Not sure if this should go in Tech Talk, but I just want to know your opinions on phones that are out now. I want something with a nice screen for a web browser and that will be good for applications. Obviously the iPhone is a great choice, but I'm not sure this is the route I want to go. I really like the Google phone idea, but its been underwhelming so far from what I've gathered.

I have been out of the loop for a bit so I'm not really sure what's out now and what will be coming out in the future. What do you guys think for someone that wants to get a phone like this in the next year?

4/2/2009 9:42:09 AM

The Palm Pre looks really sweet

http://www.palm.com/us/products/phones/pre/

and this would probably do better in tech talk

4/2/2009 9:46:57 AM

there is a wealth of information online and way too many threads posted about phones for you to be this lazy

4/2/2009 9:48:18 AM

Well you know what I am going to recommend, a Windows Mobile phone. I would no recommend the Pre since its the debut of WebOS, but I could recommend the Palm Treo Pro, Samsung Omnia, or and HTC device, and the the HTC Snap that coming out will be something to look at. What exactly are you looking to do? DO you like touch screen? Do you like a physical keyboard over a touch keyboard?

4/2/2009 9:53:32 AM

I just wanted a casual thread about people's opinions on phones. I'm starting to forget what message boards are all about...

4/2/2009 9:54:35 AM

Well you are not going to get any help by responding to stuff like that and not responding to relevant posts.

4/2/2009 9:57:12 AM

This is relevant to my interests.

I have a Razr with Alltel. I want a PDA/Smartphone, mainly to use for everday business functions (email/calendar/outlook), accessing and possibly editing google docs, chat, browsing the web and of course, phone calls. games are not a high priority.

I would prefer a qwerty and not on-screen keyboard. I'm not sure what provider would have the best coverage in the Cary/Morrisville area nor do I know much about the smartphones available.

I've played around with an iPhone, I think I would prefer something else.

4/2/2009 10:17:21 AM

Quote :

"Obviously the iPhone is a great choice, but I'm not sure this is the route I want to go. I really like the Google phone idea, but its been underwhelming"

perhaps you should be a bit more specific as to why you don't want to go the iPhone route or why you think the google phone has been underwhelming so we can better suggest something for you.

4/2/2009 10:21:53 AM

just get an iphone and shut up. i doubt there's anything you need to do that it won't do. except mms lol..you'll be able to do that in a month or two

4/2/2009 10:23:28 AM

google docs works on the iphone and not on my mobile opera - that's all i know. haven't looked into it further, just that i didn't get it working.

4/2/2009 10:26:09 AM

iPhone does have the best mobile browser as well.

4/2/2009 10:29:15 AM

Quote :

"just get an iphone and shut up. i doubt there's anything you need to do that it won't do. except mms lol..you'll be able to do that in a month or two "

4/2/2009 10:31:10 AM

who the hell uses google docs

4/2/2009 10:32:20 AM

google docs has served me pretty well. I use it to keep bullshit running spreadsheets (who owes me what) and post/share bills in pdf to my roommates. Unless you mean who uses it on their mobile, in which i have nfi.

4/2/2009 10:38:08 AM

yah, definitely use google docs enough in a regular browser but not on the go

4/2/2009 10:42:55 AM

iPhone definitely is your best option for a smartphone.

I've got a blackberry Storm (not by choice...), and while it's a good phone, it still is not as good as an iPhone (the UI is inferior, and it's much slower).

4/2/2009 10:46:15 AM

unless you need work specific apps the iphone is the way to go hands down. and I must say after switching from VZW to att the coverage is pretty comparable here in the middle of NC.

4/2/2009 10:49:06 AM

i would recommend a palm windows mobile smartphone over the iphone like the 800w

at&t's data plans are way too expensive to justify getting the iphone
sprint's are dirt cheap on the other hand...

4/2/2009 10:58:46 AM

i switched to Verizon from cingular/att on my last contract and was MUCH happier. Got a lot better service at a few places I am frequently at that don't serve att well. Our practice space is right off of ray and lynn but there is a big whole there...and obviously I am there a lot (was there more when I lived in Raleigh). I used to get 0-1 bars and lose calls nonstop up until about 3 years ago I started to steadily get 1-2 bars and its the same there now (other guitar player and drummer get 1 bar on att and call quality is poor while I get 4 bars).

same goes for my parent's house in charlotte. (I just pay my portion on the family plan since its cheaper ). At their house they got tired of having 1 maybe 2 bars. Now they get 3-4 always with Verizon.

at my friend's mountain house in todd, NC, the 3 people with iphones barely had service - they had to go outside to avoid dropped calls. I always had 1-2 bars inside and no dropped calls while I was there this past fall.

I have no doubt that on average att is probably comparable to verizon, just depends on where you live and where you frequent I guess. This is one of the reasons I didn't consider an Iphone.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:01 AM. Reason : ]

4/2/2009 11:00:55 AM

^ Yeah expense is definitely something to think about. I feel like ATT is taking advantage of their iPhone deal and charging out the ass.

4/2/2009 11:01:54 AM

Palm Treo Pro

Listen to a voice of reason. I am technical support as well!

4/2/2009 11:02:46 AM

I don't see how anyone could conscionably recommend a WinMo phone. It's a dying platform.

4/2/2009 11:04:29 AM

Haha, April Fool's was yesterday! I love WM haters that could never get pass the learning curve!

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:07 AM. Reason : /]

4/2/2009 11:06:45 AM

the treo pro and 800w are both really good options.

i have the 800w and i didn't upgrade to the treo pro even though it looks slick as hell, is smaller, and lighter because i don't like the keyboard style of the centro with those glossy smaller buttons and i like having the two smart buttons under the screen.

and no, i don't think windows mobile is gonna die anytime soon.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:09 AM. Reason : .]

4/2/2009 11:07:52 AM

seedless can you get me a discount then?

4/2/2009 11:10:43 AM

Its growing in fact, have you seen the vids on WM 6.5? Its definitely off the heezy.

^ Nah, but I can get a referral if you join Sprint and get a $25 credit!

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:11 AM. Reason : /]

4/2/2009 11:11:10 AM

It's only growing because the iPhone makes people want a smartphone, but they either would have to switch to Cingular or pay a lot of money for the phone. Not because it really has any merits above its competitors.

There's no way anyone could use an iPhone and then a Windows Mobile phone and think the WinMo is better.

4/2/2009 11:14:43 AM

Haha, you are so wrong. You just have no clue what you are taking about. Just say tuned to my Windows Mobile Device Center thread.

4/2/2009 11:16:06 AM

Quote :

"Windows Mobile is in need of some serious love from Microsoft. In spite of Microsoft's relatively long history in this market, the much newer mobile phone operating systems from both Apple and Google (not to mention the forthcoming Palm webOS) have in most regards trounced Windows Mobile, leaving Redmond playing catch-up. The improvements in 6.5 will certainly go some way towards redressing this deficit. Making the UI finger-friendly will address probably the biggest problem with Windows Mobile as it currently stands. Microsoft's attempt to cram the desktop Windows interface into a phone haven't resulted in a pleasant UI; Windows Mobile is too fiddly, too cluttered, and too complex. The new 6.5 UI looks like a big improvement, giving Windows Mobile users a proper touch interface that works without a stylus. That said, there still appears to be ample scope for improvement. Some parts of the new OS are apparently untouched; Windows Media Player, for example, is unchanged from 6.1—meaning it's still going to need a stylus. This kind of jarring inconsistency makes for an extremely unpleasant user experience, and it looks like we will have to wait for Windows Mobile 7 (which will hopefully have a more Zune-like media player) before that gets remedied ... 6.5 is certainly a necessary update, and My Phone in particular also looks compelling, but this release fails to knock our socks off. It will probably appease current Windows Mobile users and dissuade them from defecting, but for the buyer entering the smartphone market for the first time, non-Windows platforms are still going to have a considerable lead."

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/02/ballmer-windows-mobile-65-phones-are-just-windows-phones.ars

Seriously, don't waste your time with Windows Mobile.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:19 AM. Reason : ]

4/2/2009 11:18:05 AM

Wow, you know nothing. Do you realize there is a HUGE market for people that DO NOT like full touch-screen or sliding QWERTY keyboard?

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:19 AM. Reason : /]

4/2/2009 11:19:21 AM

^^ i'm not saying it's perfect - just saying that it's not going anywhere as long as there are still CDMA networks and as long as iphones are still tied down to at&t with their horrid data plans and even then, probably not until the iphone can come in different shapes and sizes with different keyboard options.

^ lol what he said

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:20 AM. Reason : .]

4/2/2009 11:20:29 AM

^^ considering the first post talks about web browsing, i'm guessing he would prefer a big viewing surface.

4/2/2009 11:22:12 AM

The Palm Pre is coming out in early May (hopefully) ... personally I'd wait for that.

4/2/2009 11:22:13 AM

Quote :

"iPhone definitely is your best option for a smartphone. I've got a blackberry Storm (not by choice...), and while it's a good phone, it still is not as good as an iPhone (the UI is inferior, and it's much slower). "

4/2/2009 11:22:30 AM

Some of the best Global phones that are unlocked to the world are WM devices, like the son-to-be HTC Snap, Xperia X1, and Treo Pro before its was subsidized by US carriers.

Moron, There are enough 3rd party web browsers out there, like Skyfire, Opera, and Firefox will be here soon. Even the New mobile IE is good enough, and really all you need.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:24 AM. Reason : /]

4/2/2009 11:22:32 AM

RAWR RAWR RAWR

KING DOUCHEBAG HERE

I LOVE APPLE, FUCK APPLE, I LOVE MICROSOFT, FUCK MICROSOFT, RAWR RAWR

seriously guys, shut the fuck up. we've all heard the arguments. they're old and unoriginal at best.

4/2/2009 11:24:02 AM

We are not attempting to create original arguments, we are defending our choices with valid and reasonable facts.

4/2/2009 11:25:49 AM

with the same stupid fucking shit that everybody already knows.

4/2/2009 11:27:13 AM

Whats here in tech talk that is original?

4/2/2009 11:27:55 AM

so tuff

4/2/2009 11:30:26 AM

so clever

4/2/2009 11:30:45 AM

Yeah, I'm looking at Windows Mobile stuff too, possibly the HTC Touch Pro. I'm not sure though if Windows Mobile will be able to compete with Android, but I'd like to think so.

4/2/2009 11:31:02 AM

i actually want to do a 30 day trial of both the pro and the g1

now that i've told everyone my google voice number, i can fuck all these carriers over by exploiting this 30 day trial nonsense hahahahaha!

4/2/2009 11:32:24 AM

The HTCs only shine because they graft their own UI on top of Windows Mobile. Once you actually do stuff though, it dumps out of the HTC UI.

If I had to choose, i'd get a Google phone if I couldn't get an iPhone. If the Pre was out (I don't think it is yet, is it?), i'd get that over a Google phone.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:33 AM. Reason : ]

4/2/2009 11:32:58 AM

yeah

and did they fix that problem with the HTC touch UI lagging and stalling on that processor?

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:34 AM. Reason : .]

4/2/2009 11:34:12 AM

^^ I don't know anything about their UI, I just want to have an OS where I can do stuff.

Like I said, I think the iPhone right now is probably the best thing, but I just really don't want to go that route. I would really like to try the G1 and the HTC.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:34 AM. Reason : .]

4/2/2009 11:34:40 AM

Quote :

"I just want to have an OS where I can do stuff."

can do what?

Quote :

"I think the iPhone right now is probably the best thing, but I just really don't want to go that route"

hay guyz this phone would be great. i'll take the other one instead though.

makes perfect sense!

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:37 AM. Reason : asdf]

4/2/2009 11:36:47 AM

^^ have you ever had a qwerty keyboard phone?

i used to have a ppc6700 and thought it was pretty sweet until i bought into the palm hype
i had read people loved the single-handed "operability" of palms but i didn't think it'd be a huge deal until i actually got one and then i wondered why the fuck i ever got a slide out keyboard to begin with.

^

Quote :

"hay guyz this phone would be great. i'll take the other one instead though."

lol not every user's personal design preferences make sense - just gotta live with it. people have opinions *gasp*

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 11:38 AM. Reason : fuck stop replying so fast]

4/2/2009 11:37:23 AM

At the end of the day, Apple is most evil of all. This is MAIN reason I do not buy Apple products. They make perhaps what some consider the best products, but their ethics for consumers, in my opinion, is shit.

4/2/2009 11:38:07 AM

i actually do agree i love qwerty keyboards. i had a blackberry for a while after i broke my first iphone. huge difference. if it weren't for the incredible spell checker on the iphone it'd be useless..but they've done a damn good job with it. just hitting the right number of letters and letters in the general direction of what you want almost always ends up in getting the right word.

4/2/2009 11:38:58 AM