Axeon said:
Thanks for the suggestions jsw. Is a qwerty/BT/isync really too much to ask for? I was under the impression that you needed BT for isync anyway. If there's an alternative wireless method for isync, then I'd gladly do without the bluetooth. Price isn't so much a problem as bloated features is. I don't want to pay $400+ for a phone with dozens of features I'll never use.
Again, thanks for the suggestions.
Bloated features, heehee!
Gotta love 'em. Actually, you wanna know what has proved to be a very reliable, trustworthy phone for me?
The
Sony Ericsson k700. It's more high-end -- I didn't
quite pay $400 for it, but nearly -- but it's worth every penny. There's a
lot of features to it, yes, but I actually use pretty much every one. (Except the radio, because that requires the hands-free earphones -- the receiver is built into them -- and I think I lost it.
)
It syncs beautifully with iCal and Address Book, is quite easy to input events on the phone itself as well (smart it is, so it'll often recognize words you're trying to input and do it for you)... the functionality is all there, and yet the phone is incredibly small, low-key, and professional-looking.
A word of precaution: for some reason, many phones (Sony Ericsson phones and the k700 included) don't seem to sync your addresses to your phone. iSync will transfer the names of everybody, and any phone numbers, company names, etc., included -- but
not mailing addresses themselves. Not sure if that's something you desire or not. (If ever I forget an address at the post office, I just pull out my iPod anyway, so it's not a factor.) Also a warning: some phones do funky things when you use iSync with them and the daylight saving time has changed. Thankfully it only happens twice a year, but basically it'll offset some events by an hour and you're left frustratingly trying to fix them. (The solution? Just delete them and reinput them, after making sure the daylight savings time is right both on the phone and computer.)
Some nice throwaway features you may or may not like include a stellar MP3 player (use MP3s for your ringtones!), a 41MB memory, the ability to stick videos and such on your phone and watch, and a built-in camera.
Bluetooth on the k700 is
extremely convenient and simple; in fact, one of the wonders of the k700 + PowerBook combination is a simple piece of software called
Salling Remote Basics (free!). Use your phone as a wireless remote control for iTunes, PowerPoint, DVD Player, and more! Heehee, you can also move your cursor around the screen joyfully -- a fun thing to do to unsuspecting people who are busy at the computer and typically like to have full control of the mouse themselves.
Another option you might be interested in is the
s700, k700's brother. I think Cingular will be offering it statewide very soon, maybe even some other providers, so you're liable to find a great price for it. Does everything the K700 does, but has a different design, better camera, and the ability for memory card expansion.
