Alright tech heads, help me out.

[DuWayne Steurer]

After spending most of the last year or so not working, I now find myself in the position of having 2 jobs, with somewhat odd hours occasionally. One of the jobs requires a lot of "here and there" type stuff with meetings, appointments, and generally lots of running around. I'm also going to finally quit screwing around and go back to school.

 

So for one thing, my current cell phone (I have a "minute" phone, I usually never use it) is woefully inadequate, and I'm usually pretty good at remembering where and when I'm supposed to be, but my schedule is now extraordinarily busy, and I need a better system of knowing where I'm supposed to be than staring blankly while I try to pull the info out of thin air.

 

What I'm looking for is any advice/suggestions/recommendations for any PDA/cell phone type devices that can handle these chores. Sorry, the day planner that you actually have to write in sucks. I'm not completely tech-stupid, and I know you can go into a store and ask the people that work there what they think, but I find it's always better to get some firsthand knowledge from people who actually USE products when thinking about buying.

 

So hit me, help me out here people.

[bullox]

Are you happy with your current wireless service provider? If so, head to one of their stores and start looking at their PDA phones. I have an HTC Mogul, which is a PDA phone with Windows Mobile 6. It basically runs Windows. It is a bit pricey, but it handles my day-to-day stuff remarkably well. In addition, it has a full QWERTY keyboard so typing on it is a breeze.

 

Some people are more comfortable with the Blackberries. I've never had one, but the people I know who do have them are very happy with them. The Blackberries are so addictive, they have a nickname - Crackberry. They do all of the same schedule and messaging type stuff, just a little differently.

 

Again, best bet would be to head down to a store and take a look at what they have to offer. Make sure to get a feel for each phone, see how it feels in your hand, and definitely how easy (or difficult) it would be for you to type with it.

[bjkrautk]

The first question: what are you using for e-mail now? (If you're already comfortable with MS Outlook or GMail on your computer, then the cell-phone equivalents are going to be easier to transition to. Outlook especially, since it already has calendaring software built-in.)

 

Second question: what else do you want the phone to do? (Internet, GPS, music / podcasts, Instant Messaging, etc.)

 

 

My recommendation, start looking at gadget review sites like Cnet.com, to see what they like and (IMO, more importantly) dislike about certain products. At the same time, non-professional reviews are starting to show up on more and more retailer websites, like Amazon.com; once you have a short-list of phones you'd be interested in, the variety of feedback is going to be much more helpful to you than anything one person on the site could recommend.

[logan82]

I actually find negative reviews more helpful than positive reviews. They let you know a devices shortcomings better.