Time for a Smart Phone?

[mikekn]

My current PDA (a Sony Clie NX80) came out in 2003 and is showing its age. Actually this is the second one of this model I've owned. The first one still works except for HotSyncing. The second one works except for the camera. Anyway...

The main thing lacking from it is access to the Internet (technically it has wifi, but it is very old and difficult to use), so time to look into something new.

Features I want but don't currently have:
- Internet access - wireless preferred, but I'd go with wifi only to save money if I can get all the other features I want
- Camera - the camera on my cell phone sucks and I rarely have our digital camera with me when I want to take a picture.

Features I have and need to keep (can be through additional apps)
- Calendar, Address book, Note pad - all synced with desktop application.
- MP3 player - especially for audio books and music on road trips.
- Read and write Word and Excel files (or OpenOffice files)
- Read PDF files.
- Load (and sync) files.
- Database program (mostly just able to load my data exported from LibraryThing and BoardGameGeek) Currently using SmartListToGo
- Ability to store web pages off line (unless I have full wireless access, in which case I don't need them off-line) Currently using Plucker.

I've lived with 2 GB of storage for a while now, but would prefer a lot more (2 for audio books, 2 for data and docs, lots and lots for music)

I've got Verizon right now for my cell phone service, which none of the big three smart phones use (iPhone, Palm Pre, G1). I'm not opposed to getting a smart phone with the lowest voice plan and unlimited data and just use it for data (looks like both the iPhone and Palm Pre can do this for $70/month) Tonight I'm paying bills which will serve to remind me that I don't have much money to spend on a new monthly bill.

Anyone out there with more experience then I care to comment or suggest?

Comments

[rjsilverthorn.livejournal.com]

Interesting article on the total cost of the $199 iPhone.

http://consumerist.com/tag/iphone/?i=5014850&t=the-new-199-iphone-is-160-more-expensive-than-the-399-iphone-it-replaced-what

[ubiq31.livejournal.com]

"Sun Jun 15 2008" A little dated ;)

Yes, the 1st gen phones had a $20 unlimited data plan, but even as the article says, they felt the extra cost was worth it. Indeed, with the continued massive growth of their user base, you can't keep offering unlimited data plans without expanding the network, and I'd wager the popularity of the iPhone has required a lot of network work to support the expansion in number of users...first going from 1st gen to 2nd gen and now with the 3GS. (They sold, what, a million handsets in their first weekend?)

With 40% of all smartphone web use and over 90% of wifi traffic in airports coming from iPhones, I think the obvious quick adoption rate has hit AT&T pretty hard. I bet most "unlimited" data plans haven't seen the kind of use iPhones are putting the network through...

[rjsilverthorn.livejournal.com]

hmm, that was not the article I thought it was. What I get for posting from work.

[ubiq31.livejournal.com]

The $30 data plan seems high...but I was paying $20/mo. for years for the Sidekick's unlimited data plan. $20 was nice while I could get away with it but $30 still is very much worth it.

As a phone, it's pricey. As a smartphone, it's not bad, price-wise... As more than a smartphone, it's pretty reasonable.