Peoples Republic of South Devon

PDA Phones – the good, the bad, and the downright ugly

April 18th, 2008

The weekly technology column from those good people at Plymouth’s Orange Crate

First developed in the early 90s as the ‘Smartphone’ by IBM, the PDA phone is now a common sight on the High Street, with masses of new users every year. Basically combining the ‘traditional’ functions of a mobile phone with the advanced connectivity and resources of a personal computer, many view them as the perfect solution to working on the move.

Here at Orange Crate, we jumped on the PDA band wagon around a year ago when a client supplied us with brand new HTC P4350. ‘Wow’ we thought… for a minute. It was big. Very big. But at least it ended the need for carrying a laptop around. Or did it? Frankly, no.

Firstly, the processor couldn’t handle the operating system (Windows Mobile 5.0), and the phone itself was very slow, even at the level of making and receiving phone calls. The design was heavy and wide due to the retractable keyboard -“ too big for all but the deepest pockets - and the screen was slightly recessed and prone to being over or under responsive.

So a few months ago we finally gave up on them and went seeking a replacement – and somehow we ended up with the new HTC Touch. Smaller and faster with a sleek design – we were suitably impressed but also understandably sceptical.

But it seems as if the technology has really improved in the last couple of years. Now I rarely carry a laptop and can use the phone to do a host of work-related functions. Yesterday I printed a document in the office while on the train, and last week remotely controlled a client’s pc to fix a software problem. All from my phone!

With big ad campaigns for the Apple iPhone and the LG Viewty in force, the market is not just aimed at the business sector, though. Offering advanced internet browsing capabilities, impressive media playing software, and slick, user-friendly interaction – I guarantee you’ll be tempted to get involved next time your contract is up for renewal.

So to give you a head start, next week we’ll give you a closer look at the pros and cons of some of the major players in the UK PDA phone market

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Entry Filed under: Society, technology