talkmagic.co.uk

...PDA capabilities.

I know the Blackberry phones are an obvious choice, but was wondering if there are cheaper alternatives out there that are worthy of consideration. I carry standalone devices at the moment but would prefer an all-in-one device that doesn't break the bank.

Can I be the person to say iPhone?

Depending on how much you're willing to spend on a contract, it could be affordable

Oh, yeah; forgot about the iPhone.

I think it would be too expensive for me. The problem is, I want a decent phone/PDA that will do that job I need, but I don't want to pay all that money for the privilege. I've been paying Vodafone £9 a month for a while now so I guess I'm going to either stump up the cash for something along the lines of a Blackberry and iPhone, or stick with what I have now. I want the best of both worlds but I know that won't happen so will just have to compromise. Such is life.

EDIT: current prices for the Blackberry Curve/Bold start at about £35 a month on contract, which is in effect an interest free loan for the price of the phone over the life of the contract. Make no mistake, the phone is never "free"; you are paying for it, just not in one go. Several hundred minutes and texts every month are certainly not worth £35 a month.

True, those minutes and texts are not worth £35 a month. But what my friends have found really useful is the unlimted browsing that they get on the iphone. This means that wherever you are (excluding underground trains obviously) you can check something on google maps or see if train times are running properly etc.

I was lost on a walk with some friends a few months back and we used the iPhone to find reviews of the nearest pubs and the directions from where we were. Now that was worth it.

I've just taken a Nokia E71 and having so much available at your fingertips is quite astounding. All in all it's a lovely phone and worth checking out.
Ian

I also have a Nokia E71, and I love it love it love it.

All my bookings go into MS Outlook, and it's magically updated onto the mobile at the click of a mouse. No more copying details from the big diary to the small diary to the PC...

Pete

I have an iPhone - it does the job well, synchs with outlook, and takes photos

my work cover the bill, so I'm fine with the money as well

Here's a highly biased review comparing the iphone and the E70 (I can only imagine the E71 is better).

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone

just thought that I would say that a fair amount of the stuff the guy said isn't true

I don't have an iphone or an E70 so I believe you.

What isn't true?

Ah, the Nokia E71. Yes, sexy phone, that. Another one for my must-check-out list. Ta muchly.

I have an HTC Touch Diamond, and I'm quite pleased with it. Even though I can't send pictures taken by it to anyone unless I decide to email them, and also (probably because it's running Windows Mobile 6.1) it freezes once in a while when I try to use Opera to connect to the internet.

But it's very snazzy-looking! And external apps that I download to it seem to work pretty well.

- Rob

It's bleedin' funny though!

I also love his other rant: 'One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't'.

I used to work as an IT journalist, and have attended far too many press launches and read far too many press releases not to see the horrible truth in it all...

Pete

Me too, I own a mac but only because I know I'm useless with technology.

I'm also a Hippy, a vegetarian and I work with children, but I agree with his 'guiltless grill' post, take no offense at his desire to eradicate my people and have followed his advice to the letter on 'disciplining your kids'.

What I do hate is when meat eaters discover I'm vegetarian and feel the need to challenge me on it. 'Would you eat a chicken to save a hundred chickens?' No. I don't eat meat. I'm not preaching to them, I'm not lecturing or being an ass. I just don't want a * sausage.

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:What isn't true?

I may have missed a couple, but some untruths:

* The ampersand is only two buttons away; on my Nokia 6301 it's 8 buttons away
* The 'elipsis' (..., not … which is the true elipsis) is four characters away (shift-dot-dot-dot)
* You can reset your server using an iphone if you so desire, using third party software
* Having the ability to reset your server from your phone will not make you attractive to people of the opposite sex. Trust me, I tried.... :p
* I'm fairly certain the iphone has a better browser, since Safari 4 will be out soon which is 100% standards compliant (the first browser to do so)
* The screen does indeed get dirty. After a while of not cleaning it. As does every other piece of tech... (in fact, my mobile phone screen is just as dirty as my ipod touch and isn't touch screen!)
* You can develop applications for it now
* Voice recording and instant messaging exists now
* Copy/paste solutions have been created

I've never liked that guy ever since he claimed a black background was better for your eyes (it's not). But to be fair, that is an old article looking at the first version of the iPhone

Me too, I own a mac but only because I know I'm useless with technology.

That's why I own a mac. Well, because they're easy to use, not because I'm useless at technology