Mobile Phones - Which platform & why?

[Sidewinder]

OK,

Following on from other threads.

We have a broad variety of users on here so how about some input into which phones are good for which uses.

IPhone, As far as I can see I have no need for one! What can it do for me? I don't want an mp3, or multimedia player in my pocket, I don't know what else it offers me?

Blackberry, Don't like the looks!

Android, New kid on the block very promising.

Windows, M$ been around for a while, business orienteted.

My current phone is Windows, I am on my 4th Windows mobile device, they have done and still seem to do all I want.

I used Windows on my laptop and MS Office, a Win mobile synchronises seamlessly with my Outlook so I have outlook in my pocket, I can open Word, Excel, Power Point and pdf files to view them if I have to.

All my outlook emails, calander, contacts etc. just appear. I can set up to receive my pop3 emails from my pop providers & I have a Hotmail a/c that I can also get to. I can plug it into my laptop & use it as a 3g modem.

It also makes phone calls!

Why should I change, what will I gain, what will I loose?...

Discuss?...

 

[Zeespark]

I wouldnt go with any of the above personally, I have a habit of abusing My mobiles, and I can get better quality on seperates, ie laptop, digicam etc. I still find it a struggle to write a text message, never mind anything more complicated.

Andy

 

[Sidewinder]

Zee,

Good point, I do carry a laptop, however, it is not always convenient or safe to power it up to keep up with emails. I also have a seperate digicam.

I do a lot of my communications with my customers by email.

Adding to my post above, not interested in the camera aspect!

Next please?...

 

[Manator]

On any normal day I will have my laptop, which is basicaly a programming and test tool, and my Blackbury, everything I need to operate is in my pocket (no not that) , or on laptop.

 

[Sidewinder]

Manator,

IF you use Outlook, how does the Blacberry sync with it?

Can you access MS docs, pdf's etc?

Can you retrieve ordinary pop3 mail and access IMAP accounts?

Exactly the same as myself really, though IF I am local & on big mech jobs I'll leave laptop at home!

Guaranteed I'll then need a mech m/c manual off it though!

Thanks.

 

[Andy™]

i have a blackberry

outlook doesnt sync with it (that i know of?)

outlook is setup to leave all emails on server for 7 days. blackberry is set to check each email account and download any new emails to phone. ive also set it to BCC all send emails to another email so ive got them on PC. works the same as outlook using POP3. blackberry can read PDF etc. and word docs/excel (i think it does anyway)

i rarely take my laptop out with me - its got a 17" screen as is too big. ill eventually get round to getting something smaller

 

[Manator]

The Blackbury can do most of those I can use all MS stuff and all my emails are forwarded, from outlook and another hotmail account I have. To be honest I have not used the full features but I can organise meetings etc from my phone, then sync all data to laptop or PC when I get home. The only downside is it will not run any windows apps, like the easycert I really wanted it to do.

 

[Andy™]

and for those with blackberries you can get an app to blacklist numbers. someone phones selling something etc, blacklist it. if they try to phone again (you know what these scammers are like), they get disconnected

 

[vandalay]

Following on from the earlier thread I was asked by Canoeboy re. the blackberry v iphone question what i wanted from a phone.

First off I always carry around my ipod and my phone so a big plus would be 1 less item to lose/break. Recently I have started doing work for letting agents who prefer to email the work and job details so I am interested on a device to carry this and other internet stuff out. As you can tell by last comment something simple to use is preferable.

 

[steptoe]

sony X10 on Android,

not perhaps the best android phone out there but my first foray into "smartphones" and it does all I need,

e.mails, word docs, pdf etc,

and it will sync with Linux Ubuntu, something I very much doubt a WIN phone would do, iphone is limited in, and blackberry is a disaster trying to get it to do properly.

thats one of my main reasons for having an ANDROID, open source platform.

 

[sellers]

my blackberry has email push, as soon as I receive an email it gets to my phone about 30seconds after. I then can reply from my phone like sending a text. However I am going to be getting an iphone, as I beleive using apps i can get the same feature.

I find the blackberry very good for business, whereas I'd see the iphone good for business and better for play.

 

[revjames]

I had a Nokia X3 - always had Nokias and I know my way around them. Good thing is battery lasts forever, Bad thing is the screens keep breaking. I wasnt that fussed about getting another phone but had to change from 02 prepay as

 

[Sidewinder]

Canoeboy,

Thanks,

I tried to quote your message for your quote of my msg to be in it & failed!

So, my Win phone only synchronises when plugged in anyway, and it uses active sync, so BB DtM would replace this I guess, thus as long as all the contacts tasks etc. come through then all is OK, as I keep customer machine details in their contact card in Outlook thus it keeps all in one place.

Does the BIS sync POP3 & IMAP A/C?

Are BB apps as common as Iphone/Android?

Android interests me, but don't know enough about it!

Need to get another phone soon, and don't think I want an Iphone as I don't see what it will give me over something I already know

I messed with one the other night, one of my daughters friends handset, 3GS, it did not really appeal to me.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 20:08 ---------- Previous post was made at 20:04 ----------

Thing is I quite like the touch screen on my HTC!

Also I get on well with the handwriting recognition.

I am also used to Win mob & HTC's I have had 5 HTC Win smart phones now going back to the Orange M5000!

Full QWERTY! & I MEAN FULL!!!

My HTC holds as much of my past emails as I need also, which is REALLY useful.

 

[steptoe]

sidewinder if you are getting a new phone anyway and want to try android on your old HTC first before taking the plunge.........

http://www.androidonhtc.com/

then if you like it you can get a new HTC with Android native,

or you can get something else if you dont like it,

it will wipe windows from you phone tho/probably/very likely/deffo

so you wont have a fall back................

my x10 has qwerty on the bottom of my touchscreen (when needed) and the buttons are big enough to be useful.

 

[NozSpark]

I've got an Android HTC Desire...

TBH with the right app it can do just about anything; doc, xml, ppt, pdf, txt, decent enough camera, POP, IMAP, outlook exchange etc...

another thing I find that is good is that it can sync your contacts OTA with google so if you lose, break or upgrade your phone you just enter your gmail account details and your contacts just appear.. it'll also sync your facebook and twitter accounts with your contacts if you so wish....

as standard (with android 2.2 - Froyo) you can set it up as a USB tether or as a WiFi hotspot

the only downside with the Desire is the amount of internal space that they have allocated for apps, as standard this is a meager 148Mb although since I've rooted my phone I now have 1Gb available from the SD card for this purpose..

also battery life is pretty poor - have to charge every day, but then again you have to with most smartphones..

In all honesty if you went for an Android phone I don't think you'd regret it. Best bet is to have a play with one for a couple of hours!

 

[Andy™]

also battery life is pretty poor - have to charge every day, but then again you have to with most smartphones..

i can usually get 2 days from mine, unless i make lots of calls. and thats with bluetooth & WLAN always on. gets charged daily though, since i sometimes end up spending a night away from home at late notice and i dont have a 12v charger for it (almost had a flat battery a few times through it)

 

[Sidewinder]

Now I have a full HF car kit for my current phone and will swap this from van to van if I change, limitation is getting a cradle for the THB Take N Talk for the handset, I spend so much time travelling it is a must for me, as I think nothing of going to Noz land to do a job & back in a day!

 

[NozSpark]

Now I have a full HF car kit for my current phone and will swap this from van to van if I change, limitation is getting a cradle for the THB Take N Talk for the handset, I spend so much time travelling it is a must for me, as I think nothing of going to Noz land to do a job & back in a day!

You make it sound like Narnia ROTFWL

 

[Sidewinder]

Hmmm........... your shout mate!

 

[Andy™]

Now I have a full HF car kit for my current phone and will swap this from van to van if I change, limitation is getting a cradle for the THB Take N Talk for the handset, I spend so much time travelling it is a must for me, as I think nothing of going to Noz land to do a job & back in a day!

parrot. connection by bluetooth. hands free, no messing on putting phone in holder or anything. little display/controls somewhere on dash

or if your posh, get a new radio with bluetooth HF built in