Mobile Email?

David Demaree → practicalmadness.com/

Well, my Nokia N70 fits all those criteria except one: it doesn’t have a QWERTY keypad. But there’s a new Symbian phone from Nokia that’s just out/out soon, the E61, which has all the same great stuff and that QWERTY keypad.

Plus: a mobile web browser based on WebKit. Which is either a good or a bad thing depending on how you feel about WebKit.

Steve Smith → orderedlist.com/

I’d vote for the Motorola Q. Does all that and more.

Richard Senior → www.ifingers.com

I hope the Blackberry 8700v is the one to go far - I get mine on Friday, I’ll let you know how I get on.

Ryan Irelan → www.ryanirelan.com

I use a Blackberry - the wide one with the QWERTY keyboard - and it’s good for email, IMAP even. I find I can type pretty fast on it and if really needed to, I could get into Basecamp and respond to a message.

The Blackberry is not fun to talk on, so if you plan to use it as a phone, too, get a bluetooth headset.

I’m not sure if you would consider the Blackberry gigantic, but it can only be so small and accomodate a full keyboard.

Gregory Maher

I second the E61/Nokia vote. I use the E61 and really like it. The IMAP client is good (not great, but good enough) and the browser is great. The E62 can be had on Cingular for pretty cheap but does not have WiFi (if that matters to you).

Generally, the Symbian platform syncs very well with the Mac OS using iSync without the use of third-party products such as Pocket Mac or Missing Sync.

Good luck!

Jeff Miller → www.styromedia.com

I’ve been using a Treo 700p for the past three months and have been really impressed with it so far. I use ChatterEmail as my email client, which supports IMAP connections via SSL. I also use The Missing Sync, which syncs my Address Book, iCal, iTunes, iPhoto, etc. with my PowerMac.

The phone is a bit pricey but I think it’s well worth the investment since it’s something I use everyday.

Austin White → austinwhite.typepad.com

I have been using a Treo 650 for 2 years now and it is great for what you are looking for. I am able to get personal and work email as well as sync all my contacts and appointments with Lotus Notes. Also allows me to post remotely to a blog

Pete Prestipino → peteprestipino.info/blog

I use the BlackBerry 7105t and love it - good phone, QWERTY (takes some getting used to). I know that you say you won’t be reading email everywhere, but you will be. Fortunately, it makes me much more productive as it lets me focus my energies on the most important tasks when I’m away from a Web connection.

David Cancel → davidcancel.com/blog/

Treo 650 or 750p.

Not sure what carrier you’re on but Verizon has great highspeed coverage from Boston to mid-coast Maine. Up in the Newburyport, MA area every other provider’s coverage has been terrible for me so it’s something to think about when you’re shelling out an additional $20+/month for unlimited data usage.

Stephen Labuda → labuda.vox.com

I have a Treo 700w (on Verizon) and love it. I am a mac user, so I had to buy an add-on piece of software to handle the sync, but it works perfectly.

I prefer the Treo over others mentioned above (and the windows version specifically) because I can do most of what I want to do using the 5way navigation device without having to pull out the stylus or touch the screen. Blackberry won’t sync with Mac and the Q is like carrying a paperback novel around with you.

Aaron Jones

Motorola Q. It’s absolutely wonderful. And coupled with Mark/Space Missing Sync, it’s great with a Mac.

Walker Hamilton → www.walkerhamilton.com

I just got a mylo. It’s being shipped still so I’ll have to let you know how it actually is later.

Gilbert Lee → www.plainsimple.org

I love my Blackberry 7290 from T-Mobile. It has great keyboard shortcuts especially for email. And you have 26 speed dials! C=Carol (my wife), H=Home, D=Dad, etc. It doesn’t feel that big although it’s the size of a thin wallet. Love it!

Jeff Croft → jeffcroft.com

First off, the mylo isn’t a phone. it also doesn’t have bluetooth. It’s not appropriate for this at all.

Dan, I’d say any of the following would do you well:

Nokia E61 or E62 (E62 is crippled compared to the E61, but probably not in ways that matter to you)
Moto Q
Treo 700p or 700w
T-Mobile Dash

I’m not too familiar with Blackberries. Personally, I would only get something that ran Series60 or Windows Mobile as its OS.

Mike D. → www.mikeindustries.com/blog/

Ok, you’re a Mac guy so don’t listen to any suggestions that include the words “Blackberry”, “PocketPC”, etc etc etc. They just don’t integrate well with Mac contacts, calendars, and IMAP.

You have two solid choices:

1. Treo 700P. If the size doesn’t bother you, this is arguably the best Mac-friendly solution out there. Good push IMAP support with ChatterMail and syncs effortlessly over Bluetooth with everything. I also use it as a wireless Bluetooth internet connection for my laptop and avoid paying for Wifi a lot (great at airports and even on planes). The catch? Only available on Sprint and Verizon right now. Should be available on GSM carriers within weeks though.

2. A member of the Symbian family like one of the new Sony phones or a Nokia E61 or E70. If I couldn’t use a Treo, the E70 would definitely be the phone I’d get. It has a flip T9 *and* a QWERTY keyboard, it’s tiny, it syncs well with the Mac, and it does push IMAP.

Michael Simmons → growinglogic.com/

My vote is for VersaMail on the Treo 700P. I use it throughout the day with no issues.

Matt Zarzecki

The Blackberry 8700g (T-Mobile) is great. It has perfect support for multiple email accounts, including IMAP, POP and Exchange. The best feature that wasn’t available in previous Blackberrys is that it supports separation of each account.

As far as mac syncronization, it is easy. PocketMac can handle address book, stickies, and iCal syncing perfectly. It was worth buying before, but now it’s a free download.

Noel Jackson → leavesrustle.com

The Motorola Q is awesome and REALLY tiny.

Nick

Nintendo DS, hands down.

I hear that we should be seeing the Nintendo browser (Opera) here in the U.S. by the Holidays. Not sure about IMAP but it does support Mario Kart.

John S. → pressbox.rimsystems.com

I love my Sidekick, but sadly no IMAP. The SK3 is a much better phone than previous versions and slimmer as well.

dan → twoseven.co.nz

I work for a large mobile network and have been trialing the Sony Ericsson M600i for the last week.

I meets your criteria, although the keyboard is not amazingly easy to use at first, its two-keys-per-button saves a lot of real estate.
And you can perform most actions using the simply brilliant scroll-wheel.

It has a touch screen with stylus, and the handwriting recognition is excellent - I found handwriting to be faster than using the keypad-based predictive-text-entry found on most standard devices.

It has a RSS feed reader as standard, and the web browser is above par.

I haven’t tried syncing it with a Mac.

Oh, and they also look pretty cool, too.

Brad Bice → www.bradbice.com

I use a Blackberry 8700c, and it’s wonderful for just knowing what I’m missing. I’m transitioning out of my in-office position, and the Blackberry does wonders for allowing me to reply to what needs to be replied to, and leaving te rest for when I can get to it.

J Lane → www.flyingtroll.com/

Blackberry 8700 is the way to go.

You know, you hear all these stories of people becoming slaves to their Blackberries, but I’ve found that what you described is true. I spend less time at my computer because I’m not worried about missing e-mail.

I hate the two letter per key keypads, drives me nuts. I was a long time Palm user beforehand, but now that I’ve used the Blackberry’s scroll wheel, I’ll never touch a stylus again.

LHS → www.russisk.no

We’ve some experience with the Nokia Communicator models. The first models were large … But the current models are better. Probably the best and smallest one is Nokia Communicator 9300i, which has WLAN support (unlike the 9300 model). Email with IMAP. If you have a mac, you can browse the phone via bluetooth. Could be you won’t find syncing your PIM files with your mac so simple, though there are third party options.

Joe → popastronaut.net

Despite misgivings, I’m actually really pleased with my Blackberry 7130i. Email, the web, even the strange psuedo qwerty keyboard works like a charm. However, all my info is locked up on an exchange server, so I’m the rare Mac user who can actually use one without serious problems.

Patrick Haney → patrickhaney.com

Out of all the options out there, I’d suggest a Blackberry. Though I’ve never owned one, my father swears by it as the manager of the IT division of his company. He’s able to easily email on the go, use it as a phone all the time, and do what he needs to do.

I’ve had a Sidekick, and I’ll tell you to stay away. It’s horrible as a phone and the reception is pretty spotty.

The Treo I can’t say much about, but if I had to choose between it and a Blackberry, I’d go with the latter.

Jannis → jannis.to/daily/

You can find more about the m600i here:

- http://jannis.to/daily/archives/717-Sony-Ericsson-M600i-and-iSync.html
- http://jannis.to/daily/archives/719-Sony-Ericsson-M600i-software-update.html

:-)

Tanny O'Haley → tanny.ica.com

I’m with Mike D. and the Treo. Great screen and the five way navigation button is easy to use. The Blackberry works just okay and only in the corporate environment with Exchange or Lotus Notes.

I use my Treo to read blogs and it works very well for that task.

Remember, for best productivity, schedule when you read your email. Don’t let your email control you, but you control your email.

Dunks → www.wideblueyonderweb.co.uk

I’ve been using a Treo 600 then 650 for the last 2 years. Syncs well with the Mac and liked the keyboard and easy checking/sending of email/sms although there were often connection glitches.

However, have just made a switch to an imate K-Jam which is windows mobile 5 powered. So far very pleased - using missing sync to sync with the mac which is generally seamless.

I like the fact the hidden keyboard, emailing is more reliable than on Treo in my experience. Prefer the larger screen for reading longer mail, checking websites etc.

Also the k-jam has wifi - could not get this with the Treo.

Johan Bakken → styleboost.com

I have a Sony Ericsson M600i and I’m loving it. The qwerty keyboard is perfect and the phone is tiny and light. It even has a decent RSS reader.

Gmail Mobile (http://m.gmail.com/) is the best alternative I’ve come across for mobile email.

garrett → chrisgarrettmedia.com

I have an XDA Mini-S , works pretty well and the keyboard is surprisingly comfortable to use. Only problem is you have to whip out the stylus and use the touch screen to dial any number without a voicetag (and the voicetags don’t work too well).

Bryce Sheehan

I’ve used faithfully a Siemens SK65 until it slipped out of my pocket on the train and never returned…

It combines all the features, although I haven’t been able to get the email working properly (probably my bad) but it is capable. Extremely cheap, and although beginning to age, is very versatile. It comes with a USB cable, to sync and access the memory/drive.

The QWERTY keyboard is extremely easy to use once you get your way about it.

The bad thing is, it claims a 30MB memory, most of this is taken by the OS and reserved storage for emails etc, so in the end, only ~8MB is available for file storage.

Plus, it looks really cool.

Although, it might not cater for your more advanced needs.

Good Luck

Nicholas Cairns → www.niccai.com

I saw your post, and it reminded me of a post I had read a while back by Fred Wilson…here’s a link…

http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2006/05/the_roundtrip_t.html

Arve Bersvendsen → virtuelvis.com/

Myself, I have the Sony Ericsson M600i, and I’d highly recommend going for some Sony Ericsson phone: Good OS, excellent handwriting recognition (trust me, you really want this)[1], installable software and a good built-in browser (Opera).

Whether you should go for the M600i or P990 is mostly dependent on what size you’re willing to tolerate, and whether you actually need a camera on your phone. I found that I didn’t, and have been happy with the M600i, because it’s mostly the size of a regular phone, with the utility of a PDA/Smartphone.

[1] As in: It’s able to recognize my handwriting, something Windows Mobile phones with a stylus never was.

Steve Jobs → www.apple.com/

Let’s see. IMAP, decent phone, QWERTY, not gigantic… well, if you’d like it to be a decent MP3 player as well, I think the iPhone is probably just what you’re l-

Wait, sorry. Forget I said that.

G.Lindqvist → lindq.se

Go for a Sony Ericsson M600 or a Sony Ericsson P990i. P990 have support for w-lan.

Both have very good support for RSS and Email (pop, imap etc).

daaku

You definitely want a phone with good IMAP support - preferably IDLE support too (assuming your mail-server supports it). I use the Treo 650 with ChatterMail (costs extra money) and it works quite well - got server side procmail, webmail, multiple computers (across OSes) with access to the same email. I’ve been using it for a year and a half now, and it works well enough.

Recently though - and this might be the web developer in me - I’ve wanted WiFi and a better web browser, RSS and SIP support. And I’ve almost bought the Nokia N80 for it.

James Darling → abscond.org

Another for the treo. I’m liking mine.
It’s quite big, but designed well.
I haven’t tested it out, but you can get IMAP IDLE support, which apparently is push email blackberry style.
And yes, puzzles

Michel → www.pfirter.net

Since you don’t want it to be gigantic, i guess handheld-size is out of the game. So I’d say you should try the Nokia E70. It has qwerty, imap and is a decent phone :-) and with this howto iSync support should be possible too. (Due to the fact that the mobile is new, Apple may add support for iSync soon). A key selling point is the E70’s strong support for mobile email. It includes support for most push email servers.
A friend of mine uses it with a PC and is very happy with it. I am using a Nokia 6680 with my Mac Book Pro and iSync and I am very happy with it too, but it has no qwerty and is an older phone.

John Nick → tomphillips.co.uk

Hi Dan,

Just wanted you to know you’re right on target with your imagining of how it would make you work less.

I have a BB7250, would rather have a Q, but HEY, the thing to remember is that YES, you can stay away longer, plus, you can deal with the non-fire emails in 30 seconds as they come in, rather than sitting down to an hour of 120 tiny replies when you get back to your desk in the morning.

Great thinking! Best of luck!

Taryn

Hey Dan,

I bought a Samsung SCH i730 last week with almost identical needs in mind. I passed on the Q, the Treo 700p and a few Blackberrys because they don’t offer Wi-Fi support. I’d rather have that than another 1.3 MP camera or MP3 player. Haven’t fallen in love with the thing yet, but that likely has something to do with a certain self-consciousness about ‘needing’ one in the first place.

Nathan → myobie.com

I use the treo 650. I love it.

It is not bad to talk on. IMAP email with VersaMail works.

I also use Gmail mobile.

The nokia e61 has caught my eye tho…

Adam Thody → www.adamthody.com

I read an article recently…I believe it was in this month’s Wired, which compared the top PDA-type devices, and the Motorola Q came out ahead. Check out this month’s Wired.

Mark → circa1977.com

While I’ve been happy with my Sidekick II (which I purchased for the train ride from North Station to Salem), I wouldn’t recommend it to you. It does what it does pretty well, and I use POP email, AIM, and the built-in web browser. It does support IMAP. The phone itself is fine, but I browse more than I talk; for that, the unlimited bandwidth is nice. The Sidekick III is smaller, but it’s still a bit of a brick.

The catch w/ the Sidekick models, though, is the web browser. While it does render a lot of pages useful, and I’ve used it to read many news articles I’ve clicked through from email alerts, it takes a non-Standards approach. Content is streamed through a T-Mobile server and essentially revised to fit on the little screen. It does render Google News’ homepage readable while keeping it visual, but wholeheartedly ignores mobile stylesheets.

The Sidekicks are also really inflexible. There’s no means whatsoever to install third-party apps that don’t come from T-Mobile’s pipe, and you can’t customize the UI at all, which sucks, because it’s a bit cheezy.

Any of this is subject to have changed in the Sidekick III, but this has been my experience.

Jeff Richmond → www.jrichmonds.com

Stay far, far way from the Treo 650. The email syncing system is worthless, especially for Verizon.

zeronine

I have treo 700p and it rocks.

email - snapper mail (versamail stinks)
Agendus - must have app.

Patrick Lafleur → www.zonesudoku.com

I have been a user of an Audiovox Pocket PC for the last two years and I am really pleased with it. The device is a little bit bigger than usual but it is okay, though you also have a bigger screen (almost 25% bigger than any other devices I have seen). They keyboard is also the nicest I have used. The treo the letters are crammed in a little space and if you have big thumbs it’s almost impossible to type fast. The keyboard is also highlighted which can be useful under certain circumstances (and it’s a cool blue!).

I highly recommend the Audiovox PPC.

Cheers!

Steve → www.fifthroomcreative.com

Not sure if this is a bit redundant or not, but go with a Treo.
I’ve got a 650 that is now my life, consolidated my phone, camera, ipod, and email all in one! My main machine is a PowerBook G4 and I sync with Missing Sync via Bluetooth seemlessly with iCal, Address Book, iPhoto, and iTunes. The new 700’s and rumored 750’s support a 2GB SD card which is amazing. Documents to go gives me word, excel, powerpoint on the go as needed. PalmPDF gives me full PDF support for ebooks and client proposals and contracts in PDF form. I use Versamail with IMAP support through both MediaTemple and Dreamhost (I’ve got 4 accounts on my Treo being checked on a schedule). Mobile web is great, and as Mike said, the support (seemless) for acting as a wifi connection for my poewrbook is great.

I disagree with Jeff about worthless support, I am on Verizon and have amazing email syncing and support. I literally work from my Treo sometimes, short of doing actual design and coding.

James Haley → www.jameshaley.co.uk/

Not sure if someone has mentioned it, but a few people I know have the 02 XDA Mini over here in the UK, I think it is just a re-branded Windows Mobile (I-Mate K-Jam). Worth a look, has a QWERTY keyboard and has Outlook as the e-mail client. Not sure if it is available in the US, but as it is a tri-band phone, I’m sure you’ll be able to get it somehow! I had the XDA IIs and loved it, I now have the XDA IQ, no QWERTY, but again, a very nice phone.

Brandon Eley → www.brandoneley.com

I think your question depends on a few factors.

1) What carrier do you prefer?
2) Do you use a Mac or PC?

First, if you use a PC I strongly recommend getting a Windows Mobile PDA not a Smartphone. The smartphone doesn’t have a touchscreen, the screens are tiny and they’re more of a phone than PDA. They also don’t have a QWERTY keyboard. If you use a PC and decide to go with a Windows powered PDA (I personally prefer Palm) then I’d recommend the Treo 700w or Motorola Q (or the new Windows Treo available from Sprint or Cingular - I don’t know the model numbers).

If you are on a Mac or just prefer Palm, I highly recommend the Treo 700p. I have used Blackberry, Palm Pilots, Windows Mobile PDAs and smartphones and even some proprietary systems and the best by far is the Treo. I’ve been a Treo user since the 600 and they’ve come a long way. I use mine with a MacBook Pro and can use it as a Bluetooth modem to connect to the Internet, can check my IMAP email (I check 3 accounts), can surf the web, and can install just about any third party application available.

A note about Crackberries… I personally despise them. I had one between my Treo 600 and 650 because everyone swore by them. I thought the interface was clunky and hard to navigate and the proprietary OS and email system really got on my nerves. For that much money, I should be able to install an SSH client or game! If you’re using corporate email like Exchange, they may have some use. I don’t know – I don’t use corporate email. For the regular small business person, I just can’t see how they work.

Brandon Eley → www.brandoneley.com

Sorry, didn’t see your post about Windows when I made my recommendations above. If you’re on a Mac and don’t want to use Windows, you probably don’t want a Blackberry either. They have compatibility issues.

Get yourself a Treo 700p or 650 if you’re stuck with GSM. They both do bluetooth reall well (to sync and for headsets) and with MissingSync they sync flawlessly with the mac. And I mean flawlessly - even down to photo collections from iPhoto.

I have to say, the only gadget I couldn’t be without (other than my MBP) is my Treo.

Silv

Sony Ericsson M600
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_m600-1425.php

Taryn

Wow, I thought I had done my research before selecting the Samsung. I’m glad you asked for everyone’s input, Dan. After a late-morning test-drive at my local Verizon Wireless store I can safely say this: the Treo 700p blows everything else they had out of the water*. Easy to use, light-weight, the phone sounds fantastic and the little salesman nearly had a seizure explaining EVDO to me. I returned the Samsung and my new new phone is on the way.

Also, besides tapping into Dan’s readers here, where besides CNET is a good place to research these kinds of questions?

*Note - they didn’t have any of the Nokias everyone’s been talking about.

James

It seems Palm will be releasing the new Treo 680 sometime in the near future. Not much information given on there site about what carriers will offer the phone, but it does run Palm OS.

Sharaf → www.soaphia.com

Go with Motorolla Q, it is slim and loaded with programs you need.

Jeff Miller → www.styromedia.com

The phone quality of the 700p is decent, although you’d probably want to install VolumeCare so you can increase the maximum volume level.

Here are some other great apps for Palm OS:

USBModem - Enables you to use the phone as a broadband modem to connect to a PowerBook. (no more getting ripped off by overpriced hotels that charge $12/day for internet access.)

Quick News - News aggregator.

TuSSH - A free SSH client.

KMaps - Uses Google Maps search results.

John Pastor → www.carbonitegeek.info

Palm just released the new Treo 680 today, rumored to be on Cingular.

Jorge → www.jorgeq.com

I currently have the Sidekick 3 and it gives me everything I want in regards to receiving email and other important info. T-Mobile has just announced this phone which looks hot too.

Stephen → www.getxbox.net

While you seem like you definately know the consequences of becoming addicted or attached to a device of this sort, I don’t think its worth it. You seem to be operating fine without it now, no sense in adding a new variable to your daily life schedule that includes work.

You’re away for a reason - to be disconnected to your day-to-day activities. Having an added device will only add to your connection to work, and soon you will be addicted and attached to it.

They don’t call them “Crackberry” for nothing. Its true, you most likely will become addicted to it.

gb → gregorybowers.com

I recently went through this same quandary. My suggestion? The BlackBerry Pearl (8100). I picked one up a few weeks ago and I LOVE it. I loved it before the Mac software for it was even out. It’s lighter than my RAZR was and is only marginally larger, has a better screen, qwerty keyboard (though it is a two letter to one key type, but you get used to that quickly), bluetooth, EDGE, microSD expansion… basically, it’s a BlackBerry, but in non-brick-like form. And Push-email is fantastic.

(and my thoughts on Treos… my brother has owned every model of Treo… currently a 700p… and he HATES them now. Especially his 700p. He’s constantly dealing with his phone crashing/locking up/etc. I does like the palm software, but I’ve heard him complain about his phones to the point I doubt I’ll ever get a Treo.)

Fazal Majid → www.majid.info/

Forget about the Blackberry - its poor excuse for an IMAP interface is pure unalloyed garbage. See here for the gory details:

http://itinfo.mit.edu/answer.php?id=7350

If you don’t require UMTS, the new Treo 680 is pretty sweet. Cheap and light, none of that stupid 90s stub antenna nonsense.

Nev → www.citrusskies.co.uk

I’m with “Dunks” and James Haley on the I-Mate K-Jam (only mine’s rebranded as a T-Mobile MDA Vario). You shouldn’t be so quick to rule out the Windows devices until you’ve tried them, though admittedly you do need Missing Sync to connect to your Mac.

The slide-away keyboard on this device means that its not that much bigger than a ‘normal’ phone, yet still has reasonably sized keys when you need them. The built-in wi-fi has proved invaluable too - if I’m at home, I don’t have to drag myself upstairs to check my mail ;)

The only downside is that after you dial a number, the on-screen keypad disappears so for automated services (“Choose 1 for …”) you have to slide open the keyboard to access the physical keys.

Matthew → www.thebigchorizo.com/spain-on-the-internet/blackberry-for-mobile-big-chorizo

I have just got hold of a blackberry 8700 and it’s fantastic! For blogging, emails and works great as a phone too.

Björn → twob.net/

I second the votes on Nokia e61. Good for reading emails, has a comfortable qwerty-keyboard, a nice screen and WiFi. And although iSync doesn’t support it out of the box yet, there is a plugin available that solves that.

BassO

I’m very happy with my Nokia 9300i. Qwerty, blackberry-like syncing on multiple IMap-accounts and solid as a rock. Closing the lid on all those fragile little keys makes for a long-lasting phone.

Scott Johnson → full-speed.org/

Here’s another vote for the Blackberry. It’s literally built for email, so you can’t go wrong.

Richard Senior → www.ifingers.com

Got my Blackberry 8700v today.

Have set up my email accounts, which was straightforward. Working great.
I also downloaded the PocketMac Blackberry V4 app which is free, and works great. The only thing I can fault is the horrible icon. Both AddresBook and iCal sync well. I am on Mac OS X 10.4.7

Phone is good.

I like the ergonomics of the phone and the built in Qwerty keyboard is surprisingly easy to use for emails and SMS messages.

Web browsing worked well too.

Overall I am very pleased with it. My biggest bug bear is lack of Bluetooth integration with the AddressBook. My old Sony Ericsson worked flawlessly sending SMS messages easily. Bluetooth syncing would be really cool, lets hope Blackberry or someone else develops this in the future. USB works well though for syncing.

Happy so far.

Elysa

I use the Blackberry 8700 and I am a Mac user and I have been very happy with it. It works will with IMAP. I orginally had all of emails forwarded but that made me a little crazy so I set up filters for it only to forward emails from certain people. I use PocketMac to sync everything. It is very customizable as well. There are sites you can download and change the icons.

I’d recommend it.

Shane → www.everydayblog.net

I have a Crackberry 7100i and I am completely addicted. I can’t say it is better than an equivalent device from a different manufacturer, but I can say that the Blackberry works very well. We have MS Exchange 2003 and a Blackberry server which probably makes the experience a little better. I know you can use a Blackbery without either of these, but you won’t get your calendar, tasks, notes, etc.. pushed to you I don’t think. Just email.

rho

A good solution for me was to not try to combine the two. A Palm Tungsten E2 will connect via a Bluetooth phone to the Internet nicely. Snappermail is a good email client. That was I can just have a small phone, not some giant brick, and I can use the phone as a modem for the laptop as well.

AF

Try the T-Mobile Dash paired with Kerio mailserver.

Al Abut → alabut.com/

I’m a Mac-using web developer and I love my windows mobile device. Just because something has a Palm OS doesn’t mean it integrates well with ical, address book, mail or any other standard apple apps. Since it’s pretty much a wash when it comes to which OS the phone is, why not pick one that’s more full-featured and fun? And if you’re a web geek that likes to tinker and thinking of developing html or flash mobile content (you will, once you see the utility of some of these cool mobile sites) that rules out the very closed Sidekick and relatively closed Palm platform.

I love my phone so much that I wrote up a glowing review. The giant keyboard and display was a big selling point - gmail’s mobile site is a breeze on it. Try one out at a Verizon store to feel the form factor, it’s not as big as you think.

Nick → project83.com

From the moment I purchased my blackberry, I have not been disappointed once. It has great support for all my email accounts, and their phones are the most reliable hardware on the market (mine has been in the toilet once).

Soon, using Zimbra blackberry devices will be able to sync contacts, calendars and email over the air, which is also a huge selling point for me.

Whatever you do, I would not go for treo, as the software/hardware is just unreliable. I was a loyal treo user for almost 5 years before getting smart. It was like going from PC to Mac, it just works. Hope this helps!

Mike Stickel → screenflicker.com/mike/

I’m writing this comment from my new Treo 700p and so far it’s a great device. I know I’m not adding anything to the conversation but this is too much fun!

Phoat → http:\\phoat.com

I just recently purchased the qtek S200 and it’s the best phone I’ve ever used. It runs on Windows Mobile 5, so it’s very versitle. Also with built in bluetooth and WiFi, I can connect to virtually anything, anywhere.

Al Abut → alabut.com/

Oh, forgot to mention: the reason which OS you pick for your phone is a wash is that as a Mac user, you’ll probably want to use Missing Sync regardless, rather than installing some custom calendar and contacts desktop software by Palm. Just a guess, if you’re a productivity or GTD nerd.

jpep

treo 650 + gmail mobile = simple mobile email mgmt

Karen Kerr

I have an alternate suggestion:

Using whatever phone you like (mobile or not),
use ifbyphone to access your Email. It will retrieve Emails from multiple IMAP and POP accounts and you can reply with either a recorded or keypad-entered messsage. You can also configure it to call you when a pre-determined Email message arrives. All this and much more for much less than the cost of an Internet-enabled phone.

Check it out at www.ifbyphone.com.

Dead_Bill

I used the 700p for about 18 months. Overall I’d rate it good, not great. I’ve had a HTC Wizard/Cingular 8125 for 4 months now, and it’s great. It does everything the 700p did, and it does all the things the 700p wouldn’t do. Much more useful and flexable than the Treo, even though it is a Windows Mobile platform. Probably not what you’re looking for, but worth checking out nonetheless.

Keenan Brock

My vote is with the Nokia E70.

Currently have the older version of this phone ( 6820) and am enjoying it. Just waiting for the prices to come down before upgrading.

The developer community for the palms is great - something to consider. But the difficulties I had with my palm Vx and OS X 10.3 (YEARS ago) just turned me off from the whole palm/apple synch. I know many who have had success stories. I’m not one of them.

Best of luck.

Taylor Strait

I wrestled with the same issue. I have eventually set up a Treo 650 with Chattermail. Works perfectly and doesn’t really affect my battery life. I get an email notification on my phone at the same time as my computer. It “just works.”

Pat Collins → burned.com

Dan — The phone quality on the 700p is brilliant. I got mine a few months ago and will not look back.

If you’re going to be interested in any mobile broadband plan I’d suggest Sprint for the simple fact that Verizon restricts you too much in the small print. It mentions that you can’t download digital music and any large data that would take too much bandwidth. Isn’t that the whole point of having bandwidth? To use it? Plus Sprint’s network is mega fast. (Not getting paid to say that.)

Also being a web designer I’m sure you can appreciate how you’ll also be able to test sites on the mobile web. Imagine busting out your Treo in a client meeting and saying “look, it even works on cell phones!”

einemillioneurohomepage → www.einemillioneurohomepage.d

A very interesting site, I think. The Idea of Technometry was new for me but worth to be read and thought abot it (although I’m not a native english-speaker and have some difficulties whith this language)

David

I use a Blackberry 8700 provided by my employer. Access to corporate mail, calendar, tasks, and more is provided through BlackBerry’s Enterprise server. I know mere mortals can’t afford the enterprise server however I have found a solution for accessing my personal email on the same device. I have been using Google’s Hosted Apps for my domain ( http://www.google.com/a ) and have had very good results accessing my custom gmail via BlackBerry’s default browser. For calendar events I have been using Google Calendar’s SMS functionality to receive reminders, make appointments, and download daily agendas. This may not be as slick as an IMAP connection but that is not an option for me as IT has severely locked down certain functions of this device for security reasons. Hope this helps.

Dan Rubin → superfluousbanter.org

My vote is for the Treo 700P — I’ve had the 650 for a little over a year, and I only have 2 major complaints:

1) It’s earpiece is a little on the quiet side, even at full volume. The speakerphone is excellent, and the few times I’ve used a Bluetooth headset, the volume has been fine too.
2) I use and abuse it so much that it’s starting to act weird. I recommend getting insurance from your carrier, so if you encounter the same problem after a year or so, you can just smash the phone and get it replaced :)

It plays well with the Mac, though you might end up needing/wanting some 3rd party software (Missing Sync). IMAP support is just peachy, and I can almost type on the keyboard without looking (took a while to get used to the small keys, but since the positioning is QWERTY it becomes natural).

I’ll be upgrading to the 700P very soon…

Anonymous

Interesting.

Ed Mullin → rnt.ewmullin.com

I’d suggest a Balckberry 8100 aka “the Pearl”. I’ve had mine for about a month - it does great email up to 10 accounts, web is very good - fast and handles most sites. It Uses EDGE for better speed.

It syncs well with a Mac using PocketMac. The keyboard is not QWERTY, but is SureType which works very well. It gets almost all the words you type (provided you hit the right key) Much better than the T9 I had on my Siemens phone.

It has bluetooth (use it as a modem for your PB) a camera, an mp3 & video player. It takes up to a 2 GB memory card. and did I mention that it’s a phone too? Right now T-Mobile is only US dealer

Prateek → xortrox.blogspot.com

Try the NOKIA E 61 my dad has it….it is really great