View Full Version : Smartphone: iPhone, Nokia, HTC, BlackBerry?...
Tonio600
29-Jan-2009, 21:49
What is the way go to?
As a newly self appointed MD (I'll never get used to it :lol: ), I can no longer rely on my old LG phone on Pay As You Go contract to keep in touch with my clients.
I like the iPhone, but I don't need fancy. I don't know the others at all. I used to have an old Blackberry ages ago but at the time it only did pushed emails.
What will matter to me:
- getting my emails anywhere at anytime.
- browsing the net with a browser/display as close to a desktop as possible.
- syncing my Agenda with Google Calendar.
- developping apps as I need them.
- and making phone calls :lol:
So, iPhone or is there another one out there doing the job?
What is the way go to?
As a newly self appointed MD (I'll never get used to it :lol: ), I can no longer rely on my old LG phone on Pay As You Go contract to keep in touch with my clients.
I like the iPhone, but I don't need fancy. I don't know the others at all. I used to have an old Blackberry ages ago but at the time it only did pushed emails.
What will matter to me:
- getting my emails anywhere at anytime.
- browsing the net with a browser/display as close to a desktop as possible.
- syncing my Agenda with Google Calendar.
- developping apps as I need them.
- and making phone calls :lol:
So, iPhone or is there another one out there doing the job?
You need to go to Specs-Save & then look at the offers:lol: :lol:
Tonio
My contract is up soon and am in the same hunt. Have a look at Desmo Dave (nee Benelli Dave)'s phone tomorrow night. He has a Blackberry Storm which is apparently quite smart.
Also the new Nokia N97 touchscreen one is out in March....
bradders
29-Jan-2009, 22:48
for business gotta be Blackberry!
easy to use, just like have a tiny laptop in your pocket
Tonio600
29-Jan-2009, 23:04
Well the big nono with the Blackberry is that it does not do Wifi. Whether I'll be at home or at clients, I will most of the time have a free Wifi network available to use.
Thanks for the N97 hint Paul, will google for it and might wait a few weeks more if it does what I need it to do :)
Tonio600
29-Jan-2009, 23:13
Well, I am going to wait a few weeks more :D
Well the big nono with the Blackberry is that it does not do Wifi. Whether I'll be at home or at clients, I will most of the time have a free Wifi network available to use.
Thanks for the N97 hint Paul, will google for it and might wait a few weeks more if it does what I need it to do :)
Looks nice but people were moaning about the size of it.....
bradders
29-Jan-2009, 23:46
I have the model before the storm, its a bit smaller but the res of the storm screen is vg
wont you get internet/gprs ot whatever it is as std in a good contract? wifi not needed!!
I have the model before the storm, its a bit smaller but the res of the storm screen is vg
wont you get internet/gprs ot whatever it is as std in a good contract? wifi not needed!!
Yes I was thinking that. MOst packages seem to give you t'internet
Chris Wood
30-Jan-2009, 00:39
I had the iphone for 4 months and just got a Nokia E51 for work.
iphone is good, very good, as a complete package I can't fault it.
The E51 is very compact, will see how it goes in use. Easy sync and set up so far.
jimbers45
30-Jan-2009, 08:57
Blackberry.....Bold....Includes Wi-fi! No other choice for business!
The Storm is very flakey...but the bold is all you'll ever need!
Tonio600
30-Jan-2009, 09:07
Yes I was thinking that. MOst packages seem to give you t'internet
Well, 3G is not Wifi :)
3G is great when on the train or in a taxi, but when in an actual office and when not using a desktop, Wifi will make a big difference
Also I can't even make a phone call on my mobile at home, let alone browsing the Internet :lol:
There is a mobile Gmail client, java based, that I run on my HTC device. It doesn't have calendar functionality but you can reach the Google calendar in a browser. The latest HTC HD has a very good screen and a full keyboard. For developing I think that's where it has an advantage over an iPhone, a full qwerty keyboard. Along with Wifi, HSDPA, GPS (works fine with google maps but it's not a satnav replacement) it's the full spec.
bradders
30-Jan-2009, 09:43
I have very little issue with mine when browsing, using outlook or making calls. Only when I am in the middle of nowhere do I lose signal, briefly, and even tho the network is the same it seems to keep signal where my last nokia didnt.
There is a mobile Gmail client, java based, that I run on my HTC device. It doesn't have calendar functionality but you can reach the Google calendar in a browser. The latest HTC HD has a very good screen and a full keyboard. For developing I think that's where it has an advantage over an iPhone, a full qwerty keyboard. Along with Wifi, HSDPA, GPS (works fine with google maps but it's not a satnav replacement) it's the full spec.
I forgot to add, it's touch screen with a stylus as well as the full qwerty keyboard. Has touchFLO like the iPhone for the same/similar browsing experience. So I think it matches the iPhone in most areas but has an advantage with the keyboard, stylus and wifi. Also, iPhone doesn't do picture messaging!!! WTF is that about!!!
My HTC has two cameras, I recently used the screen side one to take a self portrait for a security card and emailed it to the security staff as I was standing at their desk. Job done.
Jon is probably better placed to answer the Blackberry questions... but
Bold is awesome!! not touch screen but by far the best device out there for business use.
Iphone is good but not great for applications and documents etc.
I forgot to add, it's touch screen with a stylus as well as the full qwerty keyboard. Has touchFLO like the iPhone for the same/similar browsing experience. So I think it matches the iPhone in most areas but has an advantage with the keyboard, stylus and wifi. Also, iPhone doesn't do picture messaging!!! WTF is that about!!!
My HTC has two cameras, I recently used the screen side one to take a self portrait for a security card and emailed it to the security staff as I was standing at their desk. Job done.
iphone cannot do mms but you can take photos and email etc. I can honestly say in 14 months of owning it that this has even been an issue. If you get one sent to you then you connect straight through and can see it online.
MSO 749s
30-Jan-2009, 11:08
I've used a Blackberry Curve for over a year and its seems the best 'phone I've had for business use. Synching contacts, emails, calender etc. with Outlook very easy.
Been looking at the Storm but can't upgrade 'till March so I'll be interested if anyone else has any comments. Aparantly battery life is not so good?
Mark.
I've used a Blackberry Curve for over a year and its seems the best 'phone I've had for business use. Synching contacts, emails, calender etc. with Outlook very easy.
Been looking at the Storm but can't upgrade 'till March so I'll be interested if anyone else has any comments. Aparantly battery life is not so good?
Mark.
I would wait for the curve replacement if you are not in any rush.
it's very good and would be my choice
MSO 749s
30-Jan-2009, 12:14
Thanks Lily
I thought the Storm was the curve replacement?
Mark.
Zimbo16
30-Jan-2009, 12:37
There was a recent group test on these on the telly.
The iphone was pretty good but not perfect, blackberry storm wasn't rated that highly for the touchscreen and features and no wi-fi is a let down, but the big winner all round was the HTC HD - great touchscreen and features, push email, wifi all present. May be worth a look?
Well the big nono with the Blackberry is that it does not do Wifi. Whether I'll be at home or at clients, I will most of the time have a free Wifi network available to use.
Thanks for the N97 hint Paul, will google for it and might wait a few weeks more if it does what I need it to do :)
Tonio
It sure does - we have Blackberrys at work and they automatically connect to ur wifi network here, (or mone at home, or the at the airport) prior to using the mobile phone network.
Unless there is no wi-fi nearby, then they go straight to the phone network.:)
Or you could wait for one of these:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7859562.stm
How about a Google Android phone (http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-phones/phones/pay-monthly/t-mobile/g1-black/overview/), geekboy? ;) :D
How about a Google Android phone (http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-phones/phones/pay-monthly/t-mobile/g1-black/overview/), geekboy? ;) :D
They had a poor(ish) review on Five's Gadget show
just in case anyone is taken in by the gadget show report.
they did a number of tests and at each one excluded the phone that performed lowest, leaving them with a winner.
Now I am not saying that the winner was on the best, but if they had performed the tests in a different order they may have got a different result.
to truly compare then all should be ranked and weighted and the outcome measured.
MSO - not sure if the Storm is classed as a replacement or just a new device. The new model though is very nice, very stylish and very good. The only downside that I know of at the moment is lack of 3g, but not sure if that will change going forward.
WeeJohnyB
30-Jan-2009, 14:31
I have a Blackberry Pearl, old money by new models standards but I think it's great, good batterly life, good reception, quick to type, great sync with my notes email and diary anywhere in the world including Cadwell lower paddock! I seldom use the web on it but have always found it a bit cumbersome.
I know three people who have returned their Blackberry Storm as too difficult to use, they just couldn't get on with it and gave up.
I see people using iphone on the train for their emails and I have done 3 in the time they have done one on the touch screen dragging things about the place.....looks very sexy but a keyboard beats it for functionality imo.
In saying that, I am not techno - I still carry my old ipod, one of the first ones out and I still use my old Nokia brick phone that I have had for about 5 years now - it does calls and text and that's all I need from it and it means my tariff on TMobile is tiny.
WeeJohnyB
Bold is ok, not that great to use, still suffers from poorer battery life than pearl / curve.
Storm the current firmware is far better than launch. nice to work with, dodgy accelerometer, and not too bad overall.
I still use my faithfull 8820 pearl by choice, good battery, small size and light, and has wifi unlike the 8810
for non blackberry devices i have used E50, E51, E65 etc etc infact all the proper E series nokias before they dropped blackberry connect.
If you just want to read your mail with the odd quick "ok" type of reply then any of the E series are ideal.
For a bit more of an essay or attachment viewing then it has to be a blackberry.
Windows smartphones or palms are ok with imap or pop, or even if using exchange push, but battery life suffers unless you get it to sync every 30 mins, unlike blackberrys pushed as i like my mail instantly (infact even before it gets into your outbox if with o2)
o2 do a nice blackberry pay as you use bolt on, which is 2.25 per meg or something, and even kicking the arse out of your mail you wont do more than 2 meg a month in just messages and text.
Vodafone's BIS bolt on is 7 quid or so same as o2 if i recall, but using vodafones BIS service is a bit hit and miss in terms of speed which is a shame as i prefer thier network over o2's but for pure performance with blackberry BIS or BES o2 wins hands down.
As you may have guessed i have worked with blackberry since oh day1 when o2 launched it back in 2001 in the uk. Microsoft sync has its place, but blackberry is secure and does what it says on the tin.
Windows mobile sync can also be secure, depends on the provider - the same as blackberry, it's no different. Windows mobile/outlook supports push mail the same as blackberry - there's no difference. In fact from a corporate point of view Exchange and Systems Centre Mobile Device Manager has some features that Blackberry can't compete with yet.
From a device point of view, and bearing in mind Tonio isn't connecting to a corporate push mail server, be it blackberry or windows based, the HTC HD is the hands down winner IMO. Most providers, apart from Orange it would seem, do an unlimited data plan fairly cheap which would be good for email and developing on the fly. Orange bundled data is not expensive but I wouldn't go calling it cheap yet.
Having said that, now that you've got a business Tonio it would be worht investigating what business tariffs you can get from various providers and this deal *may* sway your handset choice. If I was in your shoes though, I'd pick the HTC HD all day long.
We have iPhones at work and they are fantastic; I have to say that it is the most fantastic invention. It's really intuitive and has the benefit of being able to have extra applications added. As it comes, it has:
- Full email
- 3G and WiFi connectivity
- Full web browsing (although not Flash-based sites)
- Camera (only two mega-thingies, but the software makes for great snaps)
- Full iPod... this makes your other MP3 music gadget redundant
- Image library
- Calendar
- Note pad
- Access to 1000s of games and apps
- Google Earth
Can't think of any major downsides
Windows mobile sync can also be secure, depends on the provider - the same as blackberry, it's no different. Windows mobile/outlook supports push mail the same as blackberry - there's no difference. In fact from a corporate point of view Exchange and Systems Centre Mobile Device Manager has some features that Blackberry can't compete with yet.
From a device point of view, and bearing in mind Tonio isn't connecting to a corporate push mail server, be it blackberry or windows based, the HTC HD is the hands down winner IMO. Most providers, apart from Orange it would seem, do an unlimited data plan fairly cheap which would be good for email and developing on the fly. Orange bundled data is not expensive but I wouldn't go calling it cheap yet.
Having said that, now that you've got a business Tonio it would be worht investigating what business tariffs you can get from various providers and this deal *may* sway your handset choice. If I was in your shoes though, I'd pick the HTC HD all day long.
Wrong Tony sorry, BlackBerry is the only true push email device that uses a central infrastructure, it compresses each email and browsing also so if you're concerned about your tariff it beats WM device hands down, as such this also increases battery life way over 100% on a WM platform (by an independent test also) finally it's secure it's the ONLY approved email solution for UK/US government use (think you might of seen Obama kept his BB device recently) and the latest incarnation of WM (6.1) recently failed CESG (government) approval again, let alone Frauhofer certification in Germany (Government) etc etc.
Back to BB though, currently there are the following devices in the market place
Pearl 8810 (includes GPS)
http://www.techgadgets.in/images/blackberry-pearl-8110-smartphone.jpg
Pearl flip 8220 (as above but flip phone)
http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/wp-content/phoneimages/2008/08/rogers-8220-pearl.jpg
Curve 8900 (newest phone available incl GPS and WiFi)
http://www.mobilegazette.com/handsets/blackberry/blackberry-8900/blackberry-curve-8900.jpg
Storm (Voda only "click"screen) - **** NOT SIM LOCKED THOUGH****
http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/wp-content/assets/6/524/picture1.jpg
Bold (3G, Wifi, GPS....)
http://www.gadgetreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/blackberry-bold.jpg
The storm is OK but is a consumer device (touchscreen) so far 90% to consumer in market, similar to the iPhone,/HTC, new firmware release a week or two ago to address certain issues.
Pearl 8810 like a normal phone but also BB enabled either BIS/BES
Pearl flip as above
Curve 8900 the latest phone, my personal device at the moment, great bit of kit, good battery life cracking screen , wifi/GPS not 3G
Bold does it all, you can even Bluetooth to your laptop and use it as a 3G modem, BUT because it does it all the battery does suffer (still over 24 hours) but by disabling what you don't use (Bluetooth/Wifi/3G) etc you can vastly reduce the power consumption, new firmware was release last week and should address battery life and will be available on the carriers website.
Note - make sure you have at least 4.5 code loaded on the devices to get the latest features, Bold/8900/Storm all come with 4.6/4.7 out of the box.
Oh plenty of apps out there including Google mail (calendar sync - I use this myself), GPS, Tube maps, travel info, iTunes playlist sync and not that I'd imagine you use SAP but we are the preferred partner for deploying SAP to the mobile workforce, and $150M has just been handed out to developers to create more 3rd party apps.
I love my iPhone, but for business I'd have a Blackberry Bold without question. I don't have one but that's because I prefer clients to have to really make an effort if they want to speak to me!
I would also point out that ownership of a Blackberry of any kind has a direct, and fairly unpleasant, effect on your social skills.....
Good info Jon. I would like a touch screen (perhaps as its gadgety??) and was loking at a Nokia 5800 today which apparently has WiFi, email etc and is basically a new version of my one. The downside is 3 hours talk time!!!!
Might have to be a Blackberry Bold as I am on T Mobile and the Storm is not on that provider.
Is there another touchscreen one in the pipeline which will be on other providers???
I have the new I Phone and have used my Father in laws Storm, definitely wouldnt swap. The I phone is my personal device and it does everything I need including e-mails albeit only from my G Mail a/c
Tonio600
01-Feb-2009, 02:00
Can't think of any major downsides
- Average camera (not that I am too bothered about that).
- Doesn't do copy / paste.
couchcommando
01-Feb-2009, 16:17
I have just had my work phone replaced with an htc touch diamond, as a phone it is rubbish complete rubbish. The battery goes flat in a day and it isn't as easy as a normal phone to access contacts, answer the phone or basically use as a normal phone.
On the plus side I can use it to browse the internet and collect any e-mails from any account and it does that quite quickly, however I am going back to my old phone as I need it to be a good phone with good battery life first and foremost :)
Nokia E series for me, good size with a full keyboard, easy syncing and browsing. can use wifi and be used as a modem.
well I had a play today and I have to say that in terms of usability for a consumer device I prefer the Iphone to the Storm for sure.
For work i have a Blackberry Pearl but also spent a bit of time today playing with the new Curve which is really nice to use. I still like the Bold but it is a bit more bulky even though it is quite stylish.
obviously form user perspective they all offer similar functions for me but if I was choosing I would go for the Curve :)
Wrong Tony sorry, BlackBerry is the only true push email device that uses a central infrastructure,
Can you explain to me how I can get push email from my Exchange server at work to my HTC device if its not considered true push email?
Tonio600
03-Feb-2009, 09:37
I think Tony is right:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc164305.aspx
That's very interesting though, it seems the Windows device is behaving like a web server...
I should also point out that push email with windows can be secure as well using certificate based SSL encryption ... hell if you were really keen you could also have your corporate mobile devices using SSL encryption through an IPSec tunnel ...
That's just more infrastructure though = more expense and ultimately more data = more cost/higher tariff as it's not "true" push it still poles which eats into your data :D
That's just more infrastructure though = more expense and ultimately more data = more cost/higher tariff as it's not "true" push it still poles which eats into your data :D
More infrastructure for what? The SSL/IPSec tunnel? Not really, corporates that want secure mail delivered to mobile devices already have a PKI infrastructure (for free anyway if they use CLM) and you can get Exchange mail to mobile devices native to Exchange, without the need to buy RIM's software ... which is more expense etc ;)
As for mobile data plan usage, the extra data used is minimal. The mobile device keeps a tcpip session open with Exchange through keepalive pings using tiny packets of data. Harldy a killer feature when you consider the office integration that you can get with Windows mobile devices.
In the medium to enterprise market the business is highly likely to have an Enterprise licensing agreement with MS that means that deploying this is no additional cost. Both methods of obtaining mobile push mail have their advantages and disadvantages but it's these EA's and integration that have seen corporates moving away from Blackberry - certainly that's what we've seen as we are getting more and more business in this space.
Well not from BB's perspective 66% growth over last year 21 million current live connections, and still the ONLY secure messaging/app platform certainly helps with most companies, you still need lots to deploy from a WM perspective compared to BB, crikey the softwares even free and runs on the same box as your messaging server!
The big thing is data tariff's and battery life for the end user, I've been to so many corporates who all complain about this, they even have a WM device and a normal phone from work as the battery can't hack the day because of the poling back and to to the messaging server, and complaints of tarriff as it sync the entire mailbox, I'm sure this is configurable but can you imagine sync'ing a couple of gigs worth of data OTA? So that's 2 connections per user 2 tariff's just to mobilise 1 user.
Putting it another way BB don't even see WM as a threat, the ONLY competitor in this space are Apple and that's a consumer device anyways, the BB brand gets bigger and bigger something that no-one else has currently.
And BB don't make games consoles :frog:
I think I've already proven that BB is NOT the only secure messaging/app platform. Which bit about SSL encryption did you miss? Or using IPSec tunnels?
You can configure how WM syncs with the mailbox but only deltas are sent OTA. Same with attachment handling, you get a header and can choose to download the whole attachment if you want to. So if anyone is syncing gigs of data OTA then it's down to ignorance and poor config - certainly not an advantage of BB over WM.
Two tariff's?! I think that's a bit of BB marketing hype. I grant you battery life isn't as good as BB devices but necesitating an extra phone?! Ppfffttt!
I was just involved in the infra design for a large corporate moving from BB to WM and we are seeing more and more of it. The same in the US. And they don't use two tariffs.
I think you've got some old marketing data there big guy :p
Tonio600
03-Feb-2009, 12:03
That is it. I will just get an iPhone :lol:
That is it. I will just get an iPhone :lol:
:p :lol: :D
Until WM gets any kind of government approval it's deemed insecure no government agency will touch it, I've been heavily involved in a government procurement exercise and deployment recently and they won't even install the latest software or firmware as they are going through approval as we speak but that's in excess of a 1000 connections, WM didn't even get a look in.
The figures I quote are from Jan this year Tony and I received a mail last week saying we've sold our 100th Million device, I see figures every day for a specific carrier in the UK and Europe, in the UK we're seeing 3000 new connections each week for a single carrier in the UK so that's over 12,0000 across the big four plus Orange launched PAYG last week I think and they had 3000 connections in a single day! and this is just UK remember so it's looking healthy currently even with the economic downturn.
There's plenty of space out there for say 10 solutions, something like 96% of the worlds email has yet to be mobilised after all.
Plus I love seeing your replies as you probably do mine :D
bradders
03-Feb-2009, 12:14
so who has the biggest willy then? ;) :p
Until WM gets any kind of government approval it's deemed insecure no government agency will touch it,
That, my friend, is marketing. Not technical functionality. SSL and IPSec tunneling ARE SECURE technologies. You're talking about a Govt approvals process that WM hasn't been through. Doesn't mean it's not secure technology however.
The figures I quote are from Jan this year Tony and I received a mail last week saying we've sold our 100th Million device, I see figures every day for a specific carrier in the UK and Europe, in the UK we're seeing 3000 new connections each week for a single carrier in the UK so that's over 12,0000 across the big four plus Orange launched PAYG last week I think and they had 3000 connections in a single day! and this is just UK remember so it's looking healthy currently even with the economic downturn.
There's plenty of space out there for say 10 solutions, something like 96% of the worlds email has yet to be mobilised after all.
Plus I love seeing your replies as you probably do mine :D
I'm going to ask our guys what our equivalent numbers are and see what I can publish.
You can't deny my technical arguments nor what I've seen in BB to WM migrations. Of course in your role I wouldn't think that you'd publicly acknowledge that though ;)
couchcommando
03-Feb-2009, 12:15
I'm going back to a Nokia mars bar phone :(
The HTC is getting worse, I fire it up and bring up the touch screen to get an answerphone message as it's dialling the screen goes off, WTF I still need to use the touch screen to access the options. No amount of setting changes alter this either, you have to press the power button to get the screen back on but not too long as it may turn the device off.
It is handy getting e-mails on the move but they can wait till I'm back in the office.
Anyone recommend a simple phone that will sync with my outlook contacts and calendar ?
Not sure this particular corporate ****ing contest is getting Tonio any nearer a solution! :lol:
I'm sure, however, the ferocity with which you defend your master's solutions would engender warm, fuzzy feelings in their senior mgmt! Might be a good idea to submit a link to this thread as part of your 360 degree feedback..... ;)
I'm going back to a Nokia mars bar phone :(
The HTC is getting worse, I fire it up and bring up the touch screen to get an answerphone message as it's dialling the screen goes off, WTF I still need to use the touch screen to access the options. No amount of setting changes alter this either, you have to press the power button to get the screen back on but not too long as it may turn the device off.
It is handy getting e-mails on the move but they can wait till I'm back in the office.
Anyone recommend a simple phone that will sync with my outlook contacts and calendar ?
Couch that IS a setting in the backlight options. Start -> Settings -> [System Tab on the bottom] -> Backlight -> [Battery Power tab on the bottom] -> ...
In there is a checkbox to enable a setting that says "Turn off backlight if device is not used for" and next to it is a drop down menu allowing you to set it to whatever you want.
I'm going back to a Nokia mars bar phone :(
Anyone recommend a simple phone that will sync with my outlook contacts and calendar ?
Blackberry... consumer device connected to the BIS infrastructure
That, my friend, is marketing. Not technical functionality. SSL and IPSec tunneling ARE SECURE technologies. You're talking about a Govt approvals process that WM hasn't been through. Doesn't mean it's not secure technology however.
I'm going to ask our guys what our equivalent numbers are and see what I can publish.
You can't deny my technical arguments nor what I've seen in BB to WM migrations. Of course in your role I wouldn't think that you'd publicly acknowledge that though ;)
It might be secure but not out of the box! That's the difference :D
Not sure this particular corporate ****ing contest is getting Tonio any nearer a solution! :lol:
I'm sure, however, the ferocity with which you defend your master's solutions would engender warm, fuzzy feelings in their senior mgmt! Might be a good idea to submit a link to this thread as part of your 360 degree feedback..... ;)
A man's got to meet his KPI's somehow! :lol:
It might be secure but not out of the box! That's the difference :D
Hang on, it's not secure. .it is secure ... which is it?!
Secure! Any software needs to be setup to meet the customer requirements - it's called good consulting practice!
:p :frog:
bradders
03-Feb-2009, 12:26
I didnt realise Tonio was setting up a glabal organisation, requiring consulatative processes in infrastructure and data management and system integration...I thought it was a one-man-band with an out-of-the-box, plug 'n' play solution?? maybe I missed that in the intial thread.... ;)
http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/
I didnt realise Tonio was setting up a glabal organisation, requiring consulatative processes in infrastructure and data management and system integration...I thought it was a one-man-band with an out-of-the-box, plug 'n' play solution?? maybe I missed that in the intial thread.... ;)
http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/
I didn't realise you were god of threads ;)
bradders
03-Feb-2009, 13:01
god of many things, threads are simply a past-time
threads are simply a past-time
Ain't that the truth....
Tonio600
03-Feb-2009, 14:31
I love that threat :D
Ok guys, what would be the best reason not to buy an iPhone for my small business? You can't reply:
- Average camera (not that I am too bothered about that).
- Doesn't do copy / paste.
Because I actually don't care :lol:
BB really don't do it for me, they just look too serious and too boring. I don't wear suits, at least not everyday.
HTC, well I'm not sure about the overall quality of the thingies.
Depends if you want to send lots of emails Tonio, touchscreen isn't the way ahead for typing IMO I've used the iPhone and the BB Storm and compared to a keyboard I can type probably 5-10 emails before I complete one on a touchscreen.
Copy/Paste - You don't realise how useful that is until you don't have it
Inability to switch applications on an iPhone, so for example you are replying to an email and need to add someone's contact details from your contacts, you can't save the email and again no copy/paste to add them.
Depends if you want to send lots of emails Tonio, touchscreen isn't the way ahead for typing IMO I've used the iPhone and the BB Storm and compared to a keyboard I can type probably 5-10 emails before I complete one on a touchscreen.
Got to agree Tonio. No matter what manufacturer a device with a keyboard makes things a lot easier when typing emails. I'd say having a device with a touch screen AND a keyboard makes things even more easier, especially when you're cutting and pasting email addresses or phone numbers.
Copy/Paste - You don't realise how useful that is until you don't have it
Absolutely.
Inability to switch applications on an iPhone, so for example you are replying to an email and need to add someone's contact details from your contacts, you can't save the email and again no copy/paste to add them.
The HTC devices with a keyboard and touchscreen would appear to suit the majority of your requirements. Battery life is an issue though, you'll be recharging it every night like I do mine. I use mine for browsing sports websites, java based gmail client, outlook mail (work), googlemaps, reading word/powerpoint/excel docs and a few other things.
Tonio600
03-Feb-2009, 15:41
At least I got you both to agree on something :lol:
And I must say you guys are a lot more convincing when you agree ;)
couchcommando
03-Feb-2009, 16:23
Blackberry... consumer device connected to the BIS infrastructure
That may as well be German, I work for me from home and have one BT e-mail address :)
That may as well be German, I work for me from home and have one BT e-mail address :)
It may have got lost in the posts above but did you see my response to your 'pain' ? This:
Couch that IS a setting in the backlight options. Start -> Settings -> [System Tab on the bottom] -> Backlight -> [Battery Power tab on the bottom] -> ...
In there is a checkbox to enable a setting that says "Turn off backlight if device is not used for" and next to it is a drop down menu allowing you to set it to whatever you want.
That may as well be German, I work for me from home and have one BT e-mail address :)
I can make it German if it helps!
Buy a device, I'll say BlackBerry as I can walk you through the process, turn it on it'll ask you for your email account and password etc and voila it'll connect to your BT mailbox and start displaying the headers of each mail.
You can add 10 mail accounts to the device they can be POP3 like your BT mail, GMail, Hotmail, Yahoo etc etc
Giza bell if you need any more info.
couchcommando
03-Feb-2009, 16:36
It may have got lost in the posts above but did you see my response to your 'pain' ? This:
Yeh got that now, its better ta :)
Still gonna change it for a normal phone with a normal keyboard, may as well sell it if anyone wants it ;)
Rattler
03-Feb-2009, 16:42
http://bp2.blogger.com/_wvoLtwni0kc/R13FdLyfTkI/AAAAAAAAMiI/J1b2lXLkRq0/s400/nerd-fight_thumb.jpg
LOL very funny Tim, nowt wrong with being a nerd!
Just found this nice doc which is quite nerdy, so you've been warned :D
http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/professional/1_Push_Email_for_the_Smaller_Business_A_Comparison _Whitepaper_Final.pdf
bradders
03-Feb-2009, 17:13
the one complaint I do have about my BB is it doesnt bounce very well!! mine is a few months old and looks like its been thru a crusher!
http://bp2.blogger.com/_wvoLtwni0kc/R13FdLyfTkI/AAAAAAAAMiI/J1b2lXLkRq0/s400/nerd-fight_thumb.jpg
Without us nerds you'd get no commission! Delivering the impossible with no thanks ... ;) :D
Rattler
03-Feb-2009, 17:15
http://www.infoworld.com/richmedia/upload/UI/image/2008/9/iPhone_Nerd_ss.jpg
bradders
03-Feb-2009, 17:25
it was like a scene for IT crowd earlier....good sitcom that ;)
Tonio,
You started this thread wanting an iPhone. Everyone has (quite rightly) pointed out that it's a pretty poor business phone. It's not a great phone at all, but it's a great mini-Mac, it's highly desireable and it's more fun to play with than your own genetalia.
You undoubtedly still want an iPhone and are only holding out on the basis that someone may post something like "I bought an iPhone and it ate my children and set my hair one fire". This is unlikely to happen. Go and buy yourself an iPhone, enjoy playing with it for a few months, and then supplement it with a cheap Nokia until Blackberry release a device you feel happy about.
If you buy a Blackberry or an HTC/clone then you'll just want an iPhone, just like buying a jap IL4 when you want an italian V2! :)
Tonio600
04-Feb-2009, 14:47
Ali, you are a wise man. But I never thought I would ever write that :lol:
Tonio,
it's highly desirable and it's more fun to play with than your own genetalia.
:o
Umm, that would be worth investigating then...
I've found this thread to be really helpful. I'm in a similar situation to Tonio. I want a phone that I can use occasionally for business. I want to be able to pick up emails and have access to downloaded MS Word or Excel documents. I dislike regular phones as they are almost impossible to enter reasonable amounts of data/text into, so that pushes me towards the keyboard sort of phone. However, they always seem so big compared to a normal phone. I had an O2 Xda thing a couple of years ago and hated it because of it's unwieldy size. Are the new generation of Blackberry or HTC phones a bit smaller than the old Xda?
I really like my Sony Ericsson W880i as it is so small, slim and light. I hardly notice it when it's in the inside pocket in my leathers. As a phone it's great as the battery life is excellent. As a pseudo business tool though it's useless.
I'm torn betwen the full-on busienss type phone like the HTC Pro, the Blackberry, Nokia N95 etc or going for something without a keyboard such as the HTC Diamond.
Has anyone got any experience of the non-keyboard type like the Diamond? Are they still ok to enter text into or do I really need a keyboard? I don't enter much data/text, but then I find sending normal text messages to be a real slow affair anyway.
I want something which is primarily a phone, and small and light, but I also want to be able to look at spreadsheets and documents, have my Outlook contacts and calendar synced up from my stand-alone PC, and be easy to enter text into. I'm not a corporate animal and don't need to have video conference calls with 6 people from around the globe. What should I be looking at?
I see that HTC have launched a couple of new models too which look really good.
http://www.htc.com/www/press.aspx?id=83956
I am in a similar situation to you and use the Nokia E71. It is simply outstanding, far better than the Blackberry devices I have used in the past.
Looks like I am going for the Nokia 5800. I looked at how much business I would actually use it for and decided the Nokia would do enough and has unlimited music downloads, touchscreen, t'internet and Sky TV mobile (but how good that is I don't know).
couchcommando
16-Feb-2009, 16:18
Has anyone got any experience of the non-keyboard type like the Diamond?
Upgraded my ancient orange spve650 to the diamond 3 weeks ago, it lasted 4 days as it is utterly rubbish as a phone. I imagine in an office where it is sat in a cradle it is passable but on a site it is useless, when it rang you would take the wallet out your pocket, then take the phone out the wallet and then go to answer it using your fingers to unlock it, 9 times out of ten it rang off before you got to it !. Despite settings it had an annoying habit of the screen turning off when using it so if using answerphone you first had to tap the screen to turn the screen on and then tap again to bring up a keyboard so you could enter the numbers to access answerphone !
I think in designing it they forgot it was supposed to be a phone 1st and foremost, battery life also was less than a day if used a lot. I sold it on ebay for £200 last week and I am back on my 4 yr old phone which lasts all week on one charge and has a normal keyoard :)
badmanners
17-Feb-2009, 12:30
HTC all the way!
I have been using the MDA phones from TMobile for the last 5 years, I couldnt use anything else now.
I've tried Nokia, BB and Sony.....I really am lost without my MDA, Compact, Touch, Touch Pro....they all do the same really.
My main functon is to sync with outlook, GPS mapping (CoPilot) ease of texting and also calls, as a bonus they are good at photos, music and MMS. Internet isnt great but it works fine enough for a google search and MSN chat. I use the odd xls and pdf file, my daughter plays the games on it too.
As an all in one package I can recommend them over BB and Nokia.
Tonio600
19-Mar-2009, 11:16
Just digging that old thread to let you know I finally settled for... an iPhone :lol:
Apple's latest anouncements finished to convince me :D
http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/09/03/17/1837252.shtml
Like you were ever going to buy anything else!!??
Made for good entertainment though! :lol:
Have fun. Download Zenbound & Google Earth, both excellent time wasters. :)
antonye
19-Mar-2009, 14:21
Got my iPhone last weekend and it is excellent. I've had an iPod Nano for the last 4 years which really swayed me into the "brilliant user interface makes up for a lot of shortcomings in the hardware" bracket.
I'm really pleased with the iPhone, the 3G and Wifi capabilities make it an excellent all round device and I can even browse the TV listings and set my Sky+ box to record through it!
Bionicle
19-Mar-2009, 19:35
I joined the iphone bregade and bought an unlocked one from the UK as i dont like the service provider here in DK who has the iphone contract, so i am well pleased with mine dropped my sim in from my provider and i was up and running :)
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