14 replies to this topic

[naharissya]

I'm gonna get a phone next month but I want one of those that i can surf the web and check my e-mail with. I have it narrowed down to the three listed in the title but can't choose between them. If anybody owns any of those or knows a lot about them, your comments would be appreciated.
Also, if there are similar phones that you guys think i should consider, please tell me.

[djharkavy]

naharissya, on Apr 17 2007, 12:16 AM, said:

I'm gonna get a phone next month but I want one of those that i can surf the web and check my e-mail with.

I have to wonder (and this is from an internet addict, who posts at 4 in the morning, checks his email multiple times a day and communicates with his students (amont others) via email on a regular basis) what is so important on the web and in your email, that it can't wait until you can get to the library or home to check.

Then again, I still wonder why students need (as opposed to want) cell phones in school. But that is just me being contankerous.

naharissya, on Apr 17 2007, 12:16 AM, said:

I have it narrowed down to the three listed in the title but can't choose between them. If anybody owns any of those or knows a lot about them, your comments would be appreciated.
Also, if there are similar phones that you guys think i should consider, please tell me.

I don't know if cost is an issue (it usually is if you are paying, but may not be if parents are paying although it should be even then) but you might consider (as I am for myself) a previous generation smart phone from ebay or other vendors.

I am looking at the Treo 650 for myself, as I am hooked on Palm programs as well (including my gradebook). But there are a number to choose from, and if you don't need the absolute latest features, you can get a bargain by getting older (but still very functional) smart phones and other companion devices.

[Charles]

I was looking at the Treo 650 also but I want windows mobile. I was thinking of getting the Motorola Q. As for the three you mentioned, if you don't mind a very cliche phone then the sidekick 3 is a good choice.

[Nelson]

A bit OT but have you considered the Palm Treo 700w/wx, Charles?

[Charles]

I didn't know they had Treos with windows mobile. Thanks!

[z2z007]

Yea, there have a been a few windows mobile version of Treos but the palm twin tends to outperform the windows mobile version.

Get your PDA quick. You got to start having a bossy agenda on your PDA, like Alex does. (inside joke)

[naharissya]

djharkavy, on Apr 17 2007, 04:37 AM, said:

I have to wonder (and this is from an internet addict, who posts at 4 in the morning, checks his email multiple times a day and communicates with his students (amont others) via email on a regular basis) what is so important on the web and in your email, that it can't wait until you can get to the library or home to check.

Believe it or not, I am actually going to use it to help with schoolwork. You see my computer is about 10 years old and it takes a very, very, very long time to do research for projects and such. (It takes 5-10 minutes for my e-mails to show up after I sign in to AOL!) I'm gonna use the internet on the phone to do research and type whatever on my computer. I wanted a new computer but somehow my mom felt that it was more important for my brother (a freshman) to have a lap top so now she can't afford to buy me one now that she realizes that I am the one who needs it more.

djharkavy, on Apr 17 2007, 04:37 AM, said:

Then again, I still wonder why students need (as opposed to want) cell phones in school. But that is just me being contankerous.

I never needed or wanted and will not need or want a cell phone as long as I'm a teenager. The whole phone thing is my mom's idea because I'm involved in two clubs and a team and on other days i volunteer so i'm always out late and she worries abot me.

djharkavy, on Apr 17 2007, 04:37 AM, said:

I don't know if cost is an issue (it usually is if you are paying, but may not be if parents are paying although it should be even then) but you might consider (as I am for myself) a previous generation smart phone from ebay or other vendors.

I will actually be paying for the phone and the monthly bills my self so yes, cost is an issue and I was planning on looking at phones on eBay.

djharkavy, on Apr 17 2007, 04:37 AM, said:

I am looking at the Treo 650 for myself, as I am hooked on Palm programs as well (including my gradebook). But there are a number to choose from, and if you don't need the absolute latest features, you can get a bargain by getting older (but still very functional) smart phones and other companion devices.

The only reason I listed the ones I did is because they were what were recommended to me. I'm open to any phone as long as it meets my internet need. I don't have any knowledge of phones simply because i never thought i would get one.

[Greencontainer14]

Naharissya, my sister has the sidekick 3 and the internet is a bit slow. I don't now if doing research on it will be worth it .It will take a long time. It can become exasperating. I don't know about the other ones but I definitely don't recommend the sidekick for research.

[randomania3]

z2z007, on Apr 18 2007, 12:34 AM, said:

Yea, there have a been a few windows mobile version of Treos but the palm twin tends to outperform the windows mobile version.

Get your PDA quick. You got to start having a bossy agenda on your PDA, like Alex does. (inside joke)

yep =P, get it by june!

a lot of phones have net, but some of them are rlly stupid. I have net on my virgin mobile phone but it charges you the money n thn you cant put a period when typing in the web adress n so it signs you out n says to pay agn! x.x, so be careful. the phones you mentioned work ok, but there are tohrs, and like suggested by othrs, you could get some sort of palmpilot/PDA type phone

[Nelson]

RE: Palm and the Treo -
I got my PDA with the intention of using it as a desktop alternative. It didn't work quite the way I wanted it to. The 802.11b connection isn't very fast and browsing (with images) is quite slow -- I can only imagine the speed you'll be getting over the cellphone networks. Palm devices (up to Garnet) don't support multitasking so you'll have a hard time copying information off of websites, etc. There are some ways you can get around this limitation (Desk Accessories) but they can only do so much. I'm a Palm fan so naturally, I'd recommend the Palm version. However the Windows Mobile version is definitely a worthy competitor.

If you're really just looking for a cellphone that you can fool around with and use as a tool for school, the line of Treos or any of the other phones mentioned should be fine. Don't plan on doing anything serious though.

If you're looking for a computer replacement, you won't be getting what you need with a phone or PDA. You can find cheap used laptops now on eBay for under $300 but the only downside is that you'd probably need to buy a replacement battery for them.

[naharissya]

Nelson, on Apr 18 2007, 06:57 PM, said:

If you're really just looking for a cellphone that you can fool around with and use as a tool for school, the line of Treos or any of the other phones mentioned should be fine. Don't plan on doing anything serious though.

I don't plan on doing serious research. Just basic stuff like browsing through the NYPL databases. I basically just want to know which phone has the best internet speed but doesn't cost $50 a month for the service.

[Quixotic]

you should use cnet.com to check out the editor's reviews as well as the customer reviews.

[LeonM]

MDA. I love it. It's pretty damn fast and is proof of the megahertz myth. The phone is fast and great. I got a 1gb card for it and I watch Xvid/mp4 movies and listen to music. The battery life is fantastic. The only problem is pie (pocket ie) is pretty awful but you can get opera or other pocket browsers for it. One issue I had was that the Instant messenger program that comes with it only uses t-mobile's network so if you're planning to use home wifi/public wifi/sixbucks coffee wifi prepare to get a different client such as agile messenger. Also the MDA does not have Java (J2ME) installed if you get it from t-mobile. It's a branded version of the HTC Wizard and if you're going to search for info on it search for it as that, anyone who knows anything about that phone knows it as that. Feel free to AIM me if you got questions.

[azntechguy]

naharissya, on Apr 18 2007, 07:09 PM, said:

I don't plan on doing serious research. Just basic stuff like browsing through the NYPL databases. I basically just want to know which phone has the best internet speed but doesn't cost $50 a month for the service.

In your case, then you should look towards the MDA, as it's the only phone in the bunch that has WiFi built in. Generally, you can use WiFi to access the internet for free (with exceptions of some subscription based services... T-Mobile Hotspot comes to mind). Mind you, WiFi service is limited to wherever there is a wireless signal and among those, the unprotected ones (or at least the ones you know the password too). That basically brings down the locations that you can access the internet to low numbers.

Other methods of wireless internet connection (e.g.: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA or EvDO) you should expect to pay a hefty monthly charge (and for some carriers, it's not for unlimited use either!). But at least in theory they're available whereever you have service from your cell phone carrier.

IMO, at your age and even at my age too, we really shouldn't be going around with PDA-phones and Blackberries. Even though almost everything is now being based on the internet, there's really no reason in our lives that justifies the huge costs and a private 24/7 access to the internet and email. Some people and their professions, they have a legit need, but not us.

I'd say just stick with a regular cell phone and use traditional computers to access the internet (yeah, I know, you can't "telnet nyplgate.nypl.org" on a public computer), but you can still get enough work done through that method. I can vouch for that.

[Charles]

I just got my Motorolla Q. I really like it. It has Windows Mobile 5.0 and pretty fast internet access. Theres no touch screen but it has a full QWERTY keyboard. It also has a 1.3 Megapixel camera and is really thin.