Help me buy my next PDA

[yesthattom]

Sidekick?

Treo?

Treo-after-they-switch-to-MS? (Is it true that they are going to do this?)

Blackberry?

Other options?

I want to carry one box with me instead of my current laptop+cellphone+PAA. (PAA is my Personal Analog Assistant).

Most important: I want to be able to read email anywhere. I’d prefer to just let it access my IMAP server (which is open to the internet anyway). Either way, when I delete a message on this device, I want it deleted on my real mail box too. If I can do this, I can eliminate my need to constantly be carrying my laptop around. I’d like to be able to reply also, of course.

Very important: I want the PDA aspect to support really good todo-list management software. PalmOS can be augmented with DateBookV or Life Balance; The MS PDA software has FranklinCovey software available to augment it (though I hate Covey’s politics... he’s an christian coalition crusader).

Very important: I want VerizonWireless service. They have the best coverage around here.

Not important: BlueTooth. It’s nice, but I can connect a cable when I need to sync it.

Sort of important: An SSH client would be nice.

I know a lot of my friends have Sidekicks and Treos but I haven’t used either enough. If anyone is local and would let me use theirs for an hour or so it would be appreciated. (LOCAL=New Jersey)

Comments

[misteropinion.livejournal.com]

Right now I have both a Blackberry 7230 (The T-Mob) and a Treo 650 (Cingularly-bell-like-ular) on my hip (we're in transition between carriers).

Form factor? Blackberry. Solidly built, great feel.

Useability? Treo. It's a Palm. There's a huge wealth of software available for the platform. Blackberry has a much more limited RAM base, the Treo has more system RAM and takes SD cards (and allegedly SDio cards, too).

Reliability? Blackberry. Treos are notoriously badly built (vis the class action suit against PalmOne). The software is ummm... Well, it's OK now that the third rev is out (I'm running 1.17 on mine). That said, I only have extended personal experience with the Treo 600, not the 650, and more of our 600s worked than not. Let's say that I wish my $400 Treo was as reliable as my $70 router.

Oh, and FWIW, I don't like the 7100x BBs. They have a more candy-bar form factor, but you eschew the goodness of the full keyboard, so why bother?

There are free SSH clients for the Treo (and a VNC client!), there is a $100 ssh client for the BB.

Is RIM going to be able to provide useful service after the lawsuit against them is finally over? Who knows?

The BB does SMS "better", though that might be more a T-Mobile thing than a BB thing. It definitely works on both units.

I'd avoid the Windows based Treo. Do you want to tie your livelihood to v1.0 of anything? Especially something Microsoft's touched?

Verizon has both.

FranklinCovey works with the Treo, too. My boss is using it right now.

Ask more questions if you like, since I have both.

[misteropinion.livejournal.com]

Oh, and to be clear, even the stoooopid default (but free) mail client on the 650 (VersaMail) does SMTP+TLS+AUTH, it's what we use and I can vouch that it works. It also does IMAP+SSL (though I haven't tested that yet).