Blackberry Vs Laptop

[Exigeowner]

I may have got this totally wrong but when I am away from the office I like to check my emails, My yahoo account I do from my Samsung mobile but that is not very good at all, just ok for a quick view and nothing more.

To see my Outlook express emails which can often have large files attached I use an internet cafe and www.gotomypc.com so I can then see my full desktop, Trying to access gotomypc.com from my standard mobile just does not work.

What does the top of the range blackberry do for you, would it be able to handle using gotomypc.com or would that be too much for a small device, I assume I could redirect my outlook express to my blacberry but I would still need them on my normal desktop at work also and would also only want it coming to the blackberry when im out of the office.

are they too big and bulky to just carry around in jeans pocket and use like a normal mobile ?

Failing that it will be the laptop route but when holidaying etc its another bit of luggage to carry,

any advise suggestions please

[Phil Dicky]

Exigeowner said:

I may have got this totally wrong but when I am away from the office I like to check my emails, My yahoo account I do from my Samsung mobile but that is not very good at all, just ok for a quick view and nothing more.

To see my Outlook express emails which can often have large files attached I use an internet cafe and www.gotomypc.com so I can then see my full desktop, Trying to access gotomypc.com from my standard mobile just does not work.

What does the top of the range blackberry do for you, would it be able to handle using gotomypc.com or would that be too much for a small device, I assume I could redirect my outlook express to my blacberry but I would still need them on my normal desktop at work also and would also only want it coming to the blackberry when im out of the office.

are they too big and bulky to just carry around in jeans pocket and use like a normal mobile ?

Failing that it will be the laptop route but when holidaying etc its another bit of luggage to carry,

any advise suggestions please

I've a Blackberry Pearl which is not a bad phone at all, has a camera etc and very phone like in size and weight. For e-mails I find it very good, bit slow with attachments but usually I wait till I'm back in the office for them anyway. Qwerty key board helps with writing, etc, well worth a a look.

[AM]

Currently using an XDA Exec and can highly reccommend them. I was previously using an XDA Mini-S but switched to the Exec purely for screen size. The Exec is a bit bulky but does fit in my pocket.

[davidd]

I have a samsung ultra i600 with wm6 on it. Very good and works with exchange so push email etc all works very well.

and it is small!

[Exigeowner]

So It appears that the XDA is more of a computer than the Blackberry, Its it only o2 that can be the provider as muy house does not get o2 reception and I would also use it as my standard mobile

[Hut49]

Wait for one of these - launched last week in the UK: moves GPS MS Windows Mobile 6.0 3MP camera smartphone to the next level.

Edited by Hut49 on Monday 3rd September 21:43

[Exigeowner]

Just been lookiing at the Nokia N800 today at PC World, Not a mobile phone I know but anybody have any experience with these or its equals

[tertius]

I use a Blackberry (8700) its absolutely ideal for email, not bad for attachments especially PPT, crap on Excel, and OK for basic web browsing. Decent phone as well.

This is all talking to an Exchange 2003/RIM infra.

ETA: but I also have a laptop - IMHO a BB is no substitute for a laptop.

Edited by tertius on Wednesday 5th September 23:07

[Noger]

Exigeowner said:

Just been lookiing at the Nokia N800 today at PC World, Not a mobile phone I know but anybody have any experience with these or its equals

Had a serious look at them 3 months ago. I love the concept, and the price. But the functionality is "well, you CAN do it, but you have to ..." rather than "Yes" for much of what I wanted to do. And it is very very slow when things get taxing, which is good for battery life but not for the blood pressure.

Doesn't feel particularly well integrated either. But the screen is fab. No built in telephony means Bluetooth on the move, unless you happen to be near a hotspot.

Definately a good community behind the OS, although they have that (I want to say "typical" but that might be unfair) Linux aversion to anything remotely MS related - which kinda ignores the ubiqitous things that the rest of the population just assume you can read. Openoffice didn't work on the N800 when I looked, but it may now. And I want my PIM to sync to my phone.

Definately the Curate's Egg for me. Loved the idea, but too many minuses in its current incarnation. In the end I spent nearly 3 times more to get a Samsung Q1U. Worth it ? Hmmm.

[roadsweeper]

Hut49 said:

Wait for one of these - launched last week in the UK: moves GPS MS Windows Mobile 6.0 3MP camera smartphone to the next level.

Edited by Hut49 on Monday 3rd September 21:43

Listen to Hut49! The HTC Kaiser is a monster and certainly the best all-round PDA ever released as it includes high speed Internet access (GPRS/3G/HSDPA), built-in GPS, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, tilting screen, quality camera, etc. The keyboard and fast Internet access means it's perfect for email on the move and of course it can sync with Exchange, etc.

[Exigeowner]

WIll I be able to find the HTC on the high street for testing ? I guess just the normal mobile phone shops.

The Samsung Q1U looks a nice bit of kit, where will I be able to find one of those on the high street ?

[Hut49]

Exigeowner said:

WIll I be able to find the HTC on the high street for testing ? I guess just the normal mobile phone shops.

The Samsung Q1U looks a nice bit of kit, where will I be able to find one of those on the high street ?

I preordered mine from SuperEtrader.co.uk last April. Orange, Vodafone and T-Mobile will all feature the HTC in slightly cosmetically different handsets around the 250 quid mark. The super high speed browsing (where signal allows) could lead to high usage charges cos browsing's so easy so watch out when you select the plan.

This handset is just amazing but I want to try it out on my travels before getting too excited. If the phone's as good as the other bits I've tried there'll be no need ever to covert another's phone ever again!

[Noger]

Exigeowner said:

WIll I be able to find the HTC on the high street for testing ? I guess just the normal mobile phone shops.

The Samsung Q1U looks a nice bit of kit, where will I be able to find one of those on the high street ?

HTC branded available mostly in London

ABM Electronics [London (Tottenham Court Road)]
Inkino [London (Tottenham Court Road)]
JAG Communications [South West]
Jersey Telecom [Jersey]
Rankhour [London (Tottenham Court Road)]

Will surely be in Voda and Orange soon. MDA Vario III is the T Mobile name IIRC.

Q1U in PC World.

[Exigeowner]

Well Today I went to my local town to see a HTC Kaiser in operation and nobody had one, that was O2, Orange, Phones4U , T Mobile and Vodaphone ( when their staff finally stopped arseing around)

Im sure I can get it online cheapetr anyway but unless its allows me to connect to my work PC and is actuially workable for me then there would be no point in my purchasing it.

[Noger]

The networks almost always lag behind in bringing HTC devices to the market under their own brand. Unless they have an exclusive deal like T-Mob did with the Ameo. By the time they get them, and strip all the bits off they don't like (VOIP) and add the branded stuff, it can be a while before they get them.

[Exigeowner]

OK thanks, What would I do then just use my sim card thats in my D900 Samsung and away I go ? Do you think it will be up to connecting to my work PC through gotomypc.com or wil that just be too unworkable on such a small mobile device ?

[Noger]

Yes, that is exactly what I did. Old GPRS sim card just sloted right in, and I got HSDPA right away.

Not sure about gotomypc, I had a go but couldn't get it work ! Probably my firewalls gettingin the way. But it works on older devices, so should work on this.

[Exigeowner]

Just seen a Ipaq H2200 2nd hand for sale, apart from phone calls is this likley to do all the internet stuff that some of the aforementioned phones can do ? such as the HTC models

[Noger]

No, you would either need a wifi CF card, or a Bluetooth connection to a phone. Even if you had a 3G phone, the Bluetooth spec in the iPaq is likely to be the bottle neck. So it would work, but unlikely to be that fast.