Windows mobile users, love or hate it?

scottmandue · 11-13-2008, 07:22 AM

I'm thinking of gifting myself a smart phone for Christmas.

All I really want is a good cell phone with a integrated PDA, don't need a camera, games, web surfing ability but I know I will be getting them anyway. Being able to check email would be nice but I have had limited success with that.

Lots of review on how Windows mobile works on the phone but I am curious what the computer interface is like.

What I really want is to be able to enter all my phone book/contact and calender info on my computer and upload it to the phone.

I am very happy with my provider (T-Mobile) so I am looking at the shadow phone.

Anyone using Widows mobile on their phone and if so how do you like it?

gprsh924 · 11-13-2008, 07:34 AM

My mom has windows mobile on her samsung blackjack II. The windows mobile interface is ok, but the phone itself is pretty bad. I like the interface and the way the os works on my blackberry curve much better.

scottmandue · 11-13-2008, 09:12 AM

I should add, any recommendation for a really good phone that is... just a really good phone... that has great reception, great sound quality, good battery life with a calender and a computer interface.

Don't really care so much about all the gadgets.

onewhippedpuppy · 11-13-2008, 09:35 AM

I've been really happy with my BlackBerry Pearl. It's small enough to stick in my pocket, so no dork holster. Great sound quality, nice loud speaker, noticably better reception than my old Razr. Decent keyboard for typing, excellent push email service, lots of available aps. Super easy sync with Outlook on my desktop. I wish it had a bigger screen, individual keys per letter, and GPS. The newer models do have GPS, so that's a plus. They're not the hip thing anymore, so they're pretty cheap.

gprsh924 · 11-13-2008, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I've been really happy with my BlackBerry Pearl. It's small enough to stick in my pocket, so no dork holster. Great sound quality, nice loud speaker, noticably better reception than my old Razr. Decent keyboard for typing, excellent push email service, lots of available aps. Super easy sync with Outlook on my desktop. I wish it had a bigger screen, individual keys per letter, and GPS. The newer models do have GPS, so that's a plus. They're not the hip thing anymore, so they're pretty cheap.

What Matt said, but get the Curve because it fixes all the issues he has with his Pearl, while still being very pocket-friendly.

onewhippedpuppy · 11-13-2008, 09:45 AM

True, the Curve isn't bad. I'll probably consider one when my Pearl dies.

tobster1911 · 11-13-2008, 10:18 AM

I have the T-Mobile Dash. It is the IMO nicer version of the Moto Q. With WM6 I have not had any problems. I do miss the touch screen on my old WM5 PPC but the price difference was not worth it this time. The ONLY downside is memory but with a 1G microSD I don't have any problems. I have push email from my work's exchange and IMAP from Gmail, yahoo, and my college. All work flawless. The exchange is nice because it updates my contacts, calendar, and task list with no mess. Active sync work to put this on my home PC for back up mostly.

Phone is ok.
Battery life is great IMO.
Size and weight are fine for me.

Only weakness is the LCD. Be very careful about carrying this in your pocket....

onewhippedpuppy · 11-13-2008, 10:21 AM

Oh yeah, and my Pearl seems to have pretty good battery life. I've gone 2 days without charging and it's only down to 50%.

legion · 11-13-2008, 10:23 AM

Windows Mobile is okay.

It's the f***ing Credant security software that my company put on my PDA that renders it useless.

jhynesrockmtn · 11-13-2008, 10:59 AM

I have a Verizon SMT 5800. The phone itself is good, good voice quality, form factor, small enough for a pocket, reasonably durable, etc. Battery life is very marginal, won't go a day without a charge. Windows mobile is like other Microsoft products. Glitchy, locks up a couple of times a month and requires removing the battery. Locked up real bad where it wouldn't let me clear a "close to full" memory and required a complete restart. I would go Blackberry if I were to do it over.

scottmandue · 11-13-2008, 12:39 PM

T-mobile has the curve and the dash.

Dash is a little less expensive... tobster, what is the sound quality on the dash like?

I like the form factor of the shadow however the reviews say it has a very short battery life and the sound quality is marginal.

Eric Coffey · 11-13-2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmandue

What I really want is to be able to enter all my phone book/contact and calender info on my computer and upload it to the phone.

If Outlook calander/contact/email syncing are your main concerns, then WM is great. I've been using a Palm 750 with WM6 for a while now, and it does everything I need. Altough, if you have T-mobile you might check out the new Google phone. Lots of buzz over it lately.

scottmandue · 11-13-2008, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

If Outlook calender/contact/email syncing are your main concerns, then WM is great. I've been using a Palm 750 with WM6 for a while now, and it does everything I need. Although, if you have T-mobile you might check out the new Google phone. Lots of buzz over it lately.

Don't think T-mobile offers the Palm 750, WM6= Windows messenger 6? I have been a die hard Palm PDA user for years however I have become somewhat disillusioned with them because the last two PDA's I got from them didn't work well.

Thus I am willing to move on to the evil Microsoft empire if it makes syncing easier, I have windows PC's at home and work.

The curve has glowing reviews, it has gone to the top of the list. Never liked the look or form factor of the crackberry's however I am more of a form follows function guys so if it does what I want at a reasonable price I'm okay with that.

Yeah the new google phone looks cool but that is more than I want to spend and being a tech I never buy any first generation anything.

Seriously I use my cell phone 90% as a phone and 10% to store names/addresses/numbers/etc. if I can get a calender and check my email that is all gravy.

Not big on surfing the Internet on my phone, tried it the first couple of years and once the gee whiz factor wore off I never used it and canceled the service. If you like doing it cool, just doesn't float my boat.

Eric Coffey · 11-13-2008, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Don't think T-mobile offers the Palm 750, WM6= Windows messenger 6?

Sorry, WM6 = Windows Mobile V6.0.

And no, T-Mobile doesn't offer the 750. I was just commenting on the OS itself.

If you want to stay with T-Mobile, and want Windows Mobile, it looks like you are limited to the following phones:

Shadow
Dash
Wing

scottmandue · 11-13-2008, 03:55 PM

Dash is a possibility... although the reviews say sound quality is just okay and some say the volume slider thing is a PITA.

The Curve has nothing but good reviews, I have to presume with the blackberry popularity they have a pretty good computer interface.

All I really want is to merge a PDA and a cell phone.

Rick V · 11-13-2008, 04:13 PM

Moto 9Qc, The phone is good, range, sound, batt life ect, all very good, it syncs up very well with the laptop through the outlook program, Email forwarding is great, except with yahoo, but I think that is because of my carrier, I am with Alltel. Surfing the net on my phone, isn't something I do but the phone makes a decent router. Plug in and put the laptop online, no muss-no fuss. The 9Qc is leaps and bounds beyond the origional Q, that thing was a turd.

plain fan · 11-13-2008, 04:16 PM

I've never really been a fan of the blackberry but if I had to get one it would be the curve or the bold.

I've been a winmo user for almost 3 years with two different phones. Originally the cingular 8125 and I just got the new AT&T Fuze (HTC). I don't use my phone for surfing the web; I use it to sync with my outlook calendar and contacts. I don't even use it for email...when I leave work I want to leave it at the office. I really recommend looking at the new smart phones.

Eric Coffey · 11-13-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmandue

The Curve has nothing but good reviews, I have to presume with the blackberry popularity they have a pretty good computer interface.

Probably, But I've never used a crackberry or dealt with it's OS. I just know that with WM6 I can sync all my contacts/appointments/email/tasks/calendar with ease, as well as run all of the MS Office apps and Acrobat. It is also very aftermarket-app friendly.

Also, I just looked at both the Dash and the Wing, and would definitely go for the Wing if you can swing it. The screen is twice as big, and the keyboard looks much more user friendly. Plus, I think it is based on the HTC Touch, which is a great phone. It looks like you can find them for under $250 new/unlocked/no contract on fleabay, or well under $200 for "like new" examples.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I've been a die hard Palm fan for years, and finally broke down and bought a WM6 phone, off ebay.

Palm phones:

Treo600 --> Treo650 --> Treo680

What I liked about the Treo? I could one hand the keyboard a quick message and do the same with with looking up contacts. The interface was good. Lots of programs.

Bad: The operating system hasn't changed for 4+ years! Seriously! Even the new Treo Centro is nothing but a revamped Treo680/650.

I picked up an AT&T Tilt (HTC TyTN II). It is Very very good, but...the Tilting screen / sliding keyboard is not as good as I thought it would be. It is not better than than the Treo. I can't thumb the keyboard one handed.

So, this brings me to what I would get now, if I had the cash: A Treo Pro, or a Treo 750. Why? All the advantages of the Treo form factor and the WM6 operating system, and Wifi! I think the Treo750 you have to add a card for Wifi, but still.

But I also have a Redfly. This and the phone make a mini-always on Laptop.

scottmandue · 11-14-2008, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

Probably, But I've never used a crackberry or dealt with it's OS. I just know that with WM6 I can sync all my contacts/appointments/email/tasks/calendar with ease, as well as run all of the MS Office apps and Acrobat. It is also very aftermarket-app friendly.

I'll check out the wing,

I have office at work but not at home, will I be able to back up my WM6 address book on my home computer? Do I have to outlook installed for that?