Phones Get Smart, but Not Out of Hand
PHONES GET SMART, BUT NOT OUT OF HAND Oops! Looks like we have in our hands another potential generation of dinosaur devices called PDAs… these days it’s even hard to find a simple mobile phone without some extras like a calendar, address book, to-do list, reminders, a calculator and, of course, games. Many phones have gone ahead in the race already, with more powerful processors to run even more applications, cameras, MP3 players, radio, etc. However, for those who crave to be connected 24/7, or be able to work at anywhere, anytime, having one without the other won’t do.
The solution then was to lug a portable handheld alongside a mobile phone, but you’ll probably only end up with one device buried deep in a bag (or while fumbling with both, one will probably end up on the floor). You could clip them all to your belt or stuff them in your pockets, but not without looking like a geek or risk them being pick-pocketed. The solution? Get PDA-mobile phone combo — a smart phone. Here we will look at some devices that combine the power of the PDA to the connectivity of a mobile phone and the perks besides the run-of-the-mill abilities like file exchange, synching with your PC to transfer data and backup files, games, photo/video recording and much, much more — as far as current software and imagination allows.
I-MATE JAM This little bright-looking device is definitely pocket-friendlier than many combodevices. It’s got WiFi, but you need an SD card to cope that due to the limited memory (but Bluetooth is included). It comes with a few good software perks like a fax application, Java and Windows Player 10, not to mention other software tweaks to make the device a little more user-friendly. The 1.3 Megapixel camera takes stills and videos in many formats, including MMS video and Contact Photo, to put a few faces in your contact list.
ASUS P505 This tri-band GSM smartphone debut from Asus has been impressing many. Great original design: a back-lit flip-cover with a classic number pad hides part of the touch-screen. The compact device looks more phone-like with the generously-sized buttons (and, alas, even an external antenna). It boasts a 1.3 Megapixel camera, with flash and video recording, with many camera modes. Included also are voice recording and voice commands (which actually work).
PALM TREO 650 Currently, this is one of the top models from a renowned player in the handheld market. The Palm Treo 650 is an upgrade from the popular Palm Treo 600. This quad-band smartphone has a backlit QWERTY keypad and number pad, great for sending SMSes and e-mail on the fly. It runs on Palm OS, not Windows, and it’s less taxing on the processor. It also uses NAND flash ROM instead of RAM, which means your data will not be lost in case of a complete battery drain. The little camera could see some improvement, though it is one of the better of many phones with VGA cameras.
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