus, mp3 player, built in memory along with external memory (uses mini SD card), camera, video, etc. Very easy to use. I have had zero problems with mine.





Also, there is the 8525 which is newer than mine. It has pretty much the same features but the big difference is that it can connect to the 3G network. This is suppose to be broadband speed internet.

[Thejoyofdriving]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

Wow, these phones look pretty nice.

[YORCHI]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

I have the 8125...aside from my flimsy usb plug breaking...

it is the best phone I've ever had...I don't use all the features of it, but I can easily see how useful they all are to the real busy person in life

[cnfowler]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

Yorchi, I've never had a problem with mine. Are you talking about the usb port on the phone or the usb plug from the charger?

[YORCHI]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

the 8125 has only one usb port...

i plugged in my charger once...and it pushed the port out of the motherboard

cingular doesn't cover physical damage, so i had to call them and complaing about software issues a bunch of times before they finally agreed to send a new one...then i quickly soldered the plug back to the mother board and sent it back...now im alot more careful with it...

[TKDDAD]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

I have had two smart phones in the last two months....one was like a brick and not easy to carry...it was like the Cingular 8125 but can't remember exactly...anyway, it's a company issued phone so I didn't really pay attentiion to what kind it was.. but it did have the sliding keyboard which for my purposes was not convenient at all....I currently have a Treo 700W which is a great phone for what I use it for..e-mail, internet, and the phone features are very good...no moving parts like the sliding keyboard which I think will make it more reliable in the future...lots of choices for sure but I had to go with something that felt good in my hand and one that I could put in my pocket...good luck

[PorscheGuy997]

Re: Best Cell Phone Computer

Mike, did you ever make a decision on this?

One thing I had to look at when choosing a phone was the carrier. Around here Verizon reception is very good. Cingular is pretty good. I went with Verizon because their reception is very good throughout the city - I live north of the main part of Evansville and nobody else offers it out here. I really have no experience with California. It all depends on the area that you live in or travel.

Once I chose a carrier, I went to work finding a phone. The enV from Verizon is pretty nice. The Motorola Q is not very expensive - $100 last time I checked. The only problem is that the keyboard feels cheap and it doesn't have the full keyboard layout as in the Sidekick.

We just came back from London a few weeks back. We went to Harrod's and went to the fine watch collection. They had a phone that costs 45,000 pounds = $90,000. While we were there, one guy bought one!