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GAF on a Blackberry - Dad got one from NASA
- Thread starter olimario
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yeah, I know a bunch of people in my office who have one (I'm a software consultant). It's really nice in that you basically don't have to take your laptop with you when you travel for short periods of time. The downside is the mail client isn't the most wonderful thing in the world, and it's expensive as crap to use (I think it's an extra $40 a month just to have the blackberry service, not to mention the costs associated with integrating your blackberry with existing services. That said, I'm probably going to get one when my two years runs out on my current plan.
Edit - you do realize they run for about $500, right?
Edit - you do realize they run for about $500, right?
Yeah, I browse GAF all the time on this:
Treo 600
These smartphones may be expensive, but they pay for themselves in my eyes. I can get full web access, e-mail, free instant messaging (just download AOL IM...no fees!), listen to music (you can also use MP3s as ringtones), watch movies (you can compress entire DVD movies into small 100mb files and store them on an SD card!), play games (Emulators are the best...NES and Game Gear), use most palm OS5 apps, take pictures, etc. No reason to upgrade to a new phone anytime soon, either. There is a new model, the Treo 650, about to be released, but it just adds Bluetooth and a higher res screen...nothing else is different. That may mean that the 600 price will drop soon too.
I looked at the Blackberrys before I got this phone last year, but the Treo is the better phone with all the features that it offers. I got the phone from Sprint, and it's just one flat fee for unlimted internet usage, compared to the Blackberry retailer's (AT&T in this case) crappy monthly limit internet option.
I know that most people aren't like this, but if you're the type that keeps wanting to upgrade to a new phone every few months, just shell out the cash for a smartphone and you won't feel the need to anymore. The guy I work with has gone through like five phones in the past year...he could have had a Treo by now.
Get the upcoming Treo 650 if you want that.
Treo 600
These smartphones may be expensive, but they pay for themselves in my eyes. I can get full web access, e-mail, free instant messaging (just download AOL IM...no fees!), listen to music (you can also use MP3s as ringtones), watch movies (you can compress entire DVD movies into small 100mb files and store them on an SD card!), play games (Emulators are the best...NES and Game Gear), use most palm OS5 apps, take pictures, etc. No reason to upgrade to a new phone anytime soon, either. There is a new model, the Treo 650, about to be released, but it just adds Bluetooth and a higher res screen...nothing else is different. That may mean that the 600 price will drop soon too.
I looked at the Blackberrys before I got this phone last year, but the Treo is the better phone with all the features that it offers. I got the phone from Sprint, and it's just one flat fee for unlimted internet usage, compared to the Blackberry retailer's (AT&T in this case) crappy monthly limit internet option.
I know that most people aren't like this, but if you're the type that keeps wanting to upgrade to a new phone every few months, just shell out the cash for a smartphone and you won't feel the need to anymore. The guy I work with has gone through like five phones in the past year...he could have had a Treo by now.
DarienA said:
Get the upcoming Treo 650 if you want that.
UtadaBarkley
Member
Lyte Edge said:Yeah, I browse GAF all the time on this:
Treo 600
These smartphones may be expensive, but they pay for themselves in my eyes. I can get full web access, e-mail, free instant messaging (just download AOL IM...no fees!), listen to music (you can also use MP3s as ringtones), watch movies (you can compress entire DVD movies into small 100mb files and store them on an SD card!), play games (Emulators are the best...NES and Game Gear), use most palm OS5 apps, take pictures, etc. No reason to upgrade to a new phone anytime soon, either. There is a new model, the Treo 650, about to be released, but it just adds Bluetooth and a higher res screen...nothing else is different. That may mean that the 600 price will drop soon too.
I looked at the Blackberrys before I got this phone last year, but the Treo is the better phone with all the features that it offers. I got the phone from Sprint, and it's just one flat fee for unlimted internet usage, compared to the Blackberry retailer's (AT&T in this case) crappy monthly limit internet option.
I know that most people aren't like this, but if you're the type that keeps wanting to upgrade to a new phone every few months, just shell out the cash for a smartphone and you won't feel the need to anymore. The guy I work with has gone through like five phones in the past year...he could have had a Treo by now.
Get the upcoming Treo 650 if you want that.
One question how much? That's thing is tight...I need a mobile browsing device.. but I want a REAL browser, not some half@ssed pos WAP browser that are featured on most cells.
UtadaBarkley
Member
Hmmm, I may wait until the Nintendo DS is finally provided with an application that allows for web browsing online... hopefully that won't be to far down the road. I can't really see spending 300-40 bucks on a pda when a few hundred more can score me a full fledged laptop.
JeffDowns said:
The difference is all about portablity. I have a laptop too, but I can't slip it in my pocket and use it anywhere like I can with my Treo. Plus the main reason you want a smartphone is because it's a PHONE.
How would the DS get an application for web browsing that would be useful? You'd have to be at a hotspot to get online and wouldn't be able to get web access from anywhere like you can with a Blackberry or a Treo.
UtadaBarkley
Member
Lyte Edge said:The difference is all about portablity. I have a laptop too, but I can't slip it in my pocket and use it anywhere like I can with my Treo. Plus the main reason you want a smartphone is because it's a PHONE.
How would the DS get an application for web browsing that would be useful? You'd have to be at a hotspot to get online and wouldn't be able to get web access from anywhere like you can with a Blackberry or a Treo.
I guess it all depends on how you plan on useing the thing. True it is be nice to have portability and all, but I'd mainly be using mine around the house. (I hate being teathered to a PC when I just wanna broswe the web). In that case the DS could take advantage of my wireless network at the crib. Are there any other feasbile and cheap solutions that you can see for me? I was borring a friends laptop for a while and it was great to be able to be in various areas of the house and still be online.
UtadaBarkley
Member
Vormund said:My phone owns you all:
Bluetooth, Blackberry, infrared, organiser and a whole heap of other shit i'll never use.
I was thinking about that, but that screen is way too small, and the browser is horrible. I think you were joking anyway. :lol
JeffDowns said:
If you just want something to use around the house, buy a Palm device or a Pocket PC. I know that you can get some of those devices for around $200 or less, and some have built-in wifi cards for web browsing.
Personally I wouldn't bother though....it sounds like a laptop is more for you.
deadlifter said:how are people liking the audiovox SMT5600? i know one or two bought it from the amazon deal. Is it worth the 60 bucks a month?
Best phone ever. Small and sleek.
No keyboard sucks, but I live with it. (Besides it has Bluetooth. It's only a matter of time before you can use one of these with it.)
Lyte Edge said:
Yes, no full keyboard, but it is the smallest smart phone with WMP 10 and i'm sure GAF would show up well. (as long as you don't post
)aaaaa0 said:
If you don't mind me asking, how much are you paying for a plan and internet? I've been looking at the amazon deal and they don't seem to give an option for unlimited internet. Just 10MB of memory for a month. The ATT wireless site has an unlimited plan for $24.99, which is less than the 10MB on amazon (doesn't make much sense). I'm thinking about buying it straight from AT&T since i would get unlimited internet and a cheaper plan, and would eventually cost me less for a year than the amazon deal.
If you need a full-sized keyboard to type, just get a cheap laptop. With that, the portablity factor is gone.
Deadlifter, size isn't a problem with the Blackberry or the Treo. The Treo is already palm-sized and is only a little wider than most cell phones. BTW, look around at all the providers before just going with one for data use. Like I said in my other post, the Sprint deal is for unlimited internet access for only $15 a month.
What's the point in instant messaging and browsing if it's hard to type?
EDIT: Sweet, just found this: http://www.mobidev.com/gbulator.html
It works great; can't wait for GBC support so I can play Metal Gear Ghost Babel.
With that, the portablity factor is gone.Deadlifter, size isn't a problem with the Blackberry or the Treo. The Treo is already palm-sized and is only a little wider than most cell phones. BTW, look around at all the providers before just going with one for data use. Like I said in my other post, the Sprint deal is for unlimited internet access for only $15 a month.
What's the point in instant messaging and browsing if it's hard to type?
EDIT: Sweet, just found this: http://www.mobidev.com/gbulator.html
It works great; can't wait for GBC support so I can play Metal Gear Ghost Babel.
deadlifter said:
Yeah, I have the ATT plan for $24.99/month.
Just wait a few months though, Cingular's getting the 5600, and their unlimited internet plan is $19.99/month. (It's called MEDIAworks.)
http://onlinestoref.cingular.com/html/PhoneFeatureDetail/feature_works.htm
Lyte Edge said:If you need a full-sized keyboard to type, just get a cheap laptop.
Deadlifter, size isn't a problem with the Blackberry or the Treo. The Treo is already palm-sized and is only a little wider than most cell phones. BTW, look around at all the providers before just going with one for data use. Like I said in my other post, the Sprint deal is for unlimited internet access for only $15 a month.
What's the point in instant messaging and browsing if it's hard to type?
EDIT: Sweet, just found this: http://www.mobidev.com/gbulator.html
It works great; can't wait for GBC support so I can play Metal Gear Ghost Babel.
Yeah, i hear ya. I would just want to visit GAF mostly, but i'm liking the $15 a month so i'm gonna have to look into this further
When I first got my Axim 3xi, I too was initially impressed after browsing a few web sites (GAF first, of course), but honestly the thrill kind of wore off quickly. Yes, it's portable and impressive from a technological perspective, but viewing sites in that itty-bitty squished down resolution just ain't all that cool. I mean, take a look at your screenshot - the entire screen is barely displaying what most monitors show in about an inch of vertical space running at a moderate resolution. Could you imagine scrolling down a large post with that? The PDA/cellphone aspects are cool, but I'm something of a PocketPC fan, although having been a previous Treo owner, I'm tempted to pick one of the newer ones up - those suckers do it all, look great, and are well built. Pricey though, sigh...
UtadaBarkley
Member
I would like a cheap laptop. hell I dont care if it's a 400mhz Pentium 2 with 32 megs of ram. I just need something for portable browsing around the house. Anyone got any ideas, or have one for sell for cheap?
Lyte Edge said:If you need a full-sized keyboard to type, just get a cheap laptop.
The Bluetooth keyboard folds up. When it's folded, it's smaller than a PDA.
99% of the time I don't need to type, I'm just reading.
They all pocketable, but the Audiovox is just tiny. It isn't just pocketable, it IS the size of a regular cell phone, and for ~$150 (or $-25 on Amazon), it's hard to beat the price.
At that kind of price, it's competitive with regular cellphones, even forgetting all the wireless internet features, it's still a decent cameraphone + and a good flash MP3 player (I have a 512 MB memory card in mine).
Neat little touches I noticed:
- the phone will mute the ringer when you're in a meeting according to your calendar
- if you sync music from your music collection in WMP10, the album art shows up on the phone when you open it in WMP.
- the phone book is really well done. It dynamically filters your contacts list based on first name, last name, and the phone number. For example, if you want to phone Joe, just type in 563 (5 for J, 6 for O, 3 for E) and the phone narrows down the possibilities as you type. If you remember the first couple digits of his phone number are 509 just start typing in 509, and Joe will be on the list.
I agree with this.
T9's not bad at all. 99% of the time you don't need to type for browsing either. Just preload your bookmarks and go.
EDIT: Sweet, just found this: http://www.mobidev.com/gbulator.html
It works great; can't wait for GBC support so I can play Metal Gear Ghost Babel.
gnuboy
http://www.surrealservices.dsl.pipex.com/gnuboy.html
PocketSNES
http://www.surrealservices.dsl.pipex.com/pocketsnes.html (Note the Audiovox is a 200 mhz device.)
Disclaimer: I haven't tried either yet.
aaaaa0 said:
Right, but the thing is, it's another piece to have to carry around, and it's NOT convenient like having an all-in-one device available for you. I can pull out my Treo ANYWHERE (standing in line, under a desk, sitting in the car, etc.) and be typing in seconds with nothing extra to have to set up, and that's why I have a phone like this. If I was going to use a keyboard that size, I'd just bring my laptop.
Reagrding typing, I'm not talking about URLs. I always load from my bookmarks as well. I'm talking about actually posting on forums and using IM.
I know about those, but this is specifically for my Treo.
Plus for Palm OS, I have never seen a good gameboy emulator until the GBulator I just found. They are CLEARLY copying Kalemsoft's NES, TG-16, and Master System/GG emus though in their interface.
I also have a Tapwave Zodiac, and that's where the majority of my handheld emulation gaming takes place, and with that I can just use Little John Z, which is an awesome freeware emulator that plays SNES, Genesis, TG-16, NES, Neo Geo Pocket, Wonderswan Color, and GB/GBC all in one. I don't know of any phones that could handle that though.
UtadaBarkley
Member
-jinx- said:
Humorous.
P.S> No cheap laptop deals? Maybe a refurbished?
JeffDowns said:Humorous.
P.S> No cheap laptop deals? Maybe a refurbished?
I've got a three-year old Dell Inspiron 4000 that I rarely use these days. 14.1" 1024X768 LCD, P3-850, 256MBs RAM, ATI Mobility 3. It's no powerhouse, but throw a little more ram in it and it'd be a great basic surfing/school crap machine. Honestly, it runs XP Pro fine right now. PM me if you're interested and maybe we can figure out if it'd work for you or not.
Lyte Edge said:
Well ok agreed.
A keyboard would be nice, but you have different compromises for different products.
The point is the Audiovox isn't competing against the Treo (which costs $400 and has a keyboard), it's competing against $150 cameraphones, which usually don't even have a real browser or OS. Or media player (which plays MP3s, WMAs, WMVs, and MPEGs -- you can convert DVDs and put them on flash cards if you want). Or use WAVs/WMAs as ring tones. Or ability to synch seamlessly with Outlook or Exchange. Or gmail. Or hotmail. Through USB, Bluetooth, or via GPRS. Or install apps. Or run emulators. Or a good chunk of what a PDA can do. Etc.
As such it absolutely destroys them. I can't imagine ever going back to a regular cellphone -- even minus the internet features. And you get this for roughly the same ballpark price as a regular phone.
To be honest I don't know why anyone would buy a Blackberry. There has to be some rational explanation...
That Audiovox one...does it have a touchscreen/stylus? For the price, I agree, it's great. It's not what I want, but I can see people being happy with it.
The Treo is a lot more costly...but it's like my car stereo...it costs a bit but I use it every day, so it'd be worth it.
Things you buy that you find you can't live without...are worth the costs IMO. There were 3 "you"s in that sentence and I'm fixated on them... I gotta go to bed.
That Audiovox one...does it have a touchscreen/stylus? For the price, I agree, it's great. It's not what I want, but I can see people being happy with it.
The Treo is a lot more costly...but it's like my car stereo...it costs a bit but I use it every day, so it'd be worth it.
Things you buy that you find you can't live without...are worth the costs IMO. There were 3 "you"s in that sentence and I'm fixated on them... I gotta go to bed.
Fight for Freeform said:
No touchscreen. It's designed to be a phone, not a PDA.
If you want what looks and acts like a regular phone but has a ton of Smartphone features as a bonus, and you're only willing to spend about as much as a regular phone, Audiovox is a good choice.
If what you want is a true PDA with phone features, and you're willing to spend what a PDA costs, then the Treo/iMate/XDA/ipaq6315/etc are what you want.
In short -- it's a convergence device custom-made for the corporate market. Its whole appeal is the tight integration with corporate mail servers and easy user interface for text -- you can get your messages ANYWHERE, not just in a location with WiFi/VPN access, and respond to them quickly. It's not an ideal cellphone form factor, but that isn't the point. Email is FAR more important than phone for busy execs, but since you need the phone capability in some cases and probably don't want to carry two devices...why not bundle them?Fight for Freeform said:
-jinx- said:
Maybe it's just the bleeding heart in me, or the crackpot idealism that comes with still being able to show up to work in the same clothes I wear on the weekend, but the moment I walk out of the office, I leave my work there. A little part of me would be dead if work were able to follow me thanks to one of these things.
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